There are many inside painted bottles, and sometimes I find one that makes my heart sing - perhaps it is all about magpies, harbingers of happiness in China.. it is titled Twelve Happiness - a name for magpies - birds of happiness. Although I cannot find out the meaning of twelve magpies in Chinese literature, there is, however, a English Rhyme:
“One for sorrow, two for joy,
Three for a girl, four for a boy,
Five for silver, six for gold,
Seven for a secret never to be told.
Eight for a wish, nine for a kiss,
Ten for a bird you must not miss.
Eleven for health, Twelve for wealth."
Whether this is a relationship between this rhyme with the snuff bottle, I have no idea. The bottle here is of high quality glass, and the painting is painted all around this globular shaped bottle. Each magpie is imbued with spirit as they flutter around the bottle. The artist's name is in the seal and he wrote in calligraphy - The Twelve Happiness and dated by Cyclical date of Wuyin 1998. The stopper is a green color stone with white spots
Date: 1998
Dimensions: 2" W x 1"D x 3" H
Condition: good