Bottle ID: 918

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LANDSCAPE AND CALLIGRAPHY

Date: 1760-1840

Height: 60 mm

Duanstone, inkstone (slate), well hollowed, of flattened ovoid form with a concave mouth and foot, carved in low relief on one side with a lakeside pavilion shaded by bamboo beneath an overhanging cliff and low clouds; the other side with a seven character inscription in draft script “Half the pond's autumn water, a mountain as big as a house”, followed by a two character seal mark, Baofu, the stone of a dark brown tone, attributed to the carver Qiaoyuan.
Attributed to Duan.

Similar Examples:

Low, Denis S. K. Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Sanctum of Enlightened Respect III, 2007, pp. 290-291, no. 253.

Provenance:

Asian Art Studio
The J and J Collection
Christie's, New York, March 30, 2005, lot 81
Hugh M. Moss Ltd.
Sotheby's, New York, June 3, 1992, lot 451
A Private American Collection

Exhibited:

Poly Art Museum, Beijing, 2003
International Asian Art Fair, Seventh Regiment Armory, New York 2003
National Museum of History, Taipei, 2002
Portland Museum of Art, Oregon, 2002
Naples Museum of Art, Florida, 2002
Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, London, 1997
Museum fur Kunsthandwerk, Frankfurt, 1996-1997
Empress Place Museum, Singapore, 1994
Christie's, New York, 1993

Published:

Moss, Hugh, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang. The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle - The J & J Collection, 1993, Vol. I, pp. 157-158, no. 85

This bottle is made from Duanstone, the material that is highly valued by scholars and most often made into inkstones. Because of this literati connection, it is not surprising that the subject depicted is typical of literati painting – an open pavilion set in an idyllic landscape, an ideal place for meditation, meeting with other scholars or indulging in scholarly pursuits in the tranquility of the countryside. The inscription which describes the scene has the meaning that a mountain reflected in the pond appears to fill half its water and refers to a line from the scholar Li Dong (? - 897 A.D.) which reads "Living in the Mountains , delighted when friends come to visit". However, it also appears in a famous couplet by the late Qing literatus and high official Liu Fenggao (1760-1830) which can be today seen inscribed on rocks and plaques at various scenic sights in China, including the gardens in Suzhou and which reads:
"Four walls of lotuses all around, with willows on three sides,
And half the pond's autumn water, a mountain big as a house".
The Crane bottle is superbly carved on the stone to give the impression of swift brush strokes in ink on paper, as would have been practiced by a calligrapher. Clues to both the identity of the carver and the date of this bottle are found on Denis Low's similar example in green Duanstone which has an identical inscription.  The 'Low' bottle is dated to the wuzi year (corresponding to 1768 or 1828) and is signed by the carver Qiaoyuan. There is little doubt both bottles are by the same hand. The subject of landscape is exceptionally rare on duanstone bottles, but there is no doubting the artistry of this accomplished carver.

 

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