Ader
120
-
Moulded porcelain snuff box, polychromatic glazed with a bir…
See original version (French)
120
-
Moulded porcelain snuff box, polychromatic glazed with a bir…
See original version (French)
Estimate €800 - €1,000
Voluntary lot
Description
Moulded porcelain snuff box, polychromatic glazed with a birthday greeting design, China, Qianlong mark and period, 1770–1799
Shield-shaped, with a moulded design 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.
A symbolic motif of longevity: the nine peaches 桃 (táo) evoke longevity, whilst the bat 蝠 (fú), a homophone of 福 (fú) – ‘happiness’ – expresses a wish for bliss. The rock and waves refer to the birthday wish 寿山福海 – Shòushān fúhǎi, expressing a wish for a long life and boundless happiness. The narcissus (shuixian – 水仙), a flower associated with the Chinese New Year, symbolises good fortune, prosperity and immortality. As its name is a homophone for xiān 仙 – ‘immortal’ – and is associated with bamboo zhú – 竹, a homophone for zhù 祝, ‘to wish, to congratulate’, and with lingzhi 灵芝 / 靈芝, a symbol of immortality, it expresses the wish zhīxiān zhùshòu 芝仙祝寿 / 芝仙祝壽, that is to say, birthday wishes marked by longevity.
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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