Lot 343. A carved yellow and russet jade snuff bottle, Master of the Rocks school, 1740-1860. Estimate USD 10,000 - USD 15,000 © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

The bottle is carved in relief on both sides with confronting archaistic dragons centered on a pearl, and on the narrow sides in relief with a singlechilong. The surface of the bottle is of mottled dark and medium opaque russet color with an area of greyish-olive color visible on the narrow sides. 2 ½ in. (6.3 cm.) high, glass stopper

Provenance: Robert Kleiner, London, 2002.
Ruth and Carl Barron Collection, Belmont, Massachusetts, no. 3479.

Exhibited: Boston, International Chinese Snuff Bottle Convention, The Barron Collection, 23-26 September 2008.

Note: For a discussion of the Master of the Rocks School of carving, see Moss, Graham, Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection, Hong Kong, 1995, Vol. 1, pp. 340-373, nos. 133-143.

An uncarved bottle exhibiting a similar leather-type 'skin', enveloping both sides of the bottle while revealing the lighter translucent jade on the narrow sides, is also illustrated by Moss, Graham, Tsang, ibid., pp. 36-37.

Christie's. The Ruth and Carl Barron Collection of Fine Chinese Snuff Bottles: Part IV, 15 March 2017, New York, Rockefeller Center