Fine Chinese Agate "Sleeve" Snuff Bottle – Compressed Spade Form

Details

Description

• Material: Antique/Vintage Natural Chalcedony Agate body of an unusual, highly translucent tortoiseshell and honey-banded coloration.
    • Form & Profile: … Read more •    Material: Antique/Vintage Natural Chalcedony Agate body of an unusual, highly translucent tortoiseshell and honey-banded coloration.
    •    Form & Profile: Classic flat spade shape featuring a flared neck, concave mouth rim, narrow mouth, and a narrow concave base. Designed historically as a "Sleeve Bottle" to slide smoothly into traditional robe sleeves.
    •    Stopper Assembly: High-contrast, vibrant green Peking glass cap(jadeite style) with an intact cork and attached interior scoop spoon.
    •    Craftsmanship: Extremely well-hollowed with an exceptionally thin-walled, highly compressed side profile. The precise lapidary carving maximizes the stone’s natural light-passing translucency.
    •    Decoration: Finely incised external line carvings on both broad faces:
    ◦    Face A: Two traditional square-holed Chinese copper cash coins representing wealth.
    ◦    Face B: A traditional longevity scene featuring a resting cat beneath bamboo looking up at a flying butterfly.

Provenance & Trade History
    •    Auction History: Curated and cataloged as part of a verified antique collection lot via an established estate auction venue.

Condition Report
    •    Overall Condition: Excellent condition. The polished agate body retains a smooth, glassy finish. There are no chips, fractures, or cracks to the flared neck, body, or foot rim.
    •    Stopper Fit Note: The green Peking glass stopper assembly and original spoon are fully intact. The vintage cork liner currently sits slightly snug inside the narrow neck, causing the stopper to rest just a fraction above the mouth rim (can be easily adjusted or shaved down by the collector if a flush seat is desired). See less