In the Alembic of Ink
Non Selling Exhibition of Paintings by the Master of the Water, Pine and Stone Retreat, Hong Kong Convention Centre, May 2015
E-Yaji
News
August 2023
The Imperial Origins of the Art of Inside-painted Snuff Bottles
July 2023
Transcultural Ink.
Ineffable Perfection in Three Steps
This was originally a lecture delivered for the Zeng Fanzhi Foundation at JC Cube theatre, Taikwun, Hong Kong, on 2 July 2023, which was live streamed to mainland China.
April 2023
Transcultural Ink.
A site devoted to art arising out of, and contributing to, the continuing evolution of the ink art of China.
January 2023
Art Reboot
What is art for?
Hugh Moss argues that the twentieth-century revolution in art, spread globally on the jet stream of western influence, was widely misunderstood, and that many of the ideas which made it revolutionary had been governing Chinese art for two millennia. China’s ancient cultural maturity found art’s highest purpose, beyond its lower-level roles and surface meanings, in the evolution of consciousness, thus emancipating art and those who practised it, as also those who appreciated it, for the audience was considered part of the process of art, valued above its objects.
Art Reboot is a short transcultural presentation of ideas which resolve global confusion and open the gates to the wonders of making art and being transported by it.
Hugh Moss is one of the world's leading experts in the fields of Chinese snuff bottles and scholarly works of art, and is a well-known painter and calligrapher, working under his studio name, the Master of the Water, Pine and Stone Retreat.
June 2022
We have updated the inside painted artists section of the web site. It now includes works by Ye Zhongsan and Family
June 2022
Essays on Art
by
Hugh Moss
What is art, and what is it for? After millennia of human creativity and the vast amount of art that they have produced, these may seem like questions that are barely worth asking – or at least, that have been satisfactorily addressed by audiences and critics over several centuries.
I strongly disagree. continue..
November 2021
The Water Pine and Stone Retreat Collection of Snuff bottles
Part III
The Collector's Influence over the Snuff-bottle Arts
Hugh Moss and Stuart Sargent
The third volume of the collection catalogue is now available. Anyone who has already registered for Parts I or II need not re-register - your password will work for all three volumes. If you haven't registered you can do so, for free, by clicking here.
There is a response field so that readers can let us know of any comments, corrections or suggestions. Unfortunately we cannot undertake to respond to each of these individually, but that does not mean we do not appreciate them.
Hugh Moss
At the Water, Pine and Stone Retreat, December 2021.
February 2021
An interview with the Master of the Water, Pine and Stone Retreat
This is the interview section from A Retrospective of Paintings by the Master of the Water, Pine, and Stone Retreat complete with illustrations
February 2021
Explaining The Inexplicable
This is the first in a series of talks through which Hugh Moss will explore the nature of the creative process, in all its manifold, mysterious, and culturally vital aspects. It is intended for all, whether as artists or audience, who remain even a little confused by the art world - while, at the same time, being inexorably drawn to it.
An Artist's Perspective: How Art Works
Hugh Moss discusses the viewing of a Chinese handscroll, which provides a key to the formulation of a unified theory of art. Click here to read the article
Originally Published in Orientations March 2013, pp.186-188
Beyond the Stage of Time
A Retrospective of Paintings by the Master of the Water, Pine, and Stone Retreat
Volume I: Realised Realms
280 pages, containing a dialogue between the artist and Sean Geer, an essay by Peter Suart, illustrations of 109 works with transcriptions of texts a catalogue of seals, and collection, exhibition and publication information.
Volume II: Staff Masters and Stone Fools
376 pages, containing illustrations of 191 works with transcriptions of texts, and collection,
exhibition and publication information.
More information and purchase options
The Water Pine and Stone Retreat Collection of Snuff bottles
Part II
Non-Imperial Influence over the Snuff-bottle Art
Hugh Moss and Stuart Sargent
The second volume of the collection catalogue is now available. Anyone who has already registered for Part I need not re-register - your password will work for all three volumes. If you haven't registered you can do so, for free, by clicking on the link to the book on the right, or here.
We have added to both currently published volumes a response field so that readers can let us know of any comments, corrections or suggestions. Unfortunately we cannot undertake to respond to each of these individually, but that does not mean we do not appreciate them.
Hugh Moss
At the Water, Pine and Stone Retreat, December 2019.
August 2018
Research Update
The Yangzhou Conundrum
We have found compelling evidence to re-assess the group of enamelled glass wares made at Yangzhou. We now believe they are not from the late Qianlong period, but part of a thriving snuff-culture antiquarian interested in Yangzhou in the second half of the nineteenth century that we will be addressing in Part II of the Water, Pine and Stone Retreat Collection to be published on the site next year. The article here deals with the evidence so that everyone has access to the same information at the same time.
August 2018
Click here to read the updated article. The article also has higher resolution pictures of all the snuff bottles featured in the book.
A UNIFIED THEORY OF ART: MAKING SENSE OF IT ALL
by Hugh Moss
A newly added article.
If you haven't already please have a look at the articles section of the site where you will find a lot of old articles previously published elsewhere
Originally published: Still Point Arts Quarterly, Spring 2017, Issue No. 25.
Member’s Area
The member’s area is now open, you will need to register to gain access. There is no charge for this, just enter your details and let us know who you are. Please check your spam folder for confirmation emails if you don't receive them.
In the member’s area you will find the online publication of: Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Water, Pine and Stone Retreat Collection 水松石山房藏鼻煙壺
Click here or use the link in the main menu to register or log in.
The Ko Collection
An article outlining the history of the collection, with a biography of Mr. Ko by Giovanni Caretti and some fascinating photographs documenting the life of Evaristo Caretti (Mr. Ko). Introduction by Hugh Moss. Click here to view
Unthinkable: How do you judge good art from bad?
Irish Times
As Hugh Moss, author of the newly published book The Art of Understanding Art, says: “It seems we are suffering a serious art-theoretical lapse.
Focus on education
We at e-yaji have decided to focus on the research and educational features of the site. We are astonished at the numbers of visitors we attract - at present hovering around 3,000 unique visits per week, a number which is greatly increased if we count repeat visits by the same person. For some inexplicable reason not all 3,000 of them are buying a snuff bottle -we won't get into how many unique buyers we get every week for fear of the onset of depression. Our public has spoken and we listen. We are, therefore, going to close down the sales portion of the site. It has, in any case, become somewhat inimical to our message as auction agents that the future of sales in the art world inevitably favours the auction format for anything where there is already existing, strong demand and an established market. It is also a mild contradiction that Hugh Moss is now deeply involved in forming his own collection of snuff bottles, with all the potential conflicts of interest that might raise. Should circumstances change we shall re-consider our position.
As a farewell, we thank you for your patronage and support and feel free to continue to contact us by email.
Full online publication of the Marakovic collection of Chinese snuff bottles
The resources section now has a selection of articles about snuff bottles. Click here or on the main menu
Wilf Pond
A very early article on Chinese snuff bottles (1894) by Wilf Pond is now available here. Thanks to Bernie Wald for finding it and sending it to us
The pioneering work by Henry C. Hitt
has now been added to the resources section. It is a full digitised version of the book along with the later inside painted addition.Ding Erzhong
An Exhibition of known bottles by the inside painted artist, essays and the entire text and illustrations of the section on Ding from the recent seven-volume catalogue of the Bloch Collection, exactly as printed.
Resources
If you haven't already then take a look at the resources section. As well as exhibtions the library section has a fully searchable copy of Reflected Glory in a Bottle with more to be added soon.
Zhou Leyuan
An exhibition of known bottles by the inside painted artist, dated where possible. See the resources menu or click here
