Bottle ID: 745

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CARVED, GNARLED PRUNUS AND BUTTERFLY

Date: 1780-1850

Height: 70 mm

Amber, well hollowed, of clear rich-brown color, of flattened rounded form, with shoulders sloping to a cylindrical neck, and with a neatly carved oval footrim, carved in low relief on one main side with a gnarled prunus branch growing from a rock with a butterfly fluttering by, the other side with a cluster of four insects highlighted by inclusions within the material.

Similar Examples:

Crane Collection no. 725
Stevens, Bob C. The Collector's Book of Snuff Bottles, 1976, pp. 178-179, no. 701.
Moss, Hugh, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang. The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle - The J & J Collection, 1993, Vol. II, p. 501, no. 296.

Provenance:

Bonhams New York, September 11, 2017, lot 9101
The Dr. Sylvan and Faith Golder Collection
Eldred's Auction, MA., April 2010

 

Amber snuff bottles seem to have been a popular choice in the Qing Dynasty and also with snuff bottle collectors today, as there are a reasonable amount in the major published collections. Amber was easily carved and other bottles in the Crane Collection and in other collections show vibrant and skillful use of the material. Interestingly, most amber bottles fashioned from a rich, clear transparent piece of material have been left uncarved to show the simple beauty of the piece, whilst this example is delicately carved on both sides with a simple naturalistic scene. The carver has, however, left the majority of the generously rounded bottle uncarved allowing for enjoyment of both the carving and the material. 

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