A RED OVERLAY ON MILK-WHITE GLASS SNUFF BOTTLE 1780-1850A RED OVERLAY ON MILK-WHITE GLASS SNUFF BOTTLE1780-1850Of compressed globular form, its shoulders sloping to a cylindrical neck, with a flat lip and neatly finished oval footrim, the front and back skillfully carved through the red overlay to depict a dragon and phoenix separated by a flaming pearl amongst clouds and a leafy peony growing behind a perforated rock on the narrow sides.2 1/8in (5.4cm) high1780-1850 涅白地套紅料刻龍鳳紋鼻煙壺一件Provenance:Joan and Ted Dorf Collection, no. 202The dragon, long, and the phoenix, fenghuang, are symbolic of the emperor and empress and appear as motifs in Chinese art from the Han dynasty onward. Together on a snuff bottle, they represent supreme power. The peony complements this meaning as it is a symbol of wealth, good fortune, power and class.