Ye Zhongshan interior-painted glass snuff bottle
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1875-1945
This collectible Chinese snuff bottle is crafted from glass and features elaborate reverse or inside-painted decoration. The artwork depicts a scholar or literati figure captured in a quiet moment, playing a traditional seven-stringed Chinese zither known as a guqin.
The vibrant, detailed scene is complemented by two distinct inscriptions, positioned along the upper right and upper left sides of the bottle's composition. The object is topped with a decorative stopper, fashioned from either agate or coral, which is integrated with a metal rim and internal spoon. The bottle measures approximately 3 3/4 inches in height, 1 3/4 inches in width, and 3/4 inches in depth. It reflects the distinctive artistic style associated with the Chinese artist Ye Zhongshan, who was active during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The piece exhibits bright, bold colors and a clear glass body, with light signs of historical use and minor wear consistent with its age and utility as a vessel for snuff.
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
- Depth
- 3/4 in
- Width
- 1 3/4 in
- Height
- 3 3/4 in
- Material
- glass, agate or coral stopper, metal
Technical characteristics
- Decoration method
- reverse-painted or inside-painted
Design
- Motifs
- scholar or literati figure playing a guqin (seven-stringed zither)
- Inscriptions
- two inscriptions, one on each side
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
- Ye Zhongshan
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.