Lot 30
![[COLLECTION OF PROF. J. GILBERT & CORA MCALLISTER] LARGE CHINESE COPPER-RED 'TWELVE ZODIAC ANIMALS' SNUFF BOTTLE](https://media.app.artisio.co/media/104cbde6-0d38-43cb-9e0f-bb721ef57bcf/inventory/5c6d88ff-9192-4b1e-aa60-23c312262681/1ef858bd-4215-4b20-ab17-d2258c1ab6bf/0001_zNkgaP_original.jpeg)
[COLLECTION OF PROF. J. GILBERT & CORA MCALLISTER] LARGE CHINESE COPPER-RED 'TWELVE ZODIAC ANIMALS' SNUFF BOTTLE
QING DYNASTY, 18TH-19TH CENTURY
Auction: 07 November 2025 from 10:00 GMT
Description
清 青花釉裏紅十二生肖大鼻煙壺
of cylindrical form, carved in a continuous scene with Chinese twelve zodiac animals in outdoor setting, including striding ox and tiger on the grassland, recumbent horse and coiling snake on the foreground, dog and ram on the right side of the large rock, whilst the left side of the rock occupied by hidden rabbit, rooster, honkey and pig, and small mouse on the tree branch issuing from the rockwork, all beneath large dragon occupied around the shoulder; four circle lines in underglaze blue respectively painted: one under the mouth rim, one at the lower part of the body, one right above the foot ring, and further one on the base
Dimensions
height: 12cm; 13cm with stopper
Provenance
Collection of Prof. J. Gilbert & Cora McAllister, thence by descent based in England. With collector's handwritten note and Collector's Number 46.
Dr. J. Gilbert McAllister (1904–1993) was Emeritus Professor in Anthropology at the University of Texas. Primarily a cultural anthropologist, he also carried out significant archaeological research. Cora McAllister (1904-1995) graduated from the University of Texas in 1924 as a Member of Phi Beta Kappa. In 1933–1934, she and Gilbert lived amongst Kiowa-Apache Indians in Oklahoma, where Gilbert conducted field research. In 1935, Gilbert was lured back to the University of Texas, where, by 1935, he became Chairman of the department and head of a large archaeological program. There, Gilbert (or Dr. Mac as he was affectionately known by his students) made his name as an archaeological administrator and especially as a remarkable teacher for over 33 years until his retirement in 1968. In a Memorial Resolution Committee Memorandum, it is noted that he had a “massive integrity about him” and “we talk about role models these days. He was one of the good ones.”
Cora and Gilbert’s large and eclectic collection was informed by a deep love for Asian cultures and antiquities, coupled with a scholarly approach. Their collection spanned vast time periods, materials, and included cultures of China, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia and more. The collection was mostly acquired in the 1960s and 1970s, variously from Cora and Gilbert’s friends and fellow academics who made trips to Asia (some of whom were commissioned specifically by Gilbert), their usual dealers and contacts, as well as from fellow collectors.
For more information about Dr and Ms McAllister, please visit: https://shaybo-therisingtide.blogspot.com/2014/08/j-gilbert-mcallister-memorial.html?m=1