The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle: The J & J Collection

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Summary: Collectors refer to this book as "The Bible"
Review: I borrowed a copy of THE ART OF THE CHINESE SNUFF BOTTLE. THE J & J COLLECTION from my father (who tells me that other collectors refer to this book as "the Bible"), and although I'm not yet a collector of anything, I was so impressed with this book that I want to share this discovery with others. I have since come accross some reviews of the book in Oriental magazines, and will be quoting from them as these professionals put accross their thoughts so much better than I. First of all, the luxury of the edition: "imposing size, lavish layout and exquisitive presentation of the background, two-volume work (800 pages, 1200 illustrations, 25 x 34.2 cm dimensions ... superb life-size photographs and extraordinary detail views ... " according to Jana Volf in ORIENTATIONS magazine, July 1994. As for content, Robert KLEINER wrote in ARTS OF ASIA, Nov.-Dec. 1995, "This vast work is arguably the finest book ever written on the arts of the Qing (1644-1911) dynasty. Each snuff bottle is taken as an opportunity to explore a differing aspect of Chinese aesthetics and culture, thereby, in small increments, revealing the inner meaning both of this culture and of the art represented by the bottles themselves ... The entire work (presents) a rigorous study of the art and evolution of the snuff bottle itself, and ... the underlying cultural background of China as evolved by the thoughts, beliefs and ambitions of the ruling Imperial household and the vast literati class, the scholars who oiled the wheels of the nation's life ... The J&J collection is almost unrivailled in its possesion of snuff bottles which can be used as exemplars of "Palace style ..." About the collection, Clare Lawrence wrote in the Spring 1994 issue of the JOURNAL of the International Chinese Snuff Bottle Society, "I think this is a truly great book of a great, if not the greatest snuff bottle collection in the world today." Finally, this book was awarded 1st. prize as the best art book produced in Hong Kong, in 1993. I must say it is a must to the serious art collector. Mathias F. de Carvalho