Lot 51. Three small agate vessels, Liao-Song dynasty, circa 10th-13th century; 10.2cm diam of bowl; 4.7cm overall height of cup and saucer; 10.5cm diam of mortar. Sold for US$9,562.50 (Estimate US$3.000 - 4.000). © Bonhams 2001-2023

The bowl with rounded sides and gently everted rim on shallow foot ring, the stone mottled showing rich honey-brown tones; the cup and saucer thinly carved and mounted with a gilt bronze rim, the translucent stone with natural striations of cream, black, and honey tones; the mortar with slightly convex octagonal sides and rounded basin, the base polished flat, the stone in pale-lavender tone with natural inclusions of veins and spots in brown.

Note: Compare two small agate cups unearthed from tomb no. 4 in Qinghemen, now in the collection of the Liaoning Provincial Museum, illustrated iin Refined Cultural Relics from the Exhibition of the Civilization of the Liao River Valley, jointly published by the Liaoning Provincial Museum and the Liaoning Provincial Cultural Relics and Archaeological Research Institute, 2006, p. 176.

Compare also the gold-rimmed agate cup unearthed from a Song dynasty tomb in Lai'an, Anhui province, illustrated by Yang in Shehua zhi se: Song Yuan Ming jinyinqi yanjiu (The Color of Sumptuous: Study of Gold and Silver from the Song, Yuan, and Ming Dynasties), Beijing 2011, pp. 215-216, no. 4-18.