chine Banded agate / chalcedony cameo-carved Qing-era...

Beautiful Chinese banded agate snuff bottle carved in cameos, Qing dynasty, circa 1780-1850, from the old collection of Sir David and Lady Scholey and still bearing its historical label John Sparks Ltd, London. Globular flattened in shape, the bottle is carved from a particularly decorative translucent agate, traversed by natural gray-brown, cream and white bands. The lapidary intelligently exploited a superficial honey-caramel color layer to make the main decorative motif appear in relief, in the refined technique of cameo-carved agates. One face represents a monkey mounted on a horse beneath a pine tree. This scene belongs to the auspicious Chinese repertoire and refers to the famous rebus Ma shang feng hou, expressing the wish for a rapid promotion to a high rank. The pine completes the composition with its traditional symbolism of longevity and constancy. The sculpture is particularly interesting for its use of the stone’s different natural layers: the monkey, the horse, the trunk and branches of the pine emerge from the caramel layer, while the lighter areas of the agate naturally form the background of the scene. The bottle stylistically belongs to the great Qing tradition of cameo-carved agates, sometimes grouped in specialized literature with the former designation “Official School.” Provenance is an important additional point of interest. The piece belonged to the Sir David and Lady Scholey collection and still retains under its base the old John Sparks Ltd label, 128 Mount Street, London, one of Britain’s great historical Chinese art dealers. Old stopper attributed to coral. The bottle is in generally good condition considering its age. Some small signs of use are present; the stopper’s spoon/feather is broken, as clearly visible in the photographs. China – Qing Dynasty, circa 1780-1850. Banded agate carved in cameo. Dimensions: 6.8 × 4.8 × 3.1 cm. Weight: 85 g. video link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/fxiaxayifg7pxtbhuwkud/ABvrI9A7FqV3ELmgKvaLDKs?rlkey=oj5xy5yrxm1dxqrynk2wfma4x&dl=0

Estimation:€3,100

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