Snuff Bottle with Two Egrets Among Lotuses
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
Qing dynasty (1644–1911), 1800–1900
This Chinese snuff bottle dates to the Qing dynasty (1644–1911), produced between 1800 and 1900. It is fashioned from grey, brown, and black agate and features relief-carved decoration. The vessel possesses a rounded, flattened body, a short cylindrical neck, and is topped with a pale, intricately carved stopper set upon a thin collar.
The carving takes advantage of the naturally occurring color variations within the agate. In accordance with its title, the composition depicts two egrets among lotuses, using the darker brown and black mineral inclusions to delineate the forms of birds, rockwork, and surrounding vegetation against the smoother, translucent brownish-grey ground of the stone. The bottle measures 6.9 × 4.9 × 2.3 cm (2 3/4 × 1 15/16 × 15/16 in.). Its origin is recorded as China, and the museum record lists no specific maker or inscriptions, noting its acquisition through the Lucy Maud Buckingham Collection.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- Grey, brown, and black agate with carged decoration
- Dimensions
- 6.9 × 4.9 × 2.3 cm (2 3/4 × 1 15/16 × 15/16 in.)
Technical characteristics
- Maker recorded
- China
- Place recorded
- China
Identification
- Source note
- Transcribed from the Art Institute of Chicago collection record for this single object; how far it represents a wider collectible type has not been independently verified.
- Museum object name
- Snuff Bottle with Two Egrets Among Lotuses
- Museum object number
- 1925.1248
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.