Chinese Snuff Bottle Discussion Forum 中國鼻煙壺討論論壇

Miscellaneous => Snuff Bottle Books, CD, DVD, Videos => Topic started by: Pat - 查尚杰 on May 24, 2011, 06:07:35 am



Title: Inside Painted Snuff Bottle Artist Ma Shaoxuan (1867-1939)
Post by: Pat - 查尚杰 on May 24, 2011, 06:07:35 am
A biography and study by Ma Zhengsan, ....

My long-awaited copy just arrived yesterday, and I cant say how pleased I am with this book.   I highly recommend this to ALL IPB lovers and collectors!


Title: Re: Inside Painted Snuff Bottle Artist Ma Shouxuan (1867-1939)
Post by: George on May 24, 2011, 10:56:00 am
Congrats on getting the book !


Title: Re: Inside Painted Snuff Bottle Artist Ma Shouxuan (1867-1939)
Post by: Peter Bentley 彭达理 on May 25, 2011, 09:35:38 am
Hi Pat

Where   did you  get the  book?

Cheers  Peter

PS  :  I  think you  have no space  problem   at  your  home  in   Thailand  but  I do  have    serious  a  space problem  in HK*  and  I'm  trying to   digitise   my  art books  from now  on.  Seems  there  could  be a  trade    in thids Forum   in exchanging     scanned  /  digitised   copies  of  art books  on memory  sticks.   That  would  also  speed  up cutting and cropping   into   data bases  like mine .   No point  for  two  of  us  to   go through  all the  work  of  scanning    the same     art book ( and it  IS  very   hard  work .....  )

Cheers  Peter

* and  even a   weight   problem  :  I  recently decided to  move  my heaviest  art and  bottle  books  from the   top   shelves  above my bottle   display  cabinets  to    lower  shelves  under the  cabinets, in  case the   weight of the  books  collapsed my  glass     display  shelves and  broke my bottles


Title: Re: Inside Painted Snuff Bottle Artist Ma Shouxuan (1867-1939)
Post by: George on May 25, 2011, 12:24:31 pm
  Seems there could be a trade in thids Forum in exchanging scanned  / digitised copies of art books on memory sticks.   

What do you mean ??


Title: Re: Inside Painted Snuff Bottle Artist Ma Shouxuan (1867-1939)
Post by: Peter Bentley 彭达理 on May 25, 2011, 05:58:26 pm
Hi George

I mean that  if  Forum member  A  has   already   scanned  books   XYZ  and  I have  scanned  books PQR   , we  could  simply exchange  memory sticks  as mutual   favor  . 

It's  nice to  own  art  books  and look at them . But  many  of the best  and most important books  ( eg  J. H. Leung's   "New Look"   as the   example  per  excellence)  are  long since  out of  print and  both  pricy  and rare  on the  second-hand  book  market .    But personally speaking, once  I get   aquire such books , I tend to   just scan them and then  use the    cut / cropped  images   for   regular viewing.  Meanwhile the books  gather  dust  and take up space at home.

I  don't mind  sharing  my    scanned  book images  with  a  few other active  Forum members  free of  charge :  memory sticks  these  days  cost peanuts.   But the  real  work  , and therefore   the  hidden  cost,  is the   scanning / cutting/ cropping . A  200- page  book  like  New Look    is about a  week  or more  of   hard  work :  it  takes about  10 minutes  per page  by the time  you  have  scanned, page-numbered,  cut,  enhanced and  cropped a  page  with multiple     bottle  images.

So it  would  be  nice  if  some  other Forum  members  eventually  share the  workload, and  also   the  rare  books they  have.

The way  forward  is certainly   digital !
 
Cheers  Peter


Title: Re: Inside Painted Snuff Bottle Artist Ma Shouxuan (1867-1939)
Post by: George on May 25, 2011, 07:13:28 pm
Got ya .. !  :)


Title: Re: Inside Painted Snuff Bottle Artist Ma Shouxuan (1867-1939)
Post by: Peter Bentley 彭达理 on May 25, 2011, 08:11:53 pm

Hi George, All

Hope   some other  Forum  members  also  got  the  message !

Cheers  Peter

PS  :  scans  must be made  at  max    scanner    resolution   =   2 - 3  Mb  per  A4  page.  Low- res  scans  ( 100 -  200  kb/page  are  useless)


Title: Re: Inside Painted Snuff Bottle Artist Ma Shaoxuan (1867-1939)
Post by: Pat - 查尚杰 on May 25, 2011, 09:24:10 pm
I agree.  The problem on my hand is time and presence in ONE location.  I cant even find the time to catalog and take pics of my own collection.  One day soon enough.  I have started taking some basic photos for starters, and will at least create a web album of them in next few months.  So dont go out and buy the book in the header.  One day I will find the time to scan it according to the specs Peter indicated lol.  I also have the Inkplay in Microcosm book on order, so that is another one that can be added to the list.  Finally, I have also started putting post-its on ALL and ANY book or catalogs that has IPBs displayed or reference material on it ,for eventual scanning.  So you see Peter (lol), if I am one of those OTHER members you refer to, I have started the basic work.  But I am guessing you are not only referring to me, or at least I hope so. ;D


Title: Re: Inside Painted Snuff Bottle Artist Ma Shouxuan (1867-1939)
Post by: Peter Bentley 彭达理 on May 26, 2011, 11:21:14 am
Hi Pat

No  OF COURSE  not  referring  to  you  !

Cheers  Peter


Title: Re: Inside Painted Snuff Bottle Artist Ma Shaoxuan (1867-1939)
Post by: Pat - 查尚杰 on May 30, 2011, 10:56:53 pm
I have more time to answer some mail these days, so first of all. Paragon Books has a sale on the Ma Shao Xuan biography. $45 instead of $85.  Go check it out.

http://www.paragonbook.com/html/browsesubj/fullcitation.cfm?item=9618

I read the entire book.  I learned a lot and especially gained a much better appreciation for calligraphy bottles. Overall still very happy, but some critique before you go out and buy:

The author, although the grandson of Ma Shao Xuan, and brother of a painter-grandson (Ma Zeng Quan) NEVER attempts to explain or even mention the relationship of MSX to Ma Guangju (older brother, also IP artist), AND a second older brother, never mentioned by name, who also painted.  Furthermore, the relationship to Ma Shou Xian (cousin of MSX and his pupil) was never highlighted or explained.  This books gives a good background but raises more questions, especially IF there ever was a 'MA' school, which in my opinion, there must have been, given the existence of rather succesful Ma Shou Xian, and Ma Guangju, and the third unidentified brother.  Mindboggling that the author does not even attempt to mention his own brother, of whom there is a bottle in the book, with a portrait of MSX.

Nevertheless, this book is still highly recommended, at the very least at this very discounted price!!!



Title: Re: Inside Painted Snuff Bottle Artist Ma Shouxuan (1867-1939)
Post by: George on May 31, 2011, 01:40:18 am
Looks like it is back to the original 85.00..

I wonder if because of being a biography and study that is specific to Ma Shaoxuan, recounting "his life" and career could expains the lack of recounting other family/painter relationships ?



 


Title: Re: Inside Painted Snuff Bottle Artist Ma Shaoxuan (1867-1939)
Post by: Pat - 查尚杰 on May 31, 2011, 04:11:47 am
 :o .. darn.  checked it before I posted this morning!!

Mine was full price when i bought it.  But when I checked and linked it to you guys it was more than half off!  Dont know how long they had it on sale or how many copies.  Shipping alone was $50 USD, snail mail EVEN, took almost 4 weeks ...! THAT always kills me.  The international shipping costs are prohibitive these days.  Sad...

Well, my thought was that a biography also recounts relationships with other family members, most of the time.  And in this case, to have 2 brothers, one cousin, and a grandson as inside painters. It just seems a pity not to explore that piece, and put into perspective the pecking order or mastery of MSX and the Ma family.  Seems Ma Shao Xian and Ma Guangju also signed  MSX on bottles, just like the Ye family, but no mention of it in the book by the author (only a brief reference to Ma Shou Xian copying MSX work by John Gilmore Ford in the Foreword).  Hugh Moss mentions this somewhere also, but I can't find the reference back.  :(