Probably Beijing Palace Workshops, Qianlong period, 乾隆 1736–1795

Clear ruby red glass on a clear background deeply carved on one side with a longma 龙马, the mythical dragon-horse, holding the bagua 八卦, the eight diagrams, the reverse with a fish and coin motif in the cloud, forming the rebus niannian you yu 年年有余, meaning "May there be surpluses every year," the bottle of ovoid compressed form with a flaring neck and recessed foot.

The longma supposedly introduced the bagua to Fu Xi 伏羲, one of the legendary founding fathers of China. The bagua is used in Taoist cosmology to represent a range of interrelated concepts.

H: 5.9 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. 81

Ref. 081-L0610

Price on request