Bottle ID: 751

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BLACK, INTERTWINED DRAGONS

Date: 1800-1900

Height: 70 mm

Nephrite, well hollowed, of flattened rectangular form with shoulders sloping to a cylindrical neck, and with a neatly carved oval foot, the black stone with some light-brown inclusions, continuously carved in low relief with two intertwined coiling dragons.

Similar Examples:

Crane Collection no. 460
Lawrence, Clare. Miniature Masterpieces from the Middle Kingdom - The Monimar Collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles, 1996, pp. 162-163, no. 75.225

Provenance:

Bonhams San Francisco, December 17, 2018, lot 46 (part)
A Private Californian Collection
"Certificate of Identity" issued by the Curios Furniture and Miscellaneous Utensils and Hardware Merchants & Employees Association, Hong Kong and Kowloon, dated 28 February 1974

 

Two coiling dragons represent a happy reunion, provinding good wishes for conjugal bliss forever. There are a large quantity of bottles carved with this motif which would in all liklihood have been given as gifts to a couple on their wedding day. However, there are few bottles carved in this type of stone as so often black jade is left uncarved to show the beauty of the stone with its natural inclusions. Whilst most of this group have pale grey inclusions allowing for the suggestion of clouds drifting among the mountain tops, this bottle has light brown inclusions. Perhaps this is why it has leant itself to being carved in this fluid and rather clever manner.

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