A MINIATURE SILVER DOUBLE-GOURD 'MAGPIE AND PRUNUS' SNUFF BOTTLE QING DYNASTY, 18TH / 19TH CENTURY

Robert Kleiner, 1993.

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. 1631.

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."

There is a series of small bottles from the mid- to late-Qing period that may have been intended originally for medicine rather than snuff. A well-known group of hinged, multi-part metal bottles bears the names of the medicines they contained. There are others where no indication is given of the intended content, but inferences can be made. Medicine bottles sometimes had screw-threaded tops, as this one does, and this particular bottle also contains the residue of a brilliant cinnabar-red powder of some kind. This is a possible colour for snuff, but also for powdered medicines. The tiny mouth and unusually long screw-threaded top suggest that this bottle was intended to hold a type of medicine that was taken in very small doses—such as anything containing mercury, which is present in cinnabar.

The subject of two magpies and prunus blossoms (incorrectly represented here with four petals and leaves) evokes a desire for happiness and conjugal bliss.