Small 19th century blue & white porcelain snuff bottle with a green stone top. It is in excellent condition except for minute chips on the on the foot rim. The scene painted on the side of this snuff bottle in blue under the glaze shows an official in a natural setting, fishing beside a lake or stream. There is a willow tree hanging down that frames the scene. He is dressed in the clothing of a gentleman, so we are to presume that this is an official who has retired or is living that rustic life that officials dreamed of, avoiding the intrigues and jealousies of court life. The top of the bottle is done in agate or jasper, a very nice green stone. The bottom of the bottle has the mark Wan Yu, meaning playful jade. This again is referring to the scholar's sensitivity toward this scene which is something that is idealized and to be valued, or it is that the bottle itself is something that represents the finer qualities of the gentleman's life. Because the mouth of the bottle is rather large, there is every possibility that this was intended both as a snuff bottle and as a medicine bottle, in as much as many of these bottles were used for different purposes.
