Gourd/seed bottle

[Brad]

This is another bottle I bought on eBay many years ago.  It is very lightweight and not flat on the bottom (it needs the stand and to have sand inside to stay upright).  I think it is a small gourd or seed that is etched with black ink.  I showed both sides - one is an erotic scene.  There is no mark anywhere on it (at least that I could see) and it has a metal spoon.  The top is metal with what look like glass stones.

I bought it because I was buying another item from the same dealer and I thought the workmanship on this looked pretty nice.  I'm curious if it is old or if it is a modern reproduction.

Brad

[Pat - 查尚杰]

Welcome here Brad. This is a new(er) bottle. For your information. .

[Brad]

Hi Pat,

I had figured it probably wasn't extremely old.  Where do you think it could've been made?  It looks Chinese, but that might not mean anything if it is newer.

Brad

[Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司]

Dear Brad,
   Welcome to the Forum.
   I bought one of these, similar to the one on the right (definitely NOT similar to the 'erotic' subject on the left! I was 17, and being Gay, would definitely not find that 'erotic'! ) in 1974 from YF Yang, at the time based in Hong Kong. I paid US$40 through the mail. It had a stopper made of a short (3 mm. ) piece of red coral branch mounted in metal, with a metal spoon.
It was a dried gourd, then etched and lightly coated with clear lacquer.
   I believe it could have been made ca.1930s to 1974. Probably China, but possibly Hong Kong.
Best,
 Shabbat Shalom,
Joey

[Brad]

Hi again Joey,

I didn't even pay that much - I think it was around $28.  If it dates from the 30s that would now be fairly old.  I wasn't sure it was actually that old, so if it is I'd say I did okay.  I thought the workmanship was nice, and just found it amazing that they could've gotten that much detail into something so small.

I used the term erotic mainly because it was sexual in nature and would probably be described as erotic art.  I do like some erotic art though, especially Indian miniature paintings.  I wonder if there are any erotic Indian snuff bottles?

I'm really just learning about snuff bottles.  I doubt I'll become a full-blown collector, but would like to obtain a handful of fairly nice ones.

Brad

[Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司]

Dear Brad,
    To the best of my knowledge, there are no Indian snuff bottles. There are Moghul-style nephrite jade snuff bottles, but they have always been made in China, imitating the Moghul style, after the Qianlong Emperor received Imperial court tribute from the Moghul Emperor. I have a couple of 18th C. Palace Workshop examples, but modern copies are still being made.
    When I dated it ca.1930s to 1974, that was because YF Yang intimated that these could date to pre-WWII.  Erotica of this sort (and nude ladies mis-labelled 'doctors' bottles) were made primarily for sailors to 'entertain themselves'. 
Best,
 Shabbat Shalom,
Joey

[Pat - 查尚杰]

Brad

When I first arrived in Asia in 1999, these type of new style (meaning not seen before) bottles were allover the place.  To me this is of that period or even newer.  Say 90s...

[Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司]

Dear Pat,
    I bought one (an engraved round gourd snuff bottle, with a metal mounted coral branch stopper) in 1974, so they have to date at least that far back... 
Best,
 Joey

Brad

When I first arrived in Asia in 1999, these type of new style (meaning not seen before) bottles were allover the place.  To me this is of that period or even newer.  Say 90s...

[Pat - 查尚杰]

Joey

yes, thanks for the info.  They are not seen often these days....

[Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司]

Dear Pat,
   They were 'cheap as chips' in the early to mid-1970s... I might even have paid a bit less than US$40 for one (like US$35), and it came with a turned dark wood stand that looked like an egg cup on a stemmed foot. 
Best,
 Joey