A CHALCEDONY ‘LIU HAI’ OFFICIAL SCHOOL SNUFF BOTTLE, QING DYNASTY

Chalcedony of light caramel tone with several dark inclusions, which were used to enhance the design, carved in high relief and incised with fine details, good surface polish
China, 1750-1850

The subject here is Liu Hai, a patron saint of commerce. His three-legged toad sits on a rocky bank and is enticed by Liu’s string of cash. It is one of the finest examples of this subject that this author has ever seen, and it was a fairly popular one with the Official School. A flying bat is completing the scene.

Shape: Bulbous round form
Hollowing: Superb, with the interior profile precisely following the exterior shape
Mouth, neck and lip: Short, broad and cylindric neck with curved top and very small mouth, slanted lip
Base: Flat oval base
Design, marks, school: Official school
Stopper: Banded agate on black platelet with good old spoon
Height of the bottle with stopper: 6.9 cm.
Width of the mouth: 6 mm.
Width of the neck: 21 mm.
Weight: 71.9 grams
Condition: Perfect condition
Provenance: Canadian private collection

Auction result comparison: CHINESE ART. Sotheby's, 3 DECEMBER 2015 - 04 DECEMBER 2015, HONG KONG, lot 655. (for a related bottle with the same subject)

官家工坊玉髓巧雕劉海鼻烟壺，清代
淺焦糖色，局部深色部位巧雕人物形象，深浮雕，細節入微，表面光滑
中國，1750-1850
壺型：圓球形
掏膛：不同凡響，隨壺身形狀成形
壺口、頸與唇部：短寬頸，壺口彎曲，口極小，撇唇
底足：扁橢圓形
造型、落款及流派：官方工坊
壺蓋：帶狀瑪瑙，黑色托片，老杓保存良好
壺高（含壺蓋）： 6.9 厘米
口徑：6 毫米
壺頸寬：21 毫米
重量：71.9 克
品相：完美
來源：加拿大私人收藏