A CHALCEDONY AGATE 'FISH' SNUFF BOTTLE 18th/19th century The compressed body of rounded rectangular form, raised on a short foot ring and below a cylindrical neck, the front expertly carved in relief from the mottled rust-hued skin with two finely detailed fish, one breathing out a bubble, the disturbed water suggested through incised ripples, the darker inclusions in the translucent honey-coloured stone cleverly used in the depiction of another fish and millet stalks on the reverse, stopper. 5.7cm (2 1/4in) high. (2). Footnotes: The item within this lot containing ivory has been registered in accordance with the Ivory Act (Section 10). Ref.7C3ZZ6FC 該批次中含有象牙的物品已根據《象牙法案》（章節10）註冊Ref.7C3ZZ6FC 十八/十九世紀 瑪瑙巧雕雙魚紋鼻煙壺 Provenance: Lt. Col. B.M.L. Forsyth Christie's London, 18 March 1975, lot 100 Trudy and John Cohen, collection no.B54 來源：B.M.L. Forsyth中校 倫敦佳士得，1975年3月18日，拍品編號100 Trudy及John Cohen伉儷，藏品編號B54 Homophonous with the character yu (餘) meaning abundance, the fish (yu 魚) has come to represent plenitude, whether of wealth, children, or good health. Here, the pair of fish swimming in unison symbolises marital harmony, making this bottle an ideal wedding gift. The auspicious message is reinforced on the bottle's reverse, where an additional fish appears alongside a lotus (lian 蓮) stem, forming the rebus lianlian you yu (連連有餘) and therefore wishing the newly married couple to 'repeatedly have surplus'. The accompanying millet spray further conveys the wish for fecundity. It is worth noting that the fish on the reverse is engraved around a single dark inclusion, cleverly incorporated as the creature's eye. In this respect, the present lot may be classified within the 'eye-ball group' as discussed by H.Moss, Chinese Snuff Bottles of the Silica and Quartz Group, London, 1971, p.56. A related chalcedony snuff bottle, 1800-1860, is illustrated by R.Hall, The Snowy Peaks Collection: A Collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles formed by Pamela R. Lessing Friedman, Hong Kong, 2005, no.57. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: Y Ф Y Subject to CITES regulations when exporting items outside of the UK, see clause 13. Ф This lot contains or is made of ivory and cannot be imported into the USA or any country within the EU. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing