A BROWN-OVERLAY GLASS 'CATS AND BUTTERFLY' SNUFF BOTTLE Yangzhou School, first half of the 19th century The flattened pear-shaped body supported on a short foot ring around a slightly convex base, the olive-brown overlay finely carved in relief on one side with two cats playing with butterflies in a blossoming garden with the inscription maodie tu in seal script, and on the other with a moonlit scene of Li Bai sleeping against a jar, below gnarled trees where birds are perched, two baskets of fruits on each narrow side suggesting handles, a band of overlay forming the foot ring, stopper. 7cm (2 3/4in) high. (2). Footnotes: The item within this lot containing ivory has been registered in accordance with the Ivory Act (Section 10). Ref.GBPARPNF 該批次中含有象牙的物品已根據《象牙法案》（章節10）註冊Ref.GBPARPNF 十九世紀上半葉 揚州作白地套褐料耄耋圖鼻烟壺 Provenance: Sotheby's London, 11 October 1974, lot 12 Trudy and John Cohen, collection no.B72 來源：倫敦蘇富比，1974年10月11日，拍品編號12 Trudy及John Cohen伉儷，藏品編號B72 The inscription reads 耄耋圖 (maodie tu), which refers to the attainment of octogenarian age. This bottle's symbolism is further highlighted by the visual pun produced by the image of cats (mao 貓) chasing butterflies (die 蝶), which together evoke the term maodie (耄耋). This design thus conveys an auspicious wish for a long life. The reverse includes the charming depiction of the drunken poet Li Bai, characteristically sleeping against a jar of wine below the moon, echoing the first verses of his poem 月下獨酌 ('Drinking Alone Under the Moon'): 花間一壺酒，獨酌無相親, 舉杯邀明月，對影成三人 (Amongst the flowers, a single jar of wine; with no close friends here, I drink alone; lifting my cup I invite the moon to drink with me; facing my shadow, we become three). Compare with snuff bottles attributed to the Yangzhou School, first half of the 19th century, illustrated by H.Moss, V.Graham and K.B.Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection, vol.5.3, Hong Kong, 2002, nos.1024-1029, including one with a 'cats and butterflies' motif (no.1026), which was later sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 25 May 2014, lot 1123. For a related 'cats and butterfly' snuff bottle with maodie tu inscription, attributed to the 'Yangzhou School', circa 1870-1890, see Bonhams Hong Kong, 24 November 2012, lot 90. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: * Y Ф * VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium. 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