1750-1820

細節

**AN AGATE DOUBLE-GOURD SNUFF BOTTLE
1750-1820
The extremely well-hollowed bottle of thin, flattened form with a flared neck, the stone of mottled honey-beige tone and suffused with natural cloud-like markings, the narrow sides with flat facets, tourmaline stopper with gilt-silver collar
2½ in. (5.6 cm.) high

注意事項

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.

拍品專文

This elegant bottle would appear to be related to another bottle from the J & J Collection, illustrated by Moss et. al., The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle, vol. 1, no. 105, which was sold in these rooms, 30 March 2005, lot 53. They were probably made in the same workshop and perhaps even by the same hand. As with no. 105, the artist of this example has enhanced the form with the exceptional hollowing, making the walls practically paper-thin on the two main sides. The hollowing enhances the line of the silhouette by doubling it at the edges when viewed from the two principle sides, providing a bold outline to its slender form. It is, of course, technically harder to hollow a double-gourd form because of the constrictions of the neck and the waist in reaching the lower bulb.

A white jade bottle attributed to the Beijing Palace workshops of very similar flattened double-gourd form is illustrated by R. Kleiner, Chinese Snuff Bottles - The White Wings Collection, p. 31, no. 15.
For a discussion on this material, which is known as 'Western Agate', see Moss, Graham, Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles, no. 2, Quartz, no. 258.