Tall Woman Small Man Snuff Bottle

I wonder if the woman is a court lady and so is shown as large and grand and the man is a lowly worker (small and insignificant) or if the woman is supposed to be in the foreground and the man in the distance? I also wonder what he's carrying under his arm? You can't see it in the limited photo space here, but the lady has a fan.

Whatever it's supposed to be it's a lovely little painting.

Topped with nice jade stopper.