Bottle ID: 309

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SEED POD

Date: 1750-1860

Height: 55 mm

Carnelian and agate, very well hollowed, of rich orange and pale gray tones, carved in the form of a pea-pod, the peas ripened and ready to burst from the pod, the outer leafy skin with a cicada and a butterfly resting on it.

Similar Examples:

Moss, Hugh, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang. A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles - The Mary and George Bloch Collection, 1998, Vol. 2, Part 1, pp. 42-43, no. 195.
The Asian Art Studio, Inc., Spring 2009, p. 56, no. 61.
Sotheby Parke Bernet Inc., March 14-15, 1979, lot 90.

Provenance:

Hugh Moss [HK] Ltd.
Robert Hall

This is a carnelian and agate bottle carved in the form of a bursting peapod, cleverly using the whiter part of the stone to depict the ripe peas within the pod. The peapod is a symbol of fertility and wishes for many male descendants.

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