1760–1840

Chalcedony agate, of flattened square form with tapering shoulders, a broad cylindrical neck and recessed foot, the stone of creamy and gold tone carved in relief to incorporate brown and rust inclusions in the design, depicting on one side two figures in a boat and two ducks on scrolling waters, the reverse with two catfishes and lotus, the interior very well-hollowed.

The two figures in the boat are most likely Hanshan and Shide, poet-monks of the Tang dynasty (618–907) and also known as the Two Immortals of Harmony and Unity. See Terese Tse Bartholomew, Hidden Meaning in Chinese Art (San Francisco: 2006), no. 2.12. The bottle also depicts two fishes together, symbolizing marital unity, a fish wrapped by a lotus leaf, which stands for abundance, and a pair of ducks in a lotus pond, which symbolizes marital harmony as well. All these attributes are related to nuptial blessings.

H: 6.4 cm

Provenance 起源: Linda F. Crawley

Published 发布: Asiantiques, A Fascination for Miniatures: The Linda F. Crawley Collection of Chinese Snuff (2008), cat. no. 23 Asiantiques, Chinese Snuff Bottles (Winter Park FL: Fall 1997), cat. no. 70

Ref. 023-L0630

Price on request