A BAMBOO AND SILVER VEGETABLE-FORM SNUFF BOTTLE QING DYNASTY, 18TH / 19TH CENTURY

together with a watercolour illustration by Peter Suart

Collection of Bob C. Stevens.
Sotheby’s New York, 26th March 1982, lot 202.
Collection of Paula J. Hallett.
Sotheby’s New York, 2nd December 1985, lot 63.
Hugh Moss (HK) Ltd., 1985.

Bob C. Stevens, The Collector's Book of Snuff Bottles, New York, 1976, no. 727.
Ted H. Exstein, 'New York Auction Review', Journal of the International Chinese Snuff Bottle Society, Winter 1985, p. 30.
Hugh Moss, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection, vol. 7, Hong Kong, 2009, no. 1480.

Uneven surface on the silver collar, inner lip and lid. Small pieces of bamboo missing and numerous cracks throughout the material. Consistent with age.
"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 anonymous artist of this unusual bamboo snuff bottle obviously intended it to resemble something, since he went to the trouble of carving it into a particular form (part of the bottle is not the natural form of the material). Figuring out what the carver had in mind, however, is another matter. It is so abstracted it is difficult to identify with any confidence, but a swollen pea pod, with its obvious fertility symbolism, may have been intended.

The silver around the mouth appears to be original, but is an unusual addition. The entire mouth has been covered with a thin silver sheet beaten down around the outer neck. The hole for the mouth was then sliced like a pizza, with the triangular sections bent into the inner neck to form a partial lining. It obviously matches the stopper, so both would have been done at the same time, and it is quite likely that this was at the time the bottle was made.