Unadorned Agate Snuff Bottles

[bambooforrest]

Giovanni, it looks like the flint sits inside the hollow shaft.

[bambooforrest]

The next bottle [66mm] is from a larger group with these destinctive rounded smiling handles. They must all come from the same carving shop.

[Joey]

I must admit that I've never liked these short 'Taotie'.
Especially on polychrome enamelled porcelain bottles
of a stylised shield shape [very wide shoulders tapering inward,
then flaring outward a bit and finally tapering inward toward the raised foot rim].
I've always thought them late 19th C.

I still don't like them, but this Agate/Chalcedony bottle is more pleasing
than the porcelain examples, in my opinion.
Best,
Joey

[bambooforrest]

Joey, maybe the height of the bottle makes it a little more balanced. Most of the porcelain examples I have seen are not very well done.

[Joey]

John, 
You may well have a point.
Best,
Joey

[bambooforrest]

The next example [59mm] is quite well hollowed and the top fits into the neck without wrapping.

[Joey]

It looks like a beautiful bottle,  John.
But I don't understand the comment about the top.
Could you possibly elaborate, and show photos of the mouth
without the stopper or with the stopper posed next to it?
Best,
Joey

[bambooforrest]

Joey, I have several of these silver stoppers that fit into the mouth opening with just a small twist.

[Joey]

John,

    That is simply a silver 'cork-shaped' piece.
Yes, I have some as well.
Best,
Joey

[bambooforrest]

The next example [60mm], possibly a true floater is from an internet auction in 2013. The very fine coral top and old spoon came with the bottle.

[Joey]

John,

    These used to be so common.
Every collection had a few.
Now they are much less common.
Possibly because so many are now in West Chester, PA....
Best,
Joey

[joearp]

You could be on to something Joey! 🤔

[bambooforrest]

Joey and Jo, you could be right. Maybe I have cornered the market?

[rpfstoneman]

Okay, I need to know.  Is the silver stopper (simply a silver 'cork-shaped' piece) in post #67 above old, 20th century, or newer?  I just picked up what I thought was a new stone bottle that has a stopper that is almost a twin to John's posted stopper above.

Appreciate any insight.  Charll

[Joey]

Dear Charll,

    What's a 'sliver stopper'?
I have 3 or 4 like that which are old.
Possibly early 20th C., possibly older.
But there is no reason why someone could
not match an older stopper to a modern bottle.
Or even drill the modern bottle's neck to fit the
older stopper.
Best,
Joey Sliver 

[bambooforrest]

Charll and Joey, I have several of these I consider 19th century especially the ones with the coral stones. Drilling the neck of a bottle is always a risky business, not to mention leaving signs of the drilling. I have seen older tops on new bottles to make them sell for more money.

[Joey]

Dear John,

   I meant that old stoppers with this type of silver 'cork' may still be found,
and if the craftsman is already making a bottle, he can suit the neck of the
bottle to the 'cork'.
Best,
Joey

[bambooforrest]

Joey, I see your point but these stoppers are not that easy to find and they have become expensive. To add one to a new bottle I do not know if it would be cost effective. The next bottle [61mm] is possibly another floater. Nice handles and footrim, from an internet auction in 2014.

[Joey]

John,

   First of all, another gorgeous bottle with the type of Taotie I love.
But re.cost of stoppers:
With all due respect, you might know about their cost in the USA, etc.
You don't know how many are in storerooms in Shanghai, Beijing, etc.
I'm willing to bet that they have many still in stock
Many might have been melted down for the silver content, but I'd bet
that many are still in bins in the PRC.
Best,
Joey

[bambooforrest]

Joey, there is a possibility that there are reserves of these stoppers in the PRC. The next bottle [50mm] looks kind of plain until you shine a light through it. Possibly a floater and very nice handles. From an internet auction in 2018.