A CARVED FAMILLE VERTE PORCELAIN 'HUGONG' SNUFF BOTTLE, QING DYNASTY

Carved porcelain with enamel painting. China, 19th century, likely 1830-1880

The molded porcelain bottle well carved to depict Hu Gong with his staff carrying a gourd on his back, his garment painted with cherry blossoms in a Famille Verte color pattern. Face, hand and feet show fine detail work. The gourd with a pale-yellow glaze.

Shape: Figural bottle in the shape of Hu Gong
Hollowing: Standard
Mouth, neck and lip: The mouth is located on top of the gourd, the short neck with an elevated lip
Base: Flat with elevated foot rim
Design, marks, school: Jingdezhen kilns
Stopper: Coral cabochon with silvered metal mounting
Height of the bottle with stopper: 8.7 cm.
Width of the mouth: 5 mm.
Width of the neck: 10 mm.
Condition: One very tiny chip to lip of gourd restored to perfection, otherwise perfect condition; the spoon bent to fit inside the bottle
Provenance: Old Austrian private collection, acquired before 1930, thence by descent

Literature comparison: Snuff Bottles from the Mary and George Bloch Collection: Part X. Sotheby's, JUNE 1st, 2015, HONG KONG, lot 5. SNUFF BOTTLES FROM THE MARY AND GEORGE BLOCH COLLECTION: Part V. Bonhams, MAY 27th, 2012, HONG KONG, lot 145. Carol Michaelson, 'The Use of Archaism as a Decorative Motif in Snuff Bottles', Journal of the International Chinese Snuff Bottle Society, Winter 2000, p. 16, fig. 50. Hugh Moss, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection, vol. 6, Hong Kong, 2007, no. 1402 and 1403. Chinese Snuff Bottles in the collection of Mary and George Bloch, Robert Kleiner, British Museum Press, London 1995, lot 237, illustrated on the cover of this book. (all for an inscribed, pale-yellow version of this motif) An Addicted Dedication, Chinese Snuff Bottles, Christopher Sin's Collection, Book I, Humphrey K.F. Hui, Hong Kong, lots 253 and 254. (for two bottles of comparable design, yet with the depiction of Li Tieguai) Hugh Moss, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection, vol. 6, Hong Kong, 2007, no. 1401. (for a Famille Rose version of the subject, described as 'possibly Jinyu, Jingdezhen, 1830-1880)

清代硬彩"壺公"鼻烟壺
有些微缺損，已修補完善，其他部分品相完美；勺子隨壺形彎曲嵌入瓶内
奧地利私人老收藏，1930年前購入，家族傳承