A RARE RHINOCEROS HORN SPANISH COIN BOTTLE

細節

A RARE RHINOCEROS HORN SPANISH COIN BOTTLE
19TH CENTURY

Of oval lobed shape, carved as each side of a Spanish coin, one with Charles IV, incorrectly inscribed Charles III, in the guise of a Roman emperor above the date 1796, the other with the Spanish coat-of-arms, the lobed, narrower sides carved with allover key-pattern, stopper

拍品專文

For an identical rhinoceros horn example from the Russell Mullin Collection see Hugh M. Moss, Chinese Snuff Bottles: 5, p. 32, fig. 27. Moss states that, "though the coin depicted was minted in Spain in 1796, the bottle was unlikely to have been made prior to 1800 and was probably carved during the first half of the 19th century". The coin copies a Spanish eight reales made for the Mexican territories under Charles IV of Spain and common currency in China during the 19th century. Moss continues, "were I given the choice of any bottle from Russell's collection, this would sorely tempt me, and he himself considers it one of his finest bottles"

For another example, carved in rock crystal, see Hugh M. Moss, Snuff Bottles of China, p. 133, no. 459