Mother-of-pearl gourd-shaped snuffbox, China, 1850-1900 A branch in high relief and openwork adorns the top of the bottle, supporting large leaves falling on the sides, one of which covers the flat part of the snuffbox between a bat in flight and a large butterfly. It stands on a naturalistic four-legged base. Coral stopper depicting a bird on a flowering branch. Height: 7.5 cm Provenance : Robert Hall, France, April 15, 1988. The gourd's tortuous shape has been sculpted to fit the hand perfectly. The different aspects of the material, opaque and with beautiful iridescent colors ranging from pink, have been skilfully chosen to create a beautiful polychrome decoration.