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Fossiliferous Limestone

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Author Topic: Fossiliferous Limestone  (Read 1079 times)
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Wattana
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« on: April 16, 2014, 01:20:15 am »

With Easter / Passover upon us, I thought this would be a good time to kick off another category of snuff bottle. Joey somewhere referred to this type of stone bottle as 'ballast'. Well, each to his own! I for one find the endless permutations of colour and pattern very attractive. Here's the first one, originally in the Ko Collection.  Enjoy!

Description:
Fossiliferous limestone snuff bottle of compressed ovoid form with a slightly tapering neck and shoulders, flat oval lip, and a raised oval foot with flat base. Turquoise stopper set in a silver collar; brass spoon in the shape of an open-palmed hand.

Height without stopper:  6.2 cm
Tentative dating: 1780-1880   

Additional comments:
Fossiliferous limestone, so called for the fossil inclusions present in the matrix of this sedimentary stone, exists in a wide range of colours and combinations of colour, as well as a variety of density and shapes of fossil inclusions.  In the present example the whitish inclusions are probably fossilized coral, here set in a dark orange-brown matrix.

Compare with a somewhat similar bottle in the Victoria & Albert Museum Collection, see Helen White, "Snuff Bottles from China", plate 50, no. 2.  For another example made of similar material see Bob Stevens' "Collector's Book of Snuff Bottles", no.666.

PS: By the way, our daughter has been coerced into re-photographing all my bottles with professional equipment; this is the first of her photos to be posted on the Forum.


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« Last Edit: February 20, 2017, 02:09:02 am by Wattana » Report Spam   Logged

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Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司
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« Reply #1 on: April 16, 2014, 03:58:19 am »

Dear Tom,
   I referred to these bottles this way because I got tricked by the late great Eric Young of blessed memory, into shlepping all the ones he'd bought in Bob Stevens III (I think it was 3) in Oct.1982 from Sotheby's on York Ave., to the Waldorf. They weighed a TON! He carried the lighter, more valuable ones, and I got the ballast bottles!
  But they are pretty and interesting.
  And your daughter's photography is first-rate.
Happy Passover/Easter/Festivus,
Joey
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Joey Silver (Si Zhouyi 義周司), collecting snuff bottles since Feb.1970

Wattana
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« Reply #2 on: April 16, 2014, 04:35:55 am »

Dear Joey,

Thanks for explaining the origins of the expression 'ballast' bottles. That reminds me of the time I asked a friend who was travelling from Hong Kong to Bangkok if he would mind carrying a couple of books for me. The books in question were two tomes from the 'A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles' series. He referred to them as 'arm stretchers', and swears that his arms have been two inches longer ever since.

Tom
« Last Edit: April 16, 2014, 10:25:22 pm by Wattana » Report Spam   Logged

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« Reply #3 on: April 16, 2014, 12:50:19 pm »

Dear Tom,
   That is a good friend. Treasure him.
Joey
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Joey Silver (Si Zhouyi 義周司), collecting snuff bottles since Feb.1970

George
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« Reply #4 on: April 16, 2014, 01:50:05 pm »

Beautiful mineral, and wonderful bottle.. Love the appearance and shape..

Thanks for sharing this one Tom !
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Peter Bentley 彭达理
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« Reply #5 on: April 16, 2014, 08:01:12 pm »

Hi  Tom

That's   AMAZING ....

Wish I could   touch and  handle  it

In my  younger   days   I was  an   avid   caver  (speleologist)   in the  Mendip  caves   close  to  Bristol, S W  England   where  I  grew  up

Ah....   LIMESTONE !

Cheers
Peter
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« Reply #6 on: April 16, 2014, 10:27:28 pm »


Wish I could   touch and  handle  it


Peter,

Remind me to bring it along next time I visit Hong Kong.

Tom
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« Reply #7 on: April 17, 2014, 11:17:01 pm »

Dear Tom,
   That is a good friend. Treasure him.
Joey

Dear Joey,

You are right, and I do.  Wink

Tom
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Steven
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« Reply #8 on: April 17, 2014, 11:31:22 pm »

Dear Tom,

I really like the shape of the bottle, very elegant! The stopper matches perfectly with the bottle, the textures of the bottle and stoppers go very well.

Steven
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« Reply #9 on: April 18, 2014, 12:51:46 am »

Thanks everyone for your comments...!
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« Reply #10 on: April 18, 2014, 04:27:38 am »

Nice bottle, as usual!
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Richard from sunny Singapore
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« Reply #11 on: April 22, 2014, 12:45:36 am »

A post-Easter posting to continue this topic…..enjoy!

Description:
    A fossiliferous limestone snuff bottle of compressed rounded form, with flared neck, concave lip and a slightly raised flat oval foot; the black matrix evenly suffused with pale grey cylindrical fossil inclusions, orientated vertically. Green jadeite stopper set in a gilt-silver collar.

Height without stopper:  5.2 cm
Tentative dating: 1760-1880

Additional Comments:
    This is an unusually well-carved and interestingly marked version within the wide range snuff bottles made of this material. The striking visual effect created by the vertical alignment of the tubular fossils in the dark matrix gives the impression (especially after a glass or two of wine) of a basket-weave pattern.
    Many varieties of limestone, and combinations of colour, shape and density of fossil inclusions exist. They were probably first produced in the eighteenth century, perhaps quite early in the century, but the majority seem to date from the mid to late Qing period. For another early but very different example see the previous bottle in this thread.


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« Last Edit: April 22, 2014, 12:51:54 am by Wattana » Report Spam   Logged

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« Reply #12 on: April 22, 2014, 03:05:04 am »

Perfect post Easter bottle Tom !

Really beautiful..
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« Reply #13 on: April 22, 2014, 12:24:41 pm »

Tom and all,

Really appreciative the bottle postings that everyone makes on occasion.  These fossiliferous limestone bottles with provided descriptions are great examples of this material type and provide a benchmark to strive for when the opportunity arises to add such bottles to our own collection.   Though time does do allow me to necessarily respond to every post, I truly enjoying such postings and learn more about the different snuff bottle materials or IPB artists along the way.  Each bottle posted is reviewed intently, information absorbed, and the bottle or topic location mentally logged away to come back to when I am researching similar bottles.  The Forum is turning into a great reference site. Such fine bottle examples as in this case, and even the poor ones, continued expand my education in the snuff bottle material world, and all of your efforts are cherished.  Thank all for the sharing of your time, collections, references, and knowledge.
 
Charll
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Charll K Stoneman, Eureka, California USA, Collector Since 1979.

Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司
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« Reply #14 on: April 22, 2014, 02:39:39 pm »

Dear Tom,
  Pretty markings.
Joey
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Joey Silver (Si Zhouyi 義周司), collecting snuff bottles since Feb.1970

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« Reply #15 on: April 22, 2014, 11:55:32 pm »

George, Joey, and especially Charll,

Thanks for your comments guys. It's nice to know the posts actually get looked at, so even a two word reply is a much appreciated confirmation!   Smiley

Tom
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« Reply #16 on: April 23, 2014, 02:16:12 am »

They get looked at for sure.. but as many of us here, i have a hard time keeping up with replies and comments,.. For work alone I deal with an average of at least 150 emails a day. 

I agree with Charll that our group and our forum has significantly expanded my knowledge and interest in snuff bottles, ...

It feels like a family here.. we occasionally may quarrel (rarely in a bad way) and disagree but we stay cohesive. 
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Best Regards

Pat
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« Reply #17 on: April 23, 2014, 03:32:45 am »

Dear Pat,
    Your words were so true. Thank you.
Joey
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« Reply #18 on: April 23, 2014, 03:50:29 am »


It feels like a family here.. we occasionally may quarrel (rarely in a bad way) and disagree but we stay cohesive. 
 

Kind of like the UN......   Grin  Grin  Grin
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« Reply #19 on: April 29, 2014, 03:31:04 am »

Belated response, Tom

As always, i enjoy the bottles you shared. The two F. Limestone bottles are beauties ! The natural patterns are unbeliever.
i just came back from Perth where I re-visited and befriended the owner of a stone shop, spcialising in Aussie stones and minerals. The grains in these stones were just a feast to my eyes. My wife could not resist buying one home for display !

Regards,

Inn Bok
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