A WHITE JADE 'PRUNUS AND LONGEVITY' SNUFF BOTTLE, CHINA, SUZHOU SCHOOL, 1730-1810
Well hollowed, the compressed spherical body rising from a concave foot to rounded shoulders sloping to a tall cylindrical neck with a flat mouth. Carved to one side in low relief with a blossoming prunus tree amid rockwork and lingzhi, the other side with four raised characters. The translucent stone of a soft white tone with pale russet shadings and inclusions.


Inscriptions:
To one side, ‘Yannian Yishou’ (extended years and long life).


Provenance:
Collection of Lawrence (1926-2021) and Florence (1929-2013) Bier, no. 123. Sotheby’s New York, 23 March 2004, lot 263. Collection of Kim Green, no. 86, acquired from the above. Kim Green was a trained geologist and geochemist, serving as director of the Office of the Chief Scientist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. With her profound understanding and affection for snuff bottles and their unique tactile attributes, she built a deliberately limited and exclusive collection that she cherished intimately.

Condition:
Very good condition with only minor old wear and little nibbling. The stone with natural inclusions and fissures, some of which may have developed into small hairline cracks.

Stopper: Glass
Weight: 87.1 g
Dimensions: Height including stopper 70 mm. Diameter neck 19 mm and mouth 6 mm.


Literature comparison:

The inscription on the present bottle is identical in carving style to that on a bottle illustrated and discussed by Kleiner, Chinese Snuff Bottles: The White Wings Collection, no. 20, ascribed to the Master of the Rocks School. Compare the treatment of the prunus with another bottle illustrated by Kleiner, ibid., no. 17. and another bottle in the J & J collection, Moss, Graham & Tsang, The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle, no. 28.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 25 November 2013, lot 89
Price: HKD 325,000 or approx.
EUR 49,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An inscribed white jade ‘prunus’ snuff bottle attributed to Suzhou, Qing dynasty, Late 17th/18th century
Expert remark: Note the similar low relief carving of the blossoming prunus tree.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 24-25 March 2011, lot 1566
Price: USD 218,500 or approx.
EUR 275,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A well-carved white jade snuff bottle, probably Suzhou, 1750-1850
Expert remark: Note the size (6.2 cm).


Auction result comparison:

Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 25 May 2014, lot 1060
Price: HKD 187,500 or approx.
EUR 27,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An inscribed white jade ‘prunus’ snuff bottle Qing dynasty, 18th/19th century
Expert remark: Compare the prunus motif and poetic inscription.




1730-1810年蘇作白玉福壽鼻煙壺

掏膛良好，圓柱躰頸，壺身成扁平圓形。一面淺浮雕一棵盛開的桃樹，四周岩石和靈芝；另一面雕刻四字。半透明的白玉柔和瑩潤，帶有淺黃褐色絮狀物和內沁。


款識：
延年益壽


來源：
Lawrence（1926-2021年）和Florence（1929-2013年）Bier收藏，編號 123；紐約蘇富比，2004年 3 月 23 日，拍品 263；Kim Green 收藏，編號 86，從上述拍賣所得。Kim Green 是一位經驗豐富的地質學家和地球化學家，擔任美國農業部首席科學家辦公室主任。 因爲她對鼻煙壺有著深刻理解和情有獨鈡，她建立了一個十分獨特的收藏。

品相：
狀況好，輕微磨損和磕損。玉石上有天然内沁和裂隙，其中一些可能發展成細小裂紋。

壺蓋：玻璃
重量：87.1 克
尺寸：含蓋高70 毫米，頸部直徑19 毫米 及壺口直徑6 毫米


文獻比較：

一件銘文雕刻風格相同的鼻煙壺，見Kleiner，《Chinese Snuff Bottles: The White Wings Collection》，編號2。比較一件李子裝飾的鼻煙壺，見Kleiner，同上書，編號17。另一件鼻煙壺收藏在J & J，見Moss，Graham & Tsang，《The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle》，編號28。


拍賣結果比較：

形制：非常相近
拍賣：香港蘇富比，2013年11月25日，lot 89
價格：HKD 325,000（相當於今日
EUR 49,000
）
描述：清十七世紀末 / 十八世紀白玉雕「玉骨冰肌」鼻煙壺（傳）蘇作
專家評論：請注意相似的盛開的李樹浮雕。


拍賣結果比較：

形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2011年3月24-25日，lot 1566
價格：USD 218,500（相當於今日
EUR 275,000
）
描述：1750-1850年或為蘇作白玉鼻煙壺
專家評論：請注意尺寸(6.2 厘米)。


拍賣結果比較：

形制：相近
拍賣：香港蘇富比，2014年5月25日，lot 1060
價格：HKD 187,500（相當於今日
EUR 27,000
）
描述：清十八 / 十九世紀白玉刻詩「梅花」圖鼻煙壺
專家評論：比較李子主題和款識。