A CAMEO AGATE ‘WEIQI’ SNUFF BOTTLE, SUZHOU SCHOOL, 1780-1860

拍品描述

A CAMEO AGATE ‘WEIQI’ SNUFF BOTTLE, SUZHOU SCHOOL, 1780-1860 Expert's note: The present bottle unites two of the most celebrated achievements in Chinese history: the sophisticated cameo carving of the Suzhou School and the timeless game of weiqi (圍棋), one of the Four Accomplishments (qinqi shuhua 琴棋書畫) expected of the ideal Chinese scholar. More than a simple board game, weiqi symbolized intellect, strategic thinking, and patience. Cameo agate snuff bottles from the Suzhou School are among the rarest masterpieces of Chinese hardstone carving. Their extraordinary technical complexity and rarity, combined here with the quintessential literati theme of weiqi make the present bottle an exceptional example of Qing scholarly taste. Of bulbous rounded-rectangular form, the shoulders sloping to a cylindrical neck, the lip and base concave, meticulously carved in relief using the russet inclusions in the gray stone to depict two seated scholars playing weiqi beneath a pine tree, framed by imposing rockwork with serrated notches, the reverse with a third scholar reclining in a boat which meanders through a mountainous landscape, admiring a small bat to the distance. Stopper: Coral carved with a raised chilong on a green glass collar Dimensions: Height including stopper 75 mm. Diameter neck 22 mm and mouth 6 mm. Literature comparison: Compare a related cameo agate snuff bottle of weiqi players, dated 19th century, 5.3 cm tall, illustrated in the University Museum and Art Gallery, Heavenly creations: Chinese snuff bottles from the collections of Anthony Cheung, Humphrey Hui, Po-ming Kwong, Tuyet Nguyet and Christopher Sin, Hong Kong, 2005, p. 151, no. 251. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Bonhams New York, 16 March 2015, lot 1017 Price: USD 32,500 or approx. EUR 40,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the related subject and similar serrated details and rendition of the figure. Note the size (5.2 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 28 November 2019, lot 517 Price: HKD 162,500 or approx. EUR 23,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related use of agate, the finely carved figural composition depicting scholars in a mountainous landscape, the sophisticated exploitation of the stone's natural color variations, and the comparable size.

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