清十八 / 十九世紀初 巧色玉雕螭龍紋鼻煙壺 或御製

of pebble material, very well hollowed and carved with three chilong and a spray of lingzhi fungus, the head and shoulders of one beast forming the base, the natural pebble skin possibly enhanced with staining; the coral stopper carved as a twig

Hugh M. Moss Ltd，香港，1992年

Hugh Moss、Victor Graham 及曾嘉寶，《A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection》，卷1，香港，1996年，編號16

The snuff bottle is overall in very good condition. the actual colour of the stone is more greyish brown, less russet compared to the catalogue illustration. The spoon is missing.
"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 possible imperial designation is based on the subject matter, which was popular at court. The pebble material might also be an indication of such a provenance, but its use was common to the jade carving tradition of China, going back to at least the Han dynasty. It is possible that the natural pebble skin has been enhanced by staining, which was typical of court jade production and was ordered by the emperor on wares made for the court at Suzhou. 

The carving of the dragons is as fine, although of a different style, and is artistically comparable with that seen on jade snuff bottles. The carving is under the total command of a master artist and lapidary, and the separation of ground and relief planes is exquisite. Each of the three beasts is unusually long, thin, and fluid in its sinuousness, to the point of having an almost snake-like body, with little distinction made between the thickness of the long, flowing bodies and the limbs and tails. The tails are also distinctive in having a short third division emanating from the point where the two main branches of the tail split. Two of the beasts’ heads are feline, while the third is almost hawk-like, with a long, protruding, almost beaked upper lip and a shorter, bearded lower lip. All are standard forms for the chilong over the centuries, which could be depicted with dragon-, feline-, or fenghuang-like heads, but in combination with the body style here they make for a distinctive departure from the more normal creatures found on Palace products of the mid-Qing period. This suggests, perhaps, that if it was made for the court it was made either at a distant facility or by a carver summoned to the palace workshops who imported an individual style of carving the beast.