A coral snuff bottle

Qianlong mark and period, 乾隆 1736 – 1795
Height: 5.6 cm.

Coral, of compressed form with a cylindrical neck and recessed foot engraved with a Qianlong nian zhi (made during the Qianlong period) four-character mark, both sides similarly carved in relief with a butterfly and peonies growing from rockwork; matching coral stopper.

The peony is considered the "king of flowers" in China, and it stands for the first rank among officials. It is therefore widely used to symbolize wealth and honor. See Terese Tse Bartholomew, Hidden Meaning in Chinese Art (San Francisco: 2006), no. 5.26. The rocks symbolize longevity and the butterflies are symbols of blessing and happiness.

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. 102

Ref. 817812

SOLD