56 - A YIXING ENAMELLED STONEWARE BLUE-GROUND SNUFF BOTTLE 1820-1870

A YIXING ENAMELLED STONEWARE BLUE-GROUND SNUFF BOTTLE 1820-1870 To Be Sold Without Reserve Of cylindrical form with a narrow, cylindrical neck and recessed circular foot, painted with a continuous design of two magpies, one nestling in the branches of a flowering prunus tree, the other in flight, against an opaque blue enamel ground, the foot enamelled in turquoise-green Height: 8cm Provenance: Bernice Straus Hasterlik Collection Sotheby’s, New York, 17th September 1996 Lot 154 Hugh Moss (HK) Ltd, 26th September 1996, (a copy of the original invoice available) Although enamels were developed at Yixing earlier, they did not become popular until the early nineteenth century, and then, probably, in response to snuff bottle demand. The enamels of Yixing are mostly opaque, since translucence would have meant little on an opaque stoneware and have appeared dirty since the dark colour of the stoneware would show through the enamel colour, but are of the same palette as the famille rose enamels of Jingdezhen, Beijing and Guangzhou. Cylindrical Yixing bottles are rather unusual, although this blue ground is one of the more common colours for Yixing enamelled grounds. For other Yixing enamelled bottles, some with blue grounds, see Bob C. Stevens, The Collector’s Book of Snuff Bottles, nos. 326-339, where 326 has a similar subject to this example Ω This Lot was imported from outside of the UK, under the Temporary Admission regime 5% import VAT will be charged on the ‘hammer” and 20% VAT will be charged on the ‘buyer’s premium