169 - A BLUE AND WHITE PORCELAIN ‘WUFU’ SNUFF BOTTLE JINGDEZHEN, 1820-1870

A BLUE AND WHITE PORCELAIN ‘WUFU’ SNUFF BOTTLE JINGDEZHEN, 1820-1870 To Be Sold Without Reserve Of barrel shape, with a waisted neck, flat lip and recessed, flat circular foot, painted with two quatrefoil panels with various auspicious objects, set on a diaper ground consisting of repeated fylfots (swastikas), the shoulders with a band of formalized floral design, the lip with five bats, ‘wufu’ the foot with a double blue circle Height: 4cm Provenance: Te Feng, Hong Kong, 1999 Hugh Moss (HK), Ltd, 11th May 2000, (a copy of the original invoice available) Snuff-pots, with wide mouths, were apparently a development of the early nineteenth century when it became fashionable to place petals in the mouth of the bottle over night to scent the snuff. They are most common in porcelain, but many examples are known in other materials as well. The five bats at the lip represent the five happinesses or blessings: longevity, wealth, health, love of virtue and a peaceful death. ‘Avery Brundage and his Later Jades’ Terese Tse Bartholomew, Arts of Asia Vol. 29 no.1 page 42. Ω This Lot was imported outside of the UK, under the Temporary Admission scheme. 5% import VAT will be charged on the ‘hammer’ price and 20% VAT will be charged on the ‘buyer’s premium’. If proof of export outside of the UK can be provided for this item within 3 months of the sale date, then the VAT can be refunded. Please contact us for further details and shipping advice