China fossiliferous limestone Snuff box “Tiger on the rocks” in fossiliferous stone - 64 mm

12
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€ 1
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Peter Reynaers
Expert
Selected by Peter Reynaers

Has nearly 30 years’ experience and moderated multiple online art research groups.

Estimate  € 550 - € 700
FR
€1

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Chine snuff bottle, tabatière à priser “Tigre sur les rochers” in fossil limestone, dating to c. 1890–1940, with stopper and spoon, in very good plus condition, measuring 64 × 48 × 25 mm.

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Description from the seller

Description

Elegant Chinese fossiliferous limestone snuff bottle, carved in high relief with a roaring tiger descending among rocks.

The remarkable quality of this piece lies in the especially skillful use of the stone’s natural variations. Its matrix of black, orange-brown, cream and apricot tones has been integrated into the composition: the orange hues contribute to the tiger’s coat, while the darker areas structure the rocks and enhance depth in relief. The feline, with open mouth and forepaws projecting forward, presents a particularly vivid expression.

The flask retains its matching stopper, very probably historically paired with the piece, as well as its spoon.

The bottle also benefits from a documented provenance: an old Portuguese collection belonging to José Luís de Azevedo Barreto Sachetti (1933–2011), where it carried inventory number 506, then by descendants. It later appears in the dispersion of the collection at Marques dos Santos in Porto, lot 54, before passing into a private Belgian collection.

China, late Qing Dynasty – Republican period, around 1890–1940, probably the first third of the 20th century.

Material: fossiliferous limestone
Dimensions: H. 6.4 × L. 4.8 × D. 2.5 cm
Condition: Very good+; very fine overall condition, with the irregularities and natural lines inherent to the stone.

A particularly attractive collection snuff bottle, combining an unusual material, an expressive sculpture, and a well-documented European provenance.

Seller's Story

MIMOSA SA — EXPERTISE, RESEARCH AND TRANSMISSION For more than 26 years, I have been working as an art dealer specializing in ancient Asian arts. My work is not simply to offer objects: it is to observe them, to understand them, to study them and to document them before passing them to a new collector. Each work presented by Mimosa SA undergoes thorough examination. Depending on its nature, this study may concern the iconography, the style, the proportions, the material, the execution techniques, surface traces, patina, the condition, restorations, provenance as well as relevant bibliographic, museum or archaeological comparisons. When justified, additional scientific analyses may also be undertaken. Our approach rests on the experience of sight, gained from direct contact with the works for over two decades, but also on methodical and constantly renewed research. We always favor a cautious, coherent and argued attribution rather than a seductive but insufficiently substantiated assertion. Transparency is at the heart of our approach. The wear, gaps, accidents, ancient restorations or more recent interventions are reported as precisely as possible. When an attribution carries uncertainty or remains a working hypothesis, it is clearly presented as such. Present on Catawiki since 2016, we have chosen to maintain a regular selection of works there in order to meet international collectors who value authenticity, knowledge and quality of documentation. Each acquisition is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued under our professional responsibility. For the most important works, this certificate takes the form of a genuine study dossier gathering the main technical, stylistic, iconographic, historical and bibliographic observations made during our research. The same standard applies to shipping. Over the years, we have developed a packaging method adapted to old, fragile, heavy or complex-shaped objects. Each work is protected, immobilized and carefully packaged, according to its material and its particularities. The shipping costs correspond to the real needs for protection, handling, insurance and secure transport. Shipping is never regarded as a source of commercial profit. Acquiring a work from Mimosa SA is to receive a selected, studied, described, documented and prepared object with the same care that we would wish for a work destined for our own collection.
Translated by Google Translate

Description

Elegant Chinese fossiliferous limestone snuff bottle, carved in high relief with a roaring tiger descending among rocks.

The remarkable quality of this piece lies in the especially skillful use of the stone’s natural variations. Its matrix of black, orange-brown, cream and apricot tones has been integrated into the composition: the orange hues contribute to the tiger’s coat, while the darker areas structure the rocks and enhance depth in relief. The feline, with open mouth and forepaws projecting forward, presents a particularly vivid expression.

The flask retains its matching stopper, very probably historically paired with the piece, as well as its spoon.

The bottle also benefits from a documented provenance: an old Portuguese collection belonging to José Luís de Azevedo Barreto Sachetti (1933–2011), where it carried inventory number 506, then by descendants. It later appears in the dispersion of the collection at Marques dos Santos in Porto, lot 54, before passing into a private Belgian collection.

China, late Qing Dynasty – Republican period, around 1890–1940, probably the first third of the 20th century.

Material: fossiliferous limestone
Dimensions: H. 6.4 × L. 4.8 × D. 2.5 cm
Condition: Very good+; very fine overall condition, with the irregularities and natural lines inherent to the stone.

A particularly attractive collection snuff bottle, combining an unusual material, an expressive sculpture, and a well-documented European provenance.

Seller's Story

MIMOSA SA — EXPERTISE, RESEARCH AND TRANSMISSION For more than 26 years, I have been working as an art dealer specializing in ancient Asian arts. My work is not simply to offer objects: it is to observe them, to understand them, to study them and to document them before passing them to a new collector. Each work presented by Mimosa SA undergoes thorough examination. Depending on its nature, this study may concern the iconography, the style, the proportions, the material, the execution techniques, surface traces, patina, the condition, restorations, provenance as well as relevant bibliographic, museum or archaeological comparisons. When justified, additional scientific analyses may also be undertaken. Our approach rests on the experience of sight, gained from direct contact with the works for over two decades, but also on methodical and constantly renewed research. We always favor a cautious, coherent and argued attribution rather than a seductive but insufficiently substantiated assertion. Transparency is at the heart of our approach. The wear, gaps, accidents, ancient restorations or more recent interventions are reported as precisely as possible. When an attribution carries uncertainty or remains a working hypothesis, it is clearly presented as such. Present on Catawiki since 2016, we have chosen to maintain a regular selection of works there in order to meet international collectors who value authenticity, knowledge and quality of documentation. Each acquisition is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued under our professional responsibility. For the most important works, this certificate takes the form of a genuine study dossier gathering the main technical, stylistic, iconographic, historical and bibliographic observations made during our research. The same standard applies to shipping. Over the years, we have developed a packaging method adapted to old, fragile, heavy or complex-shaped objects. Each work is protected, immobilized and carefully packaged, according to its material and its particularities. The shipping costs correspond to the real needs for protection, handling, insurance and secure transport. Shipping is never regarded as a source of commercial profit. Acquiring a work from Mimosa SA is to receive a selected, studied, described, documented and prepared object with the same care that we would wish for a work destined for our own collection.
Translated by Google Translate

Details

Culture
China
Century/timeframe
Vers 1890–1940, fin de la dynastie Qing – période républicaine, probablement premier tiers du XXᵉ
Name of object
Snuff box “Tiger on the rocks” in fossiliferous stone
Acquired from
Private collection
Year acquired
2023
Material
fossiliferous limestone
Country acquired from
Portugal
Condition
Very good +
Previous owner acquired from
Gallery / Antique dealer
Height
64 mm
Previous owner - year acquired
1968
Width
48 mm
Previous owner - country acquired from
Portugal
Depth
25 mm
I verify that I have obtained this object legally and that I am allowed to sell it
Yes
Authenticity
Original/official
BelgiumVerified
505
Objects sold
pro

Disclaimer

The seller was informed by Catawiki about documentation requirements and guarantees the following: - the object was legally obtained, - the seller has the right to sell and/or export the object, as relevant, - the seller will provide the necessary provenance information and arrange required documentation and permits/licenses, as applicable and as per local laws, - the seller will notify the buyer of any delays in obtaining permits/licenses. By bidding, you acknowledge that import documentation may be required depending on your country of residence and that obtaining permits/licenses may cause delays in the delivery of your object.

The seller was informed by Catawiki about documentation requirements and guarantees the following: - the object was legally obtained, - the seller has the right to sell and/or export the object, as relevant, - the seller will provide the necessary provenance information and arrange required documentation and permits/licenses, as applicable and as per local laws, - the seller will notify the buyer of any delays in obtaining permits/licenses. By bidding, you acknowledge that import documentation may be required depending on your country of residence and that obtaining permits/licenses may cause delays in the delivery of your object.

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