Six Chinese enamelled snuff bottles Late Qing dynasty-first half of 20th century...

Six Chinese enamelled snuff bottles

Late Qing dynasty-first half of 20th century

Comprising: a yellow-enamelled bottle moulded as a cob of corn, associated stopper, 7.4cm high without; a green-enamelled snuff bottle, carved in reticulation with bats around shou medallions on each side, associated stopper, 6.4cm high without stopper; a moulded bottle enamelled with aubergine and green dragons on a mustard yellow ground, associates stopper, 6.1cm high without stopper; a bottle moulded and enamelled as s lotus leaf flanked with two budding flowers, associated stopper, 7cm high without stopper; a green bottle moulded and enamelled with a dragon and a phoenix, 7.2cm high without stopper; and a light blue ground bottle moulded and enamelled on either side with a lotus leaf and blossom, associated stopper, 5.3cm high (6).

清晚期/二十世紀上半業 鼻煙壺六件

Cf. for an enamelled bottle in the shape of an ear of corn, and one in the shape of a lotus pod, see Hou Yi-Li, Lifting the Spirit and Body: The Art and Culture of Snuff Bottles, National Palace Museum, Taiwan, 2021, pl. III-104 and III-101, pp.218-219.

Snuff bottles from a Private Collection (Lots 95-238), mostly formed by Frederick George Ruddle (1886-1960), from Carshalton, Surrey, and Lily Beatrice Ruddle (neé Etherington) 1887-1972, from Sutton, Surrey.

The Ruddle family were owners of a large bakery in Sutton, and property developers in Sutton and Carshalton, Surrey

Frederick was by trade, a sign writer; Frederick and Lily left England initially for South Africa and subsequently for Australia, where they settled shortly before the first world war. They had eight children.

Frederick then took up an executive role for an Australia, Southeast Asia and South Sea Island trading company, Burns Philp, which took him to travel extensively in East Asia; it is presumably during the course of these travels that he had the opportunity to discover Chinese and East Asian Art, and start amassing his collection of snuff bottles, amongst other things. He was a passionate collector of many things beside snuff bottles, including Oceanic Art and Orientalia.

In 1978, the current vendor, a grandchild of Frederick, came to England to attend Cambridge university. At the time he was given power of attorney from the executors of the estate to assist in and arrange the sale of Frederick and Lily’s remaining real estate and properties in Sutton and Carshalton.

As thanks for his assistance, the executors, Molly and Hilda Ruddle, gave him the collection of snuff bottles, in 1980, which he lovingly preserved, researched, and added to over the years