A PALE CELADON JADE PLAQUE ‘SCHOLAR AND ATTENDANT’, SIGNED Z

Ɏ A HORNBILL ‘DEITIES’ SNUFF BOTTLE, LATE QING TO REPUBLIC PERIOD Ɏ A HORNBILL ‘DEITIES’ SNUFF BOTTLE, LATE QING TO REPUBLIC PERIOD China, 1820-1940. The rounded rectangular body supported on a short foot with recessed base and rising to a cylindrical neck of oval section. Finely carved in relief on both sides with panels, one enclosing a goddess dressed in flowing robes and a Buddhist lion, the other with an immortal and attendant conjuring a dragon, each depicted amid thick swirling clouds. The narrow sides each carved with a dragon, retaining the characteristic deep red color of the outer sheath layer of the hornbill, creating a unique contrast to the inner layer of translucent honey-yellow to pale cream tone. The base incised with a two-character mark Xianfeng, possibly added later. Provenance: Dutch private collection. Condition: Good condition with minor wear and natural imperfections to the material, including expected age cracks. Magnificent natural patina overall. Stopper: Hornbill, carved spoon Weight: 18.7 g Dimensions: Height including stopper 54 mm. Diameter neck 14 mm and mouth 5 mm Hornbill was a highly valued material in China well before snuff bottles came into fashion in the Qing dynasty, after tobacco was introduced from the West in the early 18th century. The precise value is listed in the official regulations of the Ming dynasty, which set it for a single piece of ‘ho-ting’ (the term given to the material by Ming scholars, writing it with the characters for ‘crane’ and for ‘head’) at a thousand cash, the same amount given for half an ounce of precious coral beads, or a fifth of an ounce of rare seed pearls. This also shows that hornbill was worth far more than elephant ivory at that time, for the latter was valued at five hundred cash per pound, while it would have taken a great many pieces of ho-ting to make a pound, especially since the term was sometimes applied to the red sheathing alone. It is thought that there were once two distinct methods of treating hornbill, the solid casque with the tough red sheath that sits atop the upper beak, protecting the brain of the bird. The secret of the first method appears to have been lost but may have involved heating and perhaps permeating the material with some preservative. All known early pieces seem to have been handled this way, including snuff bottles. This treatment preserves the material very well, giving it a rich translucency and strength. We can only infer this preliminary manipulation from the finished product since no direct information about the techniques of treating hornbill ivory has been recorded. Any special methods used by Chinese craftsmen were always kept as closely guarded secrets by the guilds involved to forestall outside competition. The second method involved carving the material directly, which left the surface prone to cracking. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Bonhams San Francisco, 23 August 2010, lot 6138 Price: USD 3,965 or approx. EUR 5,200 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A carved hornbill snuff bottle, 1800-1880 Expert remark: Compare the material, carving and treatment technique, as well as the characteristic deep red color of the outer sheath layer, creating a unique contrast to the inner layer of translucent honey-yellow to pale cream tone. This item contains ivory, rhinoceros horn, tortoise shell, and/or some types of tropical wood and is subject to CITES when exporting outside the EU. It is typically not possible to export such items outside of the EU, including to the UK. Therefore, after this item has the necessary trade certificate, it can only be shipped within the EU or picked up in our gallery in person.