A FINE ‘CRICKET ESCAPES FROM CAGE’ JASPER SNUFF BOTTLE, 1750-1860

拍品描述

A FINE ‘CRICKET ESCAPES FROM CAGE’ JASPER SNUFF BOTTLE, 1750-1860 Expert’s note: The true genius of this bottle lies in its narrative. Rather than merely depicting a cricket, the artist presents one that has escaped its cage and now appears to revel in its newfound freedom. The insect's alert stance and almost smug expression lend the composition an unmistakable sense of humor. Exquisitely carved in every detail—from the finely delineated body and powerful hind legs to the charming gesture of cleaning its antenna—the cricket is among the most animated and lifelike examples of the genre. The result is a masterpiece that combines technical brilliance with an unusually engaging and witty visual story. China. Well hollowed, the squat body of compressed globular form, carved in high-relief through an upper layer of mottled olive green with a lone katydid crawling atop a gourd-form cricket cage decorated with foliate blossoms, the deep oxblood-colored body left plain to the narrow sides and meticulously incised to the reverse in low relief with a slender bamboo shoot that continues across the foot, cleverly integrating a natural hairline that encircles most of the body. Stopper: Incised coral on a stained bone collar and glass finial; carved spoon Dimensions: Height including stopper 69 mm. Diameter neck 20 mm and mouth 7 mm. According to Moss, Graham, and Tsang, The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle, The J&J Collection, p. 598, no 359, the design of a cricket, or a cricket on its cage may be intended to exhort the recipient to maintain loyalty to the emperor. Whatever the possible reading, it does mirror the immense popularity of the cricket in Chinese society. They were enjoyed for both their singing but perhaps more importantly for their fighting prowess. The best crickets could make a fortune for their owners. The depiction of crickets became a very popular one on snuff bottles particularly during the first half of the nineteenth century and particularly so during the reign of the Daoguang emperor (1820-1850) at the porcelain factories at Jingdezhen, when numerous examples were made, presumably at the height of the craze. This same fascination with crickets was also mirrored in the vast production of gourd cricket cages during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. Literature comparison: For a similar depiction of a cricket atop a gourd cricket cage on a similarly colored jasper bottle, see Michael C. Hughes, The Chester Beauty Library, Dublin, Chinese Snuff Bottles, Baltimore, 2009, no. 75, pp. 94-95. Compare a related carved jasper snuff bottle with cricket and lion, dated 1800-1860, at Sotheby's Auction: Important Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Kaynes-Klitz Collection, Part I: 16 November 1989, Hong Kong, 1989, lot 73. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 24 November 2012, lot 93 Price: HKD 50,000 or approx. EUR 8,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing. Expert remark: Compare the closely related use of naturally colored jasper, the ingenious exploitation of the stone's contrasting hues to create the design, the auspicious subject of a grasshopper and carrot, and the comparable size. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's New York, 16 September 2015, lot 287 Price: USD 13,750 or approx. EUR 17,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing. Expert remark: Compare the closely related use of naturally colored jasper, the ingenious exploitation of the stone's contrasting hues, the depiction of an escaped cricket beside its overturned cage, and the comparable size (6.5 cm)

图片