A famille rose enameled porcelain erotic snuff bottle and stopper Iron-red four-character Daogua...

A famille rose enameled porcelain erotic snuff bottle and stopper Iron-red four-character Daoguang sealmark and probably of the period Of flattened globular form, with a flat gilt lip and an unglazed foot rim, each side with a raised circular panel showing an amorous couple in a curtained bedchamber, the narrow sides embellished with a gilt and iron red orchid, the rare porcelain stopper contemporary with the bottle and possibly original. 2 1/8in (5.3cm) high Footnotes: 粉彩春宮圖鼻煙壺 《道光年製》款 Erotic images were common in Chinese painting, usually in album or handscroll formats, and much of it was anonymous. Moss, Graham and Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles, The Mary and George Bloch Collection, Vol. 6, Part 2, Arts of the Fire, pp.488-494, no's. 1217-1219, discuss the subject at length and express some possible moral double standards at court. The appearance of erotic porcealin bottles seems to have taken place quite late in bottle production (with a few rare exceptions) towards the end of the eighteenth century and in to the nineteenth century. Most erotic bottles also appear to be of the molded variety with quite high-relief images, our bottle however is of the more rare type with simply painted decoration. Lot to be sold without reserve. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ¤ ¤ Without reserve For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing