Message #43907

[EK]

My thanks to you all for your comments and the warm welcome I received. I am feeling much at home here.

Firstly, I think I need to share the attached copy of Mr. John Ford’s letter of 30 December 1986 because it would clear any doubt that the ICSBS knew less than we thought they knew about Zhou Hongbin in late 1986. He did mentioned that a lady member would be doing the research article. I wonder who she might be. Martha M. Renk would be my guess as I noted that she did a lengthy review of a finely incised glass bottle by Chow Ye-pin (ref. ICSBS Volume VII No. 3, Sept 1975).

I have re-inked the bottle to facilitate better evaluation by  the ICSBS. I have read that Martha Renk did the same to her bottle. I was also hoping that someone could translate the calligraphy. Unfortunately, my Chinese reading ability is limited only to those characters that also appear on mahjong tiles. The inking was done with washable ink, a reversible process. I could have used a paste of incense ash which would give the bottle a softer appearance, compared with the harsher ink-black tone seen in the photos, but it would mean compromising on clarity.

As to the question posed by Joey, I do not have enough experience with porcelain to tell if the crack is in the porcelain or on the soft paste but I would guess the former. I am attaching another photo for your assessment, Joey.

Richard, Thanks for your link to your incised porcelain bottle. It is indeed impressive. I wish I have a red stopper just like yours to match mine.

YT, I am looking forward to seeing your early Zhou Hongbin bottle. It seems that, with regard to snuff bottles, incised calligraphy artists were not as prolific as IP artist.  Btw, I am sure you would like my bottle better after I have given it a good thumbing. ;-)

Cheers,
Edmund