A GREY AND WHITE JADE 'LUOHAN AND DRAGON' SNUFF BOTTLE SUZHOU, SCHOOL OF ZHITING, QING DYNASTY, MID-18TH / MID-19TH CENTURY

of pebble material, well hollowed with a concave foot surrounded by a flat footrim, carved with a continuous rocky landscape scene with a wutong tree and a waterfall in which a luohan seated on a rocky outcrop holds a small alms bowl in his outstretched right hand toward a dragon flying above him, all beneath swirling clouds; the jadeite stopper with a coral finial and vinyl collar

Hugh Moss (HK) Ltd., 1985.

Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Collection of Mary and George Bloch at the Galleries of Sydney L. Moss, Ltd., Sydney L. Moss Ltd., London, 1987, cat. no. 40.
Creditanstalt, Vienna, 1993.

Hugh Moss, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection, vol. 1, Hong Kong, 1996, no. 127.

There is a very minute nick to the the outer lip and one tiny polished chip, which are not obtrusives, otherwise the snuff bottle is in overall good condition. The actual colour of the stone is consistent, if not a bit deeper 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."

The present bottle is one of the classic, second-phase Suzhou snuff bottles in the collection. It is also of the impressive multi-plane cameo group represented by another bottle from the collection, sold by Bonhams Hong Kong, 23rd November 2010, lot 151, where distinct planes of colour are used to great advantage. It is very unusual for so-called 'black-and-white' Suzhou bottles to include skin colour, and in the present example it has been cleverly used for the leaves of the tree. See another slightly larger 'black-and-white' Suzhou jade bottle from the Bloch collection, sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 28th May 2010, lot 93.