PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTION A Fine Suzhou Agate BottleSchool of Zhiting, 1750-1850 Of flattened ovoid shape, carved in high relief in a continuous scene with the robed scholar, possibly Mi Fu, on one side holding a calligraphy brush behind his back, standing before a rock face and and looking up at three bats amidst clouds above, a pine and serrated rockwork to one edge and further rockwork, lingzhi and a stream, the reverse side centered by a descending long-tailed phoenix with out-stretched wings amidst clouds, rockwork and pine, the design cleverly integrating the smaller darker flecks and larger pale russet inclusions within the semi-transparent grey stone to great effect to highlight the details, with slightly concave oval base. 2 1/16in (5.2cm) high, stopper, box 大約 1750-1850 蘇州芝亭流派 瑪瑙巧彫米芾鼻烟壺 Provenance: Robert Kleiner, London, 1990's 出處： 倫敦 Robert Kleiner，1990 年代 The figure holding a brush behind his back may well depict the Northern Song Dynasty poet Mi Fu (1050-1107) or Mi Fei, as he is sometimes known. who was a famous calligrapher and painter noted for his love of strangely shaped stones and rocks. He was considered one of the four great 'Song Masters' and a hugely influential figure in the literati world. However, it may also be an illustration of a standard literary pursuit in a country where scholars were prone to leaving graffiti on natural rock formations. For a series of related Zhiting School Suzhou agate bottles, see Moss, Graham, Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles, The Mary and George Bloch Collection, Vol. 2, Part 2, Quartz , Hong Kong, 1998, pp. 504-547, no. 366-79; and also R. Kleiner, Treasures from the Sanctum of Enlightened Respect , Singapore, 1999, nos. 190-3., for a group of small agate bottles from the collection of Denis Low.