A rare inside-painted glass snuff bottle


Ye Bengqi, 1956Skillfully painted in pleasant enamels with two blooming peony plants rising from rocks rendered in earthy brown and black ink, dated June 1956, followed with a Ye Bengqi signature and a seal mark; the reverse depicting a placid lotus pond in the shade of a willow tree.2 1/8in (5.4cm) high
|ProvenanceSotheby's, Hong Kong, 11 June 1997, lot 0522Ye Bengqi (?-1974) was the youngest son of Ye Zhongsan, and the teacher of the celebrated inside painting master, Wang Xisan. Ye was best known for reviving the art of enameling in the 1930s to the level that equals the works produced in the Qianlong era from the Beijing Palace Workshops. Known inside-painted snuff bottles signed by Ye Bengqi are very rare, as he seemed have moved away from the family specialization of inside-painted snuff bottles and concentrated on producing high quality enameled bottles to meet the contemporary market demand for the type, at least during the period between 1933 and 1943. The few recorded inside-painted bottles by Ye Bengqi are either not inscribed or simply signed as Ye Xiaosan. One theory is that Ye, although talented in enameling and painting, was barely literate; Ye Xiaosan (葉小三), meaning the little third Ye, was much easier to write than his formal name Ye Bengqi (葉菶祺). See another inside-painted bottle, signed Ye Xiaosan, sold in our Sydney rooms, 22 March 2015, sale 22495, lot 155.The composition and painting style of the present bottle very much resemble how the flowers are rendered in his enameling work. This rare example demonstrates Ye Bengqi's mastery and talent for bringing a delightful combination of colors and delicate technique to the inside painting art.1956 葉菶祺 玻璃內畫富貴牡丹及荷塘圖鼻煙壺 《葉菶祺作》款