.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
Decorated with eight peaches, and itself shaped as a peach, this superb red-overlay glass bottle bears the emblems of marriage, Spring and longevity. Its Daoist association with immortality is derived from the legend of the peach tree which grew in the gardens belonging to Xiwangmu (Queen Mother of the West). This tree was said to blossom once in three thousand years and yield the fruit of eternal life which ripened for a further three thousand years. The number of peaches is also significant, as 'eight' is a homophone for the word 'prosper', while red is the traditional color of celebration.
This tiny, yet elegant, bottle is most likely from the first phase of overlay glass making. Its small size, wide mouth, superb finish and, for an early bottle, the unusual combination of ruby-red on clear glass, are all possible products of the Palace workshops in the early eighteenth century. With its numerous auspicious symbols, this bottle was most likely made to be presented as an Imperial birthday gift.
This tiny, yet elegant, bottle is most likely from the first phase of overlay glass making. Its small size, wide mouth, superb finish and, for an early bottle, the unusual combination of ruby-red on clear glass, are all possible products of the Palace workshops in the early eighteenth century. With its numerous auspicious symbols, this bottle was most likely made to be presented as an Imperial birthday gift.