AN AGATE SNUFF BOTTLE

superbly hollowed, of flattened bulbous form with a cylindrical neck, supported on a neatly carved footrim, the pale gray translucent stone carved in low-relief using the honey brown and darker brown inclusions, with a cicada, a butterfly and a dragonfly, the reverse uncarved

John Ault Collection.
Robert Kleiner.

Chinese Snuff Bottles, Hong Kong Museum of Art, 15th October - 26th November 1977, cat.no. 190.

Robert W.L. Kleiner, Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Collection of John Ault, Hong Kong, 1990, p. 43, no. 66.

This bottle is in excellent overall 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.

According to Robert Kleiner in Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Collection of John Ault, Hong Kong, 1990, p. 42, 'This bottle, with the flat-style of low relief carving and its excellent hollowing out is possibly from the same workshop as one in the Bloch Collection' [see Robert Kleiner, Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Collection of Mary and George Bloch, Hong Kong, 1987, p. 122, no. 173].