A ROOT AMBER SNUFF BOTTLE1750-1850 Of flattened, rectangular form with a cylindrical neck and a neatly carved oval footrim, the mottled root amber an irregular natural design in varying tones of brown; stopper. 2 1/2in (6.2cm) high 1750-1850 琥珀素面鼻煙壺一件 Provenance: Marchant, London, June 1997 Joan and Ted Dorf Collection, no. 284 Zhao Zhiqian in his 19th century writings on snuff bottles entitled Yonglu Xianjie , wrote about different types of amber stating: "....One kind has a pine root pattern mixed in, and this is called 'sparrow-brains' ( quenao )". It appears to be that the amber shown here with its variegated markings would fit in with this category.