Lot Essay
According to Robert Kleiner, in the exhibition Catalogue, Chinese Snuff Bottles, A Miniature Art from the Collection of Mary and George Bloch, Hong Kong, 1994, p. 363, no. 296, "Yiru jushi is the hao, or art name, of an as yet unidentified artist, possibly of the the Lingnan School. He appears to have worked from the 1820's until the early 1870's. It appears he was a reclusive Buddhist who painted various bottles much in the style of this one, with calligraphy interspersed by small drawings. He also signed his works Banshan"
This bottle is therefore extremely unusual and important on a number of levels. Firstly, the three signatures, Yiru, Chongchang and Yun Feng, on the same bottle is in itself rare. Secondly, it reliably confirms at least three or possibly four art names for this particular artist, and thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, the seal after the name Yun Feng suggests that this is in fact the real name of the artist, rather than an art name
The chrysanthemum spray is inscribed, 'painted in the style of Shitian', the literary name of Shen Zhou, 1427-1509
For other bottles by Yiru see Robert Kleiner, op. cit., pp. 364-366, nos. 297-298
This bottle is therefore extremely unusual and important on a number of levels. Firstly, the three signatures, Yiru, Chongchang and Yun Feng, on the same bottle is in itself rare. Secondly, it reliably confirms at least three or possibly four art names for this particular artist, and thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, the seal after the name Yun Feng suggests that this is in fact the real name of the artist, rather than an art name
The chrysanthemum spray is inscribed, 'painted in the style of Shitian', the literary name of Shen Zhou, 1427-1509
For other bottles by Yiru see Robert Kleiner, op. cit., pp. 364-366, nos. 297-298