An Inscribed White Glass ‘Scholar’ Snuff Bottle Zhou Honglai, Seventh Month, 1901

Hugh M. Moss Ltd., Hong Kong, 1992.

Moss et al., 1996-2009, vol. 5, no. 1051.

Small nibbles to the outer lip. Slight general wear to the engraving on both sides. Some surface scratches and abrasions from use.
"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."

Of the same range of glass as many of Zhou’s works, including Sale 4, lot 21, this example displays an unusual feature in the form of an added foot rim. It is not well carved, however, doubtless explaining why Zhou dispensed with it on many of the blanks from the same glassworks. The subject is very similar to that which we believe to have been inspired by Wang Su (see under Sale 4, lot 21), although here it is reversed. The figure is reading a book, held up in front of him in one hand, and the bamboo in the background has been reduced in scale to a few young plants set beyond the plane of a diagonal bank. As he often does, Zhou has left the white space to act as a background, just as part of the paper was so frequently left blank in literati paintings, allowing the viewer to interpret it as sky, water, or mist depending upon the context. It is typical of literati painting that subjects initially copied with a reasonable degree of accuracy from another, earlier work, are interpreted with increasing freedom each time they are repeated; this may be Wang Su, once removed.

The Day of Prayer for [Womanly] Skills is observed on the sixth or seventh day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar; in 1901, that was 19 or 20 August on the Western calendar. The festival has been celebrated by young girls since the Western Han dynasty. On that night, both newly-wedded brides and spinsters would gather in gardens or courtyards decorated with fruits and toys to play games, light incense sticks, and pray to the Weaving Maid for her blessings in needlework, in marriage, and, for those already married, in childbearing.

One translation of the Liu Yuxi essay was offered in the commentary to Sale 1, lot 99. Here is a revised version:

It is not height that makes a mountain: if it houses immortals, its name will be known. It is not depth that makes a river: if it is home to dragons, it is enchanted. Now, this is but a lowly chamber, but it is fragrant with my virtue! The traces of moss rise upon the steps, with greenish hue; the colour of the grasses enters through the blinds, with verdant glow. For laughter and conversation I have great scholars come; among my companions, no dullards. I can tune my simple zither (qin) and peruse the Diamond Sutra; no cacophony of strings and pipes assaults my hearing, no official paperwork wearies my body. Consider the simple Nanyang cottage where Zhuge Liang withdrew [in the Three Kingdoms period], and in Western Shu the pavilion of Ziyun [the scholar Yang Xiong, 53bce – 18 ce]: as Confucius said, ‘[If a Gentleman dwells therein,] how can it be “lowly”?’