A rare and fine yellow and russet jade 'dragon and tiger' snuff bottle


18th/19th centuryVery well-hollowed, of flattened rectangular form rising from an oval recessed foot, the dark russet skin elaborately carved in relief with a ferocious dragon looking at a tiger standing on jagged rockwork amidst swirling cloud scrolls, the plain area of an even yellow-green tone with a russet area at the foot rim, stopper. 5.7cm (2 1/8in) high. (2).
|十八/十九世紀 黃玉帶皮雕龍虎紋鼻煙壺Provenance:A distinguished Asian private collection來源：亞洲顯赫私人收藏The tiger and dragon represent the yin and yang guardians; together they are associated with the power to exorcise evil and to protect palaces and tombs. The present snuff bottle can be compared to a number of examples produced by the Master of the Rocks School which appears to have specialised in jade carvings from this distinctive material of yellow-chestnut stone with russet skin, where the subject matter of the school include landscape and figural scenes as well as dragon designs. See for example a yellow-green and russet jade 'Noble Occupations' snuff bottle, 1740-1830, from the Mary and George Bloch collection, which was sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 23 November 2010, lot 122; and another 'figures in landscape' snuff bottle from the same collection, which was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 26 November 2013, lot 74.本壺所飾龍虎紋飾具有陰陽調和的意義，也是辟邪吉祥的象徵。本壺的工藝與風格可與卵石皮浮雕大師流派之作品作比較。參考瑪麗及莊智博夫婦舊藏一件巧色玉雕漁樵耕讀鼻煙壺，2010年11月23日，拍品編號122；同收藏裡也參考另一件例子，飾風景人物圖，後售於香港蘇富比，2013年11月26日，拍品編號74。