Brown agate "silhouette" snuffbox with natural dragon decoration, China, 1760-1850 Of flattened rectangular shape with rounded shoulders, the agate's natural brown inclusions form a decoration suggesting a dragon rising from the clouds. The shoulders are carved with a Buddhist lion-head mask with a ring in its mouth. Carnelian stopper. Height: 5.6 cm Snuffboxes of this type are called "silhouette agate". They are made from a piece of agate chosen for its natural inclusions and tonalities, which can give rise to an identifiable decoration after appropriate hollowing. This is achieved without the lapidary's hand having to intervene on the surface of the stone to create the supposed motif.