Lot Essay
This appears to be one of only two published examples of the Guyuexuan molded and enameled group which depicts a cat rather than the ubiquitous bird; for the other, see the bottle sold Christie's, Hong Kong, May 2, 1995, lot 1368
For an example from the same workshop depicting phoenix amidst flowers and rockwork see Sotheby's, Hong Kong, Important Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Collection of Eric Young, Part IV, October 28, 1993, lot 1268; another, depicting magpies, sold Christie's, New York, November 27, 1991, lot 102, is illustrated by Humphrey K. F. Hui and Christopher C. H. Sin, An Imperial Qing Tradition, Hong Kong, 1994, pl. 178, p. 145. Other examples, depicting a pheasant, quail, crane and a continuous design of lotus, are illustrated by Hugh M. Moss, Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Collection of The Rt. Hon. The Marquess of Exeter, K.C.M.G., London, 1974, pp. 99-101, pls. E.1-3, E.5 and E.8
For an unmolded Guyuexuan-marked enameled bottle, depicting a similar subject, but more crudely painted, see Sotheby's, Hong Kong, Important Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Kaynes-Klitz Collection, Part II, October 30, 1990, lot 57
See Robert W. L. Kleiner, Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Collection of Mary and George Bloch, New York, 1987, p. 92, fig. 29, for a Yangzhou seal school bottle depicting a cat watching butterflies, where the author states that the word for 'cat' and 'octogenarian', mao, are phonetically close, and that the rebus expresses the wish that the recipient should live to be seventy or eighty (butterflies symbolize the numeral seventy)
For further discussion of this group of wares, see Hugh M. Moss, 'Enamelled Glass Wares of the Gu Yüe Hsüan Group', I.C.B.S., Journal, June, 1978, and Hugh Moss, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang, The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle, The J & J Collection, vol. I, New York, 1993, pp. 341-351
For an example from the same workshop depicting phoenix amidst flowers and rockwork see Sotheby's, Hong Kong, Important Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Collection of Eric Young, Part IV, October 28, 1993, lot 1268; another, depicting magpies, sold Christie's, New York, November 27, 1991, lot 102, is illustrated by Humphrey K. F. Hui and Christopher C. H. Sin, An Imperial Qing Tradition, Hong Kong, 1994, pl. 178, p. 145. Other examples, depicting a pheasant, quail, crane and a continuous design of lotus, are illustrated by Hugh M. Moss, Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Collection of The Rt. Hon. The Marquess of Exeter, K.C.M.G., London, 1974, pp. 99-101, pls. E.1-3, E.5 and E.8
For an unmolded Guyuexuan-marked enameled bottle, depicting a similar subject, but more crudely painted, see Sotheby's, Hong Kong, Important Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Kaynes-Klitz Collection, Part II, October 30, 1990, lot 57
See Robert W. L. Kleiner, Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Collection of Mary and George Bloch, New York, 1987, p. 92, fig. 29, for a Yangzhou seal school bottle depicting a cat watching butterflies, where the author states that the word for 'cat' and 'octogenarian', mao, are phonetically close, and that the rebus expresses the wish that the recipient should live to be seventy or eighty (butterflies symbolize the numeral seventy)
For further discussion of this group of wares, see Hugh M. Moss, 'Enamelled Glass Wares of the Gu Yüe Hsüan Group', I.C.B.S., Journal, June, 1978, and Hugh Moss, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang, The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle, The J & J Collection, vol. I, New York, 1993, pp. 341-351