ENGRAVING, SHISHOU SHANREN, 1839; BOTTLE, 1720-1839

Details

**A VERY RARE ENGRAVED AMBER SNUFF BOTTLE
ENGRAVING, SHISHOU SHANREN, 1839; BOTTLE, 1720-1839
The semi-transparent, caramel-brown body well hollowed and with scattered darker and paler brown areas and natural flaws, the body incised using the natural pattern of the amber for emphasis, one side with a depiction of bamboo growing beside a rocky outcrop, an inscription nearby followed by one seal, the other side incised with a copy of an ancient bronze inscription, followed by an inscription in regular script reading Daoguang Jihai Shishou Shanren Fang Hu Ti (The Stone Longevity Hermit, copying the inscription on the hu in the Jihai year of the Daoguang period) followed by one seal of the artist, Shishou, incorporated in a darker inclusion in the amber, tourmaline stopper with glass collar
2 9/16 in. (6.6 cm.) high

Provenance

Sotheby's, London, 6 December 1995, lot 705
Hugh Moss (HK) Ltd.

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.

Lot Essay

This handsome bottle is one of only four known in amber signed by Shishou Shanren, the hao of Wang Heng (also known as Wang Rong,1817-1882). He is listed in Zhongguo meishu jiaren mincidian, p. 462. His other signed works include one in the J & J Collection, illustrated by Moss, Graham, Tsang, The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle, no. 292, and sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 25 April 2004, lot 878; a pebble-shaped bottle in the Bloch Collection which bears a date corresponding to 1816; and a signed, but undated, root-amber example in the Denis Low Collection. The two in the J & J Collection are distinguished by combining impressive literati "paintings" with text, and, in this case, a date and other information about the artist. Here the bamboo stands for integrity while the rock stands for longevity.

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