A plain quartz, jasper, plain ladies snuff bottle, well hollowed, with a carnelian stopper.

B6

Quartz, jasper, of small, rounded form, carved from a striking and impressively marked stone of dark olive green colour with russet linear markings, undulating throughout in the manner of the outline of mountains.

Chinese, 1750-1860
Stopper: carnelian stopper in the form of a Mandarin's hat
Provenance: Estelle Chapman, London, 1975
Height: 4cm

The natural markings on this bottle would be of profound interest to any enlightened Chinese observer, as they are reminiscent of the brushstrokes used by the literati artist to suggest the bold outlines of a mountain range.