Footnotes

Treasury 1, no. 170

白玉薄胎鼻煙壺


The Cussons Eggshell Jade

Nephrite; incredibly well hollowed, with a convex lip and concave foot surrounded by a tiny flat footrim

1730–1840
Height: 5.65 cm
Mouth/lip: 0.71/1.82 cm
Stopper: coral, carved with a chi dragon
Condition: workshop condition

Illustration: watercolour by Peter Suart

Provenance:
Alex S. Cussons
Hugh Moss
S. C. Harris and R. G. H. Binney
Robert Hall (1984)

Published:
JICSBS, December 1977, p. 21, no. 33
Treasury 1, no. 170

Commentary:
This is one of a small group of super-hollowed nephrite bottles put together by Hugh Moss for his private collection during the 1960s and early 1970s, before he stopped actively collecting snuff bottles and began to dispose of his collection in 1975 (for others, see Moss, Graham, and Tsang 1993, nos. 54, 56 and 57). No others from the collection were as well hollowed as this particular bottle, and it may well be the most thinly hollowed of all known snuff bottles. Few other known nephrite bottles even come close, although one of the rare exceptions is also in this collection, Treasury 1, no. 169. Because of the extreme thinness, the finely-dappled and fibrous nature of the material is revealed quite clearly, giving the overall surface an additional textural dimension and resembling, on one side with its densely packed, small white specks, the common 'snowflake' ground of glass overlay snuff bottles. It might even be appropriate to refer to this unique bottle as being carved from 'snowstorm nephrite.' Formally the bottle with its beautifully made, oval shape is as impeccable as are most of these well-hollowed plain jade bottles that were probably produced during the mid-Qing period and, although we have left a wider possible dating range, most likely after 1760 (see discussion under Treasury 1, no. 169). The popularity of this form at court has been discussed elsewhere (see under Treasury 1, nos. 88 and 165), but there is the other possible connection with the court represented by the super-hollowing which, while not allowing for an attribution, raises the possibility of a palace workshops source (see discussion under Treasury 1, no. 169).

Coral (and occasionally other materials) carved with chi dragons is one of the standard early forms of stopper, which continued to be popular throughout the snuff bottle period. Coral beads with a similar design are still commonly made today and sometimes cut in half to create stoppers, while a few specialists in Hong Kong and China still make stoppers of this type in turquoise and lapis lazuli, among other materials. Like the snuff bottles themselves, the quality of these carved stoppers varies depending upon the skill of the carver and demand from patrons. This is one of the most impressive known, with a long, lithe, sinuous dragon curled around the entire, slightly bulbous-edged stopper. It is also an obviously early example. The carving of the dragon is as fine as that on the best snuff bottles decorated with this subject and the stopper is a work of art in its own right. It is also the perfect complement for so plain a bottle. The top of the stopper has a small hole where once a tiny seed pearl would have been placed to represent the flaming pearl to which the dragon is so frequently linked.


庫森斯之薄胎玉器

閃玉；掏膛極其規整， 凸唇、凹底、小平底圈足

1730～1840
高：5.65 厘米
口經/唇經：0.71/1.82厘米
蓋：珊瑚，浮雕螭龍
狀態敘述：作坊狀態

有彼德小話 (Peter Suart) 水彩畫

來源：
亞歷克斯．庫森斯 (Alex S. Cussons)
莫士撝
S. C. Harris 與 R. G. H. Binney
羅伯特．霍爾（1984）
文獻：
《國際中國鼻煙壺協會的學術期刊》Journal of the International Chinese Snuff Bottle Society, 1977年12 月， 頁21， 編號30
Treasury 1, 編號170

說明：
這件是莫士撝1960年代、1970年代初所收藏的薄壁閃玉鼻煙壺之一（他件可參見Moss, Graham, and Tsang 1993, 編號54、56、57；以後他不積極地收集鼻煙壺了，1975年就開始把藏品出脫）。所珍藏的沒有膛掏得如此這麼徹底，很可能是所見所聞煙壺器壁最薄的一件。只有Treasury 1, 編號169可以跟它比。因為器官壁薄透，一正面有點像套料玻璃壺中的像霏雪似的細密氣泡，也許可以稱為雪花閃玉鼻煙壺。這種橢圓形白玉煙壺，臺北故宮博物院藏有很多，肯定御製品，大概也反映1750年代以後痕都斯坦玉器熱的現象。痕都斯坦玉器的特點之一是器壁極薄，薄壁風尚或許是乾隆後半期漸漸發展起來的，所以我們的定期幅度比較寬。

雕螭的珊瑚（時或有用別的材料）是早期規模性的鼻煙壺蓋，整個兒的煙壺時期都很流行。現在圖案相似的珊瑚珠子也是常見的，有時候有人把它們切成兩半來作蓋子。香港和中國也有少數專家用綠松石、琉璃等材料作圖案類似的煙壺蓋。就像煙壺一樣，隨雕匠和買主的標準，這些蓋子的品質既有優秀的，也有粗糙的。這件珊瑚蓋是最讓人欽佩的蓋子之一。它長身伸展，圍繞蓋全體，原來蓋頂嵌有芝麻珠，當螭龍戲珠圖案的火珠。