A SILHOUETTE AGATE SNUFF BOTTLE

superbly hollowed, of flattened square form with rounded shoulders sloping to a cylindrical neck, atop a neatly carved slightly flared oval foot, the gray and brown inclusions in the pale honey colored stone polished on one face to reveal a bird perched on one foot while a horse clambers beneath a tree growing from a rocky bank, the reverse with a striking dappled pattern

Collection of Bob C. Stevens.
Sotheby's Honolulu, 7th November 1981, lot 90.
Collection of Eric Young.
Sotheby's London, 13th October 1987, lot 88.

Chinese Snuff Bottles and Dishes. An Exhibition of Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Bob C. Stevens Collection at Mikimoto Hall, Ginza, Tokyo, 22nd-31st October 1978, cat.no. 138.

Bob C. Stevens, The Collector's Book of Snuff Bottles, New York and Tokyo, 1976, no. 557.
Patrick K. M. Kwok, 'The Joe Grimberg Collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles', Arts of Asia, November-December 1993, p. 95, no. 30.

There is a 1/8 inch chip on the exterior foot rim. The bottle is in otherwise good condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This agate bottle represents the best of the 'ink-play' carvers. By treating the surface of the bottle as though it was a painting, the carver has made sense of the inclusions in the stone to evoke a classic scene of favored subjects, both on paintings and on snuff bottles.