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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 28, 2024, 01:09:44 pm
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Zhen Yu

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rpfstoneman
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« Reply #20 on: October 21, 2017, 02:12:31 pm »

Tom and All,

Attached is a Zhen Yu landscape bottle I purchased from David Osborne in 2014.  Looks like I have a mate to your bottle Tom.  Since the scenes are the same, that is why I likely past on the bottle you purchased.

Comment from David Osborne:

This lovely landscape bottle by Zhen Yu was specially painted for me a couple of years ago along with four more of the same general theme. I asked him to select some landscape designs and not include figures or other ‘distracting’ items. This he did and the result is as you see it, clean lines and seemingly simplistic paintings. I love them but they are not proving as popular as I thought they would. So get ready for a bargain!
 
Bottle stands a slim 3.25 inches high or 8 cm


Charll

P.S.-Below is an email sent to Richard Baey and I from David following the sale of the attached bottle.  I can only presume that this bottle is signed Yuan Zheng as well.

The Landscape bottle auction by Zhen Yu is over but before finalizing things you should know what has taken place over the last week (i.e., this was Jan 2014).
 
I was emailed by a Member of the Snuff bottle Club. He is a serious collector and keeps up to date will all developments in the inside painting world of snuff bottles. He is a nice guy and would help anyone if asked. He told me that he thought this bottle was not painted by Zhen Yu and even the name on the bottle (I do not read Chinese) was not that of Zhen Yu.
 
Needless to say I started to look into this and emailed my contact , ‘Mike’ for an explanation. As I have mentioned I asked that Zhen Yu paint me a series of landscapes with no figures, just simple landscapes.
 
The first email I received from Mike said:
 
“The bottle was painted by Zhen Yu but the name is Yuan Zheng because Zhen Yu’s price is becoming higher and higher. We got the bottles at a low price so he could not write his real name.” 
 
I then asked for more details and he replied:
 
“With regarding to the bottles by Zhen Yu, at that time we need bottles by Zhen Yu, right? So I call him and let him paint a few bottles for us. Zhen Yu and I are good friends so he has no idea to refuse me. As a result he had to paint five just and used another name, Yuan Zheng. And he will not supply us the bottles at the low price with his real name. The price of his bottle is not less than 5000 RMB ($826.00 US) or so now. If he write his real name he will not sell his bottles at a lower price. I hope you can understand”.
 
Mike also told me that the name Yuan Zheng is a made up name which I look upon as another artist name of Zhen Yu. I think the whole point of all this for Zhen Yu not to loose face but based on the following I feel that this bottle is certainly a genuine Zhen Yu bottle. 
 
I have known Mike since I started in 1999 and in hundreds, if not thousands, of transactions, I have never been deceived. I have visited China five time and spent many hours with him and his girlfriend, now wife, and his now 10 year old son. Also four out of my five visits I spent many hours with Zhen Yu discussing this craft and looking and buying his bottles. He is my favourite living artist and we were completely open with each other with Mike as my translator. Also Mike and Zhen Yu have been good friends for probably 20 years or more with Mike promoting his bottles within China and outside with me and the Snuff Bottle Club.


* Zhen Yu Landscape_2012zyl.jpg (423.97 KB, 1166x1425 - viewed 57 times.)
« Last Edit: October 21, 2017, 02:36:25 pm by rpfstoneman » Report Spam   Logged

Charll K Stoneman, Eureka, California USA, Collector Since 1979.

Wattana
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« Reply #21 on: October 22, 2017, 08:10:12 am »

Charll,

You are right - it IS the twin of my bottle!

The excerpts of correspondence you have quoted appear to fit in with the comment from Zhen Yu to Richard.
It is quite understandable for an artist to wish to 'protect' his name for his high end works. Having a second hao makes good business sense. Suo Zhenhai also did this, using the name Yi Shi, although possibly for different reasons.

Tom
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Wattana
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« Reply #22 on: October 22, 2017, 08:11:37 am »


I will get them photographed and posted. Probably after I return from London the first week of Nov. But possibly this week, if I can.


Dear Joey,

Many thanks! Look forward to seeing them.

Best,
Tom
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Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司
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« Reply #23 on: October 22, 2017, 08:50:00 am »

Charll material is very interesting and totally understandable.
The bottles all seem to be by Pan Jiafang.
Wonderful info.
My Thanks to all,
Joey
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Joey Silver (Si Zhouyi 義周司), collecting snuff bottles since Feb.1970

rpfstoneman
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« Reply #24 on: October 25, 2017, 11:06:14 pm »

Tom,

Attached is another landscape bottle by Zhen Yu as part of what I presume was/is a series of landscape designs that David Osborn describes.  What follows is David Osborne's commentary for the bottle which was listed up for auction in August 2013.   

This is one of a few landscape bottles Zhen Yu painted for me in 2012. I asked him to paint me landscapes without figures as invariably, in my opinion, the eyes are drawn to these characters and away from the landscape details. I received a few bottles from him with similar designs and although void of characters they are full of beauty!!
 
One of the things collectors have come to love about Zhen Yu paintings is his trees and shrubs. His technique he has drawn from the masters of a hundred years ago and perhaps Yi Zi and like great modern day artists he had created his very own style. I have tried in my pictures to show you the fantastic details in his paintings. There are at least half a dozen different styles of tree painting on the inside of this bottle. Amazing and deceivingly simplistic he makes things look so easy.


See bottle below, and this is one I did not purchase.  Charll


* Zhen Yu Landscape_2012b.jpg (553.56 KB, 1240x1551 - viewed 45 times.)
« Last Edit: October 25, 2017, 11:24:29 pm by rpfstoneman » Report Spam   Logged

Charll K Stoneman, Eureka, California USA, Collector Since 1979.

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« Reply #25 on: October 25, 2017, 11:19:49 pm »

Another Zhen Yu bottle.  This was my first Zhen Yu purchase back in 2006, and it has remained one of my favored bottles.

This is what David Osborne had to say about it back then:

The only color in these extraordinary paintings is in the eyes!!
 
I love Independent top artist Zhen Yu's work and I was 'in heaven' when he visited me in my hotel room with a selection of his bottles. In heaven because of the amazing quality and the fact that this artist has the foresight of wanting his work known outside of China instead of charging a very high price. He knows that as his work gets known in North America, and beyond, he will reap the rewards.
 
These paintings are basically done in white and black ink and you can see just how much detail he has managed to get into this bottle. Every single one of these Six Eagles are perfection. It has to be your subject of course but if you are into Birds of Prey this could be for you. A true collectors item!
 
Bottle is 3.5 inches (9 cm) including the lovely stopper, it is very well hollowed and weighs just 2.25 oz or 65 grams


Charll


* eagleszy.jpg (357.21 KB, 903x1103 - viewed 48 times.)
« Last Edit: October 25, 2017, 11:22:45 pm by rpfstoneman » Report Spam   Logged

Charll K Stoneman, Eureka, California USA, Collector Since 1979.

Peter Bentley 彭达理
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« Reply #26 on: October 26, 2017, 02:31:02 am »

Hi  Charll, Tom

I like the  eagles  bottle - especially  the  black and  white.  One  of  Song Yiming's  classic  bottles  is very  similar (see  attached)

I'm sure  Geoff  can tell  us  exactly  which  bird  book  these bottles  are  copied   from !

I agree  with you  about   figures  distracting  one  in landscape  paintings.  I find the  same  aso  about  houses  which   many artists  like to  include (I  really  don't  know  why  because  often  the  houses  seem out of  scale  compared to the  background)

Su  Fengyi  often  paints  houses  into  his  landscapes  and I think that in almost  every case  they   lower  the  beauty  of his  bottles

Zhen Yu has  done the  same  in the  bottle  you  show  below,  Charll.

But  anyway  - each to his own taste !

Cheers

Peter (now  in Scotland  at Glen Coe - heading  for London this  weekend)



* Song Yiming @ Yantai -EAGLE.jpg (209.86 KB, 709x1273 - viewed 39 times.)
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« Reply #27 on: October 27, 2017, 01:12:53 am »

Thanks Charll,

Yes, the landscape is very similar to the other two already posted on this thread. But the 'birds of prey' bottle is really exceptional. Totally different style - hard to believe it comes from the same hand. I can see why it is one of your favourites. 

Peter,

That Song Yiming bottle is simply amazing!

Tom
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« Reply #28 on: October 27, 2017, 01:51:51 am »

Peter, I love your Eagle bottle I haven't seen one like that before, thanks. Do you live in the UK or are you  just visiting?

Regards Jason.
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Peter Bentley 彭达理
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« Reply #29 on: October 28, 2017, 02:51:41 pm »

Hi Jason

I don't  own that  SYM  eagle  bottle .  I  got the  pic  off  a  website  (or  book -  I forget)

It's  in my  huge  data   base  of  VMIPB  pics

I originally  lived  in  UK  until  1981  when  I moved to  HK  / China  for the  rest of my  life

I happen to  be  in UK this  month  until  8  Nov  on  holiday  to  visit  my   relatives  here

Cheers

Peter
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