Featured Ivory snuff bottle China or Japan?

Hi everyone,

I bought this ivory snuff bottle at an auction house. It’s dated around 1900 and according to auction houses it’s from China.

But I have doubts, because at that time in Japan they made snuff bottles for the Chinese market, with an apocryphal signature on the base, as in this case.

Has anyone ever seen a similar piece? What do you think China or Japan?

Thankful!

 

it's very nice...

 

Agreed. A beautiful little thing

 

@Any Jewelry

 

It is gorgeous, Tristan.

No, I haven't. If I had, it would have come home with me (for the right price).

I think China, but as you said, Japan made a lot of bottles for the Chinese market. Just like the Chinese now carve a lot of "netsuke". I prefer this to a fake netsuke though.
Could we see the spoon and the top of the stopper? The top of the 'shoulders' too please.

 

Thanks Any,

You'are a gem

I add the pics.

 

Thanks Tristan. That chrysanthemum 'Mon' on those beautiful 'shoulders' looks Japanese, so I change my vote to Japanese made.
It is a beauty, and I don't mind a genuine trade item. Such excellent quality, I would have gladly given it a home.

 

I was watching a talk given by some snuff bottle experts the other day. I don’t know precisely what era they thought this trend ended but they mentioned it’s pretty rare to find a true antique snuff bottle with its original matching stopper. I always wondered about that as I saw beautiful snuff bottles cross the auction block. Many with bright coral and handsome jade stoppers. While they looked great they didn’t look cohesive. Turns out an original matching stopper adds real value and is rare. Collectors typically have to find a spare stopper they like. Obv this has been done to many examples that now hit the market but early collectors had to I guests Obviously there must be a cut off period where it stops being rare.

 

Yes, those coral in brass ones are either replacements or simply on recent bottles.
Stoppers are such finnicky things, it is easy to lose them, so many antique snuff bottles don't have them. Those bottles are still desirable and usually valuable, but a complete bottle is best. (The same goes for kohl bottles, btw)
I have made some matching gemstone replacements in the past, but new stones never have the patina of antique stone. And whenever I sold such a bottle I mentioned the replacement, of course.

 

It is a very nice one. Congrats.