Lot 33
33
A CARVED SUZHOU AGATE SNUFF BOTTLE
No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VA… Read more
A CARVED SUZHOU AGATE SNUFF BOTTLE

SCHOOL OF ZHITING, 1740-1860

Details
A CARVED SUZHOU AGATE SNUFF BOTTLE
SCHOOL OF ZHITING, 1740-1860
Of compressed form with very slightly concave lip and small irregularly-shaped flat foot, finely carved using the dark brown and russet areas of the translucent stone, on one side with a figure leading a stag, the main side carved with a waterfall beneath wispy clouds, with an inscription in running script reading 'picture of acquiring rank and emolument', stopper
2 7/8 in. (7.3 cm.) high
Special notice
No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium, which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

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Lot Essay

See a comparable bottle in the Bloch Collection with a very similar motif, illustrated by H. Moss, V. Graham and K.B. Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles, vol. 2, part 2, Quartz, Hong Kong, 1998, no. 375.

The deer (lu) is linked with both official success and longevity. It is a play on the homonyms for "emolument" or "official salary," and linked with Luxing, the God of Rank and Emolument. Its association with longevity is attributed to the belief that it lived for a long time and that it was the only animal capable of searching out lingzhi, the fungus of immortality.

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