Ader
120
-
A moulded porcelain snuff box, polychromatic glazed with a b…
See original version (French)
120
-
A moulded porcelain snuff box, polychromatic glazed with a b…
See original version (French)
Estimate €800 - €1,000
Voluntary lot
Description
A moulded porcelain snuff box, polychromatic glazed with a birthday greeting design, China, Qianlong mark and period, 1770–1799
Shield-shaped, with a moulded decoration in slight relief on one side depicting a peach tree bearing nine peaches, set upon a rock at the edge of a stormy sea over which a bat is flying. On the reverse, daffodils, bamboo and perforated rocks. A frieze of flowers and foliage in underglaze blue adorns the neck and shoulders. At the base, a four-character Qianlong mark in zhuanshu script in underglaze blue. Chalcedony stopper.
Height: 6.2 cm
Minor chipping on the neck, one shoulder and the foot.
The symbolic motif of longevity—the nine peaches (táo) evoke longevity, whilst the bat (fú), a homophone of fú—‘happiness’—expresses a wish for happiness. The rock and waves allude to the birthday wish ???? – Shòushan fúhai, wishing for a long life and boundless happiness. The water lily (shuixian – ??), a flower associated with the Chinese New Year, symbolises good fortune, prosperity and immortality. As its name is a homophone for xian? – ‘immortal’ – it is associated with bamboo (zhú) – ?, a homophone for zhù?, ‘to wish, to congratulate’ – and with lingzhi (??) / ??, a symbol of immortality, it expresses the wish zhixian zhùshòu ???? / ????, that is to say, birthday wishes centred on longevity.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
You may also like