Footnotes

• Treasury 5, no. 947
  
  白套綠玻璃螭龍玉璧鼻煙壺
  
  An emerald-green glass overlay 'jade disc' snuff bottle
  
  Transparent emerald-green, and translucent white glass, the former with scattered air bubbles of various sizes; with a flat lip and recessed convex foot surrounded by a protruding flat footrim; carved as a single overlay with an identical design on each main side of a chi dragon crawling through a bi disc and positioned so that its upper body resembles a bat in flight, the disc engraved with formalized 'C'-scrolls, the narrow sides with mask-and-ring handles
  1770-1830
  Height: 7.48 cm
  Mouth/lip: 0.75/1.12 cm
  Stopper: coral; glass finial; vinyl collar
  Condition: Two minute air bubbles broken through to the surface on the emerald green overlay; workshop condition
  Provenance:
  Jade House (1985)
  Hugh M. Moss Ltd., Hong Kong (1985)
  
  Published:
  Kleiner 1987, no. 103
  Treasury 5, no. 947
  
  Exhibited:
  Sydney L. Moss Ltd., London, October 1987
  Creditanstalt, Vienna, May-June 1993
  
  While there are a number of reasons for attributing this bottle to the court, and to the mid-Qing period, we have discreetly avoided a direct attribution. Chi dragons in general were among the most popular of courtly designs on snuff bottles, and archaistic motifs of this sort were a particular favourite of the Qianlong emperor. The bi disc, a symbol of heaven, figures frequently both on ancient objects in the Imperial collection and as a decorative motif on Imperial works of art from the Qing. The materials are similar to many other examples that can be attributable with some confidence to the Imperial glassworks, and the mask-and-ring handles also fall within the typically courtly range of styles. There is perhaps one hint of innovation suggesting the desire to enliven a standard depiction, however, in that the upper body of the beast is carved so that it doubles as a bat. Likewise, the head of the dragon has been carved in an unusually bat-like manner, with forelegs carefully positioned and detailed to resemble folding wings. We cannot deny the possibility, of course, that this is no more than a coincidental similarity arising from the rather formal disposition of the beast. Another example of a similar design is found on a white-on-blue overlay in the Chasin Collection ( JICSBS, Summer 1993, front cover), but it displays not even a passing resemblance to a bat.
  
  The generous size may also indicate a mid-Qing date, as may the fact that the both the ring handles and footrim fall well short of the ideal match of colour to design. The use of different thicknesses in the overlay is a part of the considerable appeal of this imposing bottle and those differences are enough to create an effect akin to that of a double overlay, despite the absence of a third layer of different colour.
  
  白套綠玻璃螭龍玉璧鼻煙壺
  
  通亮白玻璃，透明含大小氣泡鮮綠套料；平唇，凸斂底，突出圈足，圈足底全面接觸地面；各正面雕單色套料一螭盤據玉璧圖，螭身上部扮蝠狀，璧刻雲紋，側面套刻獸首啣環耳
  1770-1830
  高﹕ 7.48 厘米
  口徑/唇徑： 0.75/1.12 厘米
  蓋﹕ 珊瑚；玻璃頂飾；乙烯基座
  狀態敘述：套料有兩個氣泡突破到表面；出坊狀態
  
  來源:
  Jade House (1985)
  Hugh M. Moss Ltd., Hong Kong (1985)
  
  文獻﹕
  Kleiner 1987, 編號 103
  Treasury 5, 編號 947
  
  展覽﹕
  Sydney L. Moss Ltd.，倫敦，1987年10月
  Creditanstalt, 維也納， 1993年5月～6月
  
  Chasin 珍藏 (《國際中國鼻煙壺協會的學術期刊》，1993年夏期，封面圖片) 藏類似圖案的鼻煙壺，但是螭一點也不像蝙蝠。
  
  本壺規模大，環耳、圈足的顏色跟圖顏色有一點不同，這都表示這件可能是清中葉製作的。套料雕得有厚薄的變化，悅目怡人，頗有雙色套的效果。

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Category: Asian Art / Chinese Works of Art

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