A BLACK AND WHITE JADE ‘SCHOLAR’ SNUFF BOTTLE, SUZHOU SCHOOL, 18TH CENTURY

拍品描述

A BLACK AND WHITE JADE ‘SCHOLAR’ SNUFF BOTTLE, SUZHOU SCHOOL, 18TH CENTURY China. Of compressed globular form with a straight neck and straight mouth, supported on a flat oval foot, and superbly carved in deep relief with undercutting, utilizing the white layer of the matrix to depict a pensive scholar, resting in front of a grotto, holding his long beard and looking up at a pine tree while surrounded by craggy rockwork with characteristic incised serrated edges. The translucent stone is of a mottled grayish black and white color with cloudy inclusions and minute dark specks. Stopper: Glass in imitation of coral with a jadeite finial, and a black platelet, carved spoon Dimensions: Height including stopper 78 mm. Diameter neck 27 mm and mouth 8 mm. Images of scholars and immortals set against rocky grottos and craggy pines are common motifs in snuff bottles from both the Suzhou and Master of the Rocks schools. This piece, crafted from a blackish-gray nephrite originating in Xinjiang, reflects a material choice that was highly popular in the 18th century. Favored by the Qing court and particularly adored by the Qianlong Emperor, this distinctive type of nephrite is well represented amongst many important 18th-century jades housed in the Palace Museum. Literature comparison: Compare other Suzhou school black and white jade snuff bottles, illustrated in Moss, Graham, Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles, the Mary and George Bloch Collection, Vol. 1, pp. 318-35, nos. 126-131. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby’s London, 10 November 2010, lot 75 Price: GBP 34,850 or approx. EUR 73,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the similar form, the color of the stone, the figural motif, and the finely detailed rockwork.

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