A white nephrite snuff bottle, well hollowed, carved in low relief with a dragon and a phoenix, red coral and turquoise stopper. (Can see the snuff inside).
The Reverse: A white nephrite snuff bottle, well hollowed, carved in low relief with a dragon and a phoenix, red coral and turquoise stopper. (Can see the snuff inside).

THE CHINESE COLLECTION

 

Dragon & Phoenix Snuff Bottle

 

A white nephrite snuff bottle, well hollowed, carved in low relief with a dragon and a phoenix, red coral and turquoise stopper. (Can see the snuff inside).

B22

Nephrite, white mutton fat material, the body carved with a dragon and a phoenix, the phoenix with its tail displaying; the well hollowed bottle of flattened pear form standing on a raised oval foot

Chinese, 1780 - 1850
Stopper: red coral with turqoise collar
Provenance: Lt. Col. B.M.L.Forsyth, sold Christies, London, 1974
Height: 5.7cm

Together, the dragon and phoenix embody the male and female essences and symbolize the married state. The motif of dragon and phoenix creates a rebus longfeng chengxiang 'the dragon and phoenix present auspiciousness' and this was considered an appropriate message for gifts and paraphernalia at weddings.

 
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