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Lot Essay
For another example by Ma Shaoxian, see Robert Kleiner, Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Collection of Mary and George Bloch, British Museum, London, 1995, Catalogue, p. 648, no. 423. For a very similar bottle, also by Ma Shaoxian, see Sotheby's, New York, 17 September 1996, lot 116.
This bottle is derived from a well-known group of similar bottles produced by Ma Shaoxuan. Clues to the identity of Ma Shaoxuan's possible assistants exist in bottles signed by other artists with the same family name who worked very much in his style. One was Ma Shaoxian, whose real name was Ma Kuoting - known from his use of both names on his bottles. For an example, see JICSBS, Spring 1991, back cover. There is a reasonable body of works by Ma Shaoxian, which in style, choice of subjects and frequent use of long, regular script inscriptions on the backs of bottles, are clearly derived from Ma Shaoxuan.
For discussion of Ma Shaoxuan's treatment of this subject, see Ma Zengshan, Inside-Painted Snuff Bottle Artist, Ma Shaoxuan,
Baltimore, 1997, p. 45, fig. 23.
For other examples by Ma Shaoxuan, see Sotheby's, Hong Kong, 28 October 1992, lot 481; Christie's, New York, The Reif Collection, 18 October 1993, lot 232; and for another example, see Snuff Bottles in the Collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1991, Catalogue, pp. 199-357, fig. 242
This bottle is derived from a well-known group of similar bottles produced by Ma Shaoxuan. Clues to the identity of Ma Shaoxuan's possible assistants exist in bottles signed by other artists with the same family name who worked very much in his style. One was Ma Shaoxian, whose real name was Ma Kuoting - known from his use of both names on his bottles. For an example, see JICSBS, Spring 1991, back cover. There is a reasonable body of works by Ma Shaoxian, which in style, choice of subjects and frequent use of long, regular script inscriptions on the backs of bottles, are clearly derived from Ma Shaoxuan.
For discussion of Ma Shaoxuan's treatment of this subject, see Ma Zengshan, Inside-Painted Snuff Bottle Artist, Ma Shaoxuan,
Baltimore, 1997, p. 45, fig. 23.
For other examples by Ma Shaoxuan, see Sotheby's, Hong Kong, 28 October 1992, lot 481; Christie's, New York, The Reif Collection, 18 October 1993, lot 232; and for another example, see Snuff Bottles in the Collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1991, Catalogue, pp. 199-357, fig. 242