chine Banded agate / chalcedony cameo-carved Qing-era snuff bottle in banded agate, cameo-carved, “Monkey on Horse” – provenance: John Sparks - 6.8 cm
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€ 1
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Expert
Selected by Sarah Le Helley
Studied Asian art and art market management; researched art in Taipei; worked in auctions.
Estimate € 3,100 - € 3,500
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Qing dynasty snuff bottle, circa 1780–1850, carved in cameo from banded agate and depicting a monkey on horseback.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Chinese carved agate fluted cameo snuff bottle from the QING dynasty, circa 1780-1850, from the former Sir David and Lady Scholey collection and still bearing its historical label John Sparks Ltd, London.
Of flattened globular form, the bottle is carved from a translucent, highly decorative agate, threaded with natural gray-brown, cream and white bands. The lapidary intelligently exploited a superficial honey-caramel layer to bring the main design into relief, following the refined technique of cameo-carved agates.
One face depicts a monkey mounted on a horse beneath a pine tree. This scene belongs to Chinese auspicious repertoire and refers to the famous puzzle/wordplay Ma shang feng hou, expressing a wish for rapid promotion to a high rank. The pine completes the composition with its traditional symbolism of longevity and constancy.
The sculpture is especially interesting for its use of the stone’s different natural layers: the monkey, the horse, the trunk and branches of the pine emerge from the caramel layer, while the lighter areas of the agate naturally form the background of the scene.
The bottle stylistically belongs to the great Qing agate cameo tradition, sometimes grouped in specialized literature with the
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 TranslateChinese carved agate fluted cameo snuff bottle from the QING dynasty, circa 1780-1850, from the former Sir David and Lady Scholey collection and still bearing its historical label John Sparks Ltd, London.
Of flattened globular form, the bottle is carved from a translucent, highly decorative agate, threaded with natural gray-brown, cream and white bands. The lapidary intelligently exploited a superficial honey-caramel layer to bring the main design into relief, following the refined technique of cameo-carved agates.
One face depicts a monkey mounted on a horse beneath a pine tree. This scene belongs to Chinese auspicious repertoire and refers to the famous puzzle/wordplay Ma shang feng hou, expressing a wish for rapid promotion to a high rank. The pine completes the composition with its traditional symbolism of longevity and constancy.
The sculpture is especially interesting for its use of the stone’s different natural layers: the monkey, the horse, the trunk and branches of the pine emerge from the caramel layer, while the lighter areas of the agate naturally form the background of the scene.
The bottle stylistically belongs to the great Qing agate cameo tradition, sometimes grouped in specialized literature with the
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 TranslateDetails
Culture
chine
Century/timeframe
Fin XVIIIe – première moitié du XIXe siècle | vers 1780–1850
Name of object
Qing-era snuff bottle in banded agate, cameo-carved, “Monkey on Horse” – provenance: John Sparks
Acquired from
Auction house
Year acquired
2021
Material
Banded agate / chalcedony cameo-carved
Country acquired from
Austria
Condition
Good
Previous owner acquired from
Private collection
Height
6.8 cm
Previous owner - year acquired
2000
Width
4.8 cm
Previous owner - country acquired from
United Kingdom
Depth
3.1 cm
I verify that I have obtained this object legally and that I am allowed to sell it
Yes
Authenticity
Original/official
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