The bottle appears to be a near contemporaneous copy of the well-known Shunzhi dated group of metal bottles, possibly dating to a few years after the original bottles and made in response to their popularity. For other Shunzhi examples see Sotheby's, New York, Important Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Collection of Alice B. McReynolds, Part II, April 16, 1985, lot 148; for another with the cyclical date bingxu, also corresponding to 1646 and formerly in the Collections of Martin Schoer and Albert Pyke; illustrated by Hugh M. Moss, Chinese Snuff Bottles, no.2, p.57, and exhibited at the Vancouver Museum, 1977, see Sotheby's, New York, Important Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Kardos Collection, July 1, 1985, lot 13. Perhaps the example closest to this in shape and color and also bearing a 1646 date was sold Sotheby's, Hong Kong, Important Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Kaynes-Klitz Collection, Part I, November 16, 1989, lot 70 and another dated 1646 can be seen in Chinese Snuff Bottles, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Catalogue, 1977, fig.236