China. Well hollowed, of flattened globular form with tapering foot, surmounted by a straight cylindrical neck with concave top. The translucent stone dramatically patterned with areas of icy white, opaque green, and brilliant emerald-green tone.

Provenance: Ago von Maltzan, acquired in Beijing between 1912 and 1916, and thence by descent within the same family. A collector’s number ‘18’ to the base. Adolf Georg Otto “Ago” von Maltzan, Freiherr zu Wartenberg und Penzlin (1877-1927), was a preeminent German diplomat of the Weimar Republic, who served in Beijing between 1912 and 1916, after posts in Kristiania (1909), St. Petersburg (1911), and Rio de Janeiro (1907). As the Permanent Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, he was a signatory of the Treaty of Rapallo (1922) between Germany and Soviet Russia, under which both countries renounced all territorial and financial claims against each other and opened friendly diplomatic relations. From 1924, he served as Ambassador to the United States in Washington, D.C. The Vossische Zeitung, a nationally known Berlin newspaper that represented the interests of the liberal middle class and was generally regarded as Germany's national newspaper of record, described Maltzan as the most competent diplomat that Germany ever had.
Condition: Very good condition with minor nibbling. The stone with natural fissures, some of which may have developed into thin hairline cracks over time. The stopper with a smoothened chip, the gilt-copper collar with light wear, small nicks, and minuscule losses.

Stopper: Tourmaline with gilt-copper collar, good tortoiseshell spoon
Weight: 66.9 g
Dimensions: Height including stopper 53 mm. Diameter neck 17 mm and mouth 6 mm.

Jadeite comes from a remote part of Burma and first became a readily available material probably between 1784 and 1800 when relations between Burma and China improved with the opening up of regular trade. It is likely that bottles such as this example represent the earliest popular use of jadeite in China. With the imperially inspired snuff-bottle craze at its height during the late eighteenth century, there can be no question that a striking new material arriving on the scene would promptly be carved into bottles. Porcelain bottles made to imitate jadeite during the Daoguang period attest to its well-established popularity.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 27 September 2022, lot 780
Price: USD 8,820 or approx. EUR 8,200 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A jadeite snuff bottle, Qing dynasty, 19th century
Expert remark: Compare the related form, color, and texture of the stone, and size (54 mm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 19 September 2013, lot 1240
Price: USD 10,000 or approx. EUR 11,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: Two mottled jadeite snuff bottles, 1780-1900
Expert remark: Compare the related form, color, and texture of the stone. Note the size (57 mm). Note the lot comprises two snuff bottles.



1718-1860翡翠素面鼻煙壺
中國，掏膛良好，呈扁平球形，足部逐漸下斂，直圓柱形頸，頂部呈凹形。 半透明翡翠，打磨細緻柔滑，通體透亮，色澤嬌翠，顏色鮮豔活潑。

來源： Ago von Maltzan1912年至1916年間購於北京，在同一家族保存，底部可見收藏編號“18”。Adolf Georg Otto „Ago“ von Maltzan，Freiherr zu Wartenberg und Penzlin (1877-1927) 是魏瑪共和國傑出的德國外交官，1912 年至 1916 年在北京任職，此前曾在克里斯蒂安尼亞（1909 年）、聖彼得堡（1911 年）和里約熱內盧（ 1907 年）任職。作為外交部常任副國務卿，他是德國和蘇俄之間拉帕洛條約（1922 年）的簽署人。根據該條約，兩國放棄了對彼此的所有領土和金融要求，建立了友好的外交關係。從 1924 年起，他擔任駐華盛頓特區的駐美大使。代表自由派中產階級利益的知名柏林報紙 Vossische Zeitung ，稱 Maltzan 是德國曾經有過的最能幹的外交官。
品相：狀況極好，有輕微磕痕。具有天然裂隙的翡翠，其中一些可能隨著時間的推移發展成細小的裂縫。壺蓋上有一個光滑的缺口，鎏金銅托片有輕微磨損和極小的損失。

壺蓋：碧璽，鎏金銅托片，玳瑁小勺
重量：66.9 克
尺寸：含壺蓋高53 毫米，頸部直徑17 毫米與壺蓋直徑6 毫米

拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：紐約蘇富比，2022年9月27日，lot 780
價格：USD 8,820（相當於今日EUR 8,200）
描述：清十九世紀翠玉鼻煙壺
專家評論：比較相近的外形、顏色、石頭的質地和尺寸 (54 毫米)。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2013年9月19日，lot 1240
價格：USD 10,000（相當於今日EUR 11,500）
描述：1780-1880年翠玉鼻煙壺兩件
專家評論：比較相近的外形、顏色和石頭的質地。請注意尺寸 (57 毫米)，以及此為兩件鼻煙壺。