Snuff Bottle with Scholar and Assistant on Rocky Promontory

This Chinese snuff bottle, dating to the Qing dynasty between 1750 and 1800, is fashioned from Suzhou agate with carved decoration. The vessel is designed with a rounded, flattened body, a short cylindrical neck, and a narrow base. The translucent, pale grayish-brown stone features natural dark brown inclusions that have been incorporated into the relief carving. The bottle is capped by a rounded green stopper seated upon a light yellow collar.

The carved scene illustrates a scholar and an assistant situated on a rocky promontory. The artisan utilized the natural dark layer in the agate to accentuate the rockwork, surrounding the figures with carved landscape elements, low-relief foliage, and water or ground patterns, alongside incised characters. The object measures 5.6 × 4.6 × 2.2 cm (2 3/16 × 1 13/16 × 7/8 in.) and is preserved in the Lucy Maud Buckingham Collection.