Couple of nice White Jade Bottles !

[George]

The first one is a white with a dash of russet, and the second is also a white jade with jade stopper set in silver bezel.

Not entirely sure about age, but safe enough to say 19th for sure.. Both are 2".

Enjoy !

[samsonlzj]

They look beautiful George! Congratulations!

Best,
Samson

[Fiveroosters aka clayandbrush]

Dear George,
nice bottles, the jade looks as being of high grade. Congratulations.
The flat shaped one seems to have a flat cut on one side only of the rim. Perhaps it has been made to cut away a chip?
Kind regards
Giovanni

[samsonlzj]

The flat shaped one seems to have a flat cut on one side only of the rim. Perhaps it has been made to cut away a chip?

I observed the same on many other jade bottles I came across as well. I wonder why is that?

Best,
Samson

[George]

Thanks guys ! 

It is so rare that I get to handle jade bottles.. Have only had three in hand ever ..  So it really was a surprise to have a couple pop up within a day of each other at prices I could afford.

I also have seen that flat spot before.. Perhaps the chunk of jade was simply a hair shy of having enough material to complete the neck at the minimum desired height..  Or if it was done intentionally, perhaps it lets someone sort of place a finger nail in that spot so as to pry upwards rather than pulling up by the stopper.. That way there is no stress on a cork from pulling on it from a snug fit..

[Steven]

Congratulations George!!

Very nice bottles, I actually like the one on the right a little more because of the special shape.

Steven

[Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司]

Guys,
   
  Simple explanation to the 'flat on one side' issue with Nephrite jade bottles: it is the side with the 'skin'. It is a hassle to stopper them nicely, but I have had a jeweller cut away and polish one side from an onyx collar and a coral stopper, to fit one nicely.
Best,
Shabbat Shalom from Honolulu,
Joey

[George]

Guys,
   
  Simple explanation to the 'flat on one side' issue with Nephrite jade bottles: it is the side with the 'skin'.

What is the reason for it being on the russet side ?

[Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司]

Because it was cut off of a large jade boulder, and the 'skin' or 'russet' side was flat at that section. Then the carver cut the rest of the bottle in a traditional bottle- as opposed to flask- shape, and there you are.
I believe they did a more bulbous bottle shape to give more white and accentuate the 'skin'.
I looked again at the bottle you posted, and don't see a lot of 'skin' or 'russet' colouring. The description I gave better explains a few in my collection and others I've seen. They used to be quite common, and not very expensive. Everyone had one or two, along with a few B & Ws, and a few Agates, as well as a few plain glass. That was the nucleus of a beginner's collection.
Shabbat Shalom,
Joey

[George]

I like how the neck is a bit oval shaped following the contour of the bottle..

[George]

I felt so embarrassed and stupid that I did not mention the stopper that accidently got thrown in the Post Office garbage ..  When I opened the box was so fixated on the bottle that completely forgot the separately packed stopper..

But for the sake of discussion about the flat spot I have no choice but to expose my stupidity ! 

So here is what I will guess the original stopper with a matching bevel..

[Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司]

Dear George.

   Happens. No biggie.
Best,
Joey

I felt so embarrassed and stupid that I did not mention the stopper that accidently got thrown in the Post Office garbage ..  When I opened the box was so fixated on the bottle that completely forgot the separately packed stopper..

But for the sake of discussion about the flat spot I have no choice but to expose my stupidity ! 

So here is what I will guess the original stopper with a matching bevel..

[George]

Dear George.

   Happens. No biggie.
Best,
Joey

Thanks Joey...

So looking at the stopper and how it has a matching flat spot, what can we make of that ?  What is the connection between the two ?

[Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司]

Dear George,

     That the bottle was made  that way, and the stopper made to fit the neck. 
Best,
Joey

[Wattana]

Hi George,

Congrats!

Both are very appealing, although if I had to choose one, I'd pick the flask shaped one. That oval neck sets it apart for me. I have a smoky quartz with the same oval neck (and matching oval stopper).

I think Joey's explanation of the flat edge to the lip on the other bottle (even though I don't see it in your photo) is the most probable reason for it. I have come across this feature on a number of jade bottles, and never on any others.

The body shape is interesting. It reminds me of the seed pod of a water chestnut (a tropical plant, whose seeds help it float in water). The pods have a bulbous shape with sharp lateral edges like on your bottle. I wonder if that was what inspired the lapidary.

Tom

[George]

The body shape is interesting. It reminds me of the seed pod of a water chestnut (a tropical plant, whose seeds help it float in water). The pods have a bulbous shape with sharp lateral edges like on your bottle. I wonder if that was what inspired the lapidary.

Tom

Well the idea of seed pod is sure a good one.. I could not come up with what the lapidary was inspired by.. But I like your idea..

[Wattana]

I was once offered a similarly shaped white jade bottle, except that one had no neck or defined foot. It felt good in the hand, and immediately reminded me of those seed pods, because we have a bowl of dried ones at home for decoration.
Almost certain they were the inspiration for that particular bottle.

[OIB]

George,

Congratulations on your new acquisitions ! Jade bottles are always nice to be held in the palm.

Tom,

I like your 'seed pods ' inspiration comment. My first reaction was that the carver might have just seen an UFO about to land on Inner Mongolia 😄😄

I'm currently on vacation in Perth .

Regards,
Inn Bok

[George]

George,

Congratulations on your new acquisitions !

I wish could actually keep them..  Something interesting I learned about the process used during the 18th century to create the base of the bottle.  They would use core type drill at both ends and once in the center. Then grind out the remaining moving laterally across the base..  Interestingly, it can actually help to date this to being 18th, and we can see three slight dips where the core drill was used..

[Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司]

Dear George,

    What is the source of your statement re.drilling and bottles being 18th C.?
I would have thought the 18th C. bottles have an internal surface of the base that is totally polished smooth. The sloppiness inherent in a bottle where you can see the indentations from drilling the base, I would ascribe to late 19th C. and 20th C. bottles, rather than 18th C.
Best,
Joey

George,

Congratulations on your new acquisitions !

I wish could actually keep them..  Something interesting I learned about the process used during the 18th century to create the base of the bottle.  They would use core type drill at both ends and once in the center. Then grind out the remaining moving laterally across the base..  Interestingly, it can actually help to date this to being 18th, and we can see a slight dip where the core drill was used..