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March 29, 2024, 09:09:46 am
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Amber-colored glass?

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snuffmke
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« on: January 05, 2020, 02:04:27 pm »

This bottle confuses me. My grandfather's index card says its "amber peking glass" and may very well be, but there are things about it that cast doubt for me.

1. When held up to the light, there appear to be inclusions. That's not anything you'd see in glass, right?
2. The surface doesn't seem very like glass to me (but what do I know). Some pitting, nicks, and such. Just doesn't seem right.
3. As per Joey's "rub it on your cheek" trick. It's definitely much colder than ambient room temperature.

Regardless, I don't think it's a great bottle at all; masks are only so-so. But I'd at least like to know what the material is definitively. What does everyone think?

Forgive the mediocre photography.

Brian


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Brian – A third generation collector in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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« Reply #1 on: January 05, 2020, 09:57:37 pm »

Hi there Brian.  Was hoping someone would comment on this for you. My computer is down until tomorrow and this typing on a phone is for the birds.

Will have a better look on a monitor tomorrow, and be able to type again 😆
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Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司
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« Reply #2 on: January 06, 2020, 11:37:32 am »

Dear Brian,

  1.  Yes, glass can have inclusions.
  2. Amber is an organic material and would be warmer than glass, not colder.
  3. Yup, a crappy example - I'd date to 1860-1900 and, while over 120 years old, a really bad example.
  4. My feeling is it is definitely Amber glass, though  on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the top; this is a 5, barely.
Best,
Joey
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snuffmke
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« Reply #3 on: January 06, 2020, 11:40:29 am »

Dear Brian,

  1.  Yes, glass can have inclusions.
  2. Amber is an organic material and would be warmer than glass, not colder.
  3. Yup, a crappy example - I'd date to 1860-1900 and, while over 120 years old, a really bad example.
  4. My feeling is it is definitely Amber glass, though  on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the top; this is a 5, barely.
Best,
Joey
Joey,

Good to know. Thanks. Did the cheek test because I thought it might be a stone of some sort, not amber. It's way too heavy to be amber. Ya, definitely not a great example. It was one of my grandpa's bottles that was stuck in a drawer and not on display.

brian
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Brian – A third generation collector in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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« Reply #4 on: January 06, 2020, 02:32:37 pm »

Dear Brian,
to determine if it is glass or stone you have simply to look at the base, if it has the typical swirls of glass or not.
I know, most here will say that this is not a decisive method because it is not valid in case of bottles carved out from solid glass, but I have yet to see one. I have only one but I am not yet sure if it is glass or rock.
And, anyway, I do not think that a bottle of this grade would be carved out from a solid block of glass.
Then always pay attention to the base, that is a valid suggestion for every kind of bottles.
About the check test, I think that I have already said elsewhere here that it is a test with big limitations.
Saying that the stone is colder than room temperature makes no sense, it is not true. The Physics always works, never takes a relax 😊.
Kind regards
Giovanni
PS: Are you sure that what you see as inclusion is not just dirty inside the bottle?
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« Reply #5 on: January 06, 2020, 05:08:29 pm »

Dear Giovanni,

    Did you mean 'check' ['verificare'] or 'cheek'[la gota] test?
I am sure you have a very serious way to test whether mineral or glass, etc.
But for 50 years, the 'cheek test' has stood me in good stead.
I don't intend to jettison it...
Best,
joey
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snuffmke
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« Reply #6 on: January 06, 2020, 07:58:53 pm »


to determine if it is glass or stone you have simply to look at the base, if it has the typical swirls of glass or not.

PS: Are you sure that what you see as inclusion is not just dirty inside the bottle?

I don't see any signs of swirling, but it is all a solid color and a swirling texture would infer a visible mixture of two different colors. Don't think it's dirt either, but maybe it would be easier with a light on the inside. Hey, does anyone know where to get one of those snuff bottle flashlights?
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Brian – A third generation collector in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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« Reply #7 on: January 06, 2020, 11:32:46 pm »

Hi Brian,

Weighing up all the clues in this thread, I'd be surprised if the bottle was anything other than amber- coloued glass. Which is pretty close to your grandfather's description.

Sometimes it pays to not question one's elders!  Wink

Tom
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