Bottle ID: 00638

< Previous page

GREEN LIME, CLEAR, CARVED IN THE FORM OF A MALLOW FLOWER

Date: 1750-1850

Height: 53 mm

Glass, molded and carved in the form of a mallow flower, of clear lime-green color, the front and reverse faces carved with a flower-head of six over-lapping petals with a central radiating whorl.

Possibly Imperial, attributed to the Palace Workshops, Beijing.

Similar Examples:

Crane Collection no. 462.
Hui, Humphrey K. F., Margaret Polak and Christopher C. H. Sin.  Hidden  Treasures of the Dragon - Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Collections of Humphrey K. F. Hui, Margaret Polak, and Christopher C. H. Sin, 1991, p. 62, no. 113.

Provenance:

The Asian Art Studio
The Collection of P. Harvey, Southern California

Exhibited:

Annual Convention ICSBS Toronto, October 2007

This is a rare color for the mallow or kui flower form.  The lime-green glass is very heavy, even allowing for the thickness of the glass, and it seems probably that it may be a candidate for being carved from a solid block of glass.  This is supported by the slightly frosted interior surface which has not been completely polished.  The design of this flower is known as 'fengjuankui' or 'mallow curling in the wind'.  In reality, mallow flowers have only five petals, yet this design would not function without six petals as there would be no 'foot' created by having an odd number of petals.  It seems likely that this is the reason for the six-petaled flower, as the same flower when depicted on a bottle with flattened circular fascias has the correct number of petals.  The mallow flower is symbolic of the successful scholar-official expressing his desire for an honorable long life.

< Back to full list