Footnotes

• Treasury 5, no. 835
  
  藍晶色玻璃雕螭龍鼻煙壺
  傳宮廷造辦處，1750～1820
  
  An aquamarine-blue glass 'chi dragons' snuff bottle
  
  Transparent aquamarine-blue glass with a few tiny air bubbles; with a flat lip and recessed flat foot surrounded by a protruding rounded footrim; carved with a continuous design of two chi dragons chasing flaming pearls amidst clouds
  Attributable to the imperial glassworks, 1750-1820
  Height: 7.13 cm
  Mouth/lip: 0.61/1.3 cm
  Stopper: coral, carved with a chi dragon; pearl finial
  
  Condition: small chip polished out on outer lip; possible tiny chip from the top edge on one cloud; otherwise, workshop condition
  
  Provenance:
  Edward T. Chow
  Sotheby's, Hong Kong, 5 May 1994, lot 1415
  
  Published:
  Chow 1988, p. 25 (top left) and p. 26, no. S.11
  Kleiner 1995, no. 148
  Treasury 5, no. 835
  
  Exhibited:
  Collections Baur, Geneva, October 1988-January 1989
  British Museum, London, June-October 1995
  Israel Museum, Jerusalem, July-November 1997
  
  We have made mention of the select group of snuff bottles gathered by pre-eminent dealer and collector Edward Chow in the mid-twentieth century (Sale 2, lot 38). This, another of his bottles, is one of the most imposing of a group of mid-Qing examples carved from solid blocks of glass (as proven by the weight, the bubble-structure—such as it is, with so few bubbles—and the hollowing, obviously carried out by a lapidary). We can be reasonably certain that the original intention here was to imitate aquamarine. In Sale 2, lot 51, we discussed a group of bottles, some in semi-precious stones such as aquamarine and beryl, that were closely related to a group of glass bottles of similar colours carved from solid blocks. Although atypical in having dragons as the main-side decoration rather than on the narrow sides, this evokes the stone bottles that were, we believe, the inspiration for imitations in glass.
  
  Aquamarine was among the stones that came from western borderland areas that were under Qing control in the late-Qianlong period; it was found in the Altaic Mountains and in Daqingshan in Suiyuan (in present-day Inner Mongolia). And, of course, it could be imported from more distant areas by land or sea. The problem was that even if an aquamarine rock was large enough for a snuff bottle to be made from it, it was likely to be flawed. The imperial glassworks could produce an enormous range of colours, so it would have been natural for them to try to make up for lapses in supply and even outdo the mines in providing the emperor with the most beautiful, flawless material. To the carver, of course, it made little difference whether he was working on a piece of aquamarine or a lump of solid glass.
  
  Apart from the lovely shape and exquisite material, which both resembles and feels like a flawless piece of aquamarine - provided one overlooks the slight difference in ambient temperature - the carving here is excellent, although one has seen slightly more elegant poses for these beasts.
  
  Another feature of the overall work of art here is the quite gorgeous stopper. The base of the bulging form is exactly the same size as the mouth, suggesting that the bottle to which this stopper was originally matched (if it is not original to this bottle) would also have bulged outwards above the mouth and looked too big. This, however, makes for very easy removal of the stopper and is extremely practical. The design of the stopper adds an additional chi dragon to the equation, bringing the number to an auspicious three. The finial, less dominant than on Sale 3, lot 25, is nonetheless half of a pearl and would probably have originally graced an imperial bottle (if our assumption about prominent pearl finials is correct). The spoon and cork are obviously not as old as the stopper.
  
  藍晶色玻璃雕螭龍鼻煙壺
  
  透明海藍寶藍玻璃，稀疏小氣泡，平唇，平斂底，突出圈足，圈足底為一圓棱；雕通體螭搶珠圖案
  推定為御用玻璃廠製，1750-1820
  高﹕ 7.13 厘米
  口經/唇經： 0.61/1.3 厘米
  蓋： 珊瑚，雕螭紋，珍珠頂飾
  
  狀態敘述：唇外沿有磨平的小缺口，一朵雲頭或呈細小缺口；此外，出坊狀態
  
  來源﹕
  Edward T. Chow
  香港蘇富比， 1994年5月5日，拍賣品號 1415
  
  文獻﹕
  Chow 1988, 頁 25 (上左) 及 頁 26, 編號S.11
  Kleiner 1995, 編號148
  Treasury 5, 編號835
  
  展覽﹕
  Collections Baur, Geneva, October 1988-January 1989
  大英博物館，1995年6月～10月
  Israel Museum, 耶路撒冷，1997年7月～月11月
  
  說明﹕
  跟第二場拍賣會， 拍賣品號 38一樣，這是仇焱之二十世紀中葉收藏的精彩鼻煙壺之一。 這是一塊玻璃坯雕成的，目的一定是要模擬海藍寶石。參閱第二場拍賣會，拍賣品號51。本壺把螭（或龍）戲珠一圖案挪到正面是異乎尋常的，但一定是模仿海藍寶煙壺的。
  
  新疆阿爾泰山和綏遠大青山都出產海藍寶石，也都是清朝比較能駐守、開發的地區，但海外的海藍寶石材源也不少。無論朝廷採用的海藍寶石主要是從哪兒來的，無瑕的寶石很難得，用雕琢的玻璃來代替是很合算的。
  
  這件華麗的蓋可能不是原件，但很好用。跟壺的兩條螭合并，就是三條螭了。頂飾不如第三場拍賣會， 拍賣品號 25 那麼大，但還是半球珍珠，配得上御製鼻煙壺。匙跟塞顯然比蓋新。
  
  
  

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Category: Asian Art / Chinese Works of Art

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