1740-1880

Bodhidharma is a renowned Buddhist figure, whose teachings eventually became the foundation of Chan (Zen) Buddhism. He is often depicted with his shoes at his side or held in his hand, based on his having evaded pursuers by crossing the Yangtze River standing barefoot on a reed leaf. The carver of this bottle has expertly used the opaque white tones of the stone to depict the folds of the contemplative Bodhidharma's robes, while reserving the near transparent aubergine-grey stone for his head. It is noted in R. Holden, Rivers and Mountains Far From the World - The Rachelle R. Holden Collection, A Personal Commentary, New York, 1994, p. 227, that "this appears to be the only recorded example of this form of cameo carved pebble agate."

The choice of material and style of carving may connect this bottle with a distinctive group of agate deer-form bottles, such as the bottle illustrated in H. Moss, V. Graham, K.B. Tsang, The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle, The J&J Collection, Vol. I, no. 163. Another agate deer-form bottle from this group, formerly in the Gerry Mack Collection and now in the collection of Denis Low, is illustrated by R. Kleiner in Treasures from the Sanctum of Enlightened Respect, p. 211, no. 182.