A GILT-INSCRIBED SUZHOU AGATE PENDANT, DATED 1804
Lot 424 - FAS1025

China. Of rectangular form with rounded corners, expertly carved to depict a group of five figures, including a scholar standing on a platform below serrated rockwork holding a scroll, a boy seated on a larger platform below pine branches issuing from a similar rock, holding on to a drum, above three further boys huddled around a similar larger drum. The upper right corner with a bat in flight.

The carving cleverly utilizes the darker brown markings in the stone, which have been skillfully picked out by the carver. The reverse with a lengthy poetic inscription with cyclical date and two seals. The top pierced with a central aperture for suspension.

Inscription: To one side, dated ‘In the spring of the Jiazi year (corresponding to 1804)’, sealed ‘Xiao’ and ‘Shan’, and inscribed with the following poem:

Years without war and strife,
Land in bloom, people at peace.
Drums roar, gongs ring,
celebrating the year of peace.

Provenance: The Francine and Bernard Wald Collection, thence by descent. Francine and Bernard Wald were a devoted couple and passionate snuff bottle collectors, with a particular love for agate bottles—amassing a collection of over 1,400 pieces. Active participants in the early ICSBS conventions, they acquired many works from leading dealers such as Hugh Moss and Robert Hall, Clare Chu and the Late Robert Kleiner. Francine, a physicist and teacher, and Bernard, a senior lawyer in NYC, often spent summers in Cape Cod coinciding with the sales held at Eldred's auctions. Other collectors, the Dickers, the Dorfs, the Golders, and the Hartmans would visit and ‘Fran and Bernie' as they were known colloquially, held a famed 'Spaghetti' party each year, with all the collectors present. Their prized agate bottles, especially those featuring monkeys—Bernie’s zodiac animal—were proudly displayed in their Greenwich Village home. The couple also wrote articles for the International Chinese Snuff Bottle Society.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and minuscule nibbling.

Weight: 31 g
Dimensions: Length 5.9 cm

The use of serrated rocks and leaves is a hallmark of the Suzhou school. The town of Suzhou, renowned for its classical gardens, winding canals, and elegant literati culture, emerged as one of China’s leading artistic and intellectual centers. It attracted generations of painters, calligraphers, poets, and musicians, whose refined tastes deeply influenced local artistic production. Among the most celebrated expressions of this culture are intricately carved snuff bottles and boxes, often made from agate and jade, showcasing a distinct style associated with the workshop of Zhiting, a famed jade carver active in the region.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 17 September 2013, lot 175
Price: USD 56,250 or approx. EUR 67,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A finely carved Suzhou agate pendant Suzhou School, 1730 - 1830
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, stone, and manner of carving.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s Paris, 12 June 2013, lot 170
Price: EUR 30,000 or approx. EUR 36,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A carved agate pendant, Suzhou, China, Qing dynasty, 18^th-19^th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, stone, and manner of carving.