HONG KONG - Spring Landscape Painting Inside a Crystal Snuff Bottle

ITEM SPECIFICS.

• Material:  lead crystal (body), agate (lid/cap).
• Dimension:  42 mm. x 19 mm. x 80 mm.
• Design:  4 Seasons - SPRING;  miniature Chinese traditional landscape painting;  hand painted;  handcrafted (crystal is hand cut);  lid /cap is made of agate - a semiprecious gemstone.
• Back stamp:  no hallmark  or any stamping made by the artist / manufacturer.

Made in HONG KONG.

NOTES:

• I personally bought this snuff bottle at the night market in Yau Mau Tei in the Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong in 2001.  It is one of the 4 pieces in the 4-Seasons set.
• the artist is an old man who I actually saw painting the landscapes inside the crystal bottles with his tiny brushes while manning his small stall in the night market.  You would really be amazed with his exceptional talent!
• although the item is a snuff bottle, it is actually just a decorative piece.  You cannot put perfume or essential oils inside the bottle because the chemicals will definitely destroy the painting.

A Bit of Trivia:

• Did you know that traditional Chinese landscape painting is NOT meant to reproduce the scenery in exact details like that of the Western tradition?  Chinese landscape painting is all about grasping the emotions presented by nature.
• Did you know that Chinese traditional paintings are commonly done in a single color (monochromatic)?  This is because the art of calligraphy is viewed as one and the same as painting landscapes.  Painting is done with a brush dipped in blank ink (or colored ink such as red).