Four Chinese "Puddingstone" and Fossiliferous Limestone Snuff Bottles, 19th to 20th Century

晚清-民國抱子石鼻烟壺四支

-The first, probably 20th century, of fossiliferous limestone, of flattened ovoid form with flat lip and base, with shell fragments in a grey and brown matrix
-The second, 19th-20th century, "puddingstone" of flattened ovoid form with cylindrical neck and flat mouth, concave base, the stone comprised of various beige and brown pebbles and fragments in a grey and ochre matrix, well hollowed with soft polish
-the third, 19th century. "puddingstone" of rounded-rectangular form, with a cylindrical neck, flat lip and shallow protruding oval footrim surrounding the flat base, the undecorated body consisting of a pale gray matrix embedded with pebbles of various sizes and shapes, in various shades of brown, beige and grey.
-The fourth, "puddingstone", possibly 19th century, of flattened spherical form with cylindrical neck, concave mouth and base, the stone with variously colored pebbles in a grainy grey-beige matrix, well-hollowed

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

This lot is located in Philadelphia.

Provenance:

-the third: Alden’s Auction, Fountain Valley, California, March 16, 2024, lot 137

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

Four Chinese "Puddingstone" and Fossiliferous Limestone Snuff Bottles, 19th to 20th Century

晚清-民國 抱子石鼻烟壺四支

Four Chinese "Puddingstone" and Fossiliferous Limestone Snuff Bottles, 19th to 20th Century

晚清-民國 抱子石鼻烟壺四支

晚清-民國抱子石鼻烟壺四支

晚清-民國抱子石鼻烟壺四支