Dear Yt,
Please don't say that!
I am the one that is learning and thank you for taking the time to post an interesting bottle puzzle for me to solve and learn from.
I will skim through some more of the books that I have but did not have a chance to read yet. So, far I was only able to find a few bottles (from books I read) that are in the rough shape but still too different, in my opinion.
With your encouragement, I will "Show my skill with an ax, in front of master craftsman" then...
Right now, I tentatively think it is not a really old one (pre 1830 -using Joey's as a reference point in time and skill). The bubbles don't look like any of Steven's book or Joey's. Theirs are very fine and not concentrated close to the metal wires. Although, yours do not look as obviously under filled as the one George posted, it still looks under filled to me. It just might be a better material with flux that flows better than older material, so it adheres and looks smoother. It feels like missing one more round of filling/heat/sanding.
The bottle shape is too flat at the sides and too decorated, compared to the references from Joey's, Seven's, and some of Moss's Snuff Bottle of Chiina. It also looks more like a hard stone shape, then a more smooth/rounder cloisonné. So, technically too advanced, based on my limited knowledge, I will cross out 1830-1880.
The 2 colored element of the composite flower (pink/white) petal I think pushes it to later times. But, don't know enough yet, except the old ones tend to have only one color per compartment... Moss dates those with bicolor shading to 1800/1850-1920... but I think it is too much of an advance for your bottle where they did not bother to fill completely, so I am going to say 1950 or latter. If they took the time to fill and polish once more so only fine little bubbles are left, then it is more likely of the same class as Hugh's more recent ones (274, 275, 279).
To support it is of 1950 or latter, I will add:
the wire compartment might be even from prefab pieces where the maker just twist a little to make it look different.
the border design don't make sense and not like the ones shown on the 3 references by a mile, and the border element is so large that it is less a border, but more a crowd into the key visual region.
Then the inside (blue enamel, bare, a mess of left over enamel/polish), dimension and additional photos will also help in figuring this out.
Another track to consider is whether it is faked to look old. I don't know enough yet how the enamel runs. But, I can kind of see a faker getting a newly made bottle, then spraying it with acid. The way the underfill around the edge of the wires, looks odd as they tend to concentrate on one edge irregardless of whether it is a compartment, or not.
Like, if you lay it flat and then spray it with water, those spots feels like where water will catch. Then if acid, then it over etches it.
Then perhaps they power wash with slurry or air blast with softer "sand" to smooth it.
My very tentative strings of thought, as I don't have enough information or knowledge to narrow or start more strings.
Warm regards and for your enjoyment,
David
