A DENDRITIC ‘ICY CRYSTAL’ AGATE SNUFF BOTTLE, QING DYNASTYAgate with a natural layer of icy crystal, accompanied by bands of cinnabar, dark caramel, honey and light grey, incised and carved in high relief and with a smooth, manual surface polish. China, 1740-1860In this unusual piece of quartz, crystal combines with striated and dendritic agate with a wide range of colors, thus becoming a striking combination of various members of the quartz family. There is a long-standing tradition in China of nature reverence. This was transformed by the aesthetic elite into a love of markings or shapes in natural materials that resembled elements of the real, or spirit world. In this example the dynamic natural pattern in the material has been carefully aligned around the bottle so that it can be read as an ice flow melting in the early spring sun, surrounded by snowless areas of earthy terrain. To enhance the depiction, the carver has incised a branch from a blooming cherry tree. Mock ring handles on each shoulder.Shape: Bulbous round shapeHollowing: ExcellentMouth, neck and lip: Short and wide cylindric neck, slanted lips, convex polished top, large mouthBase: Large oval base with raised flat foot rimStopper: Pink glass in imitation of Tourmaline, green plateletHeight of the bottle with stopper: 6.5 cm.Width of the mouth: 8 mm.Width of the neck: 22 mm.Condition: ExcellentProvenance: Old Austrian private collection, acquired before 1930, thence by descentLiterature comparison: Fine Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Collection of Ann & John Hamilton. Sotheby’s, New York, March 27th, 2003, lot 298. Snuff Bottles from the Mary and George Bloch Collection: Part X. Sotheby’s, Hong Kong, June 1st, 2015, lot 64. SNUFF BOTTLES FROM THE MARY AND GEORGE BLOCH COLLECTION, Part I. Bonhams, Hong Kong, May 28th, 2010. Lot 111. Part I. (all for examples of plain bottles carved of dendritic agate)清代南紅瑪瑙鼻烟壺品相極好奧地利私人老收藏，1930年前購入，家族傳承