An amethyst snuff bottle, 1730-1850

An amethyst snuff bottle, 1730-1850. photo courtesy Sotheby's

of flattened tapering form with a slightly everted mouth, resting on a concave oval base, one face well carved in low relief with Liu Hai playing with a string of coins, crouched near his leaping three-legged toad, the reptile issuing vapor in the direction of a flying bat, the reverse carved with Li Taibo asleep on his qin, with two vessels in the foreground, the natural citrine inclusion carved to depict Li Taibo and the bat; height 2 1/2 in., 6.3 cm. Estimate 5,000—8,000 USD. Lot Sold 8,125 USD

PROVENANCE: T.E. Gover (The Heflene Collection), England.
V. Meglys Collection.
Hugh Moss (HK) Ltd..

LITERATURE AND REFERENCES: Hugh Moss, Chinese Snuff Bottles of the Silica or Quartz Group, London, 1971, p. 28, no. 58

Sotheby's. The Joe Grimberg Collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles, 14 Sep 10, New York www.sothebys.com