A WHITE-GLAZED RETICULATED 'BUDDHIST LIONS' SNUFF BOTTLE AND STOPPER Jiaqing seal mark and of the period The body of flattened spade shape resting on a gilt foot with concave base and rising to a waisted neck, the exterior crisply moulded and reticulated to depict grinning Buddhist lions playfully chasing ribboned brocade balls between two bands of ruyi fungi, a band of leiwen around the neck, the whole covered with a creamy ivory-white glaze, matching stopper. 7.7cm (3in) high including stopper. (2). Footnotes: 清嘉慶 瓷胎鏤雕獅子戲球紋鼻煙壺 礬紅「大清嘉慶年製」篆書款 Provenance: Sotheby's London, 11 October 1974, lot 109 Trudy and John Cohen, collection no.B75 來源：倫敦蘇富比，1974年10月11日，拍品編號109 Trudy及John Cohen伉儷，藏品編號B75 This design features nine frolicking Buddhist lions playing with brocade balls, alluding to the popular belief that when a lion and lioness play together, their shed fur rolls into a ball and turns into a brave cub. The nine (jiu 九) lions (shi 獅) also create a rebus for jiushi tongju (九世同居), which may be translated as 'nine generations living together', further conveying blessings for familial harmony and a long family lineage. The use of moulds in the production of snuff bottles developed primarily during the Qianlong reign, and by the end of the 18th century, moulded decoration was employed not only to define the overall shape, but also to provide the principal decorative elements of many bottles. The existence of bottles from similar moulds and rendered in different colours demonstrates the versatility of a single, moulded design. For example, both a famille rose and a gilt iron-red snuff bottle from a similar mould as the present piece, Jiaqing seal mark and of the period, are illustrated by H.Moss, V.Graham, and K.B.Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection, vol.6.2, Hong Kong, 2008, nos.1209 and 1210, and were later sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 28 May 2010, lot 83 and Bonhams Hong Kong, 23 November 2010, lot 91. Compare also with a similar white-glazed snuff bottle, Jiaqing seal mark and of the period, which is illustrated in The Baur Collection: Chinese Snuff Bottles, Milan, 2007, no.H63, pp.172-173. A related red-glazed moulded and reticulated 'Buddhist Lions' snuff bottle, Jiaqing seal mark and of the period, was sold at Christie's New York, 27 March 2018, lot 95. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing