B31

Chalcedony, pale beige with a darker brown inclusion minimally carved to represent the mythological figure, Huang Chenyen travelling on his donkey carrying a large branch of prunus blossom, a bat in the foreground; the bottle of flattened rectangular form with a raised oval foot rim.

Chinese, 1750 - 1860
Stopper: crystal with red finial
Provenance: Hugh Moss Ltd, 1976
Illustrated: I.C.S.B.S. Journal, page 12, number 8, 1975 'Snuff Bottles: the quality factor' by
R.W.L. Kleiner

This is from the same group as number B29, sharing the same aspirations and technique, only depicting a different subject, that of Huang Chenyen. Huang Chenyen is a mythological figure portrayed in search of prunus. In this case the workmanship is extraordinarily successful, the perspective and the resulting manner in which this lonesome traveller is depicted is brilliant and portrays the gruelling, solitary dedication this well loved character peruses.