A WHITE JADE 'TIED BOW' SNUFF BOTTLEImperial, attributed to the Palace Workshops，1750-1800 Of flattened, ovoid form with rounded shoulders and a cylindrical neck, and with a neatly carved oval footrim, the flawless white stone very well-hollowed, carved in low relief with a continuous design of a brocade sash draped around the bottle and tied in a bow on one main side, the sash with a leiwen border and a geometric six-petaled flower-head design; stopper. 2 3/8in (6cm) high 1750-1800 白玉刻包袱紋鼻煙壺一件 御製 或為宮廷作坊製 Provenance: Sotheby's New York, November 22, 1988, lot 308 Joan and Ted Dorf Collection, no. 75 Objects wrapped in cloth and tied with a sash were often given as gifts or birthday presents. This method of wrapping symbolizes a wish for great longevity. The sash ( shoudai ) represents longevity while the knot ( jie ) symbolizes infinity. Denis Low points out a further meaning in More Treasures from the Sanctum of Enlightened Respect that the cloth used for this type of wrapping ( fu ) is a rebus for good fortune or happiness, while tied ( xi ) brocade symbolizes the hope for joy.