IMPERIAL, PALACE WORKSHOPS, BEIJING, 1770-1799

Details

AN ENAMELED OPAQUE WHITE GLASS SNUFF BOTTLE
IMPERIAL, PALACE WORKSHOPS, BEIJING, 1770-1799
The sides are enameled with a continuous scene of a katydid standing on a radish beside a blue rock with begonias and asters, all below tassels pendent from the angled shoulder below a collar of blue trefoils. The three-character mark, Guyue Xuan (Ancient Moon Pavilion) is on the base.
2 3/8 in. (6 cm.) high, metal stopper

Provenance

Nagatani, Inc., Chicago, 1 October 1948.
Stephen Junkunc, III (d. 1978) Collection.

Conditions of sale

Brought to you by

Rufus Chen (陳嘉安) Head of Sale, AVP, Specialist

asianartny@christies.com +1 212 636 2180

Lot Essay

Katydids (guoguo) pun on the Chinese word for "elder brother", conveying a wish for male progeny. The words for katydids, crickets and grasshoppers form the rebus zhongsi yanqing (May your children be as numerous as grasshoppers). An alternative meaning for the motif comes from the association of "katydid" (guoguo) with a homonym for "country" to form the expression jinzhong baoguo, meaning "to be loyal to one's country." The pun was a subtle way of reminding officials of an essential tenet of Confucian government. In addition, the insects are emblematic of courage, and some species for their fighting prowess, and were popular at every level of society in China, valued for their merry chirping.

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