A SUZHOU AGATE SNUFF BOTTLE, ZHITING SCHOOL, MID-QING
China, 1750-1850. Finely carved, skillfully utilizing the darker inclusions of the stone, to one side with a man in a sailing boat on a repeating wave ground, a boy on the shore holding a tether to the boat, and to the other side with two bats in flight. Well hollowed, the compressed globular body rising from a short oval foot to a broad cylindrical neck. The stone with a good polish.

Provenance: From a French private collection.
Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear and few microscopic nibbles to neck and mouth.

Stopper: Coral with incised gilt-metal collar and well-carved spoon
Weight: 71.0 g
Dimensions: Height incl. stopper 68 mm, Diameter neck 17 mm and mouth 7 mm

Auction result comparison: Compare a related Suzhou agate snuff bottle, depicting the same subject with a similar wave ground to the front side, also attributed to the Zhiting school, of slightly smaller size (5.1 cm) and dated 1800-1880, at Bonhams New York in Chinese Art from the Scholar's Studio on 16 September 2013, lot 8080, sold for USD 7,500. Compare also a related Suzhou agate snuff bottle (5.4 cm high), dated 18th-19th century, at Christie's London in Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art on 9 November 2010, lot 50, sold for GBP 10,000.

清代中期蘇作芝亭派巧雕瑪瑙鼻烟壺
中國，1750-1850年。雕刻精美，巧妙地利用瑪瑙深色內沁，一側是一個漁夫站在的帆船上，下方波濤滾滾，一個男孩在岸上拿著繩子抛向漁船；另一側是兩隻正在飛行的蝙蝠。掏膛良好，扁圓形鼻烟壺，橢圓形足。表面光滑。

來源：法國私人收藏
品相：狀況極好，輕微磨損，頸部和唇沿有輕微磕損。

壺蓋：珊瑚，鎏金蓋片，雕刻小勺
重量：71.0克
尺寸：含蓋高68 毫米, 頸部直徑17 毫米 ，壺口直徑7 毫米

拍賣結果比較：一件1800-1880年間蘇作芝亭派瑪瑙鼻烟壺，相似題材，尺寸稍小 (5.1 厘米)見紐約邦翰思Chinese Art from the Scholar's Studio 2013年9月16日 lot 8080, 售價USD 7,500；一件十八至十九世紀蘇作瑪瑙鼻烟壺 (高5.4 厘米) 見倫敦佳士得Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art 2010年11月 9日 lot 50, 售價GBP 10,000。