A WHITE AND RUSSET JADE SNUFF BOTTLE

very well hollowed, of pebble form and brilliantly carved as a sack gathered at the neck by a ribbon, with a long peony branch carved in low relief suspended from the ribbon, the shoulder with a monkey holding a leafy branch, clambering to the reverse of the bottle to chase a small fluttering bee, the white stone with russet skin

Christie's New York, 3rd June 1993, lot 324.

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.

The subject of a monkey with a bag and a bee form the rebus houdai fenghou, which represents a wish for one's descendants to reach high rank. The majority of 'pebble' jade bottles are produced from smaller river-bed pebbles, however the present example has been fashioned from a more generously sized pebble while still retaining the natural polished skin.

A similar bottle, possibly by the same hand, is illustrated in Pamela Friedman, Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Pamela R. Lessing Friedman Collection, Hong Kong, 1990, p. 91, no. 67. A white jade example of the same subject is illustrated in Rachelle R. Holden, Rivers and Mountains Far From the World: The Rachelle R. Holden Collection, New York, 1994, p. 154, no. 64.