Chinese Snuff Bottle Discussion Forum 中國鼻煙壺討論論壇

A very attractive auction catalogue arrived with a thump on my doorstep yesterday. It was from Gallerie Zacke of Vienna, Austria. It features 88 snuff bottles coming up for sale with jaw-dropping estimates on 24 June 2017. (The introduction does say they are trying to re-create the spririt of collecting in the 1980s, as some of the bottles are from their own 'stock', going back to that time. Even 30 years ago these estimates would have been tantalizing.)

Not sure if the catalogue is online yet, but if so, worth taking a look! 

What I find curious is that on Tuesday this week I received an email from an insolvency administrator over the takeover of Auctionata, a German auction house belonging to the Zacke family.

Tom

PS: This may explain what's going on...
 https://news.artnet.com/market/alexander-zacke-leaves-auctionata-paddle-706244 (https://news.artnet.com/market/alexander-zacke-leaves-auctionata-paddle-706244)

   

Can I call dibs on 59? What are opinions on that bottle?

I would really like to have every single one!
Amazing bottles!

Cathy,

Are the bottles online yet? If so, can you send me the link?

Tom

Yep they are, here tis

Live Auctioneers
https://new.liveauctioneers.com/catalog/104370_fine-chinese-snuff-bottles

The Saleroom
https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/zacke-wien/catalogue-id-galeri10015

Invaluable
http://www.invaluable.com/catalog/i1ec7ej32l

I bet they will even post it on ebay!

Thanks Cathy!  

Re. number 59 - the description says "School of" Ye Bengqi, which leaves a lot of latitude! There are several talented enamel painters producing this type of bottle today, so their output could technically be categorized as being of the same "school". 

Provenance is everything, and some of the provenances in this auction are conveniently vague.  ;)

Tom

Dear Tom,

I noticed that quite a number of bottles in this auction were featured in Doyle New York's auction back in March this year... in fact quite many of them....

Best,
Samson

Hi Samson,

That's interesting.....I missed the Doyle auction.

Tom

I have an eye on a enamel on glass bottle described as "School of Ye Bengqi" .. Although not his work, it would not surprise me if this may be You Fenghua, or Liu  Heping, Ye Aiping, or Sun Jianguo..  Wang Xisan's students..

I think You Fenghua paints better, so maybe one of the other students..

https://new.liveauctioneers.com/item/53532034_an-enameled-glass-snuff-bottle

George,

That's the same one that Cathy was asking for opinions on...!

Tom

Hey George! I called dibs on that one! ;)

Just think how great (and cheap) it would be if we all played along~
I'm kidding of course - go for whatever your heart desires - I will probably change my mind 50 times between now and then!

Samson I remember some of these from the Doyle's auction - seems like 49 sold - it seems like sold bottles come back up a lot

45 interests me too - will have to look up that inscription

Actually the translucency (around the neck) on 45 makes me wonder if that bottle might be chalcedony instead of nephrite

 :D

No worries, I am sure it is more than what I can bid...

Good luck to both of us !

I receieved the same catalogue and just assumed the estimates were low to get attention. I've also seen a few of those bottles before on eBay - probably the Doyle's auction which is mentioned. I have an amber bottle which I posted here, but with some damage and it is the clone of an amber bottle in this auction but just darker and the body of the bottle is a bit fatter. The bottle that appealed to me was number 50 :o

I haven't tried to match up all the bottles to Doyle's March auction but a few examples are as follows;

2 embellished bottles, lot 38 and 39 (estimates of 1,000 each) sold in one lot at Doyle's for $7,500 including premium.

2 Ma Shaoxuan bottles, lot 33 (estimate 1,200) and 34 (estimate 500) sold in one lot for $11,875.

Lot 56 (estimate 1,000) sold for $4,375.

Some of the glass overlay bottles also sold but at closer to Zacke's estimates.

Regards, Adrian.

I too received the "Fine Chinese Snuff Bottles" catalog from the Zacke Auction.  I am liking bottles 39 and 49 and can only dream that they go off close to the low estimates.  Of course the low estimates is to draw attention and lure prospective buyers.  The catalog is well done and a pleasure to see nice bottles.

Best,

Toni-Lee

Tom,

Thanks for posting this notice! 

Cathy,  I too, like them all!

Happy bidding,

Rheuben.

If anyone is interested I have the hammer prices for this auction.

Cathy, lot 45 went for 6,000, and George, lot 59 for 3,000.

Luke, lot 50 went for 2,600.

Toni-Lee, lot 39 went for 8,000 and lot 49 for 8,000.

Top price was lot 57 for 9,000 and a Ye Zhongsan IP went for 6,500.

Regards, Adrian.

Thanks Adrian ...  :)

You can find the results on liveauctioneers.

Regards, Adrian.

Thanks Adrian, did you get any from this auction? I didn't.

The bottle I wanted most was 45 - the Mughal white jade, but sadly had to drop out when it went over my comfort zone

I didn't even try for 49 - I've sunk way too much money into enameled glass bottles lately and I just don't trust my judgement at the moment.

The thing that really shocked me was how the YZS bottle sold for more than the MSX bottles combined! On Live Auctioneers it puts the prices at 3,400 for the larger and 2,000 for the miniature. It seems like they went for more than that though - but I must be mistaken.

Hi Cathy,

I'm keeping money for some very nice inro that are coming up on Tuesday so didn't bid on anything but should have gone for 27 which was a green and white sandwiched glass which went under low estimate for 220.

I'm too mean to bid too much on anything and any pure snuff bottle auction like this gets serious buyers and serious prices.

The 2 MSX bottles did sell for those prices. They sold in one lot at Doyle's for $11,875 so someone lost out.

2 embellished bottles sold at Doyle's for $7,500 but sold for 17,500 euros at this auction. (38 and 39)

3 glass bottles sold at Doyle's for $4,375 but sold for 900 euros at this auction (74, 78 and 85)

Strange how prices change in 3 months.

Regards, Adrian.

Dear Adrian,
three years ago at a local auction here in Italy, there was a single lot made by six modern, fancy, horrible bottles. It was listed at 250 euro and was not sold.
One year later, the same lot, at the same auction house, was listed at 150 euro and it was sold for more than 3,000! It all depends on the day.
Giovanni

 

Hi Adrian,

Thank's for the information. I did like them, but due to other obligations, I didn't follow the auction.

Best,

Toni-Lee

Hahaha!

Yes Adrian, as the numbers escalated at that auction, I kept reminding myself that this was full retail - and without the benefit of a really big name like Christie's, Sotheby's or Bonhams. I imagine the buyers of the big ticket items will have to hold on to the bottles for many years to be able to see a return on their investment.

The exception would be the Ma Shaoxuan bottles - IMO they went for a bargain.

Cathy, one has to be careful here with these Ma Shaoxuan's, particularly assessing them over the internet.  Though the auction house infers a good provenance, it simply states "signed Ma Shaoxuan" or the characters are  translated as Ma Shaoxuan.   It does not state they are Ma Shaoxuan bottles or by Ma Shaoxuan. 

It is a fact there are a number of Ma Shaoxuan copies out there in the snuff bottle world, and I suspected these were copies upon my viewing of the catalog and auction photo's.  That would explain the low prices, and possible a non-payment or return of the bottles from the previous auction due to over representation of what they were.  Just a hunch!

Charll   

Charll your hunch seems on target to me!

  I did notice that Bottle 56 did not sell.  It was noted as being a Guyue Xuan Bottle.  I have always been attracted to these bottles and I did not see the typical Guyue Xuan Mark on this bottle. This is the glass enameled peacock bottle with the peach mark on the base. I am just curious as to how one would determine it is Guyue Xuan with no mark?

Jo,
   I think they used 'Guyuexuan' as a name for enameled glass. The bottle sounds modern, though I did not even look at the catalogue, so I probably shouldn't say that.
Best,
Joey

Thanks Joey.  I was thinking of Guyue xuan (Ancient Moon Pavilion).  These were the bottles that I thought were lovely with many having the foot inscribed in iron-red regular script.  The catalog gave a possible dating of 1770 to 1840.  Perhaps it is modern and that might be the reason it did not sell.   

Hi Jo,

As far as I know all the lots sold and Zacke's site claims all lots were sold.

Lot 56 went for 5,000.

Regards, Adrian.

I will have to take a look again ;), I thought that was one that was skipped.  It appeared several did not sell from the list I saw.  Thank You! 

Dear Jo,

    Guyuexuan, Guyue xuan, and Gu Yue Xuan, in Hanyu Pinyin; or Ku Yueh Hsuan, in Wade-Giles; are all the same. And all can be translated as 'Old Moon Pavilion'. And all properly refer to a personal Pavilion set up by the Qianlong Emperor for his later years and retirement, and to the wares made for that pavilion, as well.

   The argument is made that any objects with the genuine Guyuexuan mark were for his use or use of those in his pavilion. At one of the lectures in the last few years, the lecturer stated that the name Guyuexuan was so well known, that the Qianlong Emperor gave out many marked wares as gifts. I think it was  that boring Chinese lecturer who had done a superb job of finding references to snuff bottles in Imperial records, and done a very good job translating; but his presentation was dreadful!

   He spoke in Hong Kong in 2014, where Josephine Sin and June Hui were openly yawning and talking in the front row during the lecture! At least when I exchanged two words with Clare during a lecture in Chicago, we were near the back, and pretty quiet; though if I'd known his wife was in the row ahead of me, I might not have said anything at all. Me bad. :o ::) :-[

    But some dealers, auctions, etc., use it as a catch-all name for enameled glass wares, or at least enameled glass snuff bottles.
Best,
Joey