Bottle ID: 923

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CARVED, MENG HAOREN AND SERVANT

Date: 1780-1850

Height: 55 mm

Amber, well hollowed, of rectangular form with rounded shoulders, of mottled clear dark brown and opaque honey brown tones, carved in relief with a continuous scene of Meng Haoren in flowering robes, riding his mule and holding a staff above him, two bats flying above; his attendant following with a prunus branch, beside chrysanthemum and bamboo plants.

Similar Examples:

Moss, Hugh, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang. A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles - The Mary and George Bloch Collection, Vol.7, Part 1, pp. 306-307, no. 1586.
Sotheby's, London, November 14, 2000, lot 195, The Collection of the Baronesses Sapuppo and D'Essen.

Provenance:

Asian Art Studio
Beaussant Lefevre, Paris, France, November 18, 2005, lot 103
A Parisian Family. 1914-2005
Monsieur Gutmann, Rue de Faubourg Saint-Honore, Paris, France, 1914

Opaque amber is known as either ‘root amber’ or ‘Baltic amber’ and these two terms seem interchangeable, the former term being based on the idea that opaque amber came from the resin at the root of the tree prior to fossilization and the latter term due to the region where this type of amber was found. However, whilst the latter term may in part be true, the term ‘root amber’ is confusing as the opaque material is due to large calcite inclusions seeping into the resin after the fossilizing process has begun. This accounts for the combination of opaque and clear amber occurring in the same piece of material as is the case with this bottle.

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