B47

Chalcedony, pale russet with a dark-russet skin carved with a bridled horse tethered to a post, its mane realistically represented with carved strokes; the well hollowed bottle of oval form resting on a raised oval foot rim,

Chinese, 1750 - 1860
Stopper: green glass on metal collar
Provenance: Hugh Moss Ltd, London, 1978
Height: 6.4cm

A horse tethered to a post forms a common rebus that expresses a wish for speedy promotion for a deserving young candidate. It was a popular subject in the mid Qing period and appears most often on agate and more rarely on jasper bottles. They are, generally speaking, crisply carved with confidence, and there are rarely poor examples to be found. This is amongst the best.

Zodiac sign / Horse