【英语生活】鼻烟壶收藏仍有机会“捡漏”

It's fortunate for fans of fine Chinese ceramics that ground-up tobacco doesn't fare so well in Asia's humid climate. Snuff -- all the rage in 17th century Asia -- was brought to the region by Europeans. But in the moist East Asian air the ground-up leaves went bad before you could sniff it up your nose. When Chinese artisans crafted airtight ceramic bottles to keep the powder dry, they also created a highly skilled -- and highly valued -- art form, explains Julian King, an expert in Chinese art and ceramics at Bonhams in Hong Kong.

'Snuff bottles is a collective term used by Western dealers and collectors in the 20th century to refer to what is in effect the most refined miniature art form ever developed,' says Mr. King. This week Bonhams will auction a collection of these tiny bottles, including some that were gifts to Chinese emperors. Total proceeds are expected to be more than $5 million. Mr. King talked to Duncan Mavin in Hong Kong. The following interview has been edited.

WSJ: What particularly excites you about the market for snuff bottles in Asia?

Mr. King: Its sheer unpredictability. Ten years ago, there were only a handful of collectors from mainland China. Now, they are completely dominating the market. They value bottles with impeccable imperial credentials, made under the auspices of the Qing dynasty emperors, and the most esoteric examples made for scholars, endowed with arcane symbolism reflecting China's complex blend of Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism.

WSJ: What has most surprised you about buyers in Asia?

Mr. King: Their shrewdness. Most buyers are unbelievably savvy. They're aware of the exact price a bottle has made in recent auction history, be it in a major Hong Kong auction or the smallest sale in England or France with the most dysfunctional and difficult to find website.

WSJ: Are there any bargains still to be had in Chinese snuff bottles?

Mr. King: Yes, definitely. Prices lag behind other pieces. The same holds true for porcelain bottles inscribed with imperial marks, which are still a fraction of the value of porcelain vases double the size.

WSJ: What key elements should collectors of Chinese ceramics look for?

Mr. King: High quality, good condition and reliable provenance.

WSJ: What is your own most prized antique or piece of ceramics or art?

Mr. King: As an auctioneer, to collect would be a conflict of interest and at any rate the pieces I desire would be outside my reach. My most treasured antique is an enigmatic green stone stylized figure, which was de-accessioned by an English museum in 2002. It had always been considered early Chinese, but it is in reality a rare stone sculpture from ancient Mexico.

对于喜欢中国精美瓷器的人们来说，研磨成粉末的烟叶在亚洲潮湿的气候中不易保存实属幸事。17世纪风靡亚洲的鼻烟是由欧洲人引入这里的。然而在东亚潮湿的空气中，鼻烟还没等到被人们吸进鼻子就已经腐坏变质了。当中国的工匠们制作出密封的瓷瓶来使烟末保持干燥时，他们同时也创造出一种工艺高超、价值不菲的艺术品，香港宝龙拍卖行(Bonhams)中国艺术和瓷器专家朱利安•金(Julian King)如此解释。

金说，鼻烟壶是一个在20世纪被西方商人和收藏家所使用的集合名词，用来指代那些人类曾经创造出来的最精美的微型艺术品。宝龙拍卖行本周将拍卖一系列这样的小瓶，其中一些曾是进献给中国皇帝的贡品。它们的总价值有望超过500万美元。金在香港接受了邓肯•马文(Duncan Mavin)的采访。以下是经过编辑的访谈纪录：

Bomhams乾隆时期御制的珐琅鼻烟壶《华尔街日报》：亚洲的鼻烟壶市场有哪一点让你感到特别兴奋？

金：这个市场完全不可预测。十年前，中国大陆只有少数几位收藏者。如今，大陆收藏者完全主导了市场。这些收藏者很看重那些有着完美皇家印记的鼻烟壶，它们都是在清朝皇帝的主持下制作的；以及那些为文人雅士们制作的寓意深远的鼻烟壶，其神秘图案反映出中国道教、佛教和儒教的多元糅合。

《华尔街日报》：亚洲的买家们最让你称奇的地方是什么？

金：他们的精明。大多数买家都精明得超乎想象。他们对于某个鼻烟壶在近来拍卖纪录中的确切价格了如指掌，无论是香港主流的拍卖会，还是那些在英格兰或者法国举行的最小规模的、网站也做得最糟糕而且最难找的拍卖会。

《华尔街日报》：中国鼻烟壶还有什么便宜可讨吗？

金：有，这一点毫无疑问。鼻烟壶的价格比其他收藏品的价格要低。御制瓷鼻烟壶的价格也如是，相比大小为其两倍的瓷花瓶，鼻烟壶的价格只是个零头。

《华尔街日报》：中国瓷器收藏者应该注意哪些关键的要素？

金：高质量、品相好，而且来源可靠。

《华尔街日报》：你本人最珍视的一件古董、瓷器或者艺术品是什么？

金：作为一名拍卖师，收藏会导致利益冲突，而且不管怎样，那些我希望得到的藏品都是可望而不可及的。我最珍爱的古董是一个颇具神秘感的绿石雕像，它是2002年由英格兰的一家博物馆卖出的。它一直被认为是中国早期的文物，但实际上却是一件来自古代墨西哥的宝石雕塑。