清十八世紀 涅白料葫蘆鼻煙壺

Robert Hall，倫敦，1984年

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685

There is an elongated burst air bubble at the neck. The overall condition is otherwise very 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."

Solid evidence that this bottle was blown is provided by the fact there is one elongated bubble at the waist of the gourd form, stretching away from the mouth. A lapidary, however, would have cut the concave foot, detailed mouth and lip, and polished the exterior.

The double-gourd form has the potential for an enormous range of possible variations, as is the case for any shape with multiple curves. By the time one has considered all the possible degrees of compression from the natural bulbous shape of the fruit, the variations in size between upper and lower bulbs, the variety of curvature possible for each, as well as the shape of foot, neck, and lip, one is facing a potentially infinite number of possible variations on a form. Many of these are found in the snuff-bottle world.

The compression here takes the shape away from its natural source of inspiration. Although double gourds were sometimes moulded while growing by simple compression between two flat boards, the natural shape of the fruit is equally bulbous in all directions. There is also a departure from the natural form in the flaring of the neck. The fruit itself always curves inwards at the top where it adjoins the stem, and the best one could achieve by cutting off the tip of the fruit would be a straight neck. As so often in Chinese art, once a form was borrowed from nature it soon evolved in its own right, resulting in a series of shapes specific to the human hand.

This form is always visually pleasing and intriguing with its many curving surfaces, and is ideally suited to the sensuous forms of the glassmaker’s art. The endless possible colours and mixtures of glass also offer considerable potential for surface decoration.