Lot Essay
Compare a similarly carved shell, but with the Nativity scene, illustrated in D. S. Howard, A Tale of Three Cities: Canton, Shanghai and Hong Kong, London, 1997, pl.333.
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Details
A Chinese carved mother-of-pearl shell, circa 1840
the exterior carved with St. George slaying the Dragon, riding with the boy of Mytilene holding a wine cup grail, with the Princess of Silene standing by a wall, all within a floral and foliate framed cartouch with the word Bethlehem incised, the lower section with the star of Bethlehem flanked by trefoils and berries reserved on a pierced fruiting and foliate ground -- 7 5/8in. (19.4cm.) long.
the exterior carved with St. George slaying the Dragon, riding with the boy of Mytilene holding a wine cup grail, with the Princess of Silene standing by a wall, all within a floral and foliate framed cartouch with the word Bethlehem incised, the lower section with the star of Bethlehem flanked by trefoils and berries reserved on a pierced fruiting and foliate ground -- 7 5/8in. (19.4cm.) long.
Special notice
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