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

Glass bottles imitating Realgar have been posted on the forum and seem to be the most appealing type of glass bottles imitating other materials that the Chinese loved to create so I thought I would post some of my "glass as ....." bottles.

2 glass as agate, 2 glass as Jadeite and 2 glass as something.

A common feature on all is a raised inset flat foot with a 45 degree bevel edge which is on other glass as .. bottles I have.

Hopefully others may have examples so we can get a thread going.

Regards, Adrian.

Adrian,

I don't have any, but I love seeing these different examples, especially the 'glass as something'. 
Did you acquire these bottles together, or over a period of time?  The last two look so similar to one another.

Cheers,

Rube.

Dear Adrian,

    I'm not clear about whether these are in your collection, or if you've made them.
Best,
Joey

Hi Adrian,

nice bottles! Not sure what the age is on these? Always been fond of the glass imitating type. Anyway, here's one I picked up a while ago... really nothing spectacular, but glass imitating coral... I think 19thC... Giovanni on the other forum had some very impressive glass imitating jade bottles... maybe he'll post them here :)

Cheers
Luke

Hi Rube, Joey and Luke,

These are in my collection and include 4 out of a collection of 9 I recently bought. I have a dozen or so in total that I have collected over time and it's surprising to see how similar they can be when they are put together. You have to feel some were probably made in the same workshop and at the same time with the similarities between them in the glass used and footrim even if the shapes are different.

The 2 glass as agate bottles are also very similar in the colours of the glass and how it has been swirled although the right hand bottle has been polished more and has a better worked footrim than the left hand one. The left hand one is one of the nine I bought recently and none are well polished or have lost their shine !

I was going to look into the various ways that footrims were finished as I feel these bevelled flat footrims may date the bottles to a certain period as other types may also do. They all show signs of a lot of wear that may make them older than I first thought which was very late 19th, most probably early 20th Century.

As of yet I haven't got any glass as coral or jade (as opposed to jadeite) so thanks for posting yours Luke.

Here's the last 5 of the 9 I bought, some similar to those previously posted.

Regards, Adrian.

Luke,

That's a nice bottle!  What's the taotie supposed to represent? It's more stylized than I'm used to seeing.  I just saw a real coral one come up for auction that looked just like this, congrats!
https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24264/lot/5223/
Cheers,

Rube.

Dear Adrian, Luke, et al,

      Great glass bottles imitating other materials.
Thanks for posting.

Best,
Joey

Dear Rube,

     Taotie (also spelled Tao-tieh), are also called 'mock-ring handles', and they are a design element intended to evoke archaic Chinese culture in general, and in particular the famous Nine Ding (9 Cauldrons and other Ancient Bronze Vessels), which were considered to demonstrate 'The Mandate of Heaven' (or right to rule) of the Chinese Emperor.

     There are well-known glass overlay snuff bottles, usually 19th C., with the 9 bronze vessels displayed; usually, 4 on the front, 3 on the reverse, and a thin vessel on each narrow side.

Best,
Joey

Hey Rube,

Thanks! I'm glad Joey answered that question as had no idea :) I'm surprised that coral bottle went for quite a reasonable price along with a jade also. For instance, I've seen those super carved early 20th century decorative coral bottles go for way more. Also, I came across another bottle which seems to have come from the same workshop here:
https://www.aspireauctions.com/#!/catalog/316/1405/lot/50078 (https://www.aspireauctions.com/#!/catalog/316/1405/lot/50078)

Anyway, it's amazing how real some of the really good examples of this type can look. Speaking to a Chinese dealer recently they suggested to me the reason behind the glass imitating other materials was simply because it was cheaper for the average buyer at the time to afford one of those when they couldn't buy the real thing.

Cheers
Luke

Dear Adrian and all,
an easy quitz: which one is glass and which white jade? Number 1 to 5 from left to right ;D
Giovanni

Giovanni,

I'm ready to get shot down, but what the hey?!?  1 and 4 white jade, and 2,3, and 5 white glass?

Cheers,

Rube.

Dear Giovanni,

      #1, #4, and #5, Jade.

      #2, #3,  Glass.

Joey

Dear Giovanni,

1 and possibly 4 jade.

Regards, Adrian.

Giovanni,

Pretty darn sure #2 and #3 are glass.  Would suspect #1 and #4 to be jade.  Bottle #5 I originally thought was glass, but given the buff white color it may be jade as well.  

Charll

That is a Fun quiz Giovanni! :D ;D

I am with Adrian and Rube , #1 and #4 Jade, other glass.

Steven

Dear Giovanni,

This is a fun quiz!
I think #1, #2 and #4 are jade; and the others glass. 

Tom

Really funny guys! Thank you.
Most of you were correct, what is really interesting is the fact that the result is proving how pictures can deceive. In fact, the glass bottles are 2,3 and 5. Some of you had doubts about bottle 5, and I too after taking the picture have noted how it is close to jade. But in reality, that one is the more obvious glass one. In reality, the more jade looking one is the bottle number 3.
Now a more though one: which is which here, the pebble one or the other one? Unfortunately, many of you knows the answer in advance, having already seen one bottle. But if not, it is really hard I think.
Giovanni

Dear Giovanni,

I'm saying the pebble one is glass. The surface texture of the other one looks like jade.

Regards, Adrian.

Giovanni,
I agree with Adrian, and clearly see you point about viewing difficulties over the internet.
Cheers,
Rube

Dear Giovanni,

      How many times have I looked at the big white glass, #5, in your study?
But the picture still fooled me.
But the second pair, I know.
Best,
Joey

Very difficult to tell the difference.... I will guess the pebble is jade with a stain to enhance the russet and the bulbous one is glass imitation.

Pin

A Wild guess .:)

I am with Adrian and Rube again. The pebble is glass one.

Steven

Dear all, thank you.
Yes the pebble shaped bottle is glass. I can guarantee that it is impressive when seen in real.
Among who has seen it, including Chinese dealers, there are some who are still convinced that it is jade.
I am posting other two glass bottles, imitating two different types of agate.
Kind regards
Giovanni

Giovanni,

Very interesting bottles,  some of them fooled me, thanks for sharing.

Regards Jas.

Thanks Giovanni for sharing!

The second bottle could be a glass imitating Jasper bottle.the first one is more interesting, while the craving looks contemporary.

Cheers.

Steven

Thank you dear all.
Dear Steven, yes that carved bottle is not old, you are right.
Kind regards
Giovanni

This is a new addition to my collection.

Glass as an agate pebble. 49mm high without stopper. Recessed oval base. Not sure if the stopper is original to the bottle.

Previously from the John Ault collection. 1750-1850 ?

Regards, Adrian.

Thanks for sharing Adrian.
I'm not a great fan of glass imitating stone, but, when it imitates a 'pebble' form, that kind of subtlety appeals to me.
I believe Giovanni has a few interesting examples of this genre.

Best,
Tom

Congrats Adrian,

I remember seeing this one come up at auction, and am glad you got it.

Cheers,

Rube.

Thanks Tom and Rube.

My pictures aren't really doing it justice so might try and take a better one as it isn't obviously glass unlike the other bottles I have shared on this thread and being pebble shaped helps the illusion.

I did buy a couple of other bottles from the John Ault collection which I will share.

Regards, Adrian.

Dear Adrian,
nice bottle. Dear Tom you have a good memory!
I have three bottles of this type of glass, but my preferred one is by far the only one shaped in pebble form,
which has been posted here:
https://snuffbottle.smfforfree.com/index.php/topic,1264.0.html
The reason for being the preferred one is that the stone-like inclusions are very small.
Dear Adrian, I am happy to know that your similar one belongs from an old collection. I see that both them has the same small concave base. My one has a strong feeling of being quite old.
Thank you for posting.
Kind regards
Giovanni

Dear Giovanni,
    How could I forget your two pebble bottles in glass imitating stone. Thank you for giving the link, making them easier to find again. They are superb!
Best regards,
Tom