Vintage Hand-Painted Porcelain Snuff Bottle in the Form of a Dragonfly

Details

Description

This whimsical and unusual vintage snuff bottle is crafted from glazed porcelain and sculpted in the form of a stylized … Read more This whimsical and unusual vintage snuff bottle is crafted from glazed porcelain and sculpted in the form of a stylized dragonfly or insect. The piece rests horizontally, featuring a detailed head with large, expressive eyes and a prominent, gilded spherical ornament (likely representing a nose or mouthpart). The body is richly hand-painted with a green, scale-like texture on the thorax, bright orange segmented legs, and long, pale green, ribbed wings that loop over the back to form a handle. The flat underside of the bottle bears a blue reign mark. The bottle is topped with a domed, gold-painted stopper attached to a cork and spoon, which fits into the opening at the front of the insect's head.

Dimensions:

Height: 4.4 cm (approx. 1.73 inches)

Length: 8.4 cm (approx. 3.31 inches)

Width: 3.1 cm (approx. 1.22 inches)

Maker's Mark:
The underside bears a four-character mark in underglaze blue. The characters appear to read "乾隆年製" (Qianlong Nian Zhi), which translates to "Made in the Qianlong Period." Note: As is common with vintage decorative pieces, this mark is likely apocryphal and serves as a tribute to the classic imperial style. See less