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A SUPERB SPINACH-GREEN JADE 'FIVE BATS AND LINGZHI' SNUFF BOTTLE Probably Imperial workshops, 1730-1800 image 1
A SUPERB SPINACH-GREEN JADE 'FIVE BATS AND LINGZHI' SNUFF BOTTLE Probably Imperial workshops, 1730-1800 image 2
PROPERTY FROM THE FRANCINE AND BERNARD WALD COLLECTION OF FINE CHINESE SNUFF BOTTLES
Lot 235

A SUPERB SPINACH-GREEN JADE 'FIVE BATS AND LINGZHI' SNUFF BOTTLE
Probably Imperial workshops, 1730-1800

17 March 2025, 09:00 EDT
New York

Sold for US$9,600 inc. premium

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A SUPERB SPINACH-GREEN JADE 'FIVE BATS AND LINGZHI' SNUFF BOTTLE

Probably Imperial workshops, 1730-1800
Of spade shape and brilliantly carved in delicate low relief with three wide-winged bats to one side, each swooping to the center of the bottle and holding lingzhi sprays in their mouths, the other side with two ascending bats, one holding a large lingzhi spray just below the neck, a russet inclusion to the matrix of the stone on this side, below a short cylindrical neck and flat rim with a small mouth and well hollowed interior, supported on a flat oval foot ring and shallowly cut slightly concave base.
2 1/2in (6.3cm) high, stopper

Footnotes

1730-1800 碧玉刻「福壽圖」鼻煙壺一件
或爲宮廷作坊製

Provenance:
Early Private French Collection
Laurence Souksi, Paris, June 2006
Hugh Moss, Hong Kong, 2006

來源:
早期法國私人收藏
Laurence Souksi,巴黎,2006年6月
莫士撝,香港,2006年

Five Bats, wufu, represent the Five Blessings (longevity, wealth, health, love of virtue and a peaceful, natural death). While a common theme, the motif here is used, unusually, as the complete overall decoration, the bats wrapping around the entire bottle in low relief.

This type of green nephrite can be found in Xinjiang province (formerly Turkestan, and the main source for Chinese carvers, but brought under Chinese control in 1759) where it was found as boulders in two rivers running out of the Kunlun Mountains known as the 'Black Jade' and 'White Jade' rivers. It is softer in tone and less speckled than the standard, later material, which was mined, and which is typically very dark green with black speckling throughout.

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