A CARVED AMBER 'WANG XIZHI' SNUFF BOTTLE, QING DYNASTY China, 1760-1850. The transparent amber is of a deep golden-brown tone and of stunning purity overall, with only very few natural inclusions of creamy-brown color. Superbly carved to one side with Wang Xizhi wearing long flowing robes and pointing his fan at the two geese on the ground beside him, all below a towering pine tree, and to the other side with two boys at play and a bird in flight. The shoulders are carved with beast masks suspending mock ring handles. Provenance: From the private collection of Tuyet Nguyet and Stephen Markbreiter. Tuyet Nguyet was the founder and chief editor of Arts of Asia. She married Stephen Markbreiter, an English architect, in 1959 and moved to Hong Kong to work as a journalist. Arts of Asia's first regular edition appeared in 1971. In the magazine, Nguyet sought to combine authoritative content from major experts with detailed coverage of the Asian art market. Tuyet Nguyet was an early member of The International Chinese Snuff Bottle Society, attending her first convention in 1973, and was later elected as an honorary member. Condition: Excellent condition with only minor wear and a fine, naturally grown patina. Stopper: Green glass (repurposed bead) Weight: 76.8 g Dimensions: Height incl. stopper 96 mm, Diameter neck 23 mm and mouth 7 mm Expert's note: The present lot is exceptional for the magnificent quality of the amber, which is of great purity and fine translucence. The masterful carving of the bottle, truly fitting the superb material, makes this a very rare find overall. Auction result comparison: Compare a closely related amber snuff bottle, also depicting Wang Xizhi, but of smaller size (7.3 cm high) and arguably lesser quality, at Christie's New York, in The Ruth and Carl Barron Collection of Fine Chinese Snuff Bottles: Part VI, on 12 September 2018, lot 687, sold for USD 10,000. 清代琥珀雕《王羲之戲鵝》鼻烟壺 中國，1760-1850年。透明的琥珀色呈深金棕色，整體純淨度令人驚嘆，只有極少的棕色天然內沁。 一側雕刻王羲之戲鵝圖；另一側則是兩個男童在玩耍，一隻鳥在飛。肩部刻有獸面輔首。 來源：Tuyet Nguyet 和 Stephen Markbreiter 的私人收藏。Tuyet Nguyet 是《Arts of Asia》的創始人和主編。1959 年，她與英國建築師Stephen Markbreiter結婚，並移居香港擔任記者。《Arts of Asia》第一期普通版於 1971 年問世。在該雜誌中，Nguyet 致力於將專家的權威內容與亞洲藝術市場的詳細報導相結合。Tuyet Nguyet 是國際中國鼻煙壺協會的早期會員，1973 年參加了協會的第一次大會，後來當選爲名譽會員。 品相：狀況極佳，只有輕微磨損和自然生長的精美包漿。 壺蓋: 綠玻璃 (珠子再利用) 重量：76.8 克 尺寸：總高 96 毫米， 頸部直徑23 毫米，壺口7 毫米 專家注釋：本拍品因其卓越的琥珀品質，具有極高的純度和良好的半透明性，而尤其值得關注。 精湛的雕刻，上乘的材料，使之成為一個非常罕見的收藏品。 拍賣結果比較：一件同樣以王羲之為紋飾的琥珀鼻烟壺，但尺寸稍小 (高7.3 厘米) ，但質量稍差，見紐約佳士得The Ruth and Carl Barron Collection of Fine Chinese Snuff Bottles: Part VI 2018年9月12日 lot 687, 售價USD 10,000。