Ader
119
-
Snuff box in grey and brown nephrite, decorated with motifs …
See original version (French)
119
-
Snuff box in grey and brown nephrite, decorated with motifs …
See original version (French)
Estimate €1,000 - €1,500
Voluntary lot
Description
Snuff box in grey and brown nephrite, decorated with motifs symbolising a wish for long life, China, 1750–1850
Rectangular in shape with rounded shoulders, the brown side is carved with two Taoist figures, one holding a bamboo staff, standing on a rocky outcrop above the waves from which the sun rises, exhaling clouds upon which a pavilion rests. In the sky, a crane in flight holds a stick in its beak. The scene is flanked by two large rocks. The undecorated reverse side is made of grey nephrite. Oval foot. Turquoise stopper.
Height: 6 cm
This motif is known as Haiwu Tianchou – 海屋添籌 – ‘adding a longevity stick to the House of the Sea’, and refers to a legend according to which every human being’s lifespan is predetermined by a vial containing bamboo sticks, kept in the ‘House of the Sea’, located in Penglai (the mythical land of the Immortals of the East Sea in Chinese mythology). If a crane adds a stick to a person’s vial, that person’s life is extended by a hundred years. As the expression ‘to add a stick’ (tianchou – 添籌) is a homophone for ‘to add longevity’ (tianshou – 添壽), ‘Haiwu Tianshou’ is a traditional way of wishing someone a long life.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Lot description modified on 10/20/2026 at 9:58 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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