Snuff Bottle with an Equestrian Archer Chasing a Deer

This snuff bottle dates to the Qing dynasty, created between 1750 and 1800 in China. It is fashioned from Suzhou shadow agate, a translucent chalcedony naturally patterned with dark inclusions. The vessel has a rounded, flattened body supported by a low oval foot and rises to a cylindrical neck. It is fitted with a rounded, domed green stopper set inside a beaded metal collar.

The carving takes advantage of the dark brown patches suspended within the pale, translucent body of the stone to depict an equestrian archer pursuing a deer. The artisan used relief carving to shape the dark inclusions into the silhouettes of the mounted hunter, the running horse, and the quarry, complemented by softly incised details of the surrounding landscape and clouds. The bottle measures 5.6 × 4.9 × 3.1 cm (2 3/16 × 1 15/16 × 1 1/4 in.). No maker or inscriptions are documented in the record.