A very rare minature blue overlay glass snuff bottle Beijing Palace Workshops 1760-1820

of flattened pear shape on an oval foot, the bubble-suffused colorless ground overlaid with a layer of blue carved on each side with a mallow flower, the shoulders with mask and ring handles

Mallow flowers are heliotropic plants, which follow the path of the sun throughout the day. It is a fitting symbol of loyalty to the Emperor, as the Emperor is often symbolized by the sun.  This bottle might have been given as a gift to one of his loyal subjects. Compare a closely related miniature bottle illustrated and discussed by Moss, Graham, Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles, vol.5, no.891.