AN AGATE ‘MONK’ SNUFF BOTTLE POSSIBLY IMPERIAL, OFFICIAL SCHOOL, QING DYNASTY, LATE 18TH / 19TH CENTURY

well hollowed with a flat lip and a concave foot, carved with a low-relief, partially cameo design of a monk with a bi disc suspended on a cord from his belt, the robes extending under the foot of the bottle; the coral stopper with a silver collar

Trojan Collection.
Robert Hall, London, 1993.

Chinese Snuff Bottles V: From the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Trojan, Robert Hall, London, 1992, cat. no. 48.
Chinese Snuff Bottles in the Collection of Mary and George Bloch, The British Museum, London, 1995, cat. no. 279.
Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 1997.

Hugh Moss, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection, vol. 2, Hong Kong, 1998, no. 320.

There are a couple of minor nibbles to the back, but the overall condition of the snuff bottle is very good. The stone has some natural variegated inclusions and veining. The lip and footrim are in good condition. The actual colour is somewhat deeper and more brown, less yellow, compared to the catalogue illustration.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The present bottle can be attributed to the artistic genius of the Cameo Ink-play Master. No two bottles from this group are alike and he approached each piece of stone with a completely open mind and never stooped to rote repetition of standard images.

The ink-play here is masterful, and while brilliant in the interpretation of the cowl and robes, the artist’s sheer genius at this game is revealed by the use of a darker circle of colouring in the stone as the central ring of the disc. The robes also continue beneath the slightly concave foot of the bottle, as does the carved detailing of them. This artist obviously saw his material as the ‘canvas’ for the work of art and felt equally at home using any surface of the bottle as part of the main subject.