The combinations of the phoenix with peony, and the quail with chrysanthemum, are emblematic of summer and autumn respectively. This is one of the finest examples of the classic Guyue Xuan carved-relief type. After the initial period of development of the Guyue Xuan style from the classic Qianlong Palace workshops style, there followed a period of crisp, confident and technically excellent wares of two main types: enamelling on the flat surface of a bottle and, as represented by the present lot, enamelling added to enhance and complete a partial relief design. The carved group most probably evolved from the earlier group with only enamelled decoration. This evolution occurred between 1767, when the Guyue xuan was built as a retirement home for the Qianlong Emperor, and his death in 1799. For details on the Guyue xuan, see lot 804.

The carved-relief examples link the Guyue Xuan group with the Palace workshops, for they required close cooperation with a high-quality, experienced glassworks. Most examples of this relief group have only certain elements of the design carved in relief. Here, for instance, the chrysanthemum heads are in relief, but their stems are painted on the flat ground. Therefore, the bottles were clearly intended from their inception to be joint works between a glass-carving workshop and an enamelling workshop. Such close co-operation between two private workshops is very rare in Chinese craft history outside of the Imperial workshops, where the Emperor had control over a wide variety of skilled artists and craftsmen.

Other carved enamel glass snuff bottles with the same subjects on both sides are illustrated in Chinese Snuff Bottles No. 6, p. 100, E1; and in JICSBS, June 1978, p. 16, no. 15.