AN INSIDE-PAINTED GLASS SNUFF BOTTLE DING ERZHONG, WINTER, 1895

with a concave lip and a recessed flat foot surrounded by a protruding rounded footrim, painted on one main side with a young woman reclining against the trunk of a willow on a grassy shore, dipping a fishing rod languidly into a river, with a country residence behind approached by a plank bridge and distant hills seen beyond, inscribed in draft script ‘[Painted by] Ding Erzhong in imitation of the painting ideas of Yuhu shanren, at the time sojourning at Xuannan,’ with two seals of the artist, Zhong and Ding, both in negative seal script, the other main side with a group of auspicious objects (a vase containing blossoming prunus branches, a crackled vessel containing narcissus flowers, a jardiniere with calamus, a tripod brazier or incense burner, and a natural rock sculpture), inscribed in draft script ‘For the pure enjoyment of Xueting, an honourable elder brother, Ding Erzhong [painted this] in the winter of the year yiwei, in imitation of the method of the elderly gentleman Nantian’, corresponding to 1895, with one seal of the artist, Ding, in negative seal script; the tourmaline stopper with a vinyl collar

Kaynes-Klitz Collection.
Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 16^th November 1989, lot 151.

Chinese Snuff Bottles in the Collection of Mary and George Bloch, The British Museum, London, 1995, lot 389.
Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 1997.
Christie's London, 1999.

Hugh Moss, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection, vol. 4, Hong Kong, 2000, no. 541.

The snuff bottle is overall in very good condition. There is a minute chip to the inner lip. The painting is also in overall good condition. There is some very slight snuff staining and slight smudge to one side of the first character of the dedication. The actual colour of the glass is more neutral, if not with a slight yellow tinge, less pink compared to the catalogue illustration.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Yuhu shanren, who has the haoof Gai Qi (1773-1828), was a poet and painter or Uighur origin. Residing in Huating, Jiangsu province, he won recognition for his poetry, calligraphy and painting, and his paintings of beautiful ladies were especially prized for the exquisite elegance. See another bottle by Ding Erzhong from the Bloch collection, sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 28th November 2011, lot 43, which cites Yuhu shanren as its inspiration.

Nantian, the artist Ding acknowledges in the painting of auspicious objects, is the hao of Yun Shouping (1633-1690).