A SUZHOU SCHOOL BLACK AND WHITE JADE SNUFF BOTTLE, QING DYNASTY China, 19^th century. Of flattened ovoid form with a concave foot. Extremely well-hollowed through a small mouth, the semi-translucent nephrite of a deep black tone with distinct white and gray shadings to one side, all skillfully utilized by the lapidary to create a distinct relief carving of a swallow above a blooming lotus flower and neatly incised waves. The other side depicting a frog perched on a lotus leaf amid craggy layered rocks, the hallmark of the school.

Provenance: Property from an institutional collection, Illinois, USA.
Condition: Excellent condition with minor old wear, minute nibbling to foot and neck.

Stopper: Glass cabochon carved as a coiled chilong in imitation of coral, stained dark green platelet of dark organic material, with a finely carved spoon
Weight: 73 g
Dimensions: Height including stopper 62 mm. Diameter neck 12 mm and mouth 5 mm

Auction result comparison: Compare a related Suzhou black and gray jade snuff bottle, dated to the Qing dynasty, of slightly smaller size (5.7 cm high), at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in Snuff Bottles from the Mary and George Bloch Collection: Part VI on 26 May 2013, lot 204, sold for HKD 437,000. Compare a related pair of Suzhou carved black and gray jade snuff bottles, dated 1760 to 1850, of slightly larger size (7.8 cm high), at Christie’s New York in The Ruth and Carl Barron Collection of Fine Chinese Snuff Bottles: Part III on 14 September 2016, lot 462, sold for USD 35,000.


清代蘇作黑白玉“青蛙蓮池”鼻烟壺
中國，十九世紀。黑白玉質，溫潤光潔，細膩柔滑。直口，豐肩，斜腹下收，平底。一面巧雕荷葉上的青蛙，這是蘇作的標誌。另一面巧雕花上飛燕。

來源：美國伊利諾伊斯州機構收藏。
品相：狀況極佳，輕微的舊時磨損，足部和頸部有細微的磕損。

壺蓋: 銅托螭龍紋紅珊瑚狀玻璃蓋，精細雕刻的勺子，深綠色有機材料蓋托。
重量：73 克
尺寸：總高 62 毫米，頸部直徑12 毫米，唇 5 毫米

拍賣結果比較: 比較一件相近的清代蘇作灰玉鼻烟壺，高5.7 厘米，見香港蘇富比Snuff Bottles from the Mary and George Bloch Collection: Part VI 2013年5月26日lot 204, 售價HKD 437,000；比較一對相近的黑灰玉雕鼻烟壺，1760-1850年，高7.8 厘米，見紐約佳士得The Ruth and Carl Barron Collection of Fine Chinese Snuff Bottles: Part III 2016年9月14日 lot 462, 售價USD 35,000。