AN UNUSUAL MUGHAL-STYLE ‘TRELLIS’ LAPIS LAZULI SNUFF BOTTLE, MEIPING-FORMThe stone with a layer of intense lapis-blue above a second layer of brighter greyish-blue, the second layer with a smooth polish, as well as top and base. China, 18th – 19th centuryOf traditional form with rounded shoulders above a well-hollowed, tapering body, the elaborate surface pierced and skillfully carved with an ornate trellis composed of a lattice of foliated vines below the shoulders. The carver made a brilliant use of the two differently colored layers in the mineral to create a stunning three-dimensional effect of climbing vines on a mural, a common design during the Mughal era.Shape: MeipingHollowing: ExcellentMouth, neck and lip: Sprawling neck with slanted lip, convex top and very small mouthBase: Plain convex round baseDesign, marks, school: Mughal-StyleStopper: Pink glass in imitation of tourmaline, carved in the shape of a pagoda-top, on a gilt bronze plateletHeight of the bottle with stopper: 7.8 cm.Width of the mouth: 5 mm.Width of the neck: 22 mm.Condition: ExcellentProvenance: American private collectionLiterature comparison: Chinese Art. Sotheby’s, Hong Kong, June 1st, 2017, lot 635. (for a Mughal-Style white jade reticulated vase bearing a similar design)清代罕見莫臥兒風格梅瓶形“雕花窗櫺”鼻烟壺品相極好美國私人收藏