Vintage Purple Glass Overlay Design of a Carp & Clear Glass Snuff Bottles - Set of 2

Description

Here are two glass bottles from two time periods. The first is a clear pale blue glass bottle in a … more Here are two glass bottles from two time periods. The first is a clear pale blue glass bottle in a very traditional flattened rectangular form which tapers to a raised oval foot. The flat sides are cut into large facets. A short neck rises from the sloping shoulders and the top is flat. The glass is transparent and the walls are thin. It is matched with an orange glass stopper encased in brass and attached to a brass spoon. The bottle is very well made and it could have been made around 1920's when collecting snuff bottles was popular and collectors wanted bottles that resembled bottles from the 19 century. The dimensions are 1.5 inches wide, .75 inches deep and 3 inches high.

The design of the second bottle is rather creative. The bottle is a flattened oval shape and the purple glass overlay is in the form of a carp that is placed under the neck and it wraps around the bottle so the tail ends up under the neck on the opposite side. The foot is part of the fish's body. The head of the carp with its two whiskers, its fins, its tail, and scales are all carved in great details. It is matched with a red glass stopper encased in brass with a brass spoon. The dating of this bottle is post 1970. It was acquired in Guangzhou. The dimensions are 1.5 inches wide, .75 inches deep and 3 inches high. The carp or yu in Chinese has the same sound as the word plentiful Therefore fish is the symbol of plenty - plenty of good luck, good health, happiness, wealth and the list goes on...........

Please note the dimensions are pretty similar with both bottles.

As a side note, shopping for snuff bottles turned out to be quite an adventure. Canton or Guangzhou as it is known today is a very old city. It is situated at the delta of the Pearl River which was good for maritime trade since the Han Dynasty 206 BC to CE 220. The city was the seaport of the Maritime Silk Road. If my memory serves me when we went shopping in 2004, the old city has several main roads which radiated out to several streets which in turn branched out to small lanes. Since the city is constantly going through improvements (urban renewal led to the discovery of the Tomb of the King of Nanyue in downton Canton in 1983.) the antique center which also houses shops for arts and crafts was constantly moving around. Our agent who avoided going into Canton at all costs, was not familiar with the changes in locations and it took a while for us to find one shop. It was quite an experience - the shop sold snuff bottles of all qualities, some were exact copies of glass snuff bottles with several color overlays that were auctioned off at New York and London auction houses for over 5 figures. That was not our interest, instead we searched for innovative designs - such as the unusual way the carp is placed on the bottle. As usual, the end of the shopping day was always at a local eatery, savoring Cantonese cuisine. less