A CAMEO AGATE ‘YINGXIONG’ SNUFF BOTTLE, OFFICIAL SCHOOL, 1780-1850

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A CAMEO AGATE ‘YINGXIONG’ SNUFF BOTTLE, OFFICIAL SCHOOL, 1780-1850 Expert's note: Among all shadow agate subjects, the eagle and bear is one of the most ingenious and visually compelling. The dramatic encounter between these two powerful animals creates an unusually dynamic composition, while the natural color variations of the agate define their forms with astonishing clarity combined with the finest artistic intervention. Beyond its visual appeal, the subject also carries an auspicious meaning. The words for eagle, ying (鷹), and bear, xiong (熊), together form the rebus yingxiong (英雄), meaning "hero." The combination of technical virtuosity, natural beauty, and sophisticated symbolism makes this one of the most admired and desirable motifs in the repertoire of shadow agate snuff bottles. China. Well hollowed, the bottle of rounded-square form, supported on a short oval foot ring and rising to a cylindrical neck with a concave rim, carved to one side using the dark brown inclusions in the honey-gray stone to depict an eagle attacking a bear glancing over its back, the reverse carved in low relief with a duck beneath a lotus blossom. Stopper: Agate on a black vinyl collar Dimensions: Height including stopper 74 mm. Diameter neck 23mm and mouth 7 mm. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related chalcedony snuff bottle with an eagle and bear, dated to the 19th century, 7.3 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 14.40.448a, b. Compare a related cameo style chalcedony snuff bottle with an eagle attacking a lion, dated 1800-1860, 5.8 cm tall, illustrated in Robert W. L. Kleiner, An Exhibition of Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Collection of Mary and George Bloch at the Galleries of Sydney L. Moss, Ltd., Hong Kong, 1987, p. 117, no. 164. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Bonhams New York, 15 September 2025, lot 103 Price: USD 12,800 or approx. EUR 11,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related use of shadow agate, the ingenious exploitation of the natural inclusions to create the eagle and bear, and the comparable size. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie’s New York, 26 March 2010, lot 1170 Price: USD 5,625 or approx. EUR 7,600 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the related subject and similar modeling of the eagle. Note the size (5.1 cm).

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