31.2.185 Agate Cave Translucent beige, honey-brown, dark brown and greyish-white agate; of very well hollowed, compressed ovoid form tapering to a slightly waisted neck, with a concave lip and protruding, concave oval foot; the natural, banded markings in the stone resembling a cave in mountainous terrain Official School, 1740-1840 Height: 5.52 cm Mouth/lip: .65/1.6 cm Stopper: tourmaline; carved with a coiled chi dragon; glass collar Provenance: Unrecorded Source, June 1994 This material is from a range of typical agate formation where concentric bands of contrasting colours create natural designs. The stone was widely used for snuff bottles because of its beauty, its symbolism (banded agates with horizontal bands represented an official belt, and, therefore, success as an officially, while some resembled silk-worm cocoons with intertwining threads) and its ready availability. These bottles are often extremely well made, of simple forms, and beautifully hollowed, as here, to allow the material to speak for itself. For other agate snuff bottles from the range, see Moss, Graham, Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles No. 2, Quartz, nos. 188, 219, 223, 229, 262 and 263.