Four Chinese Puddingstone, Agate, and Conglomerate Snuff Bottles, 18th-19th Century

清中期抱子石鼻烟壺四支

-The first, circa 1750-1860, puddingstone of bulbous ovoid form, the shoulders sloping to a cylindrical neck, the lip and foot convex, the undecorated stone consisting of a gray matrix embedded with stones of various sizes and shapes, in dappled shades of brown and black, well hollowed.
-The second, circa 1750-1860, of conglomerate stone of flattened rectangular form, the shoulders sloping to a cylindrical neck, the lip flat, the recessed base surrounded by a neatly-carved protruding oval footrim, the well-hollowed undecorated stone consisting of russet-brown matrix embedded with ochre-beige inclusions of various sizes.
-The third, 19th century, agate of bulbous circular form, with a cylindrical neck, flat lip and foot, the undecorated stone with splashes in various shades of brown.
-The fourth, circa 1750-1860, puddingstone of rounded-ovoid form, the shoulders sloping to a cylindrical neck, with a flat lip and base, the undecorated body of a pale honey-colored matrix, embedded with irregular lighter inclusions, well-hollowed.

Largest Height without stopper 2 7/16 in., 6.2 cm.

Property from the Estate of Dr. Thomas Klein, sold to benefit Jefferson Hospital

This lot is located in Philadelphia.

Provenance:

-The first: A private Los Angeles, California Collection

Asian Art Studio, 2013

-The second: Asian Art Studio, 2015

-The third: From a French collection formed in the early 20th century, sold Christie’s Paris, December 12, 2018, lot 122

-The fourth: a private southern California collection

Clare Chu Asian Art, 2023;

All: Property from the Estate of Dr. Thomas A. Klein, MD. Sold to benefit the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.

Thomas Klein醫生遺產，拍賣所得歸Jefferson醫院。

湯姆·克萊因醫生收藏鼻烟壺逾四十年。他畢業於哈佛大學與羅徹斯特大學，曾於美國陸軍擔任婦產科醫師並出任高階領導職務。其後於傑佛遜醫院服務三十年，2023年以婦產科副主任身分榮退，期間培養了五百餘名住院醫師與無數醫學生。他的學術與臨床精神延續於以其名設立的「Thomas A. Klein 講席教授」，本場拍賣所得亦歸於傑佛遜醫院。

Tom Klein’s life was shaped by two enduring passions: medicine and the collecting of snuff bottles. While these worlds rarely intersected, both were marked by the same qualities—quiet dedication, discernment, and grace.

Tom was unfailingly modest–when the I.C.S.B.S. held its convention in Philadelphia, he entrusted me to select bottles from his collection for the exhibition “Embers of the East,” a task made challenging by the number of exceptional bottles. His passion for collecting was thoughtful rather than acquisitive, grounded in appreciation rather than display. These were his companions—objects he handled, studied, and loved for over 40 years.

Professionally, Tom enjoyed an equally distinguished career. A graduate of Harvard University and the University of Rochester, he served as an obstetrician-gynecologist in the U.S. Army in senior leadership roles. He spent thirty years at Jefferson Hospital, retiring in 2023 as Vice Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology, having trained more than five hundred residents and countless medical students. His legacy continues through the Thomas A. Klein, MD Professorship in Quality and Safety in Women’s Health.

To those who knew him as a collector, these accomplishments mirrored the man I admired: principled, generous, and exacting without pretension. Over the 35 years I had the privilege to know him, he was a gentleman in the most absolute sense of the word. Though he is deeply missed, his presence endures in the objects he cherished and in our shared love of snuff bottles.

Clare Chu

Four Chinese Puddingstone, Agate, and Conglomerate Snuff Bottles, 18th-19th Century

清中期 抱子石鼻烟壺四支

清中期抱子石鼻烟壺四支