Snuff Dishes

[Wattana]

Hi Richard,

Another interesting dish! Thanks for sharing.

Tom

[David]

Dear Joey,

Thank you for the explanation.

Warmly,
David

[Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司]

Dear David,
     
      It is a pleasure to explain when the person has the brains to comprehend the answer! 

      One time at a convention, I explained this in exactly the same way, and the stupid woman kept asking, "But how do they get the seal chop into the bottle? I don't understand that!"
      And I kept repeating, "The artist PAINTS the red seal just like he painted the calligraphy, just so that it LOOKS like a red seal from a chop!"
     After the third or fourth time, I just gave up, and walked away. A fellow collector, after witnessing this, a little later told me she thought a court would not have convicted me of murder if I'd throttled the stupid cow, if they could have seen a video of the experience. Justifiable Homicide, she said they'd judge it! 

    And at the 1988 SFO convention, there was a taste-challenged (at least in snuff bottles) gentleman, now late, Edward Combatalade Jnr.  He was a snuff bottle collector, and also friends with Richard & Pat Nixon. He paid for a Camellia grower to grow a new type of Camellia, and had it named after Pat Nixon. It was actually quite beautiful; possibly he should have stuck with Camellias...
    There is even a Pat Nixon Camellia snuff bottle. These were made in Hong Kong by the same
craftsmen who made the reproduction enamelled and molded porcelain figural bottles, ca. 1970-1978.

   In SFO, he came over to my display of my new treasures from the Martin Schoen Collection, and spoke to me and to John Ford, then the prez of the ICSBS. He pulled out a cigar box (like I used to get from my late father, when he smoked cigars);  inside were 5 or 6 snuff bottles, none of which I would have paid more than US$100 for, if I'd even been willing to buy them. I would have been interested in my starting period, ca. 1970-1980, though.

   Ed then said that he could not see how mine in the display case were any better than his group. John Ford said,"That's why you have those bottles, and Joey has his". He then took out one, very crudely painted to copy the Wang Xisan portrait of the Yongzheng Emperor in the Aronson collection, and written on the reverse in English and in Chinese, "Yongzheng". Ed now said,"Look at this wonderful bottle by an artist named 'Yongzheng'! Isn't it wonderful?!" 

   I replied,"WOW! I didn't know that the Yongzheng Emperor (reigned 1723-1735), was able to rule China, AND still had time to invent Inside Painting AND paint snuff bottles! That IS amazing!" I looked at John, he looked at me, and we look at Ed, who was smiling, and who replied,"Yes it is amazing."

   I could not believe it, but John Ford and Clare Chu (she'd been a witness to this from the side) both assured me that what I'd said had gone 'right over the head of' Ed Combatalade Jnr.... !   

   So believe me, it's a pleasure to share knowledge with someone who has the ability to appreciate it. Which is why I have loved being on the Forum since I started in mid-January, 2012, thanks to Charll assuring me it was a genuine Forum for learning and sharing knowledge. Thank you George and thank you Charll. I can't believe all the wonderful friends I've made and make on this Forum.
   [And all the delicious food I've eaten with friends from this Forum!  ]
Best to all,
   Joey
   

[YT]

Dear Joey,

This is more funny than your jokes that I am still laughing about. ROFL!!
Please put this into Peter's database for the earliest inside painter ever- 'YongZheng' lol

Cheers,
YT

[Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司]

Dear YT,
    I actually thought he'd got my joke, till Clare and John assured me Ed Combatalade Jnr. thought my comments were serious. He then went to another dealer, a friend of mine (Marsha Vargas Handley), who he'd bought from on occasion, and bragged about having a genuine Yongzheng bottle FROM Yongzheng!   
   When Marsha suggested politely that the Yongzheng Emperor could hardly have:
1. Invented Inside Painting;
2. Known how to write Latin letters; much less
3. Pinyin Romanization;
Combatalade actually said,"Joey Silver authenticated it!". 
Best,
Joey
   

Dear Joey,

This is more funny than your jokes that I am still laughing about. ROFL!!
Please put this into Peter's database for the earliest inside painter ever- 'YongZheng' lol

Cheers,
YT

[Wattana]

Joey,

PLEASE stop. The tears are running down my cheeks. I can't take any more.... 

Tom

[richy88]

Hi Joey

That must be the best Joke of the Day ever!

Regards.



Richard

[Steven]

Dear Joey,

You might consider to modify  your post at 6:18 a little bit. You must have forgotten the thread is on public Forum. too much detail info provided. ;)Altho I think its a wonderful post.

Best.

Steven

[David]

Dear Joey,

ROFLOL! That is too too funny!!! 

It is already ridiculous for him to compare his bottles to your selected bottles from Martin Schoen Collections, but to actually believe YongZheng Emperor would paint an Interior Painted Bottle with English on top of that?!?      Perfect example of selective listening at it's worst and lack of background knowledge on his collection!

Thank you for the stories from your past , they are either so funny or quite worthy of reflecting on. Sometimes I wonder whether it is learning about the bottles or the people on this forum that I find more interesting.

Thank you for a great funny start to the week,
David

[Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司]

Dear Steven,
    G-D Bless you for looking out for me. I have changed a few comments to 'clean it up' to an acceptable level.
    What would I do without you, Charll, TomL, Pat and YT? Wow! Didn't realise how many people are actively watching to make sure I don't say the wrong thing. Looks like I need a full-time  team of 'minders'. Me bad.     
Thank you all,
Joey

Dear Joey,

You might consider to modify  your post at 6:18 a little bit. You must have forgotten the thread is on public Forum. too much detail info provided. ;)Altho I think its a wonderful post.

Best.

Steven

[Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司]

Guys,
   I was not offended by his comparing his bottles to mine. After all, we ALL think ours are the best examples available. It is like the old English statement,"A man's home is his castle". Not every man's home is literally a castle; but he has a right to  see it as 'his' castle. So him being proud of his collection is as valid as my being proud of mine vis a vis a George Bloch or a Hugh Moss.
   But the lack of understanding was too funny, even if one shouldn't laugh at it. Me bad. 
 Best,
   Joey

[David]

Dear Joey,

You are too kind and have a "deep/wide" chest (generous/wide/open heart...). A good way to live by always reflecting on other's positives.

Warmly,
David