Lot 3620. A large grey-green jade archaistic vase, bianhu, Jiaqing inscribed fanggu six-character and of the period (1796-1820); 13 5/8in. (34.6cm.) high. Estimate HKD 800,000 - HKD 1,000,000. Price Realized HKD 920,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2011. 

Of flattened pear shape, well carved in low relief with taotie masks reserved on a leiwen band between borders of whorl motifs and cross-hatching, with a band of ruyi heads below and a band of pendent blades on the waisted neck between the pair of elephant-head handles, the mouth rim encircled by a band of incised keyfret, the greyish-green stone with fine opaque white and black flecking throughout. 

Provenance: The Alan and Simone Hartman Collection, acquired circa 1986.

Note: The decorative motif of scrolling clouds on this snuff bottle is very rare and more commonly found porcelain, such as the Kangxi waterpot carved with clouds and covered in a celadon glaze, or the pair of Yongzheng waterpots decorated with doucai clouds, both in the Greenwald Collection, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 1 December 2010, lots 2815 and 2816.

It has been suggested that the motif is a pun on the word 'Cloud', Yun, which is a homophone as 'Fortune'.

Christie's. The Imperial Sale, Hong Kong, 1 June 2011