Lot 569. A carved agate snuff bottle, Zhiting School, Suzhou, 1760-1860. Estimate USD 24,000 - USD 30,000. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016.

The bottle is deeply carved through dark areas on one side with a horse standing on a cliff between a bat and a pine tree, with a scholar resting beside a rock below, with mottled whitish inclusions showing in the translucent honey-toned stone. The opposite side is carved with a fisherman seated on a rock and pulling a fish on his line from waves, with a three-character inscription above reading de li tu ('to reap profit'). 2 1/8 in. (6.3 cm.) high, jadeite stopper.

Provenance: Galia Baylin Collection, Hong Kong.
Eric Young Collection.
Rachell R. Holden Collection.
Sara Jo and Arthur Kobacker Collection, Ohio, no. 63.
Robert Hall, London, 2011.
Ruth and Carl Barron Collection, Belmont, Massachusetts, no. 5201.

Notes: The town of Suzhou, famous for its gardens and canals, was one of the main cultural centers in China, attracting painters, calligraphers, poets, musicians and other talented individuals. Their pursuits comprise the main subject matter of the group of acclaimed snuff bottles intricately carved from agate and jade.

A similar well-hollowed Suzhou agate bottle with a seated scholar is illustrated by M. Hughes in Small Treasures: The Art Institute of Chicago, Chinese Snuff Bottles, Hong Kong, 2015, pp. 46-47, no. 32.

Christie's. The Ruth and Carl Barron Collection of Fine Chinese Snuff Bottles: Part III, 14 September 2016, New York, Rockefeller Plaza