A GREEN AND BROWN CAMEO AGATE 'SQUIRRELS AND GRAPES' SNUFF BOTTLE, 1750-1850

拍品描述

A GREEN AND BROWN CAMEO AGATE 'SQUIRRELS AND GRAPES' SNUFF BOTTLE, 1750-1850 Expert remark: Bicolor cameo agates displaying distinct green and dark brown layers simultaneously against a warm honey-colored ground are among the rarest naturally occurring agates selected for snuff bottle production. The exceptional combination of three contrasting colors allowed the lapidary to create an unusually sophisticated cameo carving with remarkable depth and visual complexity. China. Very well-hollowed, of compressed globular form standing on an oval footrim, with a subtly waisted neck and flat lip, one main side utilizing the dark brown and green inclusions in the pale honey-colored matrix, carved with two squirrels cavorting among leafy grape vines, further decorated with a fisherman in a sampan near one narrow side. Stopper: Jadeite on a black vinyl collar Dimensions: Height including stopper 63 mm. Diameter neck 18 mm and mouth 8 mm. The depiction of a squirrel, or more correctly a tree shrew, climbing among leafy vines is often seen on snuff bottles. They are symbolic of fertility as they produce large litters. Though this is a more usual interpretation of this symbolism, other scholars have suggested that this motif is an expression of a wish for promotion to a higher rank of officialdom. Literature comparison: Compare a related chalcedony silhouette snuff bottle with grapes and squirrels, dated 1796-1851, 6.8 cm tall, illustrated in Jihu Jingshe, The Au Hang collection of Chinese snuff bottles, Ontario, Canada, 1993, p. 137, no. 181. Auction Result Comparison Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's New York, 24 March 2022, lot 857. Price: USD 6,930 or approximately EUR 7,200 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing. Expert remark: Compare the subject of two squirrels nibbling at a bunch of grapes, the material, the manner of carving, and the size (5.2 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Bonhams New York, 21 March 2023, lot 306 Price: USD 2,295 or approx. EUR 2,200 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject and similar form and size (6.4 cm).

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