Cobalt Blue Dragon Snuff Bottle Designs

[YT]

Dear Joey,

Bake beans on melted Gruyere and Mozzarella on a thick slice of multigrain toast only for a few days.
Too big a sacrifice for a painting, besides we are snuff bottle collectors 

Cheers,
YT

[Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司]

Ooh! That actually sounds very tasty! I might try it.
But I'd still love that painting.
Best,
Joey

[rpfstoneman]

All, another cobalt blue dragon and chrysanthemum design recently acquired. 

Cobalt Blue Dragon & Chrysanthemums Snuff Bottle:
A cylindrical shape bottle with a flared mouth depicting a distinctive cobalt blue dragon in flight pursuing a whirling, flaming, pearl with a subordinate dragon reaching up from a rolling sea at the bottle base.  Both dragons painted across a dense ground of four (4) flowering chrysanthemums intwined with leaf foliage.  Good used of cobalt tonal control in bright blue with dark inky tones and use of blue wash infills.  Nicely presented, bold, ruyi-head design neck border.  Bottle sets on a raised unglazed footrim with a well-placed, balanced, six-character apocryphal Yongzheng mark (1723-1735) on base in cobalt blue.  Bottle throat and interior is glazed.  Stopper is an old faceted-dome blue glass tunic button set in a brass bezel and fitted with an ornately carved keratin spoon.  Height without stopper is 6.8 cm (2 5/8th inches) by 3.0 cm wide. 

Period: ca. 1820-1880, Jingdezhen Kilns

Condition: Good.  Thought the bottle appears crisp and clean, there is measured surface abrasions from use and faint age cracks across the glaze.  A few minor firing flaws as well.   

Provenance:  Anders Auction Inc, Asian Works of Art Collectors Sale 7/31/2022, Lot 0272.

Similar Reference:  For similar design bottles, see “In Search of a Dragon, Underglaze-Blue and White Porcelain Snuff Bottles from the Collection of Joseph Baruch Silver”, illustration 11, pg 31 and Christie’s Live Auction 19829, 8 October 2020, Lot 81; Link: https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-6281854?ldp_breadcrumb=back&intObjectID=6281854&from=salessummary&lid=1

Charll

 

[Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司]

Yup, Charll.
Looks pretty similar.
However, I would date both this bottle and mine ["dragon", # 11] to ca. 1865 - 1880.
The scales are simply crosshatching with a wash.
Best,
Joey

[Wattana]

Thanks for sharing Charll.
A very 'busy' bottle!
Always interested to read about references to similar examples.
I am still on a learning curve with how to date Chinese porcelains (after 5 decades!).

Tom

[bambooforrest]

Another from the Collection of the Blue Dragon Lady [80mm] similar to Charll's.

[Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司]

Interesting.
All these bottles have an apocryphal Ming Chenghua mark.
Personally, I find all of them [including my example] too busy.
Best,
Joey

[bambooforrest]

Joey, another "busy" bottle from the Collection of the Blue Dragon Lady [70mm]. Even though the bottles look busy, I think it takes exceptional skill to paint them.

[Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司]

John,

   I don't know why, though I think it is due to the stylised diaper pattern,
but this bottle does NOT look too busy.
I find it very appealing, actually.
It is the random busy look of the flowers and leaves, that bothers me.
Best,
Joey

[Wattana]

John,

I agree with Joey on this one.
Maybe the mind's eye 'sees' the diaper pattern as background, consequently dismissing it to focus on the dragon. Just my opinion.

Tom

[bambooforrest]

Joey and Tom, I do agree that the dragon stands out better with the diaper pattern. The next soft paste bottle has an interesting shape [59mm].

[Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司]

John,  You are correct.
It is a very interesting shape.
A pity it isn't better painted.
Usually, soft paste porcelains are superbly painted.
I would give that a 7 out of 10 for the painting.
I'd give the potting a 9 out of 10. I'm a sucker for soft paste, as a rule.
Best,
joey