Two Chinese carved agate snuff bottles Qing dynasty, 19th century The first,...
Two Chinese carved agate snuff bottles
Qing dynasty, 19th century
The first, from a greyish stone with mushroom inclusions charmingly carved as a pair of swimming carps, gilt metal, coral and turquoise stopper, 5.4cm high without stopper; the second, carved from a creamy-white and orange stone, the brown inclusion carved in shallow relief as a monkey riding a horse and holding an official's hat, agate stopper, 5cm high without stopper (2).
清十九世紀 瑪瑙雕雙魚紋及馬上封侯紋鼻煙壺兩件
The motif of a monkey astride a horse creates the rebus 馬上封侯 Ma Shang Feng Hou, 'May you immediately become an Official', here reinforced by the monkey brandishing a Scholar Official's hat high above his head.
Snuff bottles from a Private Collection (Lots 95-238), mostly formed by Frederick George Ruddle (1886-1960), from Carshalton, Surrey, and Lily Beatrice Ruddle (neé Etherington) 1887-1972, from Sutton, Surrey.
The Ruddle family were owners of a large bakery in Sutton, and property developers in Sutton and Carshalton, Surrey
Frederick was by trade, a sign writer; Frederick and Lily left England initially for South Africa and subsequently for Australia, where they settled shortly before the first world war. They had eight children.
Frederick then took up an executive role for an Australia, Southeast Asia and South Sea Island trading company, Burns Philp, which took him to travel extensively in East Asia; it is presumably during the course of these travels that he had the opportunity to discover Chinese and East Asian Art, and start amassing his collection of snuff bottles, amongst other things. He was a passionate collector of many things beside snuff bottles, including Oceanic Art and Orientalia.
In 1978, the current vendor, a grandchild of Frederick, came to England to attend Cambridge university. At the time he was given power of attorney from the executors of the estate to assist in and arrange the sale of Frederick and Lily’s remaining real estate and properties in Sutton and Carshalton.
As thanks for his assistance, the executors, Molly and Hilda Ruddle, gave him the collection of snuff bottles, in 1980, which he lovingly preserved, researched, and added to over the years.
Condition Report:
Light surface wear; expected natural inclusions and fissures to stone. Monkey bottle with a couple of tiny rim nibbles.
Bid on this lot
Two Chinese carved agate snuff bottles
Qing dynasty, 19th century
The first, from a greyish stone with mushroom inclusions charmingly carved as a pair of swimming carps, gilt metal, coral and turquoise stopper, 5.4cm high without stopper; the second, carved from a creamy-white and orange stone, the brown inclusion carved in shallow relief as a monkey riding a horse and holding an official's hat, agate stopper, 5cm high without stopper (2).
清十九世紀 瑪瑙雕雙魚紋及馬上封侯紋鼻煙壺兩件
The motif of a monkey astride a horse creates the rebus 馬上封侯 Ma Shang Feng Hou, 'May you immediately become an Official', here reinforced by the monkey brandishing a Scholar Official's hat high above his head.
Snuff bottles from a Private Collection (Lots 95-238), mostly formed by Frederick George Ruddle (1886-1960), from Carshalton, Surrey, and Lily Beatrice Ruddle (neé Etherington) 1887-1972, from Sutton, Surrey.
The Ruddle family were owners of a large bakery in Sutton, and property developers in Sutton and Carshalton, Surrey
Frederick was by trade, a sign writer; Frederick and Lily left England initially for South Africa and subsequently for Australia, where they settled shortly before the first world war. They had eight children.
Frederick then took up an executive role for an Australia, Southeast Asia and South Sea Island trading company, Burns Philp, which took him to travel extensively in East Asia; it is presumably during the course of these travels that he had the opportunity to discover Chinese and East Asian Art, and start amassing his collection of snuff bottles, amongst other things. He was a passionate collector of many things beside snuff bottles, including Oceanic Art and Orientalia.
In 1978, the current vendor, a grandchild of Frederick, came to England to attend Cambridge university. At the time he was given power of attorney from the executors of the estate to assist in and arrange the sale of Frederick and Lily’s remaining real estate and properties in Sutton and Carshalton.
As thanks for his assistance, the executors, Molly and Hilda Ruddle, gave him the collection of snuff bottles, in 1980, which he lovingly preserved, researched, and added to over the years.
Condition Report:
Light surface wear; expected natural inclusions and fissures to stone. Monkey bottle with a couple of tiny rim nibbles.
