AN AGATE 'JUJUBE AND PEANUT' SNUFF BOTTLE, LATE QING TO EARLY REPUBLICChina, 1820-1920. Carved in high relief with peanuts and jujubes in a bamboo grove, the stone of an attractive variegating caramel and olive tone. The flattened globular body rising from a thick oval foot rim to a short cylindrical neck.Provenance: Leslie Gifford Kilborn, USA, and thence by descent in the same family. Leslie Gifford Kilborn (1895-1972), son of Retta and Omar Kilborn, was born in Sichuan, China. He greatly advanced missionary work in Western China, was the author of multiple texts and served as dean of the College of Medicine of the West China Union University. In 1952, he left China and became a professor of physiology at the University of Hong Kong.Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, minuscule nibbling to mouth, the stone with natural fissures, some of which may have developed into small hairline cracks over time.Stopper: Red glass cabochon with gilt-bronze collar and spoonWeight: 193.7 gDimensions: Height including stopper 80 mm. Diameter neck 20 mm and mouth 7 mmIn Hidden Meanings in Chinese Art, pages 70 and 76, Terese Tse Bartholomew illustrates a drawing of a snuff bottle which she attributes to Suzhou. She explains that the jujube (zaozi) on this bottle is a pun for 'early son' and the peanut (huasheng) is a pun for 'giving birth.' The combination of the two suggests the expression, 'May you soon give birth to a distinguished son' (zaosheng guizi).Bartholomew further explains, “The peanut plant (Arachis hypogaea) has a massive root system and bears many seedpods, or peanuts. Thus, it symbolizes long life and many sons. The peanut is also called chuangsheng guo, or the fruit of longevity. Along with jujubes and chestnuts, it is among the dried fruit and nuts scattered on the marriage bed to wish the new couple the speedy arrival of sons.”Auction result comparison: Compare with a related but smaller bottle at Christie's New York in Important Chinese Snuff Bottles from the J&J Collection, Part V on 17 September 2008, lot 28, sold for USD 4,750.清末民初瑪瑙棗生鼻烟壺 中國,1820-1920年。器形直頸,圓肩,壺體呈圓卵形,腹部刻有變形竹節紋和大棗花生。橢圓形底足。 來源:美國Leslie Gifford Kilborn,自此保存在同一家族. Leslie Gifford Kilborn (1895-1972), Retta and Omar Kilborn的兒子,出生於中國四川。他極大地促進了中國西部的傳教工作,是多篇著作的作者,還曾擔任過華西聯合大學醫學院的院長。 1952年,他離開中國,成為香港大學生理學教授。 圖片:Leslie Gifford Kilborn (1895-1972, 左起第三位) 品相:狀況極佳,略有磨損,口邊緣有磕損,瑪瑙有天然裂紋,隨著時間的流逝,其中一些可能發展成細小的裂縫。 壺蓋:紅料,鎏金銅蓋托,小壺匙 重量:193.7 克 尺寸:含蓋總高80 毫米,頸部直徑20 毫米,嘴部直徑7 毫米 拍賣結果比較:一件相近但稍小的鼻烟壺見紐約佳士得 Important Chinese Snuff Bottles from the J&J Collection, Part V 拍場,2008年9月17日 lot 28, 售價USD 4,750.