The Thousand Character Classic

[wgeoff]

Gong Xi Fa Cai for the Year of the Monkey!

It's a long time since I had anything new to post but when Bill Patrick offered me this Thousand Character Classic by Yi Ding at a reasonable price, I quickly decided it was time I had a calligraphy bottle in my collection. So here it is





Here are the beginning and end



translated by Nathan Sturman

'The sky was black and the earth yellow; space and time vast, limitless .....
... Fools and ignoramuses; dimwits too ridiculous. So-called helpers; yan zai hu ye'



Painted by Yi Ding in January 2007, I think.

According to Peter's database and a certificate from Pat, Yi Ding is actually Nie Lei, which makes him



Is that correct?

This bottle is quite tall at 10cm without stopper. The calligraphy is good but I guess there are smaller and better ones of the Essay out there.
What I would like to know is - are there any bottles in traditional text?

Geoff

[AntPeople]

Good bottle Geoff !!! congratulation..........

What is the meaning of traditional text ?.... do you mean Li Shu ?

Pin

[wgeoff]

Thanks Pin.

Sorry, I meant traditional characters, not simplified.
But, on looking again, I think I've got it wrong - it is in traditional characters.

'Fools and ignoramuses; dimwits too ridiculous'

Geoff

[Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司]

Dear Geoff,

       WOW!!! Magnificent bottle! Congratulations. I've never been in contact with Bill Patrick,
and while I don't like really big bottles as a rule, this would have sorely tempted me.

       I'm confused by your question. What do you mean by your last question? I don't understand the reference to "traditional text".
Best,
Shabbat Shalom,
Joey

[wgeoff]

Thanks Joey

Maybe our postings crossed. Is the answer in my posting above?

Geoff

[George]

Pretty amazing bottle for sure Geoff..

Congratulations !

[Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司]

Dear Geoff,

      Yes, they did. Your bottle is in Kaishu, or standard script. I thought you might be trying to refer to script styles, but was not sure.

  Here is a list of Script Styles. These are all pre-PRC (ie., Classical styles of Script, or shu):

   Kaishu -        Standard Script

   Lishu  -         Clerical Script

   Caoshu -       Cursive Script (also called  'Rough'  or 'Grass' Script)

   Xingshu -      Semi-Cursive Script

   Xingkaishu -  A compound script of Kaishu and Xingshu (also called 'Running' Script)
 
   Zhuanshu -    Seal  Script (also called 'Archaic' or 'Bronze' Script)

   Jiaguwen -     Oracle Bone Script, from Shang Dynasty, and the precursor to Zhuanshu

   I think I've listed them correctly. 
Best,
Joey
 

[Pat - 查尚杰]

Geoff

As a frame of reference in 2007 / 2008 when he was still able to do these bottles (apparently no longer the case) he was charging 10 rmb per character on the average plus the price of the bottle.

Nice acquisition... Hold on to it. His bottles have skyrocketed in value.

[wgeoff]

Thanks Joey.

And thanks Pat. It was certainly a good price.
Pat, what's the background to the Yi Ding/Nie Lei certificate on Peter's database?

Geoff

[Pat - 查尚杰]

He was doing this because some people started putting his name on calligraphy bottles.

[Peter Bentley 彭达理]

Hi  Geoff

An amazing  purchase.  I'm  very   surprised  Bill  parted  with that bottle,  although - if I  remember  correctly  - he  does  have  several   Yi Ding / Nei Lei   1000 x  character  bottles

I would  be interested  to  know  by private  message  what you  paid

I  picked  up  my  two   1000 x  character    Yi Ding  bottles  for  about  RMB 8,000  each  in  late  2010 ,  but I think he  sold   them  much earlier  to  someone who sold them on to the  SH  dealer  from  whom I bought  them.
 But even so the   bargain price was a  fluke. 

I really love those  two bottles  , especially  because they make a  matching  pair

Cheers

Peter

PS:  Joey  - thanks for the   info  on the   types  of  scripts.  That's one thing  I  have  not  round to    learning  about

[Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司]

     I've added Jiaguwen, or Oracle Bone Script, to the list.

    But I don't think I've seen more than 5 or 6 bottles with it - I've one from Zi Yizi (D-2) and another example by Yu Shuyun (formerly in The Kleiner Family Collection, and illustrated in "White Wings", #185).
   
     There was a  Yu Shuyun (#534) and a Ding Erzhong (#539) in Bloch  with some characters inscribed.
There might be a couple more I've not seen.

     But it is rare on a snuff bottle, except for the coconut examples illustrated in an article in the Journal by Hugh Moss and another writer.

Best,
Joey
     

[Wattana]

Hi Geoff,

Wonderful bottle. I'm not really 'into' IP bottles, but I find these "all calligraphy" ones very appealing.
Congratulations!

Tom