清末 涅白地套七色料「魚化龍」圖鼻煙壺 《素雲道人製》款

Hugh Moss、Victor Graham 及曾嘉寶，《A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection》，卷5，香港，2002年，編號996

A burst air bubble in the foot and the lip. Otherwise, in 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."

In the field of glass, it is a pleasant change indeed to be able to date something reasonably precisely and unambiguously. The Empress Dowager’s second-favourite eunuch (some say he was her favourite) used the name Suyun daoren. His original name was Liu Duosheng 劉多升 (also written 劉多生); his Daoist names were Liu Chengyin 誠印 and Suyun daoren. Liu was extremely wealthy; before he died in 1894, he both raised funds and donated his own money to build numerous Daoist temples. Because of his activities, a large number of eunuchs were ordained as Daoist monks. He even announced that eunuchs who left palace service could take up residence in the temples (as many did, some staying there until 1957). Our dating range for this snuff bottle is begins with the year in which Liu took orders (1871) and ends with the year in which he died (1894).

Some sources note the existence of the Suyun daoren zhi mark on Guangxu-era pottery, leading others to go one step further and draw the conclusion that Suyun daoren was a potter. It seems unlikely that a potter would adopt the name of the one of the most powerful living eunuchs in the country, however. It is far more likely that Liu Chengyin had both porcelain and glass wares made for him and directed that they should bear his religious name. This is borne out by the fact that the Ault Collection includes a series of bottles on both glass and porcelain made for Suyun (Kleiner 1990, nos. 197 - 200).