A CARVED WHITE JADE SNUFF BOTTLE WITH RUSSET SKIN
Possibly imperial, attributed to the Palace Workshops, 1750-1820
Of small, rounded form with a waisted neck with a flared, straightened mouth and a neatly carved oval footrim, very well-hollowed, the white stone carved on one main side using the russet skin with the Goddess of the West holding a peach and travelling in a logboat with a boat man poling through the water, the reverse with Shoulao and his attendant beside a peach tree in the Celestial Garden being offered a peach by a kneeling monkey, each narrow side carved with an inscription in archaic script, one likely reading 'linghou xianshou' (sacred monkey offers longevity); stopper.
1 1/2in (4cm) high
Footnotes:
1750-1820 帶皮白玉刻靈猴獻壽鼻煙壺
或爲御製，亦或為宮廷作坊製

Provenance:
Acquired in New York, May 1988
Joan and Ted Dorf Collection, no. 121

This miniature carved nephrite bottle is a tour-de-force of carving. An imperial designation is possible based on a number of factors – the quality of the carving of the russet skin, the raised carved inscriptions on both narrow sides, the waisted neck with straightened lip and the material itself.

The bottle is in very fine condition, beautifully carved, utilizing the russet skin masterfully to execute the details of the landscape, figures and calligraphy.