PROBABLY IMPERIAL, ATTRIBUTED TO THE PALACE WORKSHOPS, BEIJING, 1750-1800

Details

**A FINE AND RARE CARVED BANDED AGATE SNUFF BOTTLE
PROBABLY IMPERIAL, ATTRIBUTED TO THE PALACE WORKSHOPS, BEIJING, 1750-1800
The well-hollowed, pale honey-toned bottle of compressed ovoid form with a recessed foot, the base encircled by a band of formalized lotus petals, the shoulders carved with animal mask and ring handles, the central section of the bottle with a gently undulating narrow series of white bands, tourmaline stopper
2 1/8 in. (5.4 cm.) high

Provenance

Hugh Moss

Literature

Snuff Bottles of the Ch'ing Dynasty, p. 109, no. 187
JICSBS, Autumn 1988, p. 4, fig. 1
Moss et. al., The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle, The J & J Collection, vol. 1, no. 166

Exhibited

Hugh M. Moss Ltd., London, September 1974
Hong Kong Museum of Art, October-December 1978
Christie's, New York, 1993
Empress Place Museum, Singapore, 1994
Museum fur Kunsthandwerk, Frankfurt, 1996-1997
Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, London, 1997
Naples Museum of Art, Florida, 2002
Portland Museum of Art, Oregon, 2002
National Museum of History, Taipei, 2002
International Asian Art Fair, Seventh Regiment Armory, New York, 2003
Poly Art Museum, Beijing, 2003

Special notice

Prospective purchasers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to coral, ivory and tortoiseshell. Accordingly, prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country.

Lot Essay

This bottle belongs to the group of superbly hollowed chalcedony snuff bottles characterized by the use of flawless semi-transparent material, high-quality low-relief carving and archaistic designs, here represented by the mask and ring handles decorating the narrow sides. Such motifs were inspired by ancient bronzes, many of which were in the Imperial Collection. With the present bottle, however, the masks have metamorphosed into tigers, and are identified by the character wang ('king') incised on the foreheads. Another bottle from this group carved with a very similar lotus petal band around the base and mask and ring handles on the narrow sides, also in the J & J Collection and illustrated by Moss et. al., The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle,, vol. 1, no. 165, was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 25 April 2004, lot 836.

The band of white markings encircling the waist of this bottle have been referred to by Raymond Li as yudai ('jade belt'), and conveys a subtle wish that the recipient attain high honors. See R. Li, Snuff Bottle Terminology. Chinese and English Equivalents, p. 46.

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