Page 72 - Carl Barron Snuff Bottle Collection, CHRISTIE's Spet 12 2018

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A RARE AND UNUSUAL CARVED AGATE DEER-FORM SNUFF BOTTLE
1750-1840
The bottle is well carved in the form of a reclining stag, its head turned back across
its body and its hind legs, the eye of the deer ingeniously incised on one of the several
naturally occurring groups of concentric rings in the material of primarily white,
grey and pale russet color.
2¬ in. (6.6 cm) long, quartz stopper
$30,000-50,000
PROVENANCE
Robert Hall, London, 2002.
Ruth and Carl Barron Collection, Belmont, Massachusetts, no. 3589.
EXHIBITED
Boston, International Chinese Snuf Bottle Society Convention,
The Barron Collection, 23-26 September 2008.
The deer (lu) is linked with both oficial success and longevity. It is a play on the
homonyms for “emolument” or “oficial salary,” and linked with Luxing, the God of Rank
and Emolument. Its association with longevity is attributed to the belief that it lived for a
long time and that it was the only animal capable of searching out lingzhi, the fungus of
immortality. The animal is often shown in the company of Shoulao, the God of Longevity,
and Magu, a female immortal. According to ancient Chinese legend, the appearance of a
white deer was highly auspicious, symbolizing a harmonious, peaceful kingdom.
Brilliantly carved in the form of a recumbent stag, this bottle is one of only four known
examples of this type. Clearly all were made by the same hand, with variances only to
accommodate the unique variations in the stone. One of these, from the J&J Collection,
was sold at Christie’s New York, Important Chinese Snuf Bottles From The J&J
Collection, Part IV, 22 March 2007, lot 19, and sold again at Christie’s Hong Kong, 7
October 2014, lot 7; another bottle from the same hand is in the collection of Denis Low,
formerly in the Gerry Mack Collection and illustrated by R. Kleiner, Treasures from the
Sanctum of Enlightened Respect, Asian Civilizations Museum, Singapore, 2000, p. 211, no.
182, and which is also reproduced in Chinese Snuf Bottles No. 3, p. 23, fg. 13, and by E.
B. Curtis, “Footnote to an Album,” JICSBS, Spring 1985, p. 117, along with an illustration of
the bottle from an early volume of life-sized watercolour paintings of a collection of snuf
bottles. A third example was sold at China Guardian, 18 May 2014, lot 3404.
1750-1840年 瑪瑙雕臥鹿形鼻煙壺

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