Chinese Blue And White Porcelain Snuffbox With Su Hui Decor

Rectangular porcelain snuffbox with underglaze blue decoration of Su Hui holding a book on one side and a calligraphy with a "leiwen" motif on the other. A stylized design around the neck and flowers on the shoulders. China dated autumn 1899. Height: 6.8 cm

Su Hui (351-381) Su Ruo lan 苏若兰 wife of civil servant Dou Tao was a Chinese poetess. Her husband fell in love with a concubine. Civil servant, he was called to occupy a new position and his wife did not want to follow him. But after she left, Su Hui was so sorry that she wrote a poem and wove it on an expensive fabric of multi-dyed silk to show her grief and regret. When her husband received it, he was so touched that he returned to his wife. Su became famous over the centuries, due to her ability to combine female artistry (embroidery) and poetic composition, and as an example of female virtue. His work then went down in history. Su Hui was a rare example of an educated woman during this period.