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Bakelite Imitating Coral

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rpfstoneman
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« on: July 21, 2012, 01:54:47 am »

This is a fun snuff bottle.  Bakelite imitating coral snuff bottle of a carp with a three clawed dragon riding atop.  Dimensions are 8 cm in length by 3.5 cm in height.  Synthetic molded spoon with matching Bakelite stopper.  Rather than molded, it appears that this bottle has been carved from a block of Bakelite.  Suspected age is ca. 1920-1950.




What is Bakelite?

Bakelite is a castable, fire resistant plastic that was invented by Leo Baekeland in 1909.  One of the first plastics made from synthetic components, Bakelite was used for its electrical nonconductivity and heat-resistant properties in electrical insulators, radio and telephone casings, and such diverse products as kitchenware, jewelry, pipe stems, and children's toys.

Following the discovery, Bakelite was originally used for industrial purposes, until jewelry makers found that its light weight made Bakelite a perfect choice for designing and manufacturing inexpensive bracelets, rings, pins and other jewelry.  Bakelite jewelry became especially popular in the 1930's and 1940's, after a wider assortment of colors were introduced. The new batch of Bakelite colors captured the imagination of more and more jewelry companies during this period.

Question: this bottle I assume is a copy of an earlier period bottle, pre 1900s.  Has anyone seen this design before in it's original material?  These are still being made as cheap resin copies, see pic below.  The Bakelite carp bottle is 24 grams, and is about half the weight of the more contemporary molded resin bottle shown here at 45 grams.



Charll's Friday Night Bottle

« Last Edit: July 21, 2012, 10:38:52 am by Bottle Guy » Report Spam   Logged

Charll K Stoneman, Eureka, California USA, Collector Since 1979.

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« Reply #1 on: July 21, 2012, 10:38:28 am »

Love your Friday night bottles Charll !

Who would have thought...,  bakelite  Smiley
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Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司
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« Reply #2 on: July 21, 2012, 06:47:30 pm »

Charll, I bought Kim & Jim a few bakelite bottles I found in Toronto, CDN$20-40 each, but they were copying ivory.
I used to have a coral snuff bottle with a boy riding a carp in coral, probably ca. 1880-1930, which I bought in 1972 at Waddington's Auctions in Toronto (where Steven got his Zhou Leyuan recently, I believe); I got it for CDN$80 or 90.
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« Reply #3 on: July 21, 2012, 07:33:36 pm »

Charll

Very nice color and looks indeed like coral.  I am a little puzzled with the fact snippet that bakelite is lighter than plastic.  I would have never thought that to be the case.  Also, it usually is quite brittle and cracks easily... Is this is a different mix of sort?

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« Reply #4 on: July 21, 2012, 08:00:21 pm »


Pat,

Actually Bakelite is quite hard, light, and is resistant to heat and flame.  It was use as old radio tube sockets. The socket where the glass tube plugged into and made contact with the wiring.  Also, the first portable radios had outside casings of Bakelite.  And.... those plastic phones we had in the 1950s and 60's, Bakelite!  My presumption is it would only become brittle after extensive expose to heat and/or very dry conditions.   If you Google Bakelite, you be amazed at its uses, and it brought back a lot of memories of thing that where around the house as a kid.

Charll
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« Reply #5 on: July 21, 2012, 08:56:39 pm »

Hi Charll

I just did, and it is indeed amazing all it was used for.  I guess I was thinking about the electrical/insulator use only where plugs/etc... broke or chipped easily. But yes, probably due to constant heating/electrical current.  Thanks for sharing.
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« Reply #6 on: July 21, 2012, 10:11:00 pm »

Hi Charll,

Interesting material, never heard of it. ???Could it possible the resin bottle and your bottle were made by the same mould? they are looked identical with each other? Just curious.

Steven
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« Reply #7 on: July 21, 2012, 11:32:39 pm »


Steven,

All signs (i.e., no seams, grinding marks on the exterior, and a well ground hollowed out interior) indicate the Bakelite bottle was ground/carved from a block of Bakelite, and not molded as is the case with the resin bottle.  However, it is possible that both were molded.  But if the Bakelite bottle was molded, a great deal of time and care was take to eliminate all signs of a seam (under a 20X20mm loop), and polish all facets and crevices of the bottle surface to the same degree as the large surface areas.  So, it is possible.

Charll
   
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« Reply #8 on: July 22, 2012, 11:11:21 pm »

Charll,

Thanks for all the info on Bakelite. And I always thought that the name had something to do with it getting 'lite' when 'baked' in the oven! My sincere apologies to Leo Baekeland. Grin

I guess it's a natural for imitating coral and perhaps cinnabar lacquer. When I was a kid I remember many items had swirling colors. It would be a natural for imitating Baltic amber. Has anyone seen a Bakelite snuff bottle that look like amber?

Tom
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« Reply #9 on: July 23, 2012, 12:33:18 am »

Tom,

Yes, I have seen a Bakelite bottle imitating yellow-Baltic type amber.  Charll
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« Reply #10 on: July 23, 2012, 01:52:11 am »

Charll,
 
That would make sense, seeing as they have similar densities.

Tom
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