A CINNABAR LACQUER SNUFF BOTTLE, QINGQianlong period, ca. 1740-1780. The seven peaches of immortality from Queen Mother of the West, carved in high relief amid blossoms, leaves and vines, all against a neatly incised meander pattern.Provenance: An old British private collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles. Thence by descent. Two old collector labels to base, one with an inventory number, the other with the purchase date "1981".Condition: Superb condition with only minimal wear and one minuscule nibble to one of the vines.Stopper: Matching stopper carved with the seventh peach. Beautiful old spoon.Weight: 16.2 gramsDimensions: Height including stopper 60 mm. Diameter neck 16 mm and mouth 7 mm.The unusually light weight makes it very clear that this bottle, unlike later ones, has no metal body and is made of lacquer only.As legend tells, Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty and the Queen Mother of the West, Xiwangmu, met during the height of Wu's reign, when she visited him during Qixi festival, the night for encounters between mortal men and divine women, bringing with her seven of the peaches of immortality from her orchard, which according to legend was located near her palace in the Kunlun mountains. 清剔紅鼻烟壺乾隆年間,約1740-1780。高浮雕七只西王母的仙桃,花朵、葉子以及籐枝。來源:一個英國中國鼻烟壺私人老收藏,保存至今;底部兩個老收藏標簽,一個上面有收藏編號,另一個上有購買日期 "1981"字樣品相:優秀,只有些微磨損,桃枝上微不可見的磕損瓶蓋:匹配蓋,雕刻成桃型;老杓美麗重量:16.2 克尺寸:含蓋總高60 毫米;頸部直徑16 毫米;嘴 7 毫米