Ader
146
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A snuffbox in light celadon nephrite, engraved with a poem b…
See original version (French)
146
-
A snuffbox in light celadon nephrite, engraved with a poem b…
See original version (French)
Estimate €3,000 - €4,000
Voluntary lot
Description
A snuffbox in light celadon nephrite, engraved with a poem by Emperor Qianlong and the mark 御製 - yu zhi, China, Imperial Workshops of Beijing, Qianlong period, 1736–1795
Shield-shaped with two convex sides and a flared neck, the snuffbox is engraved on one side with a ‘tagetes erecta’ (or marigold) and on the other with a poem: 葉花與菊總無同 / 色則同黃更帶紅 / 謾道姓名漏芳譜 / 稱觥曾是入豳風, which may be translated as: ‘Its leaves and flowers bear no resemblance to the colours of ordinary chrysanthemums, / For against its golden-yellow background, flashes of bright red appear. / Do not say lightly that its name has been omitted from the registers of famous flowers, / For it was by raising its cup in a toast to the Emperor that it first found its way into the songs of the land of Bin’ and the inscription 御製詩 - Yu Zhi Shi – ‘Composed by Imperial Decree’. Coral stopper encircled by a copper alloy band.
Height: 5.5 cm
Significant wear on the domed part of each side, making the text difficult to read in places.
Publication:
Laurence Souksi, Merveilles de la miniature chinoise, Flacons-tabatières de Chine de la Collection du Commandeur, Paris, 2000, no. 27, p. 15 (illustrated).
Provenance:
Galerie Bertrand de Lavergne, Paris 1999.
This is an imperial poem composed by Emperor Qianlong, taken from the work *Collection of Imperial Poems, Fourth Collection* (御製詩四集). More specifically, this verse forms part of a series of poems celebrating autumnal plants, entitled ‘Eight Varieties of Autumn Flowers’.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Lot description modified on 10/20/2026 at 9:57 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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