A TURQUOISE GROUND BLACK OVERLAY GLASS SNUFF BOTTLE, 1820-1880 China. Of compressed globular form, rising from an oval foot rim to a straight cylindrical neck, carved in black overlay on turquoise ground depicting Liu Hai on his toad to one side and Dongfang Shuo holding a peach branch on the reverse, lion mask handles on the sides.

Provenance: British trade.
Condition: Good condition with little surface wear, some nibbling to the lip, a minuscule chip to the base, nicks to the overlay.

Stopper: Hardstone stopper with metal mounting
Weight: 42 g
Dimensions: Height including stopper 65 mm. Diameter neck 13 mm and mouth 6 mm.

Liu Hai was revered as the epitome of wealth and business success. He was a prime minister in the Han dynasty government and a proficient student of Daoist magic and medicine. It was rumored that he possessed a three-legged toad that could travel unimpeded anywhere he chose.

Dongfang Shuo (c. 160-93 BC) was a Han Dynasty scholar-official, author, and court jester to Emperor Wu. The legend of Dongfang Shuo has him attempting to steal one of the famous 'peaches of longevity' from the orchard of Xi Wangmu, the Queen Mother of the West. The peaches were believed to ripen only once in 3,000 years and to confer immortality on anyone who ate them.

Auction result comparison: Compare a related black overlaid turquoise glass snuff bottle, dated 1820-1880, at Bonhams San Francisco in Fine Chinese Works of Art and Paintings on 23 June 2015, lot 7195, sold for USD 2,125.

1820-1880年松石綠地套黑料鼻烟壺
中國。扁圓形，圓柱形直頸，橢圓圈足。一面可見劉海騎在他的三足金蟾上，另一面可見東方朔手持桃枝。肩部獅面輔首。

來源：英國古玩市場。
品相：狀況良好，表面小磨損，唇部有輕微磨損，底部有微小的磕損，套料上有刻痕。

壺蓋：石壺蓋，鑲金屬
重量：42克
尺寸：含壺蓋高65 毫米. 頸部直徑13 毫米，唇部直徑6 毫米.

拍賣結果比較：比較一件1820-1880年相近的松石綠地套黑料鼻烟壺，見舊金山邦翰思 Fine Chinese Works of Art and Paintings 2015年6月23日 lot 7195, 售價USD 2,125。