O13 An hornbill “Shou” snuff bottle

Description

Description:  Chinese small hornbill snuff bottle, carved in fine low relief with the “Shou” symbol on one side, the other side concave, serving as snuff dish. Both the stopper and the spoon are made of the same material, using parts of the hornbill with the reddish areas. The stopper too is carved with the “Shou” symbol. Mask handles on the narrow sides, which are reddish, as usual for this material.

Foot/base:  Oval, slightly concave base

Mark:  

Dating:  18^th Century

Material:  Hornbill

Size:  48 mm high

Stopper:  Hornbill, suffused of reddish, carved with the “Shou” symbol. The stem and spoon too are made of the same material, with reddish areas. Surely original.

Provenance:  Mario Dalmazzo collection.

References:   See in the last picture a bigger, plain hornbill bottle from the Meriem Collection, sold by Christie’s. It is not clear by the picture, but that bottle too seems to have a concave side serving as snuff dish.

Notes:  About Mario Dalmazzo collection, see the Notes of the ceramic bottle C8.

The 18^th century dating for this bottle is based on the general shaping, the base, size, overall feeling.