Page 56 - September 21 2021 Curtis collections snuff bottles Bonhams NYC

647 648

647 648
A BULBOUS SPADE-SHAPED HONEY AGATE SNUFF BOTTLE A GREY-BLACK FOSSILIFEROUS LIMESTONE SNUFF BOTTLE
1780-1850 1770-1870
Of exquisite bulbous spade-shape with short waisted neck and Of squat spade shape, the dark stone with a matrix of fine quartz like
standing on a small scooped-out oval foot, very finely carved in inclusions which glint at certain angles and appear as a minute dark
exceedingly low relief with a continuous scene of lotus pads and mottled patches from others, a simple flat oval foot and short very
flowerheads rising from minutely incised waves that surround the foot, slightly everted cylindrical neck, small mouth.
the interior very-well hollowed and giving a semi-transparent quality to 1 7/8in (4.8cm) high, stopper
the stone.
2in (5.1cm) high, stopper $2,000 - 3,000

$1,500 - 2,500 1770-1870年 石化石灰石鼻煙壺

1780-1850 瑪瑙雕荷花紋鼻煙壺 It is very difficult to be absolutely sure of the material used in this
handsome little bottle. Close scrutiny of the otherwise black surface
This exquisite little bottle with the shallowest of relief decoration, appears to show fine quartz-like small dots or circular inclusions within
extreme hollowing and delicate almost scooped out foot, resembles, the matrix of the stone, but this is visible at certain angles when held to
in form and weight, bottles assigned to Official School production. The a strong light. The stone is certainly of a very hard and dense material,
stone too has a semi-translucency that is most appealing. For another and this probably explains the lack of extreme hollowing to the interior.
example of this delicate form, see Hugh Moss, Victor Graham and Ka The squat spade shape is one that can be found in a number of
Bo Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles, The Mary and George hardstone bottles including jade and agates.
Bloch Collection, Vol. 2, Part 2, Quartz, pp. 378-379, no. 320. That
example however, also assigned to the so-called ‘Cameo Ink-play
Master’, has the addition of dark inclusions to the stone which the
carver has brilliantly utilized. However, the carving is also of the minimal
depth possible, rather like ours.

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