A RARE ENAMELED YIXING STONEWARE BOTTLE

For a similar example see Bob C. Stevens, The Collector's Book of Snuff Bottles, 1976, col. pl. 336. The Pekinese was the product of countless generations of careful breeding and came to symbolise the Buddhistic lion as the Chinese imagined it. Pairs of animals also symbolise marital harmony and it is interesting to note that the Emperor Daoguang and his consort were each partial to one of the two creatures depicted on this bottle
For other examples see Christie's Swire, Hong Kong, April 1, l992, lot 1538, and Christie's, London, Fine Chinese Snuff Bottles, The Dwyer Collection, October 12, 1987, lot 102