SIGNED MA SHAOXUAN, DATED YIWEI (1895)

Details

AN INSIDE-PAINTED GLASS SNUFF BOTTLE
SIGNED MA SHAOXUAN, DATED YIWEI (1895)
One side is painted with five butterflies amidst flowers and grasses below a short inscription and the date, the reverse with a four-line calligraphic inscription noting it was painted in the capital, with the artist's name followed by a seal mark in red.
2 3/8 in. (6 cm.) high, aquamarine stopper

Provenance

Robert Kleiner, Belfont Company Ltd., Hong Kong, 1996.
Edgar and Roberta Prescott Wise Collection.
Ruth and Carl Barron Collection, Belmont, Massachusetts, no. 2050.

Special notice

This lot is offered without reserve.

Brought to you by

Andrew Lick

asianartny@christies.com +1 212 636 2180

Lot Essay

Ma Shaoxuan (1867-1939) was one of the most technically accomplished artists of the Beijing school of snuff-bottle painting, which was founded by Zhou Leyuan and included other leading artists, such as Ding Erzhong, Ye Zhongsan and Ziyizi.

The subject of butterflies is very auspicious, as they symbolized multitudes of blessings including many descendants. For a discussion of the significance of butterflies, see T. T. Bartholomew, Hidden Meanings in Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 2006, p. 32.

A bottle with similar design from the Muse Collection is illustrated by Clare Chu in Chinese Snuff Bottles from Southern Californian Collectors, Hong Kong, 2016, pg. 74.

More from The Ruth and Carl Barron Collection of Fine Chinese Snuff Bottles: Part VI

View All