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March 29, 2024, 03:06:21 am
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Sotheby's Hong Kong Auction 2 June 2017

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Author Topic: Sotheby's Hong Kong Auction 2 June 2017  (Read 1494 times)
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Tom B.
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« Reply #20 on: October 08, 2017, 09:10:08 am »

Dear Steven,

Yes, I am okay now.  It is good to back.

I remember reading an article somewhere about the type of clear white paint that Zhou used for small fish tails and that it was very fragile.  According to the article it was very often missing on genuine bottles. 

Dear Joey,

Yes, of course you are absolutely correct as usual. I should have remembered that from our discussion of the 1895 dated "Zhou Leyuan" from Sotheby's Joe Grimberg sale, when we identified it as actually having a fake signature with an early Ye Zhongsan seal. 

At that time we all agreed that your 1893 dated Zhou Leyuan is still the last known bottle genuine bottle painted by him.  But 1893 is still not "circa 1900" as stated in the title of that lot.  In my opinion a good auction cataloger who didn't know the actual date, would have written circa 1890. Then it wouldn't matter whether the actual date was 1891, like this bottle or 1892 or 1893. But then again I don't think that is the main reason it failed to sell, it would have been keenly bid on in any well publicized sale. 

Best regards,

Tom B.
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Best regards,

Tom B.

Steven
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« Reply #21 on: October 10, 2017, 12:34:39 am »

I remember reading an article somewhere about the type of clear white paint that Zhou used for small fish tails and that it was very fragile.  According to the article it was very often missing on genuine bottles. 

Dear Tom,

You are absolutely right about the clear white paint that zhou used for fish tails was very fragile, I have seen a quite few of his bottles fish missing their tails. Beside fish tails all the other painting condition seems very fine.

Best,

Steven
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Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司
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« Reply #22 on: October 10, 2017, 03:43:11 am »

Dear Tom B.,

      Of course you are right; it was very sloppy cataloguing on the part of the clerk at the auction house. It's a pity that no-one has found a descendant of Zhou Leyuan to write his history from family archives, as we have for Ma Shaoxuan from his grandson. It would be great to find out the details of how he started, and when and why he ended, his production. Did he die, or just retire? Or were his eyes going? Etc.

    From that point of view, the biography of Ma Shaoxuan is invaluable; though it could well have used a much better editor.

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

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