Late 20th Century Black Snuff Bottle With White Lines

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Agate, a type of chalcedony always fascinate me. Perhaps I love the variety of colors and patterns and the designs … Read more Agate, a type of chalcedony always fascinate me. Perhaps I love the variety of colors and patterns and the designs on the stones are never two alike. I find black agate mysterious as if it holds certain mysterious powers and often greyish patterns are found infused in the stone. According to the App Rock Identifier, Black Agate arises from a fascinating geological process. It was formed when silica-rich fluids seeped into volcanic or sedimentary rocks. Over the millions of years, these fluids slowly cool and crystallize, building microscopic quartz crystals. Its black color is often attributed to the presence of organic matter of iron oxides that are finely dispersed within the chalcedony structure. These inclusions absorb light, creating its characteristic opaque appearance and smooth texture.

This Black Agate snuff bottle is one of the bottles I purchased from an English collector who was with the British Navy in the 1970's. On his leave, he sourced for snuff bottles all over Asia. That was the time when China opened up for trade after the Cultural Revolution, and many snuff bottles were made by experienced snuff bottle carvers. Snuff bottles from this period were of many varieties and all beautifully presented.

The design on this snuff bottle is striking! It can be interpreted as a flash of lightning. My own interpretation is a stylized sting ray swimming in murky waters! The flattened globular shape tapers to a small oval foot which is concave. The round top is also concave. This feature is found in snuff bottles made in the 1970's and early 1980's, and not found in later snuff bottles. It is matched with a red jasper top. See less