Perfume Bottle Depicting Chinese Man Holding Orange Crab

Bearded and capped, he clutches a bright orange catch against his belly.

This carved rock crystal perfume bottle depicting a Chinese man holding an orange crab is from Hebei Province, China, and dates to the 19th century. Bottles in this small format are usually linked with the Chinese snuff bottle tradition, in which the stopper and body were often carved as a pair. Long robes fall in soft folds over a pale, cloudy body, while dark inclusions form the beard and a netted cap. Orange color pools around the clutched creature at the waist, above two stubby feet. It is 2 inches wide, 1 deep and 2.5 high.

He has caught something and has no plans to explain it.