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A black stone snuff bottle believed to be duan stone

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Author Topic: A black stone snuff bottle believed to be duan stone  (Read 522 times)
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PeterH
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« on: January 24, 2015, 11:31:54 pm »

Greetings everyone. Some images of a black stone snuff bottle with matching top. The bottle is approximately 5.6 cm high without the top. I am woundering if it is late 19C. Any comments will be appreciated.


* Jet SB2.jpg (282.37 KB, 1600x1200 - viewed 40 times.)

* Jet SB 1.jpg (29.53 KB, 500x375 - viewed 32 times.)

* jet SB Top.jpg (62 KB, 984x768 - viewed 36 times.)

* Jet SB Base.jpg (215.99 KB, 1600x1200 - viewed 33 times.)
« Last Edit: February 04, 2015, 02:07:50 pm by PeterH » Report Spam   Logged

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Pat - 查尚杰
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« Reply #1 on: January 25, 2015, 03:01:12 am »

Peter

This looks like inkstone... not jet.   But without seeing or handling it, very hard to tell for sure.  Is it yours?  It should be lightweight if jet.  I am willing to go on a limb and say it is probably not well hollowed, If it isn't my guess is 1960s or 70s.  Ink stone is very brittle...  Also, the spoon looks like it may be acrylic or plastic to imitate tortoise shell.  the fitting around the stopper also looks like plastic to make it a tight fit. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inkstone
« Last Edit: January 25, 2015, 03:10:51 am by Pat » Report Spam   Logged

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Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司
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« Reply #2 on: January 25, 2015, 03:59:38 am »

Dear PeterH,
       The base looks like resin. But Pat is correct, that without handling it, we can't really judge.
Is it heavy or light in weight?
Is it well hollowed or drilled or barely hollowed?
 I would date it post-1950.
Best,
   Joey
« Last Edit: January 25, 2015, 05:45:50 pm by Joey » Report Spam   Logged

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

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« Reply #3 on: January 25, 2015, 10:57:45 am »

Hi Peter,

I am assuming from your knowledge of minerals that you have tested this bottle, and that it IS made of jet.

The design does not look like any older jet bottles I have ever come across. The overall style, shape and intaglio decoration are similar to post-1960s bottles in other materials (ivory, lacquer, wood, resin) I have seen. Without handling it I would guess it to be of a similar vintage. 

Tom
« Last Edit: January 25, 2015, 10:59:37 am by Wattana » Report Spam   Logged

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PeterH
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« Reply #4 on: January 26, 2015, 08:28:03 am »

Good evening all and thanks for the interest

I believe the spoon is horn and it is missing the cork. It is in my opinion definitely not inkstone. The streak is identical to other jet snuff bottles I have. I will determine the SG in due course, once I locate it from storage. I will shortly list a second "jet" snuff bottle which resembles this one in style, but which is marked on the base. I also have a third one I will display later also marked on the base. Also have another different style sold at auction as a jet snuff bottle and in my opinion is not. Some time agoalso got another so called jet snuff bottle which turned out to be bakelite. Patience and patience about having patience.

Best wishes Peter
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PeterH
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« Reply #5 on: February 04, 2015, 06:33:47 am »

Specific gravity determination indicates a value too high for jet (1.30 to 1.35). I have tested the streak of a duan stone snuff bottles and found it very similar to that of jet (chocolate brown). Also the thermo electric properties of this bottle bottles are very different from jet which is considerably lower. I therefore conclude that this bottle is duan stone and not jet as originally thought by me.

Hers are some links to similar bottles from auction archives the first of which was kindly provided by Tom.

http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/19250/lot/6161/

http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/6033157

http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/640638

Best wishes Peter

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George
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« Reply #6 on: February 04, 2015, 07:11:09 am »

Good work to both you and Tom for both the bottles you posted !

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« Reply #7 on: February 04, 2015, 08:23:04 am »

Well, that comes as a surprise. Good research!
I always thought duanstone was relatively heavy compared to jet, but maybe their SG's are not so different.

Tom
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PeterH
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« Reply #8 on: February 04, 2015, 03:19:08 pm »

The sg is the weight per unit volume and duanstone is heavier than jet but hollowing of the bottle is also a factor. I was surprised that duan stone can leave a streak which is chocolate brown when rubbed on an unglazed porcelain streak plate. Duan stone was quaried near Zhaoging city in Guangdong Province southern China. These inkstone stone can show considerable variation including bedding laminations and also variations in colour with green inkstone snuff bottles very difficult to destinguish from Songhua ones. I have never seen images of identified Songhua inkstone snuff bottles. The  Songhua stone quarries are located near the Songhua River close to Changbai Mountain in Jilin Province (NE China)

Another feature of duan inkstones can be inclusion of whitish to yellowish "eyes" which I believe are regarded as  auspicious, with the larger the number of eyes the more favourable. I will in a few days time post images of uncarved duan stone showing these eyes.

Another type of inkstone is she inkstone still quarried today from the ancient quarries in Shezhou Prefecture, Anhui Province eastern China. I have never seen a she inkstone snuff bottle.
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« Reply #9 on: February 04, 2015, 10:48:17 pm »

Peter

Thanks for confirming my hunch on the bottle.   And for the scientific analysis.   Much appreciated!
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Pat
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