Two carved agate snuff bottles
Two carved agate snuff bottles
19th/20th century
The first a rounded rectangular bottle carved through the dark russet layer in the translucent pale gray matrix with two quails perching on leafy branches next to a vase holding grains to create a pictorial rebus for suisui ping'an ([May you be] safe and sound year after year), the second skillfully editing the layered color variations in the stone, carved with a frog on a lotus leaf on one side, the reverse designed with a bundle of stemmed lotus flowers and a lotus pod on an additional large lotus leaf, inscribed on a lotus root with yilu lianke ([May you] pass the Imperial examinations all the way through successfully).
2 1/2 and 2 1/4in (6.4 and 5.7cm) high
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Two carved agate snuff bottles
19th/20th century
The first a rounded rectangular bottle carved through the dark russet layer in the translucent pale gray matrix with two quails perching on leafy branches next to a vase holding grains to create a pictorial rebus for suisui ping'an ([May you be] safe and sound year after year), the second skillfully editing the layered color variations in the stone, carved with a frog on a lotus leaf on one side, the reverse designed with a bundle of stemmed lotus flowers and a lotus pod on an additional large lotus leaf, inscribed on a lotus root with yilu lianke ([May you] pass the Imperial examinations all the way through successfully).
2 1/2 and 2 1/4in (6.4 and 5.7cm) high