Sworders
Lot 158
A Chinese overlay Peking glass snuff bottle, Qing dynasty (1644-1911), the rounded body in the shape of an elephant in red, against a white snowflake ground, the stopper with an ivory spoon,6.3cm highProvenance: From Travers Christmas Humphreys QC (15 February 1901-13 April 1983) via his wife's will executor, her goddaughter, and thence by descent.Born in London in 1901, Humphreys followed in his father's footsteps to become a prominent barrister, and was responsible for the prosecution of several controversial cases during the 1940s and 50s, before later becoming a judge at the Old Bailey. A proponent of Buddhism, he wrote a number of works on Mahayana Buddhism, and was probably the best-known British convert of his day. In 1924, he founded what became the London Buddhist Society, which was to have a seminal influence on the growth of the Buddhist tradition in Britain. He was also an enthusiastic advocate of the Oxfordian theory that the works of Shakespeare were, in fact, written by someone else. His former home in St John's Wood, London, is now a Buddhist temple.清 雪霏地套红料太平有象鼻烟壶IMPORTANT NOTEThis lot contains elephant ivory material. Please be advised that several countries, including those in the EU and the USA, now prohibit the importation of ivory items unless under specific conditions. Accordingly, prospective buyers should familiarise themselves with the relevant customs regulations of their country and ensure they are able to import this item prior to bidding.This item has been registered as exempt from the UK Ivory Act 2018.Condition ReportMinute knocks to edges.The stopper with hairline cracks to cabochon.
