Floating Agate Snuff Bottle
Late Qing Dynasty

Carved from a translucent honey-brown agate of exceptional lightness, the bottle is fashioned in a flattened rounded form with subtly faceted sides and a short cylindrical neck. The stone displays attractive natural banding and cloud-like inclusions, skillfully incorporated into the overall design. The stopper is fitted with a porcelain finial decorated in underglaze blue and enamel colors.

Floating agate snuff bottles occupy a special place among Qing dynasty hardstone carvings. Fashioned from naturally lightweight agate with a hollowed interior of remarkable thinness, such bottles were prized for their unusual ability to float when placed in water, a feature that demonstrated both the quality of the material and the extraordinary skill of the lapidary. The successful creation of a floating agate bottle required careful selection of stone and exceptionally precise hollowing, making these objects highly admired among collectors of scholar's objects and snuff bottles.

The present example combines attractive color, elegant form, and technical sophistication, exemplifying the refined taste and craftsmanship associated with late Qing hardstone carving.

{Height 2 5/8 x Width 2 1/8 x Depth 1 1/2 inches (8 x 7 x 5 cm)}.

浮水玛瑙鼻烟壶
清晚期

鼻烟壶以蜜糖色玛瑙雕琢而成，质地温润通透，呈扁圆形，短颈小口，造型饱满雅致。器身利用天然玛瑙纹理与色泽变化，形成如云气流动般的自然美感。配瓷质彩绘壶盖，更增古雅韵味。

“浮水玛瑙”鼻烟壶为清代鼻烟壶收藏中的特殊品类。工匠选用质地轻盈的玛瑙原石，并将内部掏膛至极薄，使器物整体重量大幅减轻，置于水中能够漂浮，因此被称为“浮水玛瑙”。此类作品不仅体现材料本身的珍贵，更展示了玉石工匠高超的掏膛技艺。由于制作难度极高，历来深受文人雅士及鼻烟壶收藏家的珍视。

本器色泽莹润，包浆自然，掏膛精细，兼具观赏性与工艺价值，为晚清玛瑙鼻烟壶中的佳作。

{高8厘米，宽7厘米，厚5厘米}。

For condition report, please contact the Asian Art Department.