A transparent amber glass bowl with rounded, gently flared walls that culminate in a thin, everted rim, carved in high relief with a continuous design depicting a peacock and butterfly amidst flowering peonies, chrysanthemums and quatrefoils rising from a rockwork.

The rebus on the bowl may be read “May you gain culture, wealth and honor.” The peacock is the bird of culture; the peony is the flower of wealth and honor. See Bartholomew (2006), 5.25.3.

Provenance: Butterfield & Butterfield, San Francisco

Published: Asiantiques, Chinese Qing Dynasty Glass Treasures: A Selection from the Gadient Collection (2009), cat. no. 43

(Hard cover catalogue, 64 glass artworks, 64 pp, full color illustrations, English text and Chinese captions. Catalogue available for purchase, $45 including domestic shipping, $55 international. The catalogue can also be viewed online in pdf format. Please contact us or visit our "exhibitions" page for more information.)

Ref. 863019