A SMOKEY ROCK CRYSTAL 'DRAGON GATE' SNUFF BOTTLE, 18TH CENTURY China. Well hollowed, of rounded rectangular form, slightly tapering towards the flat oval foot, and with a cylindrical neck. Cleverly utilizing the opaque white inclusions to depict four carps and a flying dragon, the smokey ground finely incised in low relief with crashing waves, the dragon gate, and a lingzhi shaped cloud. The translucent stone of a smokey color with opaque white inclusions and russet veining.

Provenance: French private collection. Artcurial, Paris, 8 December 2014, lot 2. A notable private collector in Kensington, London, United Kingdom, acquired from the above. A copy of the original invoice from Artcurial, dated 9 December 2014 and stating a purchase price for the present lot of EUR 1,105 or approx. EUR 1,300 (adjusted for inflation at the time of writing), accompanies this lot.
Condition: Good condition with minor old wear, traces of use, few minuscule nicks to exposed areas. The stone with natural inclusions and fissures.

Stopper: Rose quartz, good spoon
Weight: 123.6 g
Dimensions: Height including stopper 91 mm. Diameter neck 21 mm and mouth 8 mm.

According to traditional Chinese belief, carp swimming upstream in the Yellow River must leap the rapids of the Dragon's Gate. The first to succeed is transformed into a dragon. This legend is frequently used and regarded as a metaphor for a poor scholar who passes the civil service examinations and succeeds in high office. The dragon-carp motif is thus a wish for success in achieving this.

13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer's premium - only for buyers within the EU.

十八世紀煙晶“魚躍龍門”鼻烟壺
中國。掏膛良好，長方圓角，頸部成圓柱狀，橢圓形底部。巧妙地利用不透明的白色紋理刻畫四條鯉魚以及飛龍，煙晶地，浮雕洶湧波濤中的龍門和如意祥雲。半透明煙晶，帶有不透明的白色和赤褐色脈絡。

來源：法國私人收藏；巴黎Artcurial，2014年12月 8日，lot 2；倫敦肯辛頓知名私人收藏。購於上述藝廊。隨附巴黎Artcurial 2014年12月 9日出局的原始發票副本，並有價格EUR 1,105，相當於現在的 EUR 1,300。
品相：狀況良好，有輕微磨損、使用痕跡和細小的刻痕，石料具有天然內沁和裂縫。

壺蓋：粉紅石英，精緻小勺
重量：123.6 克
尺寸：總高 91 毫米，頸部直徑 21 毫米，壺口 8 毫米

中國傳統文化中，在黃河上游遊的鯉魚必須躍過龍門的激流，成功的魚會變成龍，比喻事業成功或地位高升。