A DUANSTONE 'KUI DRAGON' SNUFF BOTTLE QING DYNASTY, 18TH – 19TH CENTURY

flanked by a pair of mythical beast mask handles suspending a mock ring, the reverse with two stylised scaly dragons

Hugh M. Moss Ltd., 1993. 
Mary and George Bloch collection.

Hugh Moss, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection, vol. 3, Hong Kong, 1998, no. 393.

There are some tiny areas of wear and minor bruising to the surface through use, otherwise the overall condition of this soft stone is good.
"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 apparently imperial Duanstone snuff bottles made during the Qianlong period and possibly thereafter. The decoration varies but can include the well-known couplet praising Duanstone (see Sale 6, lot 199) and both the subjects here, scaly dragons in clouds on one side and a group of highly stylized kui dragons forming the character long (‘dragon’) on the other.

Many of them also have these distinctive mask handles where the beast appears to be wearing a Chinese hat (see discussion under no. 84, Moss, Graham, and Tsang 1993).

These strange handles probably represent a local artistic twist on a repetitive detail. The style of the dragons is also not a courtly style; it is found on a range of inkstones of the same Duan material and it probably represents a local style.

Although the number of claws on these distinctive dragons is sometimes hard to read, some have an unambiguous set of four, such as Sale 6, lot 199, which proves that some at least were not made for the imperial family to use but to be distributed among those granted the right to wear the dragon, but not the five-clawed imperial version.

In the Ault Collection (Kleiner 1990, no. 20) there is a Qianlong glass bottle that has these same distinctive dragons on one side. Here appears to be a case of the glass being inspired by the Duan versions. It seems unlikely that the Duan style was patterned on a court model, because in such a case one would see many more repetitions of the same composition; in addition, Duan-style dragons are found on inkstones and other wares, suggesting that they did not spring from an imperial order in one type of article but from local preferences that applied wherever dragons were to be carved.

For other examples, see the commentary to this bottle in Treasury 3.

This example is standard for the group but in better condition than many, so one can see the crispness of the original workmanship. Because the material is soft, one reason for its suitability for inkstones, many have been quite considerably smoothed at the surface through handling. Although Duan Stream produced other colours of stone, this deep purplish-brown was one of the most characteristic materials of the mines.