7 Up Bottles

Over many years we have created, but I say so myself, quite an important Snuff Bottle Collection. My wife, thank you God, shares my interest in these small bottles, but maybe I warn you, collecting anything is a bit like a bug, once caught, he is with you forever and can be completely is 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, so you simply could not throw? If yes, you have the makings of a dedicated collector.

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

Unlimited possibilities

There are also many large and diverse collection of opportunities. A collection can be based on a fine arts major in Chinese and each area could be really important to have good examples of this form of miniature works of art.

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

I can not 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 (often poems) 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 of other precious bottles. There are collections that use as a theme, animals, or a color as the imperial yellow or blue and white, and as there are so many possibilities, no two collections still look the same.

International Connections

For anyone considering buying Snuff Bottles 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 nice and interesting people.

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 among members and specialist retailers. So much can be learned in this way, in fact much more than the study of many very fine, fine books on the subject.

Dangerous Temptations

Most people encounter 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 coming next in a bottle 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 will probably be one of disappointment because there will be many bottles of poor quality and to see so many all liars.