AN AMBER 'DOUBLE FISH' SNUFF BOTTLE 18th/19th century Of flattened rounded shape, finely carved in the rich rust-coloured amber with two intertwined fish on each side, with realistically depicted gill, fins and eyes, two tails uniting at the mouth to form the bottle's neck, stopper. 5.5cm (2 1/8in) high. (2). Footnotes: The item within this lot containing ivory has been registered in accordance with the Ivory Act (Section 10). Ref.QVMWYPXL 該批次中含有象牙的物品已根據《象牙法案》（章節10）註冊Ref.QVMWYPXL 十八/十九世紀 琥珀雙魚紋鼻烟壺 Provenance: Mrs C.G. Blaxter Christie's London, 11 November 1974, lot 147 Trudy and John Cohen, collection no.B78 來源：C.G. Blaxter夫人 倫敦佳士得，1974年11月11日，拍品編號147 Trudy及John Cohen伉儷，藏品編號B78 Homophonous with the character yu (餘), meaning abundance, the fish (yu 魚) has come to represent plenitude, whether of wealth, children, or good health. Its association with Zhuangzi's passage on the joy of fish further imbues it with connotations of happiness. A pair of fish (shuangyu 雙魚) symbolises marital harmony, while their fecundity makes them an emblem of numerous offspring. As one of the Eight Buddhist Emblems, the double-fish also signifies freedom from restraint. The depiction of two fish thus encompasses rich symbolic meaning, and therefore enjoyed popularity as an auspicious motif, including in snuff bottles. For a jade example, 1730-1830, see H.Moss, V.Graham, and K.B.Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection, vol.1, Hong Kong, 1995, no.53, which was later sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 25 May 2014, lot 1183; and a carnelian one, 1730-1850, illustrated in ibid., vol.2, Hong Kong, 1998, no.246, which was later sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 28 May 2010, lot 18. Amber, fossilised tree resin valued for its colour and translucency, was sourced primarily from Burma via Yunnan, and from the Baltic region through various exchange routes, although deposits were also found within China. Considered a precious substance, it was worked in both Imperial and private workshops. Compare with a 'double-fish' amber snuff bottle from the J & J collection, 18th/19th century, which was sold at Christie's New York, 29 March 2006, lot 59. Another amber 'fish' snuff bottle, 19th century, was sold at Bonhams New York, 21 March 2023, lot 330. 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