AN 18th CENTURY CARNELIAN AGATE BELT BUCKLE ‘CAT WITH BUTTERFLY’The stone is of high polished quality with banded areas surrounding the carnelian at the centerChina, 18th century. This 18th century belt hook is carved from Carnelian Agate, a rare and highly sought-after material that was mainly in fashion in 18th century Qing Dynasty China. Carved out of the natural carnelian inclusion is a kitten playing with a butterfly. The ‘cat and butterfly’ motif was popular during the Qing Dynasty and a symbol for reaching an old age.Shape: Belt hook Dimensions: length is 7.5 cm, width is 4 cm Weight: 64.5 gramsCondition: very good condition with tiny notches and some miniscule natural flaws in the mineralProvenance: from a Hungarian private collectionAuction results comparison: for other Qing Dynasty miniature carvings out of Carnelian agate see Christie’s, Chinese Ceramics, Works of Art and Textiles Part I, London, South Kensington, 4 November 2014, lot 120 or Christie’s, Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Hong Kong, 27 November 2013, lot 3618. 十八世紀瑪瑙雕貓撲蝶帶鈎精工抛光，中央部分可見帶狀肌理中國， 十八世紀造型：帶鈎尺寸：長7.5 厘米，寬4 厘米 重量：64.5 克品相：極好，局部可見劃痕，一些天然缺陷來源：匈牙利私人收藏