Lot 1104
Treasury 2, no. 301 (‘The Belfort Ennobling Cameo’)
HK$300,000

Agate; very well hollowed; with a slightly concave lip and recessed, very slightly convex foot surrounded by a flat foot rim; carved with a cameo design of a monkey on the back of a horse
Official School, 1740–1850
Height: 5.2 cm
Mouth/lip: 0.63/2.14 and 2.04 cm (oval)
Stopper: tourmaline

Provenance:
C. K. Liang (Hong Kong, 1977)
Belfort Collection (1986)

Published:
L’Estampille, Paris, February 1979, p. 44
Jutheau 1980, p. 105, fig. 2
Très précieuses tabatières chinoises, p. 14, no. 158
Jours de France, 17 July 1982
Snuff Bottle Review, March 1983, p. 11
Treasury 2, no. 301

Exhibited:
L’Arcade Chaumet, Paris, June 1982

There is a remarkable resemblance between this bottle and Sale 6, lot 116, despite completely different subject matter. Both are of similar material, although here some slight striations on the back of the bottle allow the specific term ‘agate’ rather than the broader chalcedony. Each is of a lovely, transparent honey-brown colour with relief in more opaque, darker brown that has an upper layer of speckling of a different tone partially cut through. Each is unusually well hollowed; each has reasonably high relief carving; and they are of identical finish. Although the designs and mode of depiction differ to suit the different subjects (one being intentionally archaic, the other more realistic) the means of depiction are very similar: simple, incised lines, an essentially flat picture plane, and a similar compositional grace in placing the subject. Although the profiles of the creatures are realistic here, the manner of incising the facial features of the horse is very similar in style to the detailing of the bronze vessel on the other bottle. The shape of each bottle from its main profile is also very similar. These are grounds enough to raise the possibility that the two may be by the same hand or workshop at about the same time and possibly from the same piece of material, or at least the same general source of material.

Although the foot is very slightly convex here, that does not imply laziness in this case. The body is curved, and without a protruding foot rim to break the line of that curve, the artist may have decided to continue it in the profile of the foot. A sloping trench around the inner foot rim was added to give the impression of a recessed foot, but the foot has been carefully shaped and perfectly finished to harmonize with the curving profile of the bottle.

Another Official School bottle of identical subject and composition was sold by Sotheby’s, Hong Kong, 28 April 1993, lot 449.

This is not the Sotheby’s sale catalogue. This is a product of Hugh Moss for the purposes of this website. For the catalogue details please refer to Sotheby’s website or request a copy of a printed sale catalogue from Sotheby’s.