Bottle ID: 100

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SILHOUETTE, MOTH AND BUTTERFLY

Date: 1750-1860

Height: 60 mm

Agate, superbly hollowed, of flattened squared form with rounded sides and an indented oval foot, the honey colored stone with two mottled darker brown inclusions, the upper one minimally incised to depict a moth with folded wings, the lower one similarly incised to depict a butterfly with out-stretched wings.

Similar Examples:

Lawrence, Clare. Miniature Masterpieces from the Middle Kingdom - The Monimar Collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles, 1996, pp. 130-131, no. 59.163.

Moss, Hugh, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang. The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle - The J & J Collection, 1993, Vol. I, pp. 212-213, no. 126.
Sotheby's, New York, September 15, 1998, lot 322, The Neal W. and Frances R. Hunter Collection.

Provenance:

Clare Lawrence Ltd.
The Thewlis Collection

Published:

Lawrence, Clare. The Thewlis Collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles, 1990, p. 15, no. 12

Silhouette and carved agates cover in subject matter the whole sphere of Chinese culture such as mythical beasts, the ever-present dragon, figures, and scenes of contemplation. Experts have traditionally divided these types of bottles into carved agates and silhouette or cameo agates. However these divisions detract from the sheer artistry of the best of these bottles. One of the great abilities that the master carvers of the genre had, was the expertise to pick a moment in the stone and cut and polish it so that the end result is a bottle such as this, which uses the technique of minimal incising to emphasize the design of a moth and butterfly.  This is best done in such a way that it does not force a scene but simply encourages the eye to see what the mind wants to suggest.

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