**AN UNUSUAL ENAMELED PORCELAIN SNUFF BOTTLE

Luohan are Buddhists who have attained perfect enlightenment and act as a worldly conduits to the state of indefinitely expanded consciousness granted by the experience. They are the legendary sixteen disciples of Buddha, but in their introduction to China and Japan, two more were added (and even far larger groupings are known).

The same subject is also found in other color combinations, and particularly in early cream-colored molded porcelain bottles of the very finest quality, which can be dated to the late Qianlong or early Jiaqing period. Although the mark is illegible here, it is probably a corrupted Jiaqing reign mark. During the late-Qianlong and Jiaqing reigns, several series of molded porcelain bottles made for the Court had severely abbreviated reign marks, some of which became illegible, although many can be identified as Jiaqing marks through intermediate stages of corruption.

See similar examples molded with luohan illustrated by B. Stevens, The Collector's Book of Snuff Bottles, no. 278, M. Hughes, The Blair Bequest. Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Princeton University Art Museum, no. 252, and H. Moss, Snuff Bottles of China, no. 297. A cream-glazed example in the Victoria and Albert Museum is illustrated by H. White, Snuff Bottles from China, pl. 115, no. 3.

Special Notice

Prospective purchasers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to coral, ivory and tortoiseshell. Accordingly, prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country.

Provenance

Harry Ross
Christie's, London, 19 June 1978, lot 27
Hugh M. Moss Ltd.

Literature

South China Morning Post, 30 June 1978, p. 15, lot 27
Moss, Graham, Tsang, The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle. The J & J Collection, Vol. 1, no. 240
The Art of Chinese Snuff Bottle, Poly Art Museum, p. 86

Exhibited

Christie's, New York, 1993
Empress Place Museum, Singapore, 1994
Museum für Kunsthandwerk, Frankfurt, 1996-1997
Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, London, 1997
Naples Museum of Art, Florida, 2002
Portland Museum of Art, Oregon, 2002
National Museum of History, Taipei, 2002
International Asian Art Fair, Seventh Regiment Armory, New York, 2003
Poly Art Museum, Beijing, 2003