IMPERIAL, JINGDEZHEN KILNS, QIANLONG FOUR-CHARACTER SEAL MARK IN IRON RED AND OF THE PERIOD, 1770-1795

The present bottle is a later Qianlong version of the well-known double-gourd design initiated by Tang Ying early in the reign and is one of only two known examples of this type. The other is in the Markovic Collection, Vienna, and is illustrated in Journal of the International Chinese Snuff Bottle Society, Baltimore, Spring 2006, front cover.

The double gourd is a symbol of longevity, good fortune, and the hope for ample male progeny, all of which is reinforced by the additional painted decoration of gourds.