A CAMEO AGATE ‘HORSE’ SNUFF BOTTLE, 1750-1850 China. Very well hollowed, of rounded rectangular form rising from a wide oval foot with a recessed base, to a short cylindrical neck. Carved on one side utilizing the darker markings to depict a horse tethered to a hitching post. The translucent stone of a beige tone with a fine polish.

Provenance: Property from the Rubin family of St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
Condition: Good condition with little nibbling to lip and base, a few nicks to the horse’s head and back. The stopper with cracks and losses.

Stopper: Tourmaline cabochon
Weight: 74 g
Dimensions: Height including stopper 65 mm. Diameter neck 22 mm and mouth 7 mm.

A horse tethered to a post forms a common rebus which expresses a wish for speedy promotion for young candidates. It was a popular subject found on Official School bottles of the late 18th/early 19th century. For a further discussion of this subject, see H. Moss, V. Graham, and K. B. Tsang, The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle: The J & J. Collection, New York, 1993, no. 151, and H. Moss, V. Graham, K. B. Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection, vol. 2, Quartz, Hong Kong, 1998, nos. 302-4.

Auction result comparison: Compare a related silhouette agate snuff bottle with the same motif, dated 1770-1840, at Christie’s New York in The Ruth and Carl Barron Collection of Fine Chinese Snuff Bottles: Part III on 14 September 2016, lot 512, sold for USD 6,875.

1750-1850年焦糖瑪瑙巧雕立馬鼻烟壺
中國。掏膛良好，寬肩微削，橢圓形圈足，圓柱形短頸，平唇。在一側巧妙利用較深的紋理雕刻拴在石柱上的馬。 褐色半透明瑪瑙，拋光細膩。

來源：美國密蘇里州聖路易斯魯賓家族收藏。
品相：狀況良好，嘴唇和底部輕微磕損，馬的頭部和背部有一些刻痕。壺蓋有裂縫和缺損。

壺蓋: 電氣石
重量：74 克
尺寸：含壺蓋高65 毫米. 頸部直徑22 毫米 ，嘴部直徑7 毫米

拍賣結果比較：比較一件相近1770-1840年瑪瑙鼻烟壺，一樣的紋飾，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 512, 售價USD 6,875。