Yellowish green jade rectangular snuff bottle

With the introduction of snuff to China during the late Ming dynasty, snuff taking became a nation-wide habit, especially among the Manchus during the Qing dynasty. Accordingly, small bottles used for storing the powdered snuff became popular products. This yellowish-green jade snuff bottle has a short and straight neck to the mouth, sloping shoulders, a rounded and flat rectangular body, and a short, slightly concave foot. It contains a green jade stopper that is not likely the original one. One side of the snuff bottle, including both the narrow borders, is carved with a landscape scene in relief. It depicts high mountains, cottages, pine trees, a small fishing boat, and a scholar who stands at the middle of a bridge. The reverse side is inscribed with a poem in clerical script reading "bian zhou xi cu shui yun chun. Yi pian kong ming jie jing hui. Xiao li qiao tou ren bu shi. Lin yuan cai zuo xian yu ren." According to Dr. Chaoming Chen, the poem can be translated as follows: "A small and flat leaf-sized boat gently moves towards the direction where the water and clouds meet in the springtime. The sky bestows a portion of its bright and pure weather to those who are deserved to enjoy it by the purity of their hearts. A scholar who stands at the middle of a bridge is not noticed by anyone, but his attitude may be interpreted as one who admires the school of fishes when he looks at the abyss of water. (Note: A Chinese proverb says, when one admires a school of fishes in the water, he had better go away to make a net and then he will be able to achieve his aim, otherwise he can never get what he wants)." Evidently, the landscape scene on the previous side precisely illustrates this poem. At the end of this poem there is a reign mark in clerical script as well "qian long yu zhi" (Made by Imperial Commission in the Qianlong Reign [of the Qing dynasty]). Accordingly, this yellowish-green jade snuff bottle is attributed to the Qianlong period