A fine agate 'finger' citron brush washer


18th centuryThe centrally hollowed 'Buddha's hand' citron with numerous long 'fingers' curling gracefully at the ends, borne on a leafy gnarled branch, the stone of pale creamy amber hue. 7cm (2 6/8in) long.
|十八世紀 瑪瑙佛手柑形洗Provenance: a European private collection來源：歐洲私人收藏The appreciation of agate stone saw a revival during the Yongzheng reign; records in the archives of the Imperial Jade Workshops, yuzuo, dated 1724-1729, noted that the Yongzheng emperor ordered for agate brush washers and bowls to be made. A yellow agate brush washer in the form of a gourd and leaf from the Qing Court collection, mid Qing, is illustrated in Scholar's Paraphernalia: Classics of Forbidden City, Beijing, 2009, p.114, no.108.