A white jade snuff bottle with diamond-point engraved and black ink-washed decoration


18th/19th centuryThe square-form bottle tapering towards a conforming foot ring, each side with a raised panel, the front decorated with a farming scene, the verso depicting a young boy holding a qin and leading the way of a scholar under a sensitively defined pine tree, each narrow side decorated with a Daoist figure.2in (5.1cm) high
|ProvenanceSotheby's, Hong Kong, 3 April 1996, lot 0200Diamond-point incision was a peculiar technique that became popular in China during the 18th and 19th century in decorating jade, glass, and porcelain snuff bottles. To perform such fine engraving, the artists worked with a diamond-pointed knife that was specifically made by the users. After engraving, the lightly incised design was either stained with a black grisaille or rubbed with gold powder. See lot 22 in the present sale for an example.十八/十九世紀 白玉鑽石撥農耕圖及攜琴遠足圖鼻煙壺