Ma Shaoxuan inside-painted rock crystal snuff bottle, dated 1896
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1896
This inside-painted snuff bottle is crafted from rock crystal and measures 6.4 cm in height. It features the signature style of the master artist Ma Shaoxuan, who lived from 1867 to 1939.
The obverse of the bottle is delicately decorated with an interior scene depicting a scholar reading by candlelight, accompanied by an attendant, situated within a hut beneath a pine tree under the moonlight. The reverse of the vessel displays a lengthy, finely calligraphed inscription. This text is an excerpt from the 'Ode to the Sound of Autumn' (Qiūshēng fù), a renowned work by the Song dynasty poet and politician Ouyang Xiu (1007-1072).
The inscription is signed by Ma Shaoxuan and accompanied by the artist's seal, 'xuan'. The bottle is dated to the Bing shen year, corresponding to 1896, and includes its original stopper. The piece reflects the technical mastery required to execute intricate paintings and calligraphy on the interior surfaces of translucent containers.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Physical characteristics
- Height
- 6.4cm
- Material
- rock crystal
Technical characteristics
- Decoration technique
- inside-painted
Design
- Marks
- signed Ma Shaoxuan with xuan seal
- Obverse
- scholar reading by candlelight with attendant under a pine tree in moonlight
- Reverse
- lengthy calligraphy from Ouyang Xiu's Ode to the Sound of Autumn
Identification
- Source note
- Described from a single auction-house listing published on Invaluable (reproduced with Invaluable's permission). Details apply to that one example; other examples of the type may differ, and the listing is supplementary evidence, not authentication.
- Maker named in listing
- Ma Shaoxuan
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.