1770-1850

Details

A GREEN-OVERLAY BROWN GLASS SNUFF BOTTLE
1770-1850
The bottle is carved through the translucent green overlay to the coffee-colored ground with a pair of magpies in flight amidst prunus branches.
2 ½ in. (6.4 cm.) high, jade stopper

Provenance

Goldney Collection; Weller's Surrey, 23 March 2009.
Robert Hall, London, 2009.
Hugh Moss (HK) Ltd., Hong Kong, 2011.
Ruth and Carl Barron Collection, Belmont, Massachusetts, no. 5176.

Special notice

This lot is offered without reserve.

Lot Essay

Magpies (xique) depicted alighting on prunus branches (mei) form the rebus xi shang mei shao, 'may your joy reach up to the top of your eyebrows', as magpies are symbols of joy, and the plum is a pun for 'eyebrows' (mei).

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