Glass Crizzling

[George]

I was starting to think that absolutely nobody was going to bid on this one.

Started to wonder if I might actually get lucky and get it for the original 40.00 it was listed for..

Turned out there were a couple of people there the final seconds with me..

In the end, it is coming home to me !

[Steven]

Hi George,

Nice one, I was watching the one, apparently, its a old bottle, but the ink on the front size is kind of washed out, can't see the paint detail at all, the reversed size is much better, could be a YYT bottle with ZLY signature..

[Pat - 查尚杰]

I was the underbidder on this one George, was watching and lurking right along with you... It is a nice bottle indeed but too bad about the fainted paint.  Cant wait to see your pictures of it!

[George]

This one arrived today !

Was pretty sure, even with the blurred eBay pics that this was a Chou Lo yuan signed bottle..

One of his favorite subjects.. Ornamental rocks, vase, and miniature trees.

Believe it is dated 1907. Yet again, a bottle well after 1893 that some believe was his last year for painting. I do not know what the one charactor is between the signature and date.

I have never seen a bottle with these weird small/short little hairline imperfections like seen through out the entire body of this bottle ( firts and second pics ). They do not show on the neck, or the base. Just entirely and consistently through out the entire body. Must be the result of cooling to quickly after it was blown ??

[Steven]

Very nice one George, much better looking than what I thought.

I thought the blurry effect was caused by the washed ink, your guess could be right about the short hairline, you should ask the seller partial refund, since he/she didn't mention at first place.If he/she did , the final price could be go lower..

[rpfstoneman]

Look up bottle "crizzling" or "crazing",  sign of an older bottle! It may be a little treasure.  Charll

[Tom B.]

Dear George,

Good one.  You may really have struck it rich this time.  The way I see it the date is Ding Hai for 1887 and that is a date that could fit for ZLY.  The crizzling is very noticable and usually means 18th century glass; so I would say it was definitely an old bottle already in 1887.  Now the work begins, trying to get this bottle attributed and then authenticated.  If you don't want to proceed, I might take it off your hands.   

Back in 1980 Sothebys sold one with a similar signature and dated1887
 


Best reagrds,

Tom

[George]

That was my second choice ( 1887 ) when comparing the calendar charactors !

That is really exciting that your seeing 1887 !

I have yet to find a way to aquire snuff bottle certifications for attribution or autenticating..

Hearing you suggest that I might try to do this, is just more excitement than I can stand in one day ! 

I have been Googling "crazing", will try crizzing..

Thanks guys !

[rpfstoneman]

George.....Stevens book bottom of page 79.   Charll

[George]

Thanks for that Charll.. The one example (pl 199) is the closest example I have been able to find so far..

[George]

Here are a few snippets I found via Google about crizzling.

Early Chinese glass tended to suffer from crizzling or 'glass sickness' leading to fine cracks forming in the surface making it look like frosted glass. Due to an incorrect chemical composition notably excess alkali. Sometimes seen on ancient glass. The surface feels moist, and the glass will eventually decompose and crumble. The exception being Chinese glass where it is thought to be less common in post 18th century glass.

During the early years of Qing glass making, Kangxi through Qianlong (1662-1795), there was much experimentation. Glass was made to resemble other materials like crystal, jade, or marble. The crizzling and bubble pattern seen on the clear bodies also appears to to mimic crystal.

It is worth noting that such clear glass bottles were intended to be full of snuff powder which would have colored the inner surface, in effect turning into an opaque colored ground. Without the snuff, we are able to appreciate the distinctly positive textural dimension of the crizzling on the interior - a standard on early colorless and transparent glass from the Imperial glassworks, which persisted occasionally into the Qianlong reign and occasionally beyond.

This condition has been variously described by the Chinese as cracked ice, fish scale, ice crack, fish net, and sea spray.

[Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司]

George,
    That is definitely crizzling in the glass. It is a degrading of the glass surface, and as Charll and Tom said, a sign of very early glass. I don't believe I've seen a glass bottle with crizzling that was inside painted, but it is definitely a possibility. From what I could see of the painting, it looked more like a Yan Yutian copy than a Zhou Leyuan original, but I must stress, I could not get a good look. It may well be a ZLY. Good Work!
Joey

[George]

it looked more like a Yan Yutian copy than a Zhou Leyuan original, but I must stress, I could not get a good look.

I know that Yan is known to have imitated Chou's works..

How does someone get a bottle attributed and authenticated as Tom suggested ?

[Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司]

There will be dealers in Portland in Oct. Bring it along. Robert Kleiner or YF Yang will be honest; others who will remain nameless, less so. Joey

[George]

Good one.  You may really have struck it rich this time.  Best reagrds,

From what I am able to find online, this bottle could be over the top in value..

Not sure if because of the age of the crizzled bottle itself, or that it is a Chou bottle dated to 1887, or more likely the combination of the two that will determine the value in the end. But seems like this really is quite rare..

[George]

This is an interesting link about crizzling..

[George]

Call me crazy, and yes.., I could be way out in left field regarding what I think the value could be !

Thought I would see if anyone else sees, and agrees about just how rare I believe this bottle is..

It's up on eBay !

[Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司]

George,
   Very well written ad. It will be interesting if you get anyone to bid; even more if you get 2 or more fighting over it.
If you don't sell, please bring it to Portland. It will be worth showing it to a few honest dealers.
  Good Luck, Joey

[George]

Well, that did not go well ! 

[Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司]

Hi guys, I'm back. The Hopp-Ferenc Asian Art Museum in Budapest Hungary is a washout re. snuff bottles.
Great Herend Porcelain may be bought in the city.
George, bring it to Portland.
Joey