AN AGATE ‘BODHIDHARMA’ SNUFF BOTTLE, SUZHOU, SCHOOL OF ZHITING Agate, of various tones from

AN AGATE ‘BODHIDHARMA’ SNUFF BOTTLE, SUZHOU, SCHOOL OF ZHITING Agate, of various tones from whitish light grey, caramel, honey to dark brown, the surface with a smooth finish. China, 1750-1850Suzhou, School of Zhiting. The Chan Patriarch is portrayed in monastic habit with his earring as a minuscule yet unmistakable detail, amid jagged rockwork and pine trees, followed by an attendant. The backside has a second portrait of the monk, this time resting on a riverbank. The various natural tones of the stone cleverly used to add plasticity to the scene.Shape: Flattened round formHollowing: Very good, perfect symmetry between in- and outside contoursMouth, neck and lip: Short cylindric neck, flat top, short inner cylinder and wide mouthBase: Convex ovalStopper: Tourmaline mounted in fire gilt and incised bronze, with a nice old tortoise shell spoon. Likely matchingHeight of the bottle with stopper: 5.8 cmWidth of the mouth: 7 mmWidth of the neck: 18 mmCondition: Excellent, with one tiny fault to lip, likely the result of a natural inclusionProvenance: American Private CollectionLiterature comparison: Snuff Bottles from the Mary and George Bloch Collection: Part VI. Sotheby’s, May 27th 2013, HONG KONG, lot 186. (for a 'bodhidharma' suzhou bottle using a similar stone) Bob C. Stevens, The Collectors Book of Snuff Bottles, lot 568. (for a 'bodhidharma' suzhou bottle using a different stone).Expertise: Alexander Zacke蘇作瑪瑙巧雕達摩荷包鼻煙壺, 芝亭流派多色調瑪瑙, 淡灰、棕、迷至濃咖啡色, 平面磨光優美中國, 1750-1850 年蘇州, 芝亭流派. 達摩身穿僧衣, 細小的耳環雕成極其巧妙. 站在岩松山水間, 後有僕子隨. 背面描繪達摩坐在河邊. 瑪瑙自然色調巧妙地用強調圖案. 形狀：平面球形掏膛：極其良好, 內部輪廓與外部完全相稱瓶口、頸、瓶唇： 短圓柱頸, 平頭, 短內部圓柱, 寬口底足：突出橢圓蓋: 電氣石帶鑲金與青銅配件, 古雅龜甲雕勺. 大約相配高（帶蓋）：5.8厘米口徑：0.7厘米頸部直徑：1.8厘米狀態敘述：完善, 唇部有一小處不完整, 大約自然材料變形效果來源：美國私人舊藏文獻: Snuff Bottles from the Mary and George Bloch Collection: Part VI. Sotheby’s, 2013 年5月27日, HONG KONG, 編號 186. Bob C. Stevens, The Collectors Book of Snuff Bottles, 編號568.