Four Chinese Ruby and Amber Glass Snuff Bottles

寶石紅及琥珀料鼻烟壺四支

-The first, circa 1770-1820, probably Imperial, attributed to the Beijing Palace Workshops, ruby glass of flattened circular (“moon-flask”) form, the shoulders sloping to a waisted neck, with a wide mouth, flat lip, and concave base surrounded by a protruding oval footrim, the ruby-red body undecorated, with interior soiling.
-The second, 18th century, possibly Yongzheng period, ruby-red glass of flattened pear shape, the shoulders sloping to a cylindrical neck, with a flat lip and protruding oval footrim, the body undecorated except for rudimentary rings on the narrow sides, the interior extensively crizzled, with snuff residue.
-The third, Early 19th century, amber glass snuff bottle of rounded-rectangular form, with rounded shoulders, cylindrical neck, concave lip and protruding oval footrim, the undecorated material in skilfull imitation of amber, with thin walls.
-The fourth circa 1730-1820, probably Imperial, attributed to the Beijing Palace Workshops, of ruby glass of circular (“moon-flask”) form, the shoulders sloping to a slightly waisted neck, with a flat lip and protruding oval footrim, the ruby-red body undecorated on the main sides, the narrow sides finely carved with faux handles, each depicted as a small loop suspending a ring.

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: Bonhams Los Angeles, September 2, 2020, lot 56

-The second: Valeona Gallery, Montreal, CA, December 5, 2017, lot 91

-The Third: Ashkenazie & Co., San Francisco, 1990

Collection of Bob C. Stevens

Published: Stevens, No. 696

-The fourth: Bonhams Los Angeles, September 2, 2020, lot 9

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

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