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Lot Essay
The Master of the Rocks School seems to have specialized in carvings from this distinctive material. The School's main output was bottles carved with landscape designs, but many other subjects are recorded, including a few with chi dragon designs, which may have been partly produced for the Court. The quality of carving and the use of material of the present bottle are typical of this School.
A comparable example of the same size and similar use of a large area of dark skin from the Ruth and Carl Barron Collection Part I, was sold at Christie’s New York, 16 September 2015, lot 204, and another from the Blanche B. Exstein Collection was sold at Christie’s New York, 21 March 2002, lot 158. For other examples of snuff bottles from the Master of the Rocks School, see Moss, Graham, Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles, the Mary and George Bloch Collection, Vol. 1, pp. 332-369, nos. 128-141. The bottle, no. 128, pp. 322-323 exhibits a very similar material and style to the presently offered bottle.
A comparable example of the same size and similar use of a large area of dark skin from the Ruth and Carl Barron Collection Part I, was sold at Christie’s New York, 16 September 2015, lot 204, and another from the Blanche B. Exstein Collection was sold at Christie’s New York, 21 March 2002, lot 158. For other examples of snuff bottles from the Master of the Rocks School, see Moss, Graham, Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles, the Mary and George Bloch Collection, Vol. 1, pp. 332-369, nos. 128-141. The bottle, no. 128, pp. 322-323 exhibits a very similar material and style to the presently offered bottle.