China, c. 1820-1910. The flattened globular body supported on a gently spreading foot and rising to a cylindrical neck, finely carved through the outer white and green layers to the dusky pink ground with a continuous scene of silkworms, silk moths, and cocoons as well as half-eaten mulberry leaves.

Provenance: From the collection of Chip and Muffy Matthews, St. Louis, USA. Churchill “Chip” Matthews, Jr. (1940-2021) and Martha “Muffy” Matthews were American collectors of Chinese snuff bottles who traveled extensively. Chip was a US army veteran, who founded the noted medical company Wrymark Inc. in 1989. In 2013, their private garden was featured by St. Louis Homes and Lifestyles as the ‘Garden of the Year’.
Condition: Excellent condition with some old wear and expected manufacturing irregularities, including a notable open bubble to one side.

Stopper: Green glass
Weight: 50.9 g
Dimensions: Height incl. stopper 70 mm. Diameter neck 18 mm and mouth 7 mm

Expert’s note: The present lot is a rare double overlay from the Yangzhou school of the popular silkworm design. This subject is usually found in single overlay bottles only. Hugh Moss recently wrote about the Yangzhou and Li Junting school of bottles: “We now know that there was a Yangzhou philanthropist named Li Weizhi with the zi Junting or, read properly, Yunting. Like several Chinese characters, jun has more than one reading. In this case, it is also an ancient form of yun, ‘resonance’, and can be read with that pronunciation. On Treasury 5, no. 1024, we find the name written with the standard yun: ‘For the enjoyment of Yunting himself’. Li Weizhi was a native of Dantu and set up a silk factory in Zhenjiang, right across the Yangtze River from Yangzhou, in 1895. Jingjiang, which [one] bottle tells us is Li’s native place, is an old name for both Dantu (now a district of Zhenjiang) and Zhenjiang. Despite the strong association of this style of glass snuff bottle with Yangzhou, it is possible that Li Weizhi had his bottles made in Zhenjiang. Whatever the case, our new knowledge of Li Yunting’s identity enables us to reassess the bottles we have been ascribing to the ‘Li Junting school’. We are engaged in that process and shall soon be making a full report to the snuff-bottle world.”

Expert’s note (added 26.2.2023): The humble silkworm may be a small creature, but its impact on China's economy and culture is immeasurable. In addition to its commercial significance, the silkworm has also come to represent the Buddhist concept of the cycle of life, death, and rebirth, which has been a crucial part of Chinese spirituality for millennia. The interconnectedness of life in the silk industry is a prime example of this concept. In the ponds that are ubiquitous in silk-producing villages, silkworm waste is fed to fish, and the mud from the fish ponds is used to fertilize the mulberry trees. In turn, the mulberry leaves nourish the silkworms. This cycle of life is a tangible manifestation of the Buddhist principle of Samsara, and it is a reminder of the intricate interconnectedness of all things in the world. Overall, the silkworm and its ecosystem serves as a powerful symbol of the cyclical nature of existence, and its significance extends far beyond its role in China's trade and economy.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 28 May 2010, lot 61
Price: HKD 264,000 or approx. EUR 44,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A green and white double-overlay pink glass ‘silkworm production’ snuff bottle, Li Junting School, probably Yangzhou, 1775-1910
Expert remark: Compare the closely related motif, double overlay, and colors. Note the different form and lacking foot rim.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 4 June 2021, lot 1005
Price: HKD 239,400 or approx. EUR 29,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An emerald-green and yellow double-overlay pink glass ‘silkworms’ snuff bottle, Yangzhou school, Qing dynasty, 19th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related motif, form, and double overlay. Note the different colors and the lacking foot rim.



揚州粉地套白綠雙色料蠶蟲桑葉紋鼻煙壺
中國，約1820-1910年。扁圓形壺身，圈足略外撇，圓柱形頸部，粉紅地套白綠雙色料，綠色為桑葉或桑樹枝，白色為蠶。

來源：美國聖路易士Chip 與Muffy Matthews收藏。Churchill "Chip" Matthews，Jr. (1940-2021年) 與 Martha "Muffy" Matthews 是來自美國的經驗豐富的中國鼻煙壺收藏家。Chip 是一名美國退伍軍人，他於 1989 年創立了著名的醫療公司 Wrymark Inc.。2013 年，他們的私人花園被聖路易士Homes和Lifestyles 雜志評為“年度花園”。
品相：狀況極佳，有一些磨損和製造瑕疵，包括一側有明顯的開口氣泡。

壺蓋：綠色玻璃
重量：50.9 克
尺寸：含蓋高70 毫米，頸部直徑18 毫米與頸部直徑7 毫米

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：香港邦瀚斯，2010年5月28日，lot 61
價格：HKD 264,000（相當於今日EUR 44,000）
描述：嫣紅地白料、松花綠料兼套玻璃蠶鼻煙壺，李均亭流派，大約作於揚州，1775～1910
專家評論：比較非常相近的主題、顏色和套料。請注意不同的外形和缺少圈足。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：香港蘇富比，2021年6月4日，lot 1005
價格：HKD 239,400（相當於今日EUR 29,000）
描述：清十九世紀揚州作粉紅地套黃綠料錦衣玉食圖鼻煙壺
專家評論：比較非常相近的主題、外形和套料。請注意不同的外形和缺少圈足。