202 - A CARVED SILHOUETTE-AGATE SNUFF BOTTLEOFFICIAL SCHOOL, 1770-1860

A CARVED SILHOUETTE-AGATE SNUFF BOTTLEOFFICIAL SCHOOL, 1770-1860 To Be Sold Without Reserve Of well hollowed, rounded-rectangular form with a cylindrical neck, concave lip and recessed, slightly convex, elongated ovoid foot surrounded by a protruding, flat, elongated-oval foot rim, decorated on one main side with a partly natural, partly silhouette design of a hawk or eagle perched on one leg in the branches of a pine tree, looking back over its shoulder at the sun which shines through the foliage above, the other side undecorated Height: 6.1cm Provenance: Potter’s Gallery, Vancouver Meriem Collection Christie’s New York, 19th March 2008, lot 221 Hugh Moss (HK) Ltd, 19th March 2008, (a copy of the original invoice available) Exhibited: Canadian Craft Museum, Vancouver, 1992 The motif of an eagle standing on one leg, with sun and pine tree imparts several symbolic meanings. An eagle (ying) perched on one leg (duli) is a rebus for the phrase yingxiong duli (A great man towers over his peers). The imagery evokes ideals of courage, loyalty and the ability to achieve great things. The combination of an eagle and a pine tree convey a wish that such a great man will live a long life For a similar silhouette agate bottle with an eagle, see R. Holden, Rivers and Mountains Far from the World, The Rachelle R. Holden Collection, no. 35. For a discussion on the Official School of hardstone carving, see Moss, Graham and Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles, Vol. 2, Quartz, no. 258, with numerous examples Ω This Lot was imported from outside of the UK, under the Temporary Admission regime 5% import VAT will be charged on the ‘hammer” and 20% VAT will be charged on the ‘buyer’s premium