Lot Essay
The inscription includes a dedication to Zhi Ting followed by an indecipherable seal.
Zhou Leyuan began painting as early as 1882, but his early masterpieces date from 1885-1887. These are characterized by a different style of painting, complete command of the medium, and some unusual subjects not repeated in his later works. For discussion on the artist and his evolution and importance to the art as a whole, see Hugh Moss, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang, The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle: The J & J Collection, Tokyo, 1993, pp. 664-679, nos. 407-415.
Zhou Leyuan began painting as early as 1882, but his early masterpieces date from 1885-1887. These are characterized by a different style of painting, complete command of the medium, and some unusual subjects not repeated in his later works. For discussion on the artist and his evolution and importance to the art as a whole, see Hugh Moss, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang, The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle: The J & J Collection, Tokyo, 1993, pp. 664-679, nos. 407-415.