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Lot Essay
The character ling, can be read as "decree" or "order."
See Raymond Li, A Glossary of Chinese Snuff Bottle Rebus: Rediscovering the Hidden Internal Beauty in Snuff Bottles, Hong Kong, 1976, p. 52, where the author notes that "The bannerman on the horse with an unfurled banner signifies the march to success and would be a nice gift for a military officer".
The bannerman on this bottle is sporting a winter hat. For a discussion of Winter hats, see Gary Dickenson and Linda Wrigglesworth, Imperial Wardrobe, London, 1990, p. 98 where the authors note, "Winter hats were adopted by the court with the approach of cold weather in the ninth moon and were put away during the third moon of the following year. The 'warm hat', as it was commonly known, was a close-fitting cap with a quilted crown and an upturned brim. The brim was faced with fur or moleskin. The types of fur that could be used were strictly regulated."
See Raymond Li, A Glossary of Chinese Snuff Bottle Rebus: Rediscovering the Hidden Internal Beauty in Snuff Bottles, Hong Kong, 1976, p. 52, where the author notes that "The bannerman on the horse with an unfurled banner signifies the march to success and would be a nice gift for a military officer".
The bannerman on this bottle is sporting a winter hat. For a discussion of Winter hats, see Gary Dickenson and Linda Wrigglesworth, Imperial Wardrobe, London, 1990, p. 98 where the authors note, "Winter hats were adopted by the court with the approach of cold weather in the ninth moon and were put away during the third moon of the following year. The 'warm hat', as it was commonly known, was a close-fitting cap with a quilted crown and an upturned brim. The brim was faced with fur or moleskin. The types of fur that could be used were strictly regulated."