A SUPERBLY CARVED ‘MONKEY AND HORSES’ CAMEO AGATE SNUFF BOTTLE, QING DYNASTY

Attributed to the ‘Stevens Deer Master’, Official School
China, 1740-1840

Depiction of two horses resting under a pine tree, in which a lurking monkey is hidden. Executed in very high relief with incredibly fine incising work. The translucent mineral of even, almost flawless honey-brown color with a completely opaque layer of light ochre carved through. The backside with few white speckles and clouds of cinnabar-red. Excellent surface polish.
This bottle relates to a group of chalcedony bottles classified by Hugh Moss as Group B (see H. Moss, Chinese Snuff Bottles of the Silica or Quartz Group and Moss, Graham, Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles, Vol. 2, Quartz, no. 326, where a small sub-group of spectacularly well-carved agate bottles has been identified and the name "The Stevens Deer Master" was coined for the carver). This bottle is one of the few examples known, displaying inspired use of the stone's markings and impeccable carving and polishing.

Shape: Bulbous square form with rounded shoulders
Hollowing: Excellent
Mouth, neck and lip: Short cylindric neck with convex top and slanted lip, small mouth
Base: Oval base with raised foot rim
Design, marks, school: Official school
Stopper: Red Jasper, black platelet, minuscule old spoon neatly carved of organic material
Height of the bottle with stopper: 7.8 cm.
Width of the mouth: 7 mm.
Width of the neck: 27 mm.
Weight: 103.5 grams
Condition: Absolutely perfect
Provenance: From a Beverly Hills, California, private estate

Literature comparison: A related cameo agate bottle of similar coloring, but carved with mythical felines (xiezhai) playing with brocade balls, is illustrated in Snuff Bottles in the Collection of the National Palace Museum, p.231, no. 320. Another agate bottle attributed to the Stevens Deer Master, carved with a Buddhist lion with a brocade ball beneath a bird perched in a prunus branch, is illustrated by D. Low, More Treasures from The Sanctum of Enlightened Respect, p. 244, no. 227. Three other bottles attributed to his hand in the collection of Mary and George Bloch and are illustrated by Moss, Graham, Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles, Vol. 1, Quartz, pp. 392-99, nos. 326-28, the last of which is carved from green moss agate with a relief design carved from a layer of beige crystal.
Auction result comparison: Important Chinese Snuff Bottles From The J&J Collection, Part IV. Christies, New York, 22 March 2007, lot 33. (for a bottle from the same artist)

蜜糖瑪瑙精雕馬上封侯鼻烟壺，清代
官方工坊
中國， 1740-1840

壺型：方形圓肩
掏膛：優秀
壺口、頸與唇部：短直頸，壺口表面凸出，斜唇，小口
底足： 橢圓高圈足
造型、落款及流派： 官家工坊
壺蓋：紅碧石，黑托片，有機材料老杓上可見微不足道的磕碰傷
壺高（含壺蓋）： 7.8 厘米
口徑： 7 毫米
壺頸寬： 27 毫米
重量： 103.5 克
品相： 完美
來源：加利福尼亞比佛利山私人產業