1760-1840

Details

A CARVED AGATE SNUFF BOTTLE
1760-1840
The honey-colored bottle is carved on one side in the speckled green stone with a katydid standing on the green leaves of a turnip, and is carved with the same technique on one narrow side with another turnip and a single butterfly with green-speckled wings on the reverse.
2 in. (5 cm.) high, glass stopper

Provenance

Asiantiques, Winter Park, Florida, 1998.
Ruth and Carl Barron Collection, Belmont, Massachusetts, no. 2626.

Exhibited

Boston, International Chinese Snuff Bottle Society Convention, The Barron Collection, 23-26 September 2008.

Special notice

This lot is offered without reserve.

Brought to you by

Andrew Lick

asianartny@christies.com +1 212 636 2180

Lot Essay

An emblem of courage, the katydid in Chinese is pronounced guoguo, which sounds the same as the word 'country'. The rebus is interpreted as jinzhong baoguo, meaning 'to be loyal to one's country'. Large quantities of imperially made bottles were presented to officials around the country as a sign of imperial recognition. Such a pun would have been a subtle and effective way of reminding officials of an essential feature of Confucian government. Another reason for the popularity of the katydid imagery is linked to the production of cricket and katydid cages and the popular pastime of katydid fights.

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