Message #42354

[Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司]

Cathy,

    The one with the Zhuanshu (Archaic script) on the back, is obviously modern because of the shape, base, incised background which looks to be imitating Cinnabar Lacquer snuff bottles, and the subject matter. Everything about it is wrong.

However, the description in CW was very well done. No outlandish claims made for it. I'm impressed. Seriously.

    I've written this ad nauseum on the Forum, but here goes again:
When you are looking at a bottle BEFORE buying it, try to find the slightest detail which is not 'right'  for the period. Make no excuses to yourself why "it could still be 'right', even though... (type in the applicable detail)". Be ruthless in saying that it is not good enough. And don't buy it.

      There are literally hundreds of thousands of genuine snuff bottles out there, from ca.1660-1920. Don't be in such a hurry.
Having said that, I think the pink overlay on milk glass may be 'right'. But a success rate of about 5% is not where I'd be aiming, if I were you. Keep reading and training your eye. And at some stage, you need to get to a convention, to meet fellow crazy people and see the bottles in the dealers' room. 100-300 at each dealer's booth, times 8-20 dealers. There you will go crazy. 

Best,
Joey