1760-1900

Details

TWO AGATE SNUFF BOTTLES
1760-1900
The first, probably Palace Workshops, 1760-1850, is of tall octagonal form and fashioned from stone of honey tone with concentric white markings. The second, 1780-1900, is of elongated, ovoid shape. The stone on one side is suffused with 'dendritic' inclusions and the reverse has a domed profile and attractive irregular white markings.
2 7/8 in. and 2 1/16 in. (4.8 cm. and 5.2 cm.) high, jadeite and glass stoppers (2)

Provenance

Octagonal bottle:
Bob Stevens Collection (Part II): Sotheby's Parke Bernet New York, 26 March 1982, lot 96.
Ovoid bottle: Phylis Kaufman, Los Angeles, 1984.

Exhibited

Octagonal bottle:
Exhibition of Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Bob C. Stevens Collection, Mikimoto Hall, Tokyo, October 1978, p. 52, no. 117.

Special notice

Items which contain rubies or jadeite originating in Burma (Myanmar) may not be imported into the U.S. As a convenience to our bidders, we have marked these lots with Y. Please be advised that a purchaser¹s inability to import any such item into the U.S. or any other country shall not constitute grounds for non-payment or cancellation of the sale. With respect to items that contain any other types of gemstones originating in Burma (e.g., sapphires), such items may be imported into the U.S., provided that the gemstones have been mounted or incorporated into jewellery outside of Burma and provided that the setting is not of a temporary nature (e.g., a string).

Lot Essay

Faceted bottles were staple productions of the Palace Workshops in glass, but were also made throughout the Qing dynasty in a range of other materials. They became a standard imperial form and were recognized as such, granting great praise and recognition to the owner.
The uneven surface on the second bottle is a result of cutting down the stone to reveal the inherent natural fern-like markings.

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