Qing Dynasty Large Size Agate Snuff Bottle with Bat and Carp Design, hand-carved from a large piece of sought-after Su-Zhou Agate with natural segments formed inside the stone. The carver takes the stone and takes advantage of the different colors or formation of the stone and works at it slightly to bring out the best design imagined. This type of work in carving is called "Qiao-Diao", meaning to carve with special thought in design and skill to be able to use the natural beauty of the material to its best without altering the original state of the material too much. It generally applies to small stone or jade carvings and sometimes is used with wood such as a root carving. The sides of the bottle are carved with two delicate ears with a stylized ancient "Shou-Shuo, Animal-Head" design. This beautiful bottle with its partially translucent stone quality fascinates one with many ancient tales and stories through passage of light. The lid is made of dark pink color Peking glass material to resemble the precious tourmaline stone with silver casing.

Both Bat with cloud and carp are auspicious in Chinese culture for good luck, longevity, and prosperity.

Dimensions: 2 1/4" L x 1 1/2" W x 3 1/4" H

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