The bottle is of ovoid form and is carved in low relief.
On one side there is a design of an egret under a blossoming prunus tree, with an inscription to one side. On the other, there is a clump of lotus and a second inscription, 6.6cm.
This bottle has been described as ‘a painting in stone’ and it clearly demonstrates the craftsman’s skill. His clever use of the natural inclusions in the soapstone, when creating the image, transform an object made of an inexpensive material into a work of great art.
The combination of the simple and the sophisticated were, and are, greatly admired by Chinese connoisseurs.
It is one of the masterpieces of the collection.
