Bottle ID: 925

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PEBBLE WITH CARNELIAN

Date: 1750-1860

Height: 60 mm

Carnelian and agate, very well hollowed, of pale opaque milky orange and vibrant translucent orange, carved in the form of a Winter melon with leafy vines over the outer surface in relief, a squirrel clamboring up a vine, a butterfly, a cicada and a dragonfly flying amongst flowering vines, the base carved with a petal flower-head.

Similar Examples:

Crane Collection no. 497
Crane Collection no. 663

Provenance:

Asian Art Studio
Beaussant Lefevre, Paris, France, November 18, 2005, lot 143
A Parisian family [1965-2005]
Hotel Druout, Paris, France, April 23, 1965, lot 177
M. Loudmer

This charmingly naturalistic melon form bottle uses the two colors of carnelian and white agate in the stone with effective contrast. The paler part of the stone depicting the fruit is luminous, whilst the vibrant orange carving of the leaves and animals stands in relief to the main body in much the same way that a glass overlay bottle would. The difference, of course, is that one material occurs entirely naturally whilst the other would be man-made.

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