A WHITE JADE BAT SNUFF BOTTLE, 1730-1850

A WHITE JADE 'BAT' SNUFF BOTTLE, 1730-1850
China. Well hollowed, carved in the form of a bat, each side with a face, incised with bulging eyes above a protruding snout, the body flanked by wings curling along the body and forming the foot of the bottle. The translucent stone of a beautiful white color with scattered icy inclusions.
Provenance
: From a private collection in Pennsylvania, USA. The collection was assembled over a period of 30 years specializing primarily in glass, jade and hardstone snuff bottles.
Condition
: Very good condition with minor wear and few minuscule nibbles here and there.
Stopper: Coral with gilt metal collar, metal spoon
Weight: 77.3 g
Dimensions: Height including stopper 58 mm. Diameter mouth 5 mm
Literature comparison:
This rare bat-form bottle seems to fit into the group of superbly carved, very well hollowed animal-form bottles represented by related bottles from the Bloch collection, sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 28 May 2010, lot 19, 23 November 2010, lot 113, and 25 May 2011, lot 118. The material is rather similar, as are the quality of the carving, degree of hollowing, soft matte polish, and the fact that the mouth of the bottle is drilled straight through the detailing of the bat's mouth.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 26 May 2013, lot 156
Price: HKD 100,000 or approx.
EUR 15,500
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A white jade 'bat' snuff bottle, Qing dynasty, mid-18th / mid-19th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, the color of the jade, and size (57 mm)
1730-1850年白玉蝙蝠鼻煙壺
中國。掏膛良好。雕刻成蝙蝠狀，展翅抱壺，蝙蝠細節雕刻精緻，兩耳及雙眼清晰可辨。美麗的白色半透明玉料，含有白色絮狀物。
來源：
美國賓夕法尼亞私人收藏。這個收藏以琉璃、玉與硬石鼻煙壺爲主，已歷經三十多年。
品相：
狀況極好，有輕微磨損和一些微小的磕損。
壺蓋：鎏金圈鑲珊瑚，金屬勺子
重量：77.3 克
尺寸：含蓋高58 毫米，壺口直徑5 毫米
文獻比較：
此蝙蝠型鼻煙壺似乎來自一群精美雕刻、掏膛良好的動物型鼻煙壺。相似的動物型鼻煙壺，來自Bloch collection，售於香港邦瀚斯，2010年5月28日，lot 19，2010年11月23日，lot 113，以及2011年5月25日，lot 118。這些鼻煙壺的材質非常相似、雕刻精美、掏膛良好，以及柔美的霧面拋光。
拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：香港蘇富比，2013年5月26日，lot 156
價格：HKD 100,000（相當於今日
EUR 15,500
）
描述：清十八世紀中葉 / 十九世紀中葉白玉「瑞蝠」鼻煙壺
專家評論：比較非常相近的外形、玉石顏色和尺寸(57 毫米)。