204 - A CARVED CRYSTAL SNUFF BOTTLE 1740-1870

A CARVED CRYSTAL SNUFF BOTTLE 1740-1870 To Be Sold Without Reserve Of flattened ovoid form with a flat oval panel on each side, a cylindrical neck, flat lip and recessed oval foot surrounded by a narrow flat foot rim, the off-white skin carved on one main side as two magpies, one in flight towards the other which perches in the branches of a blossoming prunus treee Height: 6.3cm Provenance: Y. F. Yang, April 1992 A Private Hong Kong Collection Hugh Moss (HK) Ltd, 25th March 2008, (a copy of the original invoice available) When crystals form in an open space such as a cavern, over an extended period of time their outer surfaces acquire a ‘skin’ of metamorphosed material, much like the skin on pebble nephrite. On crystals it is usually of a whitish or beige colour as the surface of the crystal degenerates in contact with the air or damp or other chemicals. This outer skin was often used by Chinese carvers to create cameo designs, sometimes using the original crystalline form of the material with skin on more than one face. Here however the skin has been used from a large crystal allowing the carver to create a normal shaped bottle and retain a cameo relief of skin 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