Hi All!
As many of you already know, I have been putting together
the ultimate Data Base 'DB' of every VMIPB artist and pics of their works in the past 30-40 years, especially the past 10 years. I have scanned literally every VMIPB book, catalogue, journal ... whatever I could get my hands on in the past 5 years and going back many years. Then cut / cropped/ stored the bottle pics according to artist together with artist history data. It includes all the "great" books e.g. Wang Xisan's "CIPMA". J.H. Leung's "A New Look of Modern Inside Painted Snuff Bottles" ( both English and Chinese versions) and all the rest. Also included are downloads from every possible website I know of, including Bill Patrick's amazing www.snuffbottlecollector.com
I have put over 1,000 hours into this effort - believe me !
The DB is simply a collection of standard MSN files using Windows XP : see the attached screen-cap pic which is just the first of many pages of the DB. The DB will open automatically in whatever software you use (Windows whatever version ) and it allows you to add / delete files, add new bottle pics to existing files, create new files, whatever...
The artist files only include standard jpg (jpeg) pics, word.doc and the occasional tif files.
In other words, the data base simply copies what I have in my hard drive to your hard drive (guaranteed virus free as far as I possibly know , and my lap top is scanned weekly for every possible virus )
So you can do whatever you want with the DB in the future : use it / add to it / modify it / copy it on.
I certainly don't claim any copyright - in fact I positively
want it to be copied on !
The files for each artist are classified according the Artist School ( Ji, Lu, Jing, Yue ) and also - in the Ji School : according to artist "generations" counting from Wang Xisan as the 1st . And also coded according to source of the bottle pic material : book / website (e.g. Bill Patrick)/ collector, whatever
Ironically the only thing missing from the DB is the pics of my own 300 bottle collection because I still have not had time to seriously photograph each bottle inmy collection in good enough quality to upload to Bill's amazing website , which I will certainly do in the next year or so
So the DB is a living thing - I do so hope .My intention is just to start the snowball rolling downhill
And because I'm a total computer nerd it's basically idiot-proof !
The DB is now over 8 GB and 16 GB USB mini- sticks now only cost about US$15 in HK. Registered postage from HK to USA costs about US$ 3 ( not sure to other countries but it cannot be too much more)
SO ! I make a January 2013 offer : send me US$ 20 cash notes ( or equivalent cash in any other major currency e.g EURO or GBP - but please no Greek Drachma.... )
In return I will send you a 16 GB USB mini-stick which is yours to keep, and included with the 8 + GB DB will be original scans of every "great" VMIPB book I have up to the 16 GB limit of the USB stick
If you wish to subscribe, please reply to me by personal email which you can find on the Forum registry, and I will reply personally and give you my postal address. Do this
by end February 2013 because I will send out the USB mini-sticks as a one-time thing in March 2013 ( You can pay me after you get the stick)
After this special offer the cost will be US$30 because I must handle every case individually, which takes a lot more time.
At the same time : there are 4 x original hard copies of CIPMA sitting in USA which I bought from David Osborne at US$25 each. They are for resale to
serious collectors at the same price : US$25 plus P&P from the person who in the USA who has been holding these original hard-copy CIPMA in trust for me
First come, first served !
Best wishes to you all for the coming New Year
And once again many thanks to George for creating what must go down in Snuff Bottle History as the Single Greatest Advance since the creation of the ICSBS - and certainly the cheapest and most fun to join by far !
Zero entrance fee and total FUN ! Cheers
Peter
PS : It's official : the 2014 ICSBS Annual Convention in Fall 2014 will start in HK (where the dealers room will be for tax reasons) and finish in Xian. Then there's an optional tour to BJ .... That's the best I know to date
As a fully paid -up member of the ICSBS I will certainly will join in HK (where I live). And also Xian.
Also - if I have a quorum - I will lead a group of VMIPB -lovers to Hengshui : birthplace of the REAL VMIPB movement . Budget hotel and travel costs - but five- star real live FUN !
Cheers
Peter