Bottle ID: 136

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SOLDIER ON HORSEBACK

Date: 1750-1840

Height: 64 mm

Agate, well hollowed, of rounded ovoid form, the gray stone with dark brown inclusions, carved continuously with mythological subjects, one on horseback entering a walled city by massive rocks, his attendant to one side carrying his bags, with a seven character incised inscription in draft script to one side, the reverse with an Immortal with a fly whisk amongst clouds and birds in the sky, above a second Immortal waving a stick and crossing a bridge towards a pine tree.

Similar Examples:

Crane Collection no. 226
Lawrence, Clare. Miniature Masterpieces from the Middle Kingdom - The Monimar Collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles, 1996, pp. 136-137, no. 62.183.

Provenance:

Clare Lawrence Ltd.
Christie's, New York, March, 1992, lot 1635

This example is illustrative of the style and subject matter that characterizes the Suzhou School. Whilst visually it initially appears somewhat distracting, close examination of the bottle reveals carving that is both artistic and technically at a very high level. The use of the darker inclusions for the figures, and particularly for their clothes is masterful with fluid carving of the lighter areas surrounding them to give an overall impression of movement and vitality. Although a continuous scene would have been possible, given the form of this bottle, the carver has divided the two sides with serrated rock-work, giving the appearance of a one flowing scene. Unusually there is not a collar of scrolling clouds, a typical feature on many Suzhou School bottles in both agate and jade. Instead the carver has continued the scene on each side all the way to the cylindrical neck of the bottle, so that the style is strongly pictorial rather like a classical painting.

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