Page 113 - Christie's Chinese Snuff Bottled the Holden Collection March 24, 2022

908
A RARE CHALCEDONY AGATE SNUFF BOTTLE
1740-1880
The bottle is carved to depict a recumbent figure of Bodhidharma, his
body enveloped by the voluminous folds of his robe. His facial hair is
detailed with fine markings and there are six tiny holes on the top of his
head suggesting hair markings.
2 in. (5 cm.) high, glass stopper
$8,000-12,000
PROVENANCE:
Christie's New York, 4 June 1992, lot 111.
Rachelle R. Holden Collection, New York.
LITERATURE:
JICSBS, Autumn 1992, p. 27, fig. 11.
R. Holden, Rivers and Mountains Far From the World - The Rachelle R.
Holden Collection, A Personal Commentary, New York, 1994, pp. 226-227,
no. 97.

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.

1740-1880年 瑪瑙雕達摩臥像鼻煙壺
來源:
紐約佳士得, 1992年6月4日, 拍品編號111
何瑞秋珍藏, 紐約
出版:
《國際中國鼻煙壺協會學術期刊》, 1992年秋季, 頁27, 圖11
何瑞秋, 《Rivers and Mountains Far from the World - The Rachelle R.
Holden Collection, A Personal Commentary》, 紐約, 1994年, 頁226-227,
編號97

111

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