161 - A ‘FAMILLE-ROSE’ ENAMEL ON COPPER ‘BOYS AT PLAY’ SNUFF BOTTLE GUANGZHOU, 1870-1930

A ‘FAMILLE-ROSE’ ENAMEL ON COPPER ‘BOYS AT PLAY’ SNUFF BOTTLE GUANGZHOU, 1870-1930 To Be Sold Without Reserve Of ovoid form with a waisted neck, flat lip and recessed, flat circular foot surrounded by a protruding, rounded, circular foot rim, painted with a continuous scene of four boys playing in room set with a large root kang backed by a screen painted with a dragon in clouds, a low table with a gu beaker with two rolls of paper set in it and a dish of finger-citrons and two barrel-shaped stools, one of which is draped with a garment from one of the children, and has a pair of shoes set in front of it, bamboo can be seen through a window above the stools, one child walks around the side of the screen, holding a fan, and looking on as the other three play a game kneeling around a tub of water, in which they are reflected, the neck with a border of double-unit leiwen above a shoulder band of formalized lingzhi heads and petals, the base with a small band of lotus- petal-shaped lappetss Height: 5.9cm Provenance: Robert Hall Hugh Moss (HK) Ltd, 11th May 2000, (a copy of the original invoice available) There is a group of enamel on metal wares which date from the end of the Qing dynasty, or the beginning of the Republican period. They are characterised by unusual shapes, including this completely ovoid form and an elongated ovoid form, derived from early Guangzhou examples, and by some rather strange subject matter. Several of them are erotic, others copy Castiglione paintings (one of his famous dogs, for instance) and most bear fake Qianlong reign marks. Whoever painted them, he was an excellent enameller with a distinctive style and often very amusing subject matter. This is one of the few works which does not bear a fake reign mark and is also one of his most amusing and delightful subjects, the reflections of the children in the water being particularly well executed Ω This Lot was imported outside of the UK, under the Temporary Admission scheme. 5% import VAT will be charged on the ‘hammer’ price and 20% VAT will be charged on the ‘buyer’s premium’. If proof of export outside of the UK can be provided for this item within 3 months of the sale date, then the VAT can be refunded. Please contact us for further details and shipping advice