Expert’s note: Remarkable attention to detail has been paid to the scene depicted on this bottle. The robes of Niulang for example are masterfully enameled with floral medallions showing incredibly fine detail. The magpies carry Zhinu and her attendant on brightly colored clouds, which confirms that this is the scene in the famous story where the two lovers eventually re-unite.

China, 1821-1850. Masterfully painted in crisp polychrome enamels, gilt and iron red on a white ground with a continuous scene from the tale of the cowherd and the weaver maiden. The work shows Niulang wearing finely enameled and gilt robes atop his ox riding towards two maidens, Zhinu and her attendant, who are being carried down by magpies on brightly colored clouds. The compressed body is further decorated with a gilt band above the tall foot and another along the ring of the circular mouth.

Provenance: German trade. By repute acquired from a private estate.
Condition: Superb condition with expected wear from handling, some minor firing irregularities, and rubbing to the gilt.

Weight: 132.3 g
Dimensions: Height 9 cm. Diameter of the neck 19 mm and mouth 9 mm.

The base with an iron red four-character mark Daoguang nian zhi and of the period.

The story of the cowherd and the weaver maiden is a Chinese folk romance which originated from worship of celestial phenomena. It became very popular during the Daoguang period and tells of a young cowherd named Niulang (literally ‘the cowherd,’ representative of the star Altair) who came across seven celestial sisters bathing in a lake. Encouraged by his mischievous ox, Niulang stole the women’s clothes and hid, watching for them to come out of the water. The sisters elected the youngest and most beautiful sister Zhinu (literally ‘the weaver girl,’ representative of the star Vega) to retrieve their garments. Zhinu agrees to retrieve them but realized she had been espied. Knowing Niulang had seen her nakedness, Zhinu decided to marry the cowherd after he proposed, enamored with her beauty. Both fell deeply in love and had two children. However, after the Goddess of Heaven discovered that Zhinu had married a mere mortal, she became outraged. The Goddess ordered Zhinu to return to heaven, and in an alternative version the Goddess forces Zhinu back to her former duty of weaving colorful clouds which she had neglected to do while living on earth. Heartbroken from the loss of Zhinu, Niulang’s ox instructed Niulang to put him to death and don his hide, which would enable Niulang to go up to Heaven and find his wife. In grief Niulang did as instructed, sneaking into heaven with the help of his ox’s hide. His act enraged the goddess who created a river in the sky to separate the two lovers, thus creating a divide between Altair and Vega. However, once a year the magpies would take pity on the two lovers and carry them in the sky to see each other.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christies New York, 17 Sept 2008, lot 21
Price: USD 13,750 or approx. EUR 16,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An Enameled Porcelain Snuff Bottle, Imperial, Jingdezhen Kilns, Daoguang Four-Character Seal Mark (1821-1850)
Expert remark: Compare the technique of enameling, quality of painting, molding of the ware, mark and style. Note the smaller size (5.8 cm).