TABATIERE EN AIGUE-MARINE CHINE, POSSIBLEMENT IMPERIAL, 1760-1840

Galerie Bertrand de Lavergne

Aquamarine started to be carved after Turkestan's conquest in 1759, a major source for the material.

While the finest gemstones of aquamarine are of flawless blue color, pieces large enough to be fashioned into a snuff bottle are never flawless. The best aquamarine would have been reserved for the Court use. As seen here, the material is permeated with natural flaws, which refract the light and add a complementary shimmering effect to the material.

The majority of aquamarine snuff bottles date from the late-Qing or twentieth century, but the material was popular at Court during the second half of the eighteenth century and into the early-nineteenth and there is a group of Imperial snuff bottles in the material from that period.

For aquamarine bottle examples, see Moss, Graham, Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles. The Mary and George Bloch Collection, vol. 3, Stone other than Jade and Quartz, no. 408-412; see also a two bottles, one sold at Christie's New York, 22 March 2007, lot 49, the other one from the Exstein collection, 21 March 2002, lot 135