A RUSSET AND BEIGE JADE ‘TAOTIE MASKS’ SNUFF BOTTLE, 1780-1840

拍品描述

A RUSSET AND BEIGE JADE ‘TAOTIE MASKS’ SNUFF BOTTLE, 1780-1840 China. Well hollowed, of pear form, supported on an oval foot and rising to a long neck with flat lip, the wider sides carved in low relief with an archaistic taotie mask. The semi-translucent stone is of a pale gray color with feathery russet patches and inclusions. Stopper: Apple green jadeite on a black platelet Dimensions: Height including stopper 65 mm. Diameter neck 15 mm and mouth 6 mm. The dating of the present bottle is suggested by a closely comparable example formerly in the collection of the high official Nayancheng (1763–1833). Both bottles are carved from beige pebble nephrite, retaining natural skin tones enhanced with artificial coloring, and share the same subject matter. The distinctive taotie mask motif, featuring lingzhi-shaped ears, a mischievous grin, and a slightly cross-eyed expression, is rendered with a level of craftsmanship suggesting that both pieces were executed by the same hand and during the same period. Given the securely documented dates of the Nayancheng example, the present bottle can be confidently attributed to the late 18th to early 19th century, making it a rare luxury within the corpus of otherwise unattributed hardstone snuff bottles. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 27 May 2012, lot 64 Price: HKD 175,000 or approx. EUR 27,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related mask design, manner of carving, and color of the jade. Note the size (6.92 cm) and Yitang seal mark. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 31 May 2015, lot 17 Price: HKD 62,500 or approx. EUR 8,700 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the similar subject and color of the jade.

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