AN INSCRIBED UNDERGLAZE RED AND BLUE PORCELAIN 'SCHOLAR' SNUFF BOTTLE QING DYNASTY, 19TH CENTURY

with a convex lip and recessed flat foot surrounded by a convex footrim, painted with a continuous scene of a scholar seated on an elevated piece of ground and leaning against a red boulder beneath a mature pine tree with a backdrop of bamboo, inscribed with a poem in regular script; the coral stopper with a vinyl collar

Hugh Moss (HK) Ltd., 1985.

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. 1389.

The snuff bottle is in overall very good condition.
"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 tapering cylindrical shape of the present bottle suggests it should be dated to the mid or late nineteenth century, when Jingdezhen ceramics production was disrupted by the Taiping rebellion for at least a decade starting from around 1853. To whatever extent production was interrupted or reduced during this period, the quality of the wares remained undiminished.

The present snuff bottle is excellently painted, demonstrating perfect control of the line and vibrancy of the colours. The pine tree is particularly spectacular. The bottle was made for a literate, though not necessarily elite market; the poem was included in an anthology that had been used for centuries as a poetic primer. The design appears to be unique with no other known comparable example.

The pentasyllabic poem titled A Reply was written by a Tang dynasty poet who assumed the literary persona Taishang yinzhe (‘Recluse of high antiquity’ or ‘Recluse of the ultimate supreme’). The poem seems to be an evasive reply to someone who has accosted a recluse in the hills, and may be translated as follows:

          By chance I found myself beneath a pine,
          Took a rock as my lofty pillow and fell asleep.
          There is no calendar in the mountains:
          The cold season is over, but I wouldn’t know the year.