Chinese Antiques

Snuff Bottle Spoon Reviews

20 Chinese Snuff Bottle Tops & Spoons $79.99

40 Chinese Snuff Bottle Spoons $39.99

12 Chinese Snuff Bottle Tops & Spoons $39.99

Set of 3 New Wooden Snuff Spoons or Snuff Bottle Spoons $5.00

Set of 20 New Wooden Snuff Spoons or Snuff Bottle Spoons $22.00

snuff bottle , Porcelain / copper, very old Hand painted w/ spoon $499.99

14 Chinese Snuff Bottle Tops & Spoons $44.99

10 Chinese Ba Shan Jade Snuff Bottle Tops & Spoons $59.99

15Chinese Snuff Bottle Tops & Spoons $59.99

20 Chinese Snuff Bottle Tops & Spoons $59.99

RARE ANTIQUE HAND CARVED SNUFF BOTTLE WITH TUSK SPOON & JADE STOPPER $159.00

CLEAR ANTIQUE HAND-CRAFTED SNUFF BOTTLES SET 4 PCS (TUSK SPOON & JADE STOPPER) $699.00

RARE ANTIQUE HAND CARVED SNUFF BOTTLE WITH TUSK SPOON & JADE STOPPER $159.00

RARE ANTIQUE HAND CARVED SNUFF BOTTLE WITH TUSK SPOON & JADE STOPPER $159.00

RARE ANTIQUE RUTILATED QUARTZ SNUFF BOTTLE WITH TUSK SPOON & JADE STOPPER $199.00

snuff bottle b01 Beautiful Tibetan Copper snuff bottle spoon $26.00

snuff bottle d10 Blue-and-white porcelain copper spoon $18.00

snuff bottle jt18 old Cloisonne dragon playing a ball copper spoon $49.00

snuff bottle jt34 old Cloisonne Copper spoon Lover spring outing $39.00

snuff bottle jt00 old Cloisonne Copper spoon Western romantic love story $46.00

Collecting Chinese snuff – Magical Stone Pictures!

Over many years we have created, but I tell myself, just made a significant Snuff Bottle Collection. My wife, thank you God, shares my interest in these small bottles, but perhaps I warn you, collecting all is a bit like a bug, once caught, he is with you forever and can be quite an obsession!

Have you ever searched for pebbles or shells along the seashore, to select the color or shape and found a call to their treatment, as then you could simply not throw? If yes, you have the makings of a dedicated collector.

Part of the pleasure of owning these bottles is the tactile appeal found in their handling.

Unlimited possibilities

There are also many large and diverse collection of opportunities. A collection may be based on any of the Chinese arts and a large fine in each area, it would be really important to have fine examples of this type of works miniature art.

There are collections based on Jade and hard stone carvings, others prefer glass and overlay glass, or porcelain Chinese cloisonne enamels and or, or you would like a collection based on the paintings.

I can imagine how you find it difficult to perceive a collection of bottles on Chinese painting, but they exist. Remarkable signed landscape scenes and portraits, even with a beautiful calligraphy (poems often) have actually been painted inside glass bottles and stones.

Some collections feature uncarved bottles of rare stones, or lacquer, or amber and ivory. Most collections consist of the collector's favorite subject, but include a variety other precious bottles. There are collections that use as a theme, animals, or a color such as yellow or blue and Imperial White, and as there are so many possibilities, no two ever look the same collections.

International Connections

For anyone considering Snuff Bottles purchase I should explain that this is an international effort. There is even a "Chinese Snuff Bottle Society International" with a large membership and assets. Having been members for a long period, we found that the colleagues are interesting people and friendly.

There is a link between a collector that leads to friendship, until we meet in the auction rooms that is! It is worth joining, as there is a very informative quarterly journal, full of good color photos. Information is surprisingly, freely shared members and specialist retailers. So much can be learned in this way, in fact much more than the study of the many beautiful, beautiful books on the subject.

Dangerous Temptations

More people meet the first of these bottles is likely to be in the antique shops, auctions or antique fairs, or in a museum or perhaps responding to a collector. Once seen, some people are tempted Arriving in a bottle next to buy, but too often these first purchases are of very poor quality. Later, having acquired more knowledge, these first bottles so often prove disappointing. They can often be very costly mistakes. Unfortunately, there are too many bottles of very poor some are still brand new, made to cash the craze for collecting. Even an article like this can lead someone to go buy without sufficient knowledge, I do not want.

My opinion is that, apart from joining the company, participate in certain auctions snuff Bottles and visit some of the resellers.

When you go to the auction be sure to go on the days of viewing, Usually one or two days before the sale. The first impression is probably one of disappointment because there will be many bottles of poor quality and to see so all lying behind the glass, is not the best way to present them.

Be sure to select few who call and ask to inspect them. You will then be given a chance to manage some, and that's when the magic can begin. I do not know how to explain what happens, but there is something of a tactile pleasure that is obtained exclusively from handling a good piece.

Our Collection

I want to stress that my first bottle did not immediately grab my attention. Surrounded by many beautiful and more colorful bottles of all shapes and sizes in a dealers display cabinet, this bottle of brown and beige looked rather dull. Finally, I came to inspect it, and before long I knew I had to buy it.

Only another collector can fully appreciate the irresistible desire that comes over one as is the closest feeling to that of love at first sight. I was told that students tend to enlarge, and it one sign that dealers monitor, and collectors, of course, we always try desperately to camouflage our interest. This bottle was purchased, which is always a favorite, and it formed the basis of our collection.

Our collection included many types of bottles, but has very many precious stones, known as image agate, each of them being a unique piece, because it can never be two that alike. To fully appreciate these bottles I need to tell you more about how a stone bottle was made. All good beginning Snuff bottles were made to be used and they needed to be small, but capable of containing a lot of tobacco, not too heavy because they were carried on their person, often in the sleeve. All these bottles were designed to ease in the hand and were sealed with a stopper cork, keep the snuff at its best.

In Europe, hinged boxes were used but may be moisture China have caused to prefer bottles with corks. All snuff bottles have a cap on which a cork is fixed, and the other After the cork is an ivory spoon. These plugs rarely equaled the bottles other than size and shape. It was a matter of personal choice as to what type and color was considered best to go with the bottle.

Well Dug Bottles

stone bottles were carved in a variety of forms, but always with a relatively small opening in the neck normally about 5mm in diameter. Imagine a piece of quartz which is quite impossible to scratch, even with your stainless steel knife, but in the 18th century this was carved in a bottle-shaped bulb.

Then, he was drilled by the neck and dug through this small hole, so that even difficult areas like the shoulders of the bottle are really thin. Fine Wine they are so well dug more like blown glass, and are aptly described as "thin shell. If you place them in a bowl of water, they trap enough air to float.

Although I mentioned that drilling was used, the available information on methods workmanship is incredible, such as drilling and cutting discs were foot business "Heath Robinson. However, I think, after many years " experience they have gained more control and feel than is possible with modern electronic equipment (Essential work on Jade that some parts of the stone break easily, while other areas are very difficult).

Most of the sculpture was made by grinding Jade, gemstones, sand and other abrasive particles. First by drilling and coring by carefully digging with special tools-file. These tools were made by hammering metal on the shape of abrasive particles that once embedded, were easily bent to reach the parties the most difficult.

The Chinese appreciated these wonderful stone bottles, and they have been made from many types stone, the purity of the material, especially Jade is very popular. Chalcedony quartz bottles once "thin shell" are trademarks remarkable formed from the crystals.

From flaws in Pictures

I'm sure everyone can appreciate these bottles, the beautiful forms and purity of the stone simply can not fail to impress. What I find even more fascinating is the way they deliberately amazing, brilliantly taking advantage of flaws and inclusions often present in the stones.

Most quartz and jade stones have an outer layer of different color, especially stones from riverbeds. They also have flaws and defects and other materials color, often deep into the stone. Sometimes they can be very thin skin as inclusions in other major spots are.

The problem is nobody knows exactly what is in the rock, as the cuts are made, the secrets of the stone are revealed. With this type of material "Picture Agates are made. The best of these incredible bottles of air inclusion, which forms the image appeared in the right place, as if Order!

There are different types of work within this group of bottles and the former are what we call "Cameo carvings. These benefit an outer skin or a blob of inclusion, they can be quite thick and are carved in relief. Another type is called "Shadow Agates and enjoy these brands in the bottle, with the help of a little sculpture, an image is created. Finally, the most fascinating are called "Silhouette Agates in this group but not apparent sculpture is needed. The image is obtained mainly by the angle and the choice of the shape and size and position of the bottle should be formed in the rock. These bottles must be seen to be believed.

What is really amazing to me is the fact that some of these bottles with pictures of both sides!

Unfortunately, few of them have been signed. We know only that there was a certain school of carvers known as "Suzhou School '. Their works are easily recognizable by the style and quality of the sculpture, as well as that they make use of all brands in the stone to form the image. They are amazing bottles when good, but there are later works that tend to look too stiff and lack of sculpting more fluid artistic touch of master carvers. Unfortunately, only one of these bottles are very well dug.

Our first bottle

Thus, to describe my first purchase, it was a bottle "Shadow pictures Agate" involving a little carving, and very dug well. This is a topic more appropriate and the color of a snuff because red inclusions were used to show Putai `Ho-chang. He is always represented as a very corpulent man with a bare chest and abdomen and is the patron saint of tobacconists. In this bottle, he seems surprised with a bat while sitting below some tobacco leaves. The bat is a Chinese symbol of luck. You can see how easy it seems, well placed in the bottle but only the head and a suggestion of his hand have been carved. (See the photo using the link at the bottom of this article).

We now have a number of agate and photos to illustrate the different types described, the photo of the duck with mushroom Lingzhi in its beak is a good example "Silhouette". Moreover, the fungus is a symbol of wishing long life. This bottle is very rare because there is a recess carved originally to create the image that serves to build in the dish. (See the photo using the link at the bottom of this article).

Finally, a superb bottle of fish with pictures of both sides: the pair of fish are carved cameo and Chinese represent fidelity and happy conjugal rights in marriage. The other side of a fish and aquatic plants make use of every mark in the stone, all on a bottle is very well trained dug well. All these bottles illustrated were made between 1750 and 1860. (See the photo using the link at the top of this article).

Evaluation

To try hard stone carvings, the first consideration must be concerned by the overall impression of art. You need to be convinced that work seems well composed and well placed and the images formed flow rather than stiff and awkward. The next step is to have a look technical skills. When I look at a cameo type of carving I study the shape and finish of the background, near the edge of the sculpture. On poorest bottles which can be indented, uneven and not so well polished that off. Really beautiful examples look as if the raised cameo part has simply been pasted on a bottle of fine form. engraved work at its best is very precise and gives details. When looking closely bottle poor parts engraved sounds very crude.

Attention amazing glass imitation stone bottles exist. To check this use a magnifying glass and watch for tiny bubbles or pin size holes on the surface. As a last resort if it is still in doubt, a penknife easily scratch the base if it is glass, whereas a stone will not be corrected.

In assessing the value of all works of art a careful check for any damage is essential. With stone bottles on the following points should help you. First, assess how the bottle has been dug by holding light. Inspect the stone from all angles to the light and the light from behind. If the stone is cracked, it will be seen often as a form star from the point of impact. Some stones have natural flaws that are not cracks. Then you need a good overview on the edge of the foot and the neck of the bottle, because these areas are most likely to be damaged. If none is apparent that I consider the proportion of ensuring nor was ground to remove a chip.

When inspecting the neck as seen looking in the bottle from the top surface should be concave, not flat. Bottles that have had repaired the neck to eliminate the damage is still flat, and you can be sure that more original.

Snuff boxes were used

There is another criterion that I personally believe it is important. Most of the best stone bottles were done between 1750 and 1860, although many poor bottles have been made since then, until today. These late bottles were not really designed employment, and some are called "Cabinet parts and can easily be identified. They were poorly dug, if any. Some just a hole drilled in them and thus they are much too heavy. They also tend to be very showy in the choice of materials, with impractical rather high and high sculpture that feels the most uncomfortable in the hand. There are other so delicately carved that one instinctively knows that they could not survive actual use. It is only possible to make these judgments by comparison. Experience is necessary and takes time to acquire.

Small Is Beautiful

There are advantages in collecting very small objects as they are not too troublesome and can easily be locked. This is very important if your partner does not share your interest! They can also make a superb screen without completely disrupting your house.

Try to be sure you're really excited about the collection before purchasing. Once you put one in your home and it seems so small and attractive, this is a matter of time before you come to the conclusion that a small group of bottles will look so much better. This tends to play on the mind and thus we all become addicted!

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