SUZHOU SCHOOL, 1760-1880

The handling of the striped, beautifully textured material of this bottle, as well as the different tones of color on varying planes and the sculptural quality of the carving, are traditionally associated with the Suzhou school. However, the flattened form and degree of hollowing exhibited are a departure from Suzhou bottles, which tend to have more rounded bodies. While the complex carving and extensive use of the natural colors in the stone resemble the Zhiting School, the style is not typical, suggesting perhaps an attribution to another Suzhou school. This flattened form appears in snuff bottles in a wide variety of materials during the mid-Qing period, both imperial and otherwise, and was one of a number of popular standards.