213 - AN INSIDE PAINTED ROCK-CRYSTAL ‘BOYS’ SNUFF BOTTLE YE ZHONGSAN, THE APRICOT GROVE STUDIO, CHONGWEN DISTRICT, BEIJING, DATED 1929

AN INSIDE PAINTED ROCK-CRYSTAL ‘BOYS’ SNUFF BOTTLE YE ZHONGSAN, THE APRICOT GROVE STUDIO, CHONGWEN DISTRICT, BEIJING, DATED 1929 To Be Sold Without Reserve Of compressed spherical form with a cylindrical neck, fflat lip and recessed, flat oval foot surrounded by a protruding, flattened oval foot rim, painted inside with a continuous scene of fifty-four boys playing a variety of games in a garden setting, inscribed in draft script ‘Made in the second month of the year xinyou by Ye Zhongsan,’ with seal yin (seal) Height: 6.7cm This extremely unusual bottle was painted by a member of the Ye family, and almost certainly by Ye Zhongsan himself, although in 1913 Ye was joined in his studio by his eldest son, Ye Bengzhen, and shortly thereafter by Ye Xiaofeng. According to Wang Xisan, it was Ye himself who painted the series of bottles with many boys (sometimes depicting one hundred, sometimes less). See Moss, Graham, Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles, Vol. 4, Inside Painted, no. 645, for a discussion on Ye Zhongsan and his sons For a discussion on this bottle, see Moss, Graham, Tsang, The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle, The J & J Collection, no. 439 Ye began painting his well-known small group of children playing in 1896 and continued to do so throughout his career. The far more complex designs representing the famous story of one hundred boys, however, were produced far less frequently. Both subjects convey a desire for male progeny and carry a blessing for abundant descendants. The subject is commonly referred to as ‘One Hundred Boys’ regardless of the actual number of children involved, as long a large number is involved. For other examples of the same subject by Ye Zhongsan, see Bob C. Stevens, The Collector’s Book of Snuff Bottles, no. 923, Christie’s, London, 10 May 1976, lot 16; Sotheby’s, London, 2 July 1984, lot 112 and JICSBS, Spring 1984, p. 53, fig. 47. As discussed in the footnote to lot 68, Ye Zhongsan’s mature style displayed attention to detail and colour, as seen on this bottle Provenance: Hugh M. Moss Ltd Irving Lindzon Christie’s, London, 12th October 1987, lot 323 The J & J Collection Christie’s, New York, 22nd March 2007, lot 84 Hugh Moss (HK) Ltd, 17th September 2008, (a copy of the original invoice available) Published: Christie’s International Magazine, September-October 1987, p. 29 Moss, Graham, Tsang, The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle, The J & J Collection, no. 439 The Miniature World - An Exhibition of Snuff Bottles from The J & J Collection, p. 75 The Art of Chinese Snuff Bottle, Poly Art Museum, p. 137 Exhibited: Christie’s, New York, 1993 Empress Place Museum, Singapore, 1994 Museum für Kunsthandwerk, Frankfurt, 1996-1997 Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, London, 1997 Naples Museum of Art, Florida, 2002 Portland Museum of Art, Oregon, 2002 National Museum of History, Taipei, 2002 International Asian Art Fair, Seventh Regiment Armory, New York, 2003 Poly Art Museum, Beijing, 2003 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