A RARE WELL-CARVED CAMEO AGATE BOTTLE

SCHOOL OF ZHITING, SUZHOU, 1750-1850

Details

A RARE WELL-CARVED CAMEO AGATE BOTTLE
School of Zhiting, Suzhou, 1750-1850
Of flattened ovoid form, the pale gray stone cleverly carved utilizing the brown and dark gray markings with a continuous scene of a haima, a mythical horse, walking on undulating waves with a vaporous cloud containing a yinyang symbol issuing from its back, all within a rocky setting accented by patches of large lingzhi, stopper
1 7/8in. (4.8cm.) high

Provenance

Hilda Somers Collection, acquired prior to 1952.

Lot Essay

For a very similar bottle, probably by the same hand, and of the same subject, see B. Stevens, The Collector's Book of Snuff Bottles, New York, 1976, no. 556

For a series of Zhiting School Suzhou agate bottles, see G. Tsang and H. Moss, Snuff Bottles of the Ch'ing Dynasty, Hong Kong Museum of Art, 1978, pp. 114 and 115, nos. 204-207, of which no. 206 is of similar size and type to the present example.

See, also, a group of Zhiting School small agate bottles from the collection of Denis Low illustrated by R. Kleiner, Treasures from the Sanctum of Enlightened Respect, Singapore, 1999, nos. 190-193.

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