A BANDED AGATE 'MONKEY ON HORSEBACK' SNUFF BOTTLE, MID-QING
China, 1750-1850. Well hollowed, of compressed globular form, rising from a flat oval foot to a cylindrical neck with concave top and a large mouth. Carved through the caramel-colored outer layer to the gray body with attractive bands of brown, cream, and white color, depicting a monkey riding a horse under a towering pine tree, the reverse carved with a single wasp.

Provenance: John Sparks Ltd, London (old label to base). Collection of Sir David and Lady Scholey, acquired from the above. John Sparks began trading as the Japanese Fine Art Depot in 1890 and later established John Sparks Ltd in 1906. Recognized as one of the most respected London dealers in Chinese art, John Sparks supplied an international clientele of collectors, including Queen Mary, from whom the company received the Royal Warrant of Antiquary of Chinese Art in 1926. The next year John Sparks moved to larger premises at 128 Mount Street in Mayfair, London, where it remained until it closed in 1990.
Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear, the stopper with several small chips, and the spoon with a small loss.

Stopper: Coral
Weight: 85.2 g
Dimensions: Height incl. stopper 69 mm, Diameter neck 19.5 mm and mouth 10 mm

Monkeys are a popular subject partly because of their meaning in various rebuses, but also because of their longevity symbolism. The depiction of a monkey on horseback, as seen on the present lot, represents the rebus 'Ma shang feng hou', which may be translated as 'May you receive a swift promotion to a high rank of office'.

Auction result comparison: Compare a related but slightly smaller (6 cm) cameo agate snuff bottle, similarly carved through an outer layer with a monkey on horseback, at Christie's New York in A Collecting Legacy: Fine Chinese Jade Carvings and Works of Art from the Lizzadro Collection on 21 March 2013, lot 1234, sold for USD 12,500.

清代中期帶狀瑪瑙“馬上封侯”鼻烟壺
中國，1750-1850年。掏膛良好，直頸，頂部内凹，寬壺口，壺身呈扁圓形，扁平橢圓形足。帶狀紋，迷人的棕色、奶油色和白色帶，巧妙利用焦糖色雕刻松樹下立著的一匹馬，馬上站立著一隻猴子，意味著“馬上封侯”。外層到灰色的身體上雕刻，描繪了一隻猴子在高聳的松樹下騎馬，背面雕刻了一隻蜜蜂。

來源：倫敦John Sparks Ltd 藝廊 (底部舊標籤)。David Scholey爵士先生和Alexandera Scholey女勛爵收藏，購於上述藝廊。John Sparks於 1890 年開始經營日本藝術品，後來於 1906 年成立John Sparks有限公司。John Sparks是公認的最受尊敬的倫敦中國藝術品經銷商之一，擁有不少包括Mary女王在內的國際收藏家，並因爲Mary女王於1926 年獲得中國古玩藝術品皇家認證。次年，John Sparks搬到了位於倫敦Mayfair街 128 號，有了更大的空間，直到 1990 年關閉。
品相：狀況極好，輕微磨損，壺蓋処有幾個小磕損，壺匙有小缺損。

壺蓋：珊瑚
重量：85.2 克
尺寸：縂高69 毫米，頸部直徑19.5 毫米，壺口10 毫米

拍賣結果比較：一件相近但稍小 (6 厘米) 紅玉髓瑪瑙馬上封侯鼻烟壺，見紐約佳士得 A Collecting Legacy: Fine Chinese Jade Carvings and Works of Art from the Lizzadro Collection 2013年3月21日lot 1234, 售價USD 12,500。