A WHITE JADE WITH RUSSET SKIN ‘MONKEYS’ SNUFF BOTTLE, CHINA, 1750-1850

Exhibited:
The Norton Museum of Art, Palm Beach, USA. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, USA.

Of rounded rectangular form, supported on a wide oval foot and surmounted by a short cylindrical neck, one side of the bottle with a beveled surface, cleverly revealing a distinct layer of russet skin inside the stone. One narrow side is finely carved in low relief with monkeys climbing on rocks issuing a lingzhi sprig. The translucent stone of a soft white tone with a rich russet skin on one side.


Provenance:
The Joan and Ted Dorf Collection, no. 180. Joan and Ted Dorf (1926-2020) were collectors of snuff bottles for over fifty years, in a lifelong passion that paralleled the deep love they felt for each other during their 67 years of marriage. Their enthusiasm eventually spilled over into collecting scholarly Chinese works of art as well. Ted served as a director on the board of the International Chinese Snuff Bottle Society (ICSBS) between 2006 and 2012, and was also its vice president from 2009 to 2011. Despite a flourishing career in radio broadcasting, he always found time for collecting and co-chaired ICSBS conventions in Washington, D.C., and Palm Beach, Florida. The Joan and Ted Dorf Collection has been exhibited at the Norton Museum of Art in Palm Beach, and most recently at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore.

Condition:
Superb condition with minor wear and few microscopic nicks. The stone with natural fissures, some of which may have developed into small hairline cracks.

Stopper: Organic material
Weight: 82.7 g
Dimensions: Height including stopper 73 mm. Diameter neck 22 mm and mouth 7 mm.


This bottle is one of a distinctive group
dated to the mid-Qing period that is made of pure white nephrite using the natural russet-brown skin of the pebble as part of the decoration. The raw material used for the present bottle was cut from a fairly large boulder or pebble, indicated by the slight curving of the russet skin which is imposed by the natural shape of the boulder. The powerful abstract design that results from the combination of a pure white pebble with its own russet skin remains popular among connoisseurs.


The present bottle, however, is an extremely rare example
because one of the narrow sides is delightfully carved with two monkeys clinging to rocks. Often the white part of the jade pebble is left completely uncarved, with only the russet skin building the decoration.


Literature comparison:

See three closely related bottles, a pair from the collection of Edith Griswold, illustrated in L.S. Perry, Chinese Snuff Bottles. The Adventures & Studies of a Collector, p. 106, nos. 88-89, and another in The Au Hang Collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles, p. 78, no. 98.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 15-16 September 2011, lot 1176
Price: USD 25,000 or approx.
EUR 31,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A pale greyish-white and russet jade snuff bottle, 1750-1850
Expert remark: Compare the closely related white and russet color as well as the subtle carving to one shoulder and near the foot. Note the size (6 cm).


Auction result comparison:

Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 19 September 2013, lot 1226
Price: USD 23,750 or approx.
EUR 28,500
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A white and russet jade snuff bottle, 1750-1880
Expert remark: Compare the closely related white and russet color as well as the subtle carving to one shoulder. Note the size (6.3 cm).




1750-1850
年白玉留皮鼻煙壺


掏膛良好。扁平方形圓角壺身，直頸，橢圓形圈足。瓶子兩面素面無紋，其中一面留皮。一側面淺浮雕猴子攀岩摘靈芝場景。半透明的玉石表面光滑瑩潤。


出版：
美國棕櫚灘諾頓藝術博物館、美國巴爾的摩沃爾特斯藝術博物館。


來源
：
Joan與Ted Dorf收藏，編號180。Joan與Ted Dorf (1926-2020) 收藏鼻煙壺已有五十多年的歷史，他們畢生對鼻烟壺的熱情與他們六十七年婚姻中對彼此的深愛不相上下。他們最終開始收藏中國學術藝術品。2006 年至2012 年間，Ted 擔任國際中國鼻煙壺協會(ICSBS) 的董事，並於2009 年至2011 年擔任該協會的副主席。儘管他在廣播領域的事業蒸蒸日上，但他總是抽出時間並主持了在華盛頓特區和佛羅里達州棕櫚灘舉行的 ICSBS 大會。Joan與Ted Dorf的收藏曾在棕櫚灘的諾頓藝術博物館展出，最近又在Baltimore沃爾特斯藝術博物館展出。

品相：
狀況極佳，有輕微磨損和刻痕。玉石有天然裂縫，隨著時間已經發展著髮絲。

壺蓋：有機材料
重量：82.7 克
尺寸：含蓋高73 毫米，頸部直徑22 毫米，壺口直徑 7 毫米


此壺是清中期的獨特的一組鼻煙壺之一
，由純白色玉製成，並以天然的黃褐色留皮作為裝飾。本壺的原材料是從相當大的巨石上切下來的，可由輕微彎曲的巨石自然形狀和黃褐色內沁看出。純白玉石與黃褐色留皮相結合的設計，仍然深受鑑賞家的歡迎。


此鼻煙壺是一個極其罕見的例子
，僅有一側面淺浮雕猴子。玉石的白色部分完全沒有雕刻，只有黃褐色留皮為裝飾。


文獻比較：


三件非常相近的鼻煙壺，來自Edith Griswold，見L.S. Perry，《Chinese Snuff Bottles. The Adventures & Studies of a Collector》，頁106，編號88-89，另一件見《The Au Hang Collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles》，頁78，編號98。


拍賣結果比較：


形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2011年9月15-16日，lot 1176
價格：USD 25,000（相當於今日
EUR 31,000
）
描述：清1750-1850年灰白玉雕雲蝠紋鼻煙壺
專家評論：比較非常相近的白玉留皮，以及一側肩部和足部有雕刻。請注意尺寸 (6 釐米)。


拍賣結果比較：


形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2013年9月19日，lot 1226
價格：USD 23,750（相當於今日
EUR 28,500
）
描述：1750-1880年白玉福至心靈鼻煙壺
專家評論：比較非常相近的白玉留皮，以及一側肩部和足部有雕刻。請注意尺寸 (6.3 釐米)。