Featured INFO ON SIGNED ANTIQUE CHINESE CARVED WOODEN BOWL

Hi all,
I got this at a auction for a antique store that was going out of business. I liked it from the moment I saw it, but I'm hoping I didn't pay too much - after losing a WWi - WWII airplane gunner's sight & a WWII German naval ship's compass to a grumpy old man next to me, I decided he wasn't going to get this piece - and bid with him till he suddenly stopped at $70 & it was mine!
But now I'm wondering if the grumpy old man was a cagey old man who dropped it on me after he got me to go to high?!
What was such a highly carved bowl used for? Art - or for actual use?
It measures 3.5" high x 6.5" wide
Can anyone tell me who the artist name is?
Or where I can find someone to translate the name?
As always I appreciate your help!

 

You did not pay too much.
It is a gorgeous, antique, cinnabar lacquer bowl. It has some condition issues, but still value for money.

 

I heard of cinnabar - I had a cinnabar box a while back. What would this be used for?
Any way to tell age if I can't figure out the artist?
Thank you!

 

Don't know, sorry. But the use is not important for the value. This is 19th century, a proper antique.
As for the writing, @Asian Fever will probably know.

 

Thank you very much!

 

I agree with Any J.
You did just fine.
Chinese Cinnabar. Looks to be the real deal and not the new resin cinnabar being sold today. I will defer to her dating of 19th century.

Nice.

 

The back reads "Great Qing Qianlong Period Make".
As for the appearance, I cannot tell its age.
However, for the handwriting, it looks not like Qianlong Period, probably after Qianlong.
Also, I didn't see many antique lacquer wares have any signs.

 

Keep it away from any heat source. It can and will melt.

 

Yes, I thought it could be apocryphal.
Asian, here is a link to a signed cinnabar box, attributed to Qianlong. The writing is more carefully and beautifully done than on journey's bowl. Is the box genuine Qianlong in your opinion?
http://www.alaintruong.com/archives/2016/03/02/33455955.html

This is the writing:

 

This is the right handwriting of Qing period which is recognized by dominators.

 

Compared with two handwritings. I can hardly agree the brush pot in Colorado is a Qianlong period brush pot. It's more likely to be an late Qing or republic period brush pot because the handwriting is looks like republic period and early PRC fashion.
I am not very familiar with woodware, so that's just my personal opinion.

 

Thank you, Asian, very useful information.

 

It is most definitely lacquer. To watch the creation process would be fun.

 

I want to list my bowl for sale. What period should I call it?
Can I say it is a signed apocryphal Qing Qianlong Period cinnabar bowl?
Is it a brush pot?
Thank you Asian Fever; your help was greatly appreciated

 

One final question please - what are the scenes around the bowl? One looks like a home or building, another looks like a covered walkway.
Are they famous places?
Again, I appreciate all the help - I've learned a lot!

 

I have no idea about how to resell antiques. It is a bowl, not a brush pot.
You need to find if there's any even scratches or unnatural wears in order to ID it's authenticity. And I won't call it apocryphal Qing Qianlong Period without studying it. Since sometimes some republic period reproduced antiques even worth more than similar Qianlong Period antiques.
The scenes around the bowl is just normal and I cannot tell if it is a famous building or not. However, it does somewhat looks like courtyard of BeiJing.

 

Cinnabar is mercury sulphide, highly toxic. In Chinese crafts it is replaced by artificial 'cinnabar lacquer'.
It is even advised to keep old cinnabar lacquer pieces behind glass.

 

I'd call it an antique cinnabar lacquer bowl, I am confident it is antique.
You can mention the apocryphal Qianlong mark, but with the information Asian gave and the unusual chipping around the characters, I suspect the mark could have been engraved some time after the bowl was made. So apocryphal apocryphal.

 

Thank you all!

 

No one mentioned this is cinnabar on brass, and not on wood. AFAIK (and I could certainly be wrong), the earlier cinnabar was all on wood. Does anyone know when brass was being used as a base? BTW, there isn't a whole lot of tarnish on the brass, which looks to have never been cleaned, which could put the date more into the 20th century (Republic period) which I believe is also when they were more likely to add the Qing signature to the bottom for tourists: https://www.realorrepro.com/article/Cinnabar