Snuff Bottle: Painted Enamel Opaline Bottle with Gu Yue Xuan MarkThe subject matter is quite interesting it is the portrait of the most powerful emperor of the Tang Dynasty CE 618 907, Tang Taizong whose name is Li Shimin as it is written on the other side of the bottle. Li Shimin who ruled from 627 to 649. During his reign, he not only solved internal problems but expanded the power of China and regained all the territories that once paid tribute to the Han Dynasty. His twenty plus years of rule was powerful and

The scholar rock is a mountain in miniature

What are they doing

is a harbinger or bringer of happiness and happy events

bought jade stones which literally look like any nugget or rock

The parallel black and gray lines in wide and narrow bands are due to the iron deposits in the stone

Dating: 1950's

and on the rim is a continuous red chain link design

The bold geometric pattern in the center harks back to the 16th and 17th century designs

5 inches wide x 1 inch deep x 3 inches high

traces still remain

intensified by the richer dark lines that separated the petals

evidence tha it was fired in a pit