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Chinese Snuff Bottle Discussion Forum 中國鼻煙壺討論論壇
March 28, 2024, 06:17:56 am
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Huge Ivory Column Bottle - intricately carved

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Author Topic: Huge Ivory Column Bottle - intricately carved  (Read 2584 times)
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forestman
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« on: January 21, 2017, 09:47:53 am »

Dear Cathy,

I'm adding a picture of one of my card cases as numerous of these deeply carved card cases show similar scenes to your bottle although I don't seem to be able to call up your pictures to compare.

These card case are always described as Chinese/Cantonese and tend to be dated from 1850 to early 1900's so it could be possible your bottle is older from this respect although from purely a snuff bottle perspective then Joey has the knowledge that may fit with a later date.

You also get Japanese Ivory card cases but they are very different to Chinese ones. Japanese ones tend to have lacquer and shibayama work over a normally flat ivory surface. So the distinct workmanship of each Country was preserved to appeal to Western buyers of these card cases who may not have wanted something that was simply Asian, but either Chinese or Japanese.

Both Lilla Perry and Bob Stevens (who borrows from Lilla Perry when talking of ivory bottles) suggest the confusion as to Chinese/Japanese origin should let the owner of a bottle decide on it's origin.

Lilla Perry took all her ivory bottles to people to try and clear up the question of Japanese/Chinese origin. One said they were all Chinese because the faces, costumes and calligraphy were Chinese while another said why can't they all be Japanese because if they were created for the Chinese market they would have been done with Chinese faces etc by Japanese craftsmen. Bob Stevens encountered similar alternating views.

Robert Kliner's (RIP) book, Images of Asia, is unclear to me. "Ivory snuff bottles of a very high quality were also made in Japan, often inlaid with lacquer panels. These bottles were inspired in general design and conception by the Chinese imperial ivory snuff bottles and they usually bear inscribed Qianlong reign marks." Does this mean the Japanese made any absolute copies of imperial bottles or did they make them distinct from any Chinese bottles with lacquered panels or by other means?

The polychromed bottles are all pretty much accepted as Japanese, certainly the figural ones. But they too are distinct from Chinese bottles by being polychromed even if they were carved with Chinese faces etc.

From my limited, but slowly growing, library of snuff bottle books there is never any direct mention of Chinese ivory bottles having inlaid lacquered panels or being polychromed. None of the bottles in Bob Stevens book that are said to be Japanese are plain ivory, all are lacquered or polychromed.

Perhaps the Japanese never sought to make indistinguishable copies of Chinese bottles but always did something to set them apart as Japanese ? Are there any 100% definite Chinese ivory bottles that are polychromed or lacquered or with panels inset into ivory?

Regards, Adrian.







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