About This Forum

This snuff bottle community forum is dedicated to the novice, more experienced, and expert collectors. Topics are intended to cover all aspects and types of bottle collecting. To include trials, tribulations, identifying, researching, and much more.

Among other things, donations help keep the forum free from Google type advertisements, and also make it possible to purchases additional photo hosting MB space.

Forum Bottle in the Spotlight

Charll shared this beautiful Xianfeng (1851-1861) dated bottle depicting NeZha combating the Dragon King amongst a rolling sea of blue and eight mythical sea creatures.


Chinese Snuff Bottle Discussion Forum 中國鼻煙壺討論論壇
March 29, 2024, 04:16:11 am
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
 
  Home Help Search Contact Login Register  

Ruby Matrix Snuff Bottle

Pages: [1]
  Print  
Author Topic: Ruby Matrix Snuff Bottle  (Read 487 times)
0 Members and 21 Guests are viewing this topic.
NE collector
Full Member
***
Gender: Female
Posts: 132

Woman of the West, with Eyes on the East


« on: February 01, 2017, 07:29:49 am »

This is a  2 1/2 inch bottle that I bought in the early 80's. The photographs do not show the carving to its best advantage. It is well hollowed and the quite heavy. The dragon is descending from the clouds, in case you can't make out the motif. The colorations are quite vibrant in person. I am pretty sure this is a modern bottle, but wonder if the material gives it redeeming qualities.

Toni-Lee


* rsz_dsc07175.jpg (27.84 KB, 421x428 - viewed 45 times.)

* rsz_dsc07179.jpg (26.41 KB, 346x456 - viewed 33 times.)

* rsz_dsc07180.jpg (26.1 KB, 396x345 - viewed 28 times.)
Report Spam   Logged

Toni-Lee

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

George
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Gender: Male
Posts: 11350


Test


WWW
« Reply #1 on: February 01, 2017, 09:45:32 am »

That is the finest example of ruby in matrix I have ever seen..  I think the matrix should be zoisite, but not sure about the brownish color.. It is usually green..

Any way...Beautiful bottle !
Report Spam   Logged

"Experience Each Experience To The Fullest To Obtain The Most Growth"

Snuff Bottle Journal
Wattana
Private Boards
Hero Member
***
Gender: Male
Posts: 6133



« Reply #2 on: February 02, 2017, 10:56:00 am »

Hi Toni-Lee,

As George says, green zoisite is the more common matrix associated with ruby, another 'novelty' stone that began appearing in China in the 1990s. Your bottle's colour combination is far more subtle. Nicely carved. Is it well hollowed?

I would have dated it to early 1990s, so interesting to know they were producing this type of bottle earlier.

Tom
Report Spam   Logged

Collecting since 1971

Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司
Private Boards
Hero Member
***
Gender: Male
Posts: 11283


« Reply #3 on: February 02, 2017, 01:15:45 pm »

Dear Toni-Lee,
 
      I disagree with Tom & George re.dating.

      In 1975 or 1976, I bought a Ruby matrix in Zoisite from Y.F. Yang & Co., then in Ocean Terminal, Kowloon Hong Kong, for about US$35 or US$38.

      Mr. Yang wrote me (I bought it from a catalogue he'd sent me to Israel) that the Chinese working in East Africa on the TANZAM railway project (Tanzania-Zambia Railroad, also called the 'Uhuru' ("Freedom", in Swahili) Railway'), 1969-1975, would pick up pebbles etc., and send them back to be made into snuff bottles.

    He compared this to Chinese workers doing the same while working on the US Transcontinental railroad in the 1860s (1864-1869), and sending Montana Agates and other interesting minerals back to China.  The result being that we have American minerals showing up in snuff bottles from the 1860s onward.

     Mine wasn't a patch on yours, but they were both from the same source.

     I must admit that my personal preference is for snuff bottles made to hold snuff, ie. from before 1940, and preferably from 17th-mid 19th C.; but you've posted a number of modern bottles which would still tempt me as art objects or mineral specimens, if not as snuff bottles.

     I am referring to the Opal bottles, but this one might get into the same group.
Best,
Joey
« Last Edit: February 03, 2017, 10:12:12 am by Joey » Report Spam   Logged

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

NE collector
Full Member
***
Gender: Female
Posts: 132

Woman of the West, with Eyes on the East


« Reply #4 on: February 02, 2017, 04:37:52 pm »

Hi Joey,

How interesting. You have a wealth of knowledge and you are so generous to share it.  Thank you so much for that great information. I try to be varied in my choice of bottle materials and kind of go with my instinct, which is not always correct from a financial point of view. Some of my less-expensive purchases are highly treasured and I would not part with them. Thanks for your comments.

Best,

Toni-Lee
Report Spam   Logged

Toni-Lee

Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司
Private Boards
Hero Member
***
Gender: Male
Posts: 11283


« Reply #5 on: February 02, 2017, 04:59:40 pm »

Dear Toni-Lee,
 
     Thank you for posting such beautiful objects.
I started collecting at 13, in 1970 (in another 2 weeks, it will be 47 years since I bought my first two snuff bottles!), and basically have studied them ever since.
 
     I have learned a lot from the Forum, and made a bunch of great friends, who I correspond with, and even visit (I've visited with Rick, Charll, Jo, Steven and Walter, in the USA; Paul, Vaughan, Ted, and Giovanni, in Europe; YT, Inn Bok, Richard, Yee Pin, Pat, Tom, Geoff, Curt, and Samson, in Asia.).

   A few (Rick & Charll), I knew before the Forum; most I've met on the Forum.
And it has helped rejuvenate my enthusiasm for collecting and studying these wonderful examples of Chinese art.

    I hope it helps you as well,
Best,
Joey
Report Spam   Logged

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

NE collector
Full Member
***
Gender: Female
Posts: 132

Woman of the West, with Eyes on the East


« Reply #6 on: February 02, 2017, 05:22:47 pm »

Hi Joey,

Wow! How fantastic is that to start collecting at thirteen! You obviously were a progressive child. I'm jealous. Good for you...

I'm really enjoying the fine people involved in this forum. It really has stimulated a serious renewal of involvement in my collection. I'm learning quite a bit and looking at my bottles through different eyes.  Thank you one and all.

Best,

Toni-Lee
Report Spam   Logged

Toni-Lee

joearp
Private Boards
Hero Member
***
Gender: Female
Posts: 893


« Reply #7 on: February 02, 2017, 07:41:41 pm »

Such a beautiful bottle and the first time I have seen a Ruby Matrix Bottle. You have encouraged me to research these type of bottles.  You definitely have an eye for beauty.  All the best!  Jo
Report Spam   Logged

Wattana
Private Boards
Hero Member
***
Gender: Male
Posts: 6133



« Reply #8 on: February 02, 2017, 10:14:20 pm »


 I bought a Ruby matrix in Zoisite in 1975 or 1976 from Y.F. Yang & Co., then in Ocean Terminal, Kowloon Hong Kong, for about US$35 or US$38.
Mr. Yang wrote me (I bought it from a catalogue he'd sent me to Israel) that the Chinese working on the TANZAM railway project, 1969-1975


Dear Joey,

Thank you for apprising me of the earlier dating for this type of stone being used on snuff bottles. The first time I passed through Hong Kong in 1978 I do not recall seeing any carved ruby zoisite items. That was also the time I met Y.F. Yang, at his Ocean Terminal shop. When I returned in 1994 the shops were full of ruby matrix, leading me to assume it was a recently introduced novelty stone.

BTW, what in the TANZAM railway project? Sounds like it has something to do with Tanzania and Zambia.

Best,
Tom 
Report Spam   Logged

Collecting since 1971

Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司
Private Boards
Hero Member
***
Gender: Male
Posts: 11283


« Reply #9 on: February 03, 2017, 10:14:04 am »

Dear Tom,
 
      WHOOPS!
      I've rewritten the post above, to mention WHERE the TANZAM Railroad was...  Roll Eyes  Cheesy

Best,
Shabbat Shalom,
Joey
Report Spam   Logged

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

Pages: [1]
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by EzPortal