AN AGATE AND CRYSTAL SNUFF BOTTLE
1750-1860
Of rounded form with a cylindrical neck and a neatly carved oval footrim, very well-hollowed, the stone with bands of agate in brown, gray, white and ochre interspersed with crystalline inclusions; stopper.
2 5/8in (6.6cm) high
Footnotes:
1750-1860 瑪瑙水晶鼻煙壺一件

Provenance:
Janos Szekeres Collection
Sotheby's, June 5, 1987, Important Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Collection of Janos Szekeres, Part II, lot 143
Joan and Ted Dorf Collection, no. 150

There is a group of bottles usually of this shape where the primary material of the bottle is crystal with agate inclusions, rather than the other way around. In this case the irregular banded agate inclusions are dominant and are used to great effect providing a strong contrast to the stark crystal, once again proving that it is hard to better in art that which occurs in nature.

One small outer rim frit. The plastic collar is split, visible on the underside.
The bottle is extremely well hollowed with attractive swirled markings in contrasting shades of color.