A HAIR CRYSTAL 'SQUIRREL AND GRAPES' SNUFF BOTTLE 19th century The baluster body supported on a short, recessed foot and raised to a cylindrical neck, the exterior carved in relief with a squirrel below a leafy vine with ripe grapes and tendrils, the crystal filled with tourmaline needles of varying densities and with a mottled creamy white inclusion on the surface, stopper. 7.7cm (3in) high. (2). Footnotes: 十九世紀 髮晶雕松鼠葡萄紋鼻煙壺 Provenance: Sotheby's London, 31 July 1973, lot 418 Trudy and John Cohen, collection no.B57 來源：倫敦蘇富比，1973年7月31日，拍品編號418 Trudy及John Cohen伉儷，藏品編號B57 Grapes, with their dense, clustered fruit, symbolise fertility and the hope for numerous descendants. Squirrels, lively and energetic creatures, represent vitality, agility, and resourcefulness. Together, the two form a visual blessing for a prosperous and healthy family. The motif rose to prominence during the Ming dynasty, as illustrated by works such as the painting 'Squirrel on a Grapevine' (葡萄松鼠) by Zhou Zhimian (周之冕 1521-?), in the Palace Museum, Taipei. During the Qing dynasty, its layered auspicious meanings made it a widely popular decorative motif, including for objects commissioned by the Imperial Court. In the present lot, the tourmaline needles in the crystal have cleverly been incorporated as a grassy backdrop to the primary motif. Compare with another hair crystal 'squirrels and grapes' snuff bottle, 18th/19th century, illustrated by H.Moss, Chinese Snuff Bottles of the Silica and Quartz Group, London, 1971, p.27, no.56. For another bottle which uses the coloured inclusions in the carvings and the needles for the setting, 18th/19th century, see ibid., p.28, no.57. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing