1779-1799

Details

**AN UNUSUAL SILVER-INLAID BRONZE BOTTLE
1779-1799
Of compressed form with flat lip and recessed, flat oval foot surrounded by a footrim, inlaid with a continuous design of clouds with a three-clawed dragon on one side and a fenghuang above a beribboned ruyi scepter on the other, the neck with a single band of continuous leiwen, the foot inlaid with a three-character mark Qianlong nian ('Qianlong period') in regular script, bronze stopper with integral collar, decorated with a beribboned ruyi scepter
2 in. (6.31 cm.) high

Provenance

Sotheby's, London, 9 June 1981, lot 74
Hugh M. Moss Ltd.

Literature

Moss, Graham, Tsang, The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle. The J & J Collection, Vol. 1, no. 263

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

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

The style and workmanship of this bottle follow that of the known inlaid bronze bottles from the eighteenth century. There is a folk-like charm to the decoration here which sets it apart from some other inlaid metal wares of the Qianlong period. Although by the mid-Qing period, most inlaid silver-wire wares tended to refer back to the legendary late Ming metal worker, Shisou, who popularized this art form so successfully. For another wire-inlaid, late-Qianlong example, see the figural panel on a silver-inlaid copper bottle illustrated in Moss, Graham, Tsang, The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle. The J & J Collection, Vol. 1, no. 262.

While the mark on the base is an extremely unusual three-character one, the late Qianlong reign saw the occasional use of several strange variants, including two and three-character marks, and even a mark noting the Qing dynasty, but no particular reign.

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