Bottle ID: 639

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WITH RIBBON, INSCRIBED

Date: 1750-1820

Height: 59 mm

 

Nephrite, of flattened ovoid form with a waisted neck and everted lip, the foot rim concave, well hollowed and of a mottled gray tone, incised on both sides with rows of shou medallions within a circular panel, a brocade tied bow incised over the medallions and encircling the bottle.
Possibly imperial, attributed to the Palace Workshops

 

Similar Examples:

Crane Collection nos. 121 and 339
Snuff Bottles - The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Vol. 47, Beijing, 2003, p. 152, no. 229.
Moss, Hugh, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang. A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles - The Mary and George Bloch Collection, 1995,  Vol 1, pp. 80-81, no. 28.
Christie's, New York, March 21, 2002, lot 223, The Blanche B. Exstein Collection.

 

Provenance:

Asian Art Studio
Maria Lenhart, CA

 

 

 

 

The symbolism inherent in this bottle is unmistakeable. The ribbon is a symbol of longevity, as it is usually depicted a long and flowing. The word for ribbon is 'shoudai', the first character of 'shou' being also a pun for longevity. This is amplified many times on this bottle with rows of shou medallions carved on both sides of the bottle and encircled by the brocade ribbon.

 

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