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March 28, 2024, 05:04:52 am
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Hornbill Bottle

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« on: January 28, 2017, 03:59:46 am »

Early in 1975, a friend and fellow collector returned from a trip to China with an assortment of snuff bottles. After showing me several of his new bottles, I found myself fixated upon this  hornbill bottle in the shape of a recumbent horse. Knowing I really liked it, he sold it to me with a few other bottles we haggled over. Of the two hornbill bottles in my collection, value aside, this little guy still tugs at my heart strings. In these many years, I have only seen two others, the last in an auction in 2013 in Germany. My bottle has a lovely patina and seems better detailed than the others I have seen. Does anyone know what I can do to clean this bottle. I haven't touched it in fear that I would harm it. It really needs a cleaning. I look forward to your comments and any information that anyone can provide.

Toni-Lee


* rsz_dsc04619.jpg (27.42 KB, 495x315 - viewed 41 times.)

* rsz_dsc04620.jpg (30.39 KB, 557x361 - viewed 34 times.)

* rsz_dsc04624.jpg (46.66 KB, 504x542 - viewed 31 times.)
« Last Edit: January 28, 2017, 06:23:02 am by Necollector » Report Spam   Logged

Toni-Lee

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« Reply #1 on: January 28, 2017, 05:13:28 am »

Dear Toni,

This is really one of a kind. I love hornbill bottles and it's just unique in this form. I'vve only seen jade pieces in this form not snuff bottles. Unfortunately it's not easy to buy one these days given the restrictions... I like the carving on yours...

Thanks for sharing!

Best,
Samson
« Last Edit: January 28, 2017, 05:18:08 am by samsonlzj » Report Spam   Logged

Samson - a young new collector desiring knowledge
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« Reply #2 on: January 28, 2017, 05:23:18 am »

Dear Toni,
please be so kind to delete your previous pictures and post them again in a more proper size. These are too big, not easy to inspecta nd taking a lot of space from the Forum. The best size is no more than 900 pixels and about 100 kB. Thank you for understanding.
Kind regards
Giovanni
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« Reply #3 on: January 28, 2017, 05:37:45 am »

Samson,

Thank you for your kind words.  I do love it!

Giovanni,

I am so sorry if the pictures are too large.  I will see if I can figure out how to make the images smaller on my Mac. Let me investigate and re-send.  I am far from a computer whizz.

Toni-Lee
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« Reply #4 on: January 28, 2017, 05:41:20 am »

Dear Toni,

Try this perhaps: http://www.picresize.com

Best,
Samson
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« Reply #5 on: January 28, 2017, 06:25:13 am »

Samson,
Thank you so much for the link. I deleted the original photographs and put in the smaller versions. I hope it works! Thank you again for the help.

Toni-Lee
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« Reply #6 on: January 28, 2017, 06:51:06 am »

Samson,
Thank you so much for the link. I deleted the original photographs and put in the smaller versions. I hope it works! Thank you again for the help.

Toni-Lee

You're welcome Toni. It's perfect now!

Best,
Samson
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« Reply #7 on: January 28, 2017, 12:19:49 pm »

Unusual shaped snuff bottle..  Not real excited about the carving, but still a cool bottle..
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« Reply #8 on: January 28, 2017, 01:46:04 pm »

Dear Toni-Lee,

     After seeing your 'Tsuda' Nephrite, I was expecting an early (ca.1780-1850) Hornbill,
but sadly, this one is ca. 1960-1975, and was carved by netsuke carvers in Kyoto Japan.

    The late Victor Topper of blessed memory, a noted Toronto area collector of Archaic Chinese Bronzes (the collection was internationally famous), who'd dabbled in snuff bottles, bought one in Kyoto in 1969, for about US$60-75.

    In 1971, I visited his home to see his collection of bottles (we both prayed in the same Synagogue and he was a friend of my late father's of blessed memory, while I was a year below his daughter in Hebrew Day School - I was then 14), and he had one, and I was smitten! But he told me it was modern (literally a few years old at that point!), and to go after antiques.
Best,
Joey
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Joey Silver (Si Zhouyi 義周司), collecting snuff bottles since Feb.1970

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« Reply #9 on: January 28, 2017, 04:48:39 pm »

Hi Joey,

Thank you for that valuable information. As I said earlier, value aside, I really like this bottle. This bottle was a buy of the "heart" instead of the head. I thought it was very unusual. There are not too many of them around. Perhaps my other hornbill bottle will fair a bit better upon your welcome scrutiny. Do you have any idea of how to clean it? Would a damp Q-tip damage it? Any information on how to clean it would be greatly appreciated...

Toni-Lee
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Toni-Lee

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« Reply #10 on: January 28, 2017, 04:59:20 pm »

Dear Toni-Lee,

      I understand your 'purchase of the heart'. Until Mr. Topper told me it was modern (and truth be told, even after. I WAS 14, after all  Grin), I REALLY wanted the horse bottle
he had. It was almost identical to yours. I believe that workshop produced less than 10 of them in that shape and general size. They also produced, and for all I know, still produce, modern traditional style netsuke of a horse in that pose. In fact, the snuff bottle may well be copying the netsuke style, though that is supposition on my part.

     But there were literally hundreds of Chinese Zodiac Animal sets made between 1965 and 1980 or even 1990. And they are very crudely carved, and were made in China or Hong Kong.
   
    Best,
Joey

Hi Joey,

Thank you for that valuable information. As I said earlier, value aside, I really like this bottle. This bottle was a buy of the "heart" instead of the head. I thought it was very unusual. There are not too many of them around. Perhaps my other hornbill bottle will fair a bit better upon your welcome scrutiny. Do you have any idea of how to clean it? Would a damp Q-tip damage it? Any information on how to clean it would be greatly appreciated...

Toni-Lee
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Joey Silver (Si Zhouyi 義周司), collecting snuff bottles since Feb.1970

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