.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
An auspicious rebus appears to be implied through the subject of quail and millet, since the Chinese character for 'quail' (an) has the same sound as the character for 'peace', and the ear of grain is a pun for 'year' (sui), the combination suggesting a wish for peace year after year. The three heads of grain form a desire for an excellent harvest as well. This subject was popular during the eighteenth century and is found on enameled wares associated with the Court. See, for example, a Beijing enamel bottle formerly from the Meriem Collection, sold in these rooms, 19 September 2007, lot 633, also with a design of quails and millet.
The lotus (he) leaf and a big (da) carp (liyu) forms the rebus hebao dali ('May your purse be filled with good profits'). At the same time, the carp struggling upstream symbolizes the aspirations of the scholar. The lotus is one of the most familiar subjects in Chinese art. Since the perfect flower emerges from mud and murky waters, the lotus was adopted as a symbol of integrity and came to be associated with the upright gentleman. The lotus is also a Buddhist symbol of purity, and its formalized overlapping petals can be seen adorning the bases of Buddhist sculptures from the sixth century onwards.
The clever use of the material here is unusual for this range of amber snuff bottles and seems to reflect the growing popularity of parti-colored hardstone bottles of the mid-Qing period, where the coloring in the stone is used as cameo relief (in the style of the 'Official School'). The ear of millet on one side, and the lotus and one fin of the fish on the other, have been carved making full use of each patch - may have been a response to the increased popularity of chalcedony bottles.
The lotus (he) leaf and a big (da) carp (liyu) forms the rebus hebao dali ('May your purse be filled with good profits'). At the same time, the carp struggling upstream symbolizes the aspirations of the scholar. The lotus is one of the most familiar subjects in Chinese art. Since the perfect flower emerges from mud and murky waters, the lotus was adopted as a symbol of integrity and came to be associated with the upright gentleman. The lotus is also a Buddhist symbol of purity, and its formalized overlapping petals can be seen adorning the bases of Buddhist sculptures from the sixth century onwards.
The clever use of the material here is unusual for this range of amber snuff bottles and seems to reflect the growing popularity of parti-colored hardstone bottles of the mid-Qing period, where the coloring in the stone is used as cameo relief (in the style of the 'Official School'). The ear of millet on one side, and the lotus and one fin of the fish on the other, have been carved making full use of each patch - may have been a response to the increased popularity of chalcedony bottles.