Bottle ID: 662

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HONEY, PEBBLE, CARVED BATS

Date: 1750-1860

Height: 0 mm

Chalcedony, very well hollowed, of irregular pebble form with a circular concave foot, the opaque honey colored stone carved in relief with two swooping bats.

Similar Examples:

Lawrence, Clare. Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Dick Hardy Collection and Other Sources, 1991, p. 13, no.13.
Moss, Hugh, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang. A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles - The Mary and George Bloch Collection, 1995. Vol. 1, pp. 40-43, no. 13.

Provenance:

Asian Art Studio
Michael C. Hughes, LLC
The Richard Thomas Estate

This stone is a type of chalcedony, which is often called “butter” agate. It is a very tactile variety of chalcedony that has an almost mutton-fat jade feel to it. The melon contains numerous seeds, the starting point for all life and is, therefore symbolic of the hope for large numbers of sons. Melon seeds together with bats means having blessings ahead of you.

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