176 - A RARE MOULDED PORCELAIN ‘PRECIOUS OBJECTS’ SNUFF BOTTLE JINGDEZHEN, 1820-1880

A RARE MOULDED PORCELAIN ‘PRECIOUS OBJECTS’ SNUFF BOTTLE JINGDEZHEN, 1820-1880 To Be Sold Without Reserve Of compressed horizontal ovoid form with a cylindrical neck, flat lip and protruding, concave oval foot, moulded in relief with a continuous design of seven precious vessels, including a ding incense burner set on a foliate stand and emitting clouds of smoke, a tall vase with formalized lingzhi, a beehive-shaped water vessel with a ladle and four other vessels, all on a formalized floral diaper ground, the base with a band of formalized lotus petals, the neck with a continuous leiwen band, all covered with a thin white enamel Height: 5.7cm Provenance: The Cai Shi Xuan Studio Collection Sotheby’s London, 21st June 1995, lot 142 Robert Kleiner Ltd., London Ann and John Hamilton Collection, no. 165 Hugh Moss (HK) Ltd, 16th April 2006, (a copy of the original invoice available) This is a unique version by a mid-nineteenth century workshop that seems to have devoted most of its time to faking Qianlong moulded porcelain bottles. Two other equally impressive bottles, probably by the same hand, are in Bob C. Stevens, The Collector’s Book of Snuff Bottles, 274, and Denis S. K. Low, More Treasures from the Sanctum of Enlightened Respect, Singapore, 2002, no. 181 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