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Lot Essay
This flawless crystal bottle is painted on the interior of one side with a mountainous landscape, and with a rock formation on the opposite side accompanied by an inscription which may be translated as “In making friends [with people one] should take the solid rock as a model. Neither cringing nor condescending [one’s] lofty character will become apparent. Made by Ziyizi in the summer of the year yiwei when sojourning in the capital’, with seals Yuan and Yin ‘Seal).”
According to H. Moss et al. in The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle, The J & J Collection, vol. I, New York, 1993, p. 702, this is one of only two known bottles from Ziyizi’s first year of recorded production. Ziyizi is a hao, or adopted art name – the identity of the artist is not known. He appears to have worked in a period from 1895 to 1907, and while he was a contemporary of Zhou Leyuan, his known works within the time frame noted above suggest that he was probably not involved in the full-time production of snuff bottles.
An interesting comment in the inscription, ‘when sojourning in the capital’, sheds a bit of light on Ziyizi’s life. It suggests that he was not from Beijing, as generally Chinese artists would use the term ‘sojourning’ when traveling away from their native town. How long this particular sojourn lasted, or how many were made, is not known. A few other signed bottles by Ziyizi include this detail, including one dated to 1899, illustrated by H. Moss et al. in A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection, vol. 4, Part 2, Hong Kong, 2000, pp. 478-79. no. 621, and sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 1 June 2015, lot 212.
According to H. Moss et al. in The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle, The J & J Collection, vol. I, New York, 1993, p. 702, this is one of only two known bottles from Ziyizi’s first year of recorded production. Ziyizi is a hao, or adopted art name – the identity of the artist is not known. He appears to have worked in a period from 1895 to 1907, and while he was a contemporary of Zhou Leyuan, his known works within the time frame noted above suggest that he was probably not involved in the full-time production of snuff bottles.
An interesting comment in the inscription, ‘when sojourning in the capital’, sheds a bit of light on Ziyizi’s life. It suggests that he was not from Beijing, as generally Chinese artists would use the term ‘sojourning’ when traveling away from their native town. How long this particular sojourn lasted, or how many were made, is not known. A few other signed bottles by Ziyizi include this detail, including one dated to 1899, illustrated by H. Moss et al. in A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection, vol. 4, Part 2, Hong Kong, 2000, pp. 478-79. no. 621, and sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 1 June 2015, lot 212.