Description
Description: Chinese very fine small snuff bottle carved in the form of a recumbent rabbit, the legs tucked below the body, almond shaped inlaid brown agate eyes, and finely incised fur hairs all over the body. Black nephrite jade. It is a little gem; the rabbit is depicted eating a carrot, made up of a tiny red and green glass stopper.
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Mark:
Dating: Almost surely 18th Century, for the quality and for what said in the Notes here below. It is known that fine animal shaped snuff botltes were prized by the Court.
Material: Black nephrite jade
Size: 28 mm high, 51 mm long
Stopper: Green and red glass stopper shaped as carrot, stained bone spoon.
Provenance: Ex Sergia Iessi collection. About this collector, see Provenance of the hornbill bottle O35.
References: We have found only one rabbit shaped bottle made of black jade, but later, that was sold by Sotheby’s, see penultimate picture. A white jade hare or rabbit bottle, which too has inlaid stone eyes was in the Bloch collection, sold by Sotheby’s. See last picture. The Catalogue Notes of the latest says that inlaid eyes is a rare feature, as only a dog shaped snuff bottle is mentioned. It is also said there that earlier animal shaped bottles, probably Imperial of mid-Qing period, are small and finely detailed, and among them the rabbit shaped ones are rare.
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