Dear Steven,
WOW! I can not believe the education I just got reading and re-reading this post of yours.
1. I was sure that there could 'copies', but you've explained that what I considered a copy is 'a variation on a theme', but that there won't be EXACT copies.
And on this issue, I owe an apology to Pat.
I had stated categorically that there was an exact copy of a bottle in my collection which I purchased from White Wings, in a certain museum in Ireland. I was disabused of that notion by an expert, who'd seen my bottle in Israel, and is familiar with the actual bottle I'd thought was a copy.
First off, it is NOT in that collection. I'd called to see if I could get photos, and spoken to the expert. It is in a private collection I saw displayed in his home in NYC in 2013.
And again, a variation on a theme, NOT an exact copy.
2. To my untutored eye, parts of the calligraphy looked 'right'. But I was ignoring my own rule: DON'T look for the details that look 'right' to convince yourself that it's 'right'; look for those details that are wrong. If you find NOTHING wrong, then it is 'right'.
3. I was not looking carefully enough at the details. And the details are all important.
Thank you, Steven.
And my apologies, Pat.
Steven, any suggestions as to the real artist, since I accept it is not Ding Erzhong?
Was I at least correct that it was painted by a contemporary of Ding, or was I wrong in that as well?
Shabbat Shalom,
Joey