A CANTON ENAMEL ‘LANDSCAPE’ SNUFF BOTTLE QING DYNASTY, EARLY 18TH CENTURY

with a flat lip and protruding concave foot surrounded by a convex footrim, painted in famille-rose enamels with a continuous design of a riverside temple and associated dwellings set amidst rocky outcrops in a mountainous landscape peopled by two scholars standing beneath a rocky overhang and a boatman punting a partly covered skiff in the foreground, the foot painted in blue with an oval chilong medallion, the interior covered with white enamel, all exposed metal with traces of original gilding; the malachite stopper with a gilt-silver collar

J & J Collection.
Collection of Gerd Lester, 1986.

Hugh Moss, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection, vol. 6, Hong Kong, 2007, no. 1126.

There is restoration around the neck extending down about 1.5 cm. There is a patch of restoration low on the main side decorated with pagoda (approx. 1.8 x 1.3 cm). There is a small area of restoration on one narrow side (1.5. x 2.4 cm).
"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 enamelled bottle can be attributed to the first few decades of the eighteenth century. The art of enamelling metal is believed to have been introduced into Canton prior to 1712 based on a rare European subject panel bearing a cylical date corresponding to 1712, exhibited in Chinese Painted Enamels, The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, 1978, cat. no. 13. The traditional palette and sparse use of the pink enamel on the present bottle suggests that this is an early example within the development of enamelling metal at Canton.