AN INSIDE-PAINTED ROCK CRYSTAL 'FISH' SNUFF BOTTLE Signed Zhu Zhanyuan, cyclically dated to the autumn of the Bingshen year, corresponding to 1896, and of the period The hollowed crystal body of cuboid form, raised on a slightly hollowed foot and below a cylindrical neck with flat mouth rim, finely painted on the inside in ink and colours with a continuous scene of goldfish with protruding eyes and fan tails placidly swimming amongst lotus plants, the front with a signed inscription, stopper. 5cm (2in) high. (2). Footnotes: 丙申年（1896） 朱占元款水晶内畫荷塘金魚圖鼻烟壺 Provenance: Sotheby's London, 11 October 1974, lot 50 Trudy and John Cohen, collection no.B63 來源：倫敦蘇富比，1974年10月11日，拍品編號50 Trudy及John Cohen伉儷，藏品編號B63 Zhu Zhanyuan (朱占元) painted in the style of Zhou Leyuan (周樂元, active 1879-1893), who is credited with reviving the Beijing School of inside-painted snuff bottles in the late nineteenth century, and is among the few painters of this school known to have signed their works with their own names. Particularly remarkable in the present lot is the artist's ability, despite the particularly limited space to manoeuvre the brush, to paint continuously around the bottle and execute the inscription with precision and charm. The inscription reads: 君子之風，丙申秋月，朱占元 which may be translated as: The demeanor of a Gentleman, Autumn of the Bingshen year, Zhu Zhanyuan A double snuff bottle, also featuring fish and signed Zhu Zhanyuan, cyclically dated to the Dingyou year corresponding to 1897, was sold at Christie's New York, 14 September 2016, lot 414. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: Y Y Subject to CITES regulations when exporting items outside of the UK, see clause 13. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing