Though if the first Emperor of a united China HAD painted the bottle, that would be very impressive!
Reminds me of 1988, at the San Francisco convention where I exhibited my 49 Martin Schoen Collection bottles NOT FOR SALE, in
the Dealers' Room. That was when I had the 2 Israeli 'Naval Commandos' protecting my display case. Usually, the regular security are basically just 'mall cops', and would faint from any serious threat.
I had over US$1.5 million in snuff bottles on display, and was emotionally invested in them - there were 3 which I'd wanted to own since I was 13! They were illustrated in the Lilla Perry book, and were amongst my favourites. I did NOT want them stolen or damaged, if I could help it.
A veteran English dealer, when he asked me why I'd brought the 2 Israeli ex-soldiers from a very Elite unit, to guard my display, admitted that for him,
if his display case of bottles for sale were burgled or destroyed, he'd simply have, in effect, sold his whole stock, and be re-imbursed!
That would not have pleased me....
{I must interject that, while most of the hired security are the equivalent of 'Soldier of Fortune'-reading mall cop types, there was a really impressive }{hunk doing the security at the 1980 New Orleans convention. We became 'buddies', and on the Sunday after the convention, he and his girlfriend [sigh} {:
] took me to Metairie LA, to this great hamburger place, between visits to 2 Mall antique shows [the antique and curio dealers set up booths }
{in the wide walking areas of the malls.]. }
{I polished off 3 open-faced quarter pounders with beef chili on top! My host, 25 in 1980, was 6 ft. 5 inches [196 cm], 312 lbs. [142 kg] of solid muscle} {and an ex-marine; I was just over 23 1/2, 5 ft. 8 inches [172cm], and about 148 lbs. [67 kg], and not very muscular. }
{ His girlfriend said that he considered ketchup a vegetable, not a condiment! }
Ed Combatalade Jnr, a [then] very elderly, but very ignorant, collector, came by and tried to 'trash-talk' my bottles on display,
including my Black Enamel with Imperial Tree Peonies [Mudang, in Chinese], considered the finest enamel on glass in the world.
I was talking to John Ford, and Mr. C. Jnr came by with a crappy modern IPSB in a tobacco tin!
He said he couldn't understand all the fuss about my bottles on display [the ex-Schoen collection bottles].
He pulled out his bottle, quite poorly painted with a portrait of the Yongzheng Emperor.
He then said, "I think this bottle by Yong Cheng is just as good as anything in this case!"
At which point, John Ford said that was why he had the bottles he had, and I had the bottles I had.
I told him that every person SHOULD value their own treasures highly.
And I couldn't help adding, "Wow! A bottle by Yongzheng! That IS rare...
Best,
Joey
