ZHITING SCHOOL, SUZHOU, 1760-1860

Details

A CARVED AGATE SNUFF BOTTLE
ZHITING SCHOOL, SUZHOU, 1760-1860
The bottle is deeply carved through dark areas on one side with a horse standing on a cliff between a bat and a pine tree, with a scholar resting beside a rock below, with mottled whitish inclusions showing in the translucent honey-toned stone. The opposite side is carved with a fisherman seated on a rock and pulling a fish on his line from waves, with a three-character inscription above reading de li tu ('to reap profit').
2 1/8 in. (6.3 cm.) high, jadeite stopper

Provenance

Galia Baylin Collection, Hong Kong.
Eric Young Collection.
Rachell R. Holden Collection.
Sara Jo and Arthur Kobacker Collection, Ohio, no. 63.
Robert Hall, London, 2011.
Ruth and Carl Barron Collection, Belmont, Massachusetts, no. 5201.

Special notice

This lot is offered without reserve. 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).

Brought to you by

Margaret Gristina (葛曼琪) Senior Specialist, VP

asianartny@christies.com +1 212 636 2180

Lot Essay

The town of Suzhou, famous for its gardens and canals, was one of the main cultural centers in China, attracting painters, calligraphers, poets, musicians and other talented individuals. Their pursuits comprise the main subject matter of the group of acclaimed snuff bottles intricately carved from agate and jade.

A similar well-hollowed Suzhou agate bottle with a seated scholar is illustrated by M. Hughes in Small Treasures: The Art Institute of Chicago, Chinese Snuff Bottles, Hong Kong, 2015, pp. 46-47, no. 32.

More from The Ruth and Carl Barron Collection of Fine Chinese Snuff Bottles: Part III

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