THE SNOWY PEAKS COLLECTION Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Pamela R. Lessing Friedman Collection.
	2. Glass; the black body suffused with swirls of ochre, yellow and cream in imitation of tortoiseshell, sandwiched between clear glass layers. This group of ‘sandwiched glass’ bottles was made in very large numbers and the bottles are to be found in many colours and combinations of colours. The variety of textural effects created by this process of glassmaking is almost endless. These bottles are considered to be among the earliest of Chinese glass snuff bottles in spite of their seemingly complex method of manufacture, and are attributed to the early part of the eighteenth century. Beijing, 1730-1780 Height: 5.1 cm Price: $4,500 1730-1780 $4,500
	3. Glass; the predominantly blue body suffused with gold flecks of biotite in imitation of lapis-lazuli. ‘Sandwiched glass’ snuff bottles are characterized by their simple shapes, due to their having been blown into a mould. Here, the paler areas allow the transmission of light that increases the overall visual appeal. This type of bottle may well have originated from a single workshop, considering their basic similarities. Beijing, 1730-1780 Height: 5.1 cm Provenance: Robert Hall, London Published: Friedman, Pamela. Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Pamela R. Lessing Friedman Collection, page 24 no. 3. Price: $5,000 1730-1780 $5,000
	4. Glass; translucent pink and white markings swirling within the translucent colourless material, the tapering cylindrical bottle supported on a rounded, raised footrim. This is an unusual shape within the genre as the slight twisting of the glass from the glass maker’s blowiron has created pleasing elongations to the coloured areas diminishing to an almost colourless foot. A bottle that looks good whether or not it contains snuff. Beijing, 1750-1800 Height: 5.5 cm Provenance: Robert Hall Published: Friedman, Pamela. Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Pamela R. Lessing Friedman Collection, page 26 no. 5. Price:$4,000 1750-1800 $4,000
	5. Glass; glossy, opaque black with a concave mouth, and set on a recessed oval foot. It is unusual to find snuff bottles made solely of black glass. More often, on closer scrutiny, the black is revealed to be a very dark variation of some other colour, more often than not dark blue or dark brown. In this case, however, the bottle is indeed jet black, an appropriate description, since it was quite possibly made to imitate jet itself. Beijing, 1730-1780 Height: 5.5 cm Provenance: Robert Hall Belfont Collection Published: Friedman, Pamela. Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Pamela R. Lessing Friedman Collection, page 22 no. 2. Price: $3,000 1730-1780 $3,000
	8. Glass; single red overlay on an opaque white ground, carved in low relief as a continuous scene with birds flying above a lotus pond containing a fountain, the water represented by intricate incising of the white glass around the base of the bottle, a seal inscription to the shoulder which reads ba bao lian chi (eight treasures (by the) lotus pond). This elegant bottle with its simple, effective carving refers in its inscription to, ‘the eight treasures lotus pond’, which is taken from a scripture describing the Buddhist concept of heaven. The design is a rebus. There appear to be eight (ba) birds (two flying in pairs), of diverse species, some of which in combination with lotus would generate rebus meanings of their own. The word Bao is echoed in the incised waterfall, also known as Bao in Chinese. The phrase Lian Chi echoes a poem by Ren Fang (A.D. 460-508) which reads: To come by the affection of admirers They perch their feet by the lotus pond Yangzhou School, 1800-1850 Height: 7.1 cm Provenance: Robert Hall, London Published: Friedman, Pamela. Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Pamela R. Lessing Friedman Collection, page 44 no. 23. Price: $9,500 1800-1850 $9,500
	12. Porcelain; moulded in the form of a cicada with details of the body naturalistically drawn, its wings folded back, its feet tucked beneath its body, its head black with beady, protruding eyes, enhanced by painted black and grey enamels. The cicada has been used as a symbol of immortality by the Chinese and other civilizations because of its ability to lie dormant for years at a time. It is also associated with powers of resurrection. For this reason cicadas, usually carved from jade, were placed in the mouths of the dead. Jingdezhen, Daoguang period, 1821-1850 Height: 6.6 cm Published: Friedman, Pamela. Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Pamela R. Lessing Friedman Collection, page 148 no. 124. For a bottle from the same mould see, Hidden Treasures of the Dragon. Chinese Snuff Bottles from the collections of Humphrey K F Hui, Margaret Polak and Christopher C H Sin. page 43, no. 74. Also, Robert Hall – Chinese Snuff Bottles page 118. Price: $5,500 1821-1850 $5,500
	13. Porcelain; moulded overall with gourds and vines, three of the descending gourds forming a tripod foot, the body covered in a dark green, translucent glaze, possibly to imitate jadeite. The double gourd is a symbol of fertility and abundance although, of course, the enameller has taken some liberties with the colouring. Long trailing vines with attached gourds symbolize ceaseless generations (zisun wandai). Jingdezhen, 1796-1850 Height: 7.1 cm Provenance: Edwin W. Humphreys. Mei Ling, Netherlands Belfort Collection Published: Friedman, Pamela. Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Pamela R. Lessing Friedman Collection, page 156 no. 132. Price: $4,000 1796-1850 $4,000
	14. Porcelain; moulded with a design of nine Buddhist lions playing with brocade balls, with a leiwen border around the neck and ruyi lappets around the shoulders and at the foot, the body covered overall with an iron-red enamel glaze, the foot painted in gold enamel with the four character mark Jiaqing nianzhi (made in the Jiaqing period). Snuff bottles like this one, were made in considerable numbers at the Imperial kilns in Jingdezhen during the early part of the nineteenth century. Because the fine and delicate detail on this type of bottle can be easily damaged, good examples in fine condition, such as this one, are difficult to find, as many have received some form of repair or restoration. Jingdezhen, 1796 – 1820 Height: 6.5 cm Provenance: Robert Hall, London Published: Friedman, Pamela. Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Pamela R. Lessing Friedman Collection, page 152 no. 127. Price: $3,500 1796 – 1820 $3,500
	15. Jasper; one side carved utilizing the green skin of the stone with two birds perched in bamboo growing from rockwork, the reverse undecorated. Jasper bottles are to be found in red, green, brown and yellow, and usually in a combination of these colours. This attractive material is able to take on a fine polish and in this case it is reminiscent of lacquer. Historically, jasper that is red-brown in colour is prized for this very reason. Here, the green skin is well carved in a simple style depicting two birds together representing marital harmony, while the bamboo, (one of the Three Friends of Winter), symbolizes humility, modesty, endurance and fidelity. 1800 - 1860. Height: 5.7 cm Provenance: Robert Hall, London Mei Ling, Netherlands. Published: Friedman, Pamela. Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Pamela R. Lessing Friedman Collection, page 72 no. 49. For similar examples see, A Congregation of Snuff Bottle Connoisseurs. An Exhibition of Chinese Snuff Bottles, page 218 no. 272 Clare Lawrence, Miniature Masterpieces from the Middle Kingdom the Monimar Collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles, page 51, no. 19. Price: $4,500 1800 - 1860 $4,500
	17. Jasper; of rounded form, the red-brown stone imbued with mottled light russet, maroon and brown markings. Jasper is an intriguing stone that derives its colours from the inclusion of various oxides. A single bottle often contains several such oxides providing different colours and exciting opportunities. The mineral example chosen for this bottle is clearly very different from most others, and if I had to be drawn into calling bottles by name, as other experts are prone to do, I would call this, ‘The Snowy Peaks Black Pudding!’. 1800 –1880 Height: 5.8 cm Price:$4,500 1800 –1880 $4,500
	18. Chalcedony; the russet brown skin carved in high relief with scholar’s items, a book, a scroll, a game board with counter containers, and a qin. Chalcedony bottles of larger size, such as this one, appear to have been a later development from the nineteenth century onwards. The russet tone of the skin has been intelligently used to depict the items known as the four accomplishments of the scholar: learning, art, music and skill at games. 1800-1860 Height: 6.7 cm Published: Friedman, Pamela. Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Pamela R. Lessing Friedman Collection, page 78 no. 55. Price: $4,800 1800-1860 $4,800
	19. Quartz (Smoky Crystal); of tapering form carved with two bats, their outstretched wings enclosing the body of the bottle. This fascinating bottle is one of a small and rare group mostly to be found in rock crystal, but also recorded in one or two other materials. All the bats on this group of bottles are carved with monkey-like faces and their wings are always spread to embrace the whole of the bottle’s surface. These ‘monkey-bat’ bottles are charmingly conceived; the bat motif signifies happiness, while two bats together symbolize double happiness. 1760 –1840 Height: 7.6 cm Provenance: Robert Hall, London Hugh Moss, London Published: Friedman, Pamela. Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Pamela R. Lessing Friedman Collection, page 66 no. 44. For other examples see, Hugh M. Moss, Chinese Snuff Bottles of the Silica or Quartz Group, page 80. Price:$6,000 1760 –1840 $6,000
	20. Rock crystal; colourless, with random thread-like inclusions of tourmaline needles, the body exceptionally well hollowed. This stone is known to collectors as ‘hair crystal’, the popular term for different varieties of rock crystal suffused with needles of tourmaline (black), red (rutile) and green (actinolite). The material was available to the Chinese, probably from the mid eighteenth-century onwards. The elegance of this bottle and the care and attention to the hollowing process are important factors. The reverse of the bottle, where the needles are more sparse, is a deliberate contrast. 1750-1850 Height: 5.2 cm Provenance: Robert Hall, London Published: Friedman, Pamela. Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Pamela R. Lessing Friedman Collection, page 68 no. 46. Price: $4,500 1750-1850 $4,500
	21. Rock crystal; with the clear stone carved through its brown and white skin to depict a vase of peony, a tasseled ruyi sceptre, and a stone chime, all in low relief. This is an elegant and cleverly composed design in Chinese taste. The beauty of the vase and the way it has been created from this sandy, gritty inclusion is accentuated by the brilliant use of the lighter, creamy coloured area which has been worked to create the ruyi sceptre which suspends the wind chime. The carving on this bottle forms a double rebus. The vase is a symbol of peace, and the peony is the flower of prosperity. The ruyi sceptre is interpreted as a wish-fulfilling symbol, and the stone chime refers to great joy and celebration. Therefore the vase and flowers stand for ‘pingan fugai’, meaning ‘May you have peace and prosperity’, while the sceptre and the chime signify ‘jiqing ruyi’, ‘Joy and fulfilment of all your wishes’. 1750-1820 Height: 5.9 cm Provenance: Mrs R. Vincent. Published: Friedman, Pamela. Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Pamela R. Lessing Friedman Collection, page 70 no. 43. Price:$6,500 1750-1820 $6,500
	22. Shale (Duan stone): dark brown, carved on one face with two archaistic kui dragons confronting each other with a shou medallion between their heads, the dragons’ bodies forming the character, ‘long’, (dragon), the reverse with two scaly dragons amid clouds framed by a rounded border, the shoulders carved with animal masks and ring handles. Duan stone is more usually associated with the material from which scholars made their ink stones and emanates from the Duan River in Guangdong province, but its use for the making of snuff bottles produced some impressive effects. Its softness made it ideal for carving, but it is easily worn and damaged. It is not surprising that many examples have Imperial connotations. The dragon was often used as a symbol for the Emperor and for masculinity. It can also be a symbol of renewal as it commands the rainfall with its breath which is represented by clouds. 1736-1795 Height 6.0 cm Provenance: Robert Hall, London Published: Friedman, Pamela. Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Pamela R. Lessing Friedman Collection, page 82 no. 60. Price: $6,500 1736-1795 $6,500
	24. Nephrite; the white pebble carved in low relief with a design of pomegranates on a leafy branch, the other side with a concave surface carved to form an integrated snuff dish. This is another pebble form where the natural shape of the stone has been used to advantage. It has been carved with pomegranates, a favourite of the eighteenth century carvers during the Qing period. The natural concave surface on one side contains some of the original russet inclusions and would have been intended to facilitate the passing of snuff. 1750-1800 Height: 5.5 cm Provenance: Robert hall, London Published: Friedman, Pamela. Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Pamela R. Lessing Friedman Collection, page 88 no. 66. Price:$5,000 1750-1800 $5,000
	26. Glass; painted on the inside with a lady resting on her fan whilst seated sideways on a tall bamboo chair, beneath an inscription which reads, ‘I am alone now but hopefully the moon will pass through a cycle, and he will return’; the reverse with a thirty-four character inscription, signed Gui Xianggu and dated 1895 with two illegible seals. This early bottle by Gui Xianggu displays his ability to create a delicate and moving scene and to choose the medium and colours to complement it. The wistful maiden, lonely and sad, is beautifully captured in muted tones. It is important to note that Gui has achieved a very good standard in his calligraphy in spite of the fact that at the time of painting this bottle he had been practising the art only for a short time.. Gui Xianggu, 1895, Beijing Height: 6.4 cm Provenance: Robert Hall, London Published: Friedman, Pamela. Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Pamela R. Lessing Friedman Collection, page 132 no. 108. Price: $9,500 1895 $9,500
	27. Glass; painted on the inside with the legendary eight horses of Mu Wang, with five horses on one side in a field with mountains in the background and the inscription, ‘Painted at the capital’, signed Sun Xingwu, dated 1895, with two seals, the reverse with three horses beneath pine trees and a setting sun. Sun Xingwu worked in Beijing and painted snuff bottles over a very short period from 1894 – 1900. He was inspired by the work of Zhou Leyuan. Sun Xingwu was an artist who was consistently good and who, like Gui Xianggu, developed his own individualistic style. His rolling mountains with their sharp pinnacles are a typical feature of his work. The legend of King Mu, who lived in the Zhou dynasty, 1001 – 946 BC, states that he made a great trip to the West with the help of eight stallions. The horse is also a symbol of wisdom and strength. Sun Xingwu, 1895, Beijing, Height: 6.2 cm Provenance: Robert Hall, London Published: Friedman, Pamela. Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Pamela R. Lessing Friedman Collection, page 134 no. 110. Price: $8,000 1895 $8,000
	29. Rock crystal; painted on the inside with a continuous scene of children playing blind-man’s buff in a garden beneath a pine tree below an inscription, ‘Ye Zhongsan, made at the capital, dated 1902’, the reverse with the boys joyfully dancing around in a circle with rockwork in the background. The theme of children playing in a garden was first painted by Ye in 1896 and was repeated by him and his sons on a number of occasions. Ye himself, who painted this bottle, was particularly good at painting figures and personally produced many such bottles between 1895 and 1905. The figures here are painted with a light touch, particularly in the shading of the garments. Ye Zhongsan, 1902, Beijing Height: 5.5 cm Provenance: Frederick W. A. Knight Published: Friedman, Pamela. Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Pamela R. Lessing Friedman Collection, page 136 no. 113. For a similar bottle see, Robert Kleiner. Chinese Snuff Bottles. The White Wings Collection. page 260, no. 179. Price: $5,000 1902 $5,000
	30. Amber; mottled brown and ochre, carved in relief with a continuous design of two Buddhist lions playing with brocade balls. Amber is formed from the fossilized resin of coniferous trees. The lighter coloured, so-called ‘Baltic’’ amber in this bottle contrasts effectively with the reddish-brown, translucent ‘Burmese’ amber combining to create a pleasing contrast. Baltic amber, referred to by the Chinese as ‘jinbo’, (beeswax), was a favourite material enjoyed by the Court. 1750-1850 Height: 4.8 cm Provenance: Robert Hall, London Published: Friedman, Pamela. Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Pamela R. Lessing Friedman Collection, page 112, no. 88. Price: $5,500 1750-1850 $5,500
	32. Ivory; of light creamy colour carved in the form of a curled lotus leaf, on one side with budding lotus stalks issuing from the base, the reverse with a beetle crawling across the veined leaf. This rare and naturalistic ivory bottle is of considerable age, its shape and subject were probably a source of inspiration to porcelain snuff bottle makers in Jingdezhen. On the other hand, it is conceivable that the porcelain makers could have ‘fired’ the imaginations of the ivory workers! Number 39, a moulded porcelain bottle of the same subject material can be compared closely with this ivory example. No matter how good the mould, no bottle made of porcelain can trump the crisp and precise finish that can be achieved by an ivory carver, but they both retain their fine individual qualities. The delicate veining in the leaves and the way the neck of the bottle emerges from the wavy edges of the furled leaf combine with the realistic beetle to create a memorable work. The lotus is the Chinese flower of summer and stands for purity and integrity. 1800 - 1880 Height: 7.7 cm Provenance: Robert Hall, London Published: Friedman, Pamela. Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Pamela R. Lessing Friedman Collection, page 108 no. 85. For a similar example see, Robert Kleiner, Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Collection of Mary and George Bloch. page 135, no. 186. Price: $8,500 1800 - 1880 $8,500