Liu Tieqin bottle?

[wgeoff]

I took a few bottles to the recent Asia Regional Snuff Bottle Exhibition in the hope of someone identifying the artists when only a pen name appears on the bottle.

I was fortunate with this one. A small bottle, 7cm tall by 4cm wide, dated 1985 on the bottle and signed 'Lao Tie'.

 



 

Lu Jianguang suggested this was painted by Liu Tieqin, a 3rd generation artist of Wang Xisan's alongside Fu Guoshun and Dong Xue, 'before my time' as Lu Jianguang said.

His name does not appear in Chinese Inside Painting of the Modern Age but it does appear in A New Look page 93 together with a few bottles painted in the later 1980's - maybe he stopped producing bottles soon afterwards. J.H.Leung mentions him as being 'unknown to collectors'. According to J.H., Liu Tieqin resumed painting in the spring of 1985 and then, rather intriguingly, he also says 'Liu Tieqin was painting a landscape bottle when I visited the Ji studio in November 1985' - could this be the bottle I wonder?

Anyway, I bought it in Cat Street, Hong Kong in the late 1990s when such things were available (now they are all fakes). It took several visits to get an agreed price with the stall holder, around HK$800 I seem to remember. But I'm very pleased to have it. Not a masterpiece, but a piece with a nice history I think.

Geoff

[Pat - 查尚杰]

Geoff

Thanks for sharing.  If you don't mind me saying, you are understating the quality of the painting.  I personally think this is very well and beautifully painted and would love to have it in my collection... I hope it does have the history you describe...

[Steven]

Hi Geoff,

A wonderful bottle, I like the painting as well, especially the mountains and left tree without the leaves and overall layout  of the landscape .

The trees on the right side is very done as well if not the best. the only thing is not exciting is the figure painting, I personally think it ruins the whole painting, if the figures were not there, I will like the bottle much more.

Steven

[Wattana]

Geoff,

I am not generally attracted to IP bottles when compared to other types of bottle, but am partial to landscapes, especially those of limited colour palette and delicate brushwork, like this one. And with an intriguing story behind it!  

Tom

[George]

Wonderful paintings ..  I also like them very much, and see a great deal of detail within both.. 

Really exceptional !

[AntPeople]

Lu JianGuang also mention that Lui TieQin is still painting in JingDeZhen as a porcelain plate painter but has stop painting IP bottles totally.

Pin

[David]

Hello Geoff,

It looks nice, especially the mountain that looks like a dragons' spine/back coiling in the mist. And the trees/fog telling you that it is late fall or early winter.

But, a great deal for 800 HK, and way better than most of my "snuff bottle" fakes or tourist items.

Best Regards,
David

[wgeoff]

Thanks all for your comments which help me appreciate the bottle even more.
Also to Pin for remembering the comment from Lu Jianguang that Liu Tieqin was now painting porcelain in JingDeZhen. I had missed that, maybe got lost in translation.

David, don't worry, we all have our collection of fakes and cheap bottles - I think you're over that stage now.

I managed to find two other Liu Tieqin bottles on the internet, here





The first one, dated 1987, also appears in A New Look page 96. The second one is dated 1986.
Both were at auction and fetched around RMB3000 in 2007.

[Wattana]

Geoff,

I much prefer yours to these two examples, for reasons already stated.

Tom

[Pat - 查尚杰]

I have to say that I like the guy's style.  It is a pity he is no longer painting inside bottles.   Thanks Geoff!

[Wattana]

I have to say that I like the guy's style.  It is a pity he is no longer painting inside bottles.   Thanks Geoff!

Pat,

You may have to start collecting his porcelain plates... 

[David]

Hello Geoff,

It feels different... the first makes me feel crowded by the other people and want to squeeze in to see more. Which is neat.

Like Steven, I really like the trees of the first one, it is so detailed and layered by the obscuring fog. The trees in the latter two feels like there is less depth, too heavy, simpler (structure).

The pen names are different, one is Old Iron, while the latter 2 are Iron Qin (as in music instrument). And seals are different.

It is hard to believe that he can change his style this much in 1 year.

Best Regards,
David

[AntPeople]

IMO... His painting is very nice !!!

But his calligraphy is not the best and he tried too hard to paint too many people into his picture

The famous Chinese master painter Li KeRan once said..... The most difficult part of a Chinese landscape paintings is to know where to include "people" into the overall picture.

I guess those little people that occupied less then 5% of the overall space can either make or break a lot of things !!!!

Pin