Maggidan's Minis Farm
Breeder of Quality NPGA Registered Pygmy Goats |
Inside Painted Snuff Bottles
I
discovered these
bottles on eBay when
I spotted one with
cute Looking for something interesting to sell at the NPGA Conventions, I contacted David about commissioning a number of bottles painted with pygmy goats. I would supply photos for use as models. Below are the results! Each picture is an actual pygmy goat, you may even recognize one of your own, or one of mine. My pictures do not begin to do the bottles justice. Because I have to shoot so close up the colors are distorted having a yellow cast. And I can't begin to show the incredible detail in all of its crispness with pictures that take less than an hour to download (okay that's a bit of an exaggeration but you get what I mean). The one I am holding in my hand is Bottle Three. As you can see I could cover the entire goat with my thumb. Remember this as you look at the pictures and especially at the close up details. These bottles are all painted by students. They come in a nice presentation box. Often there is a slip of paper with the name of the artist in the box. Each bottle is signed, dated and given the school stamp of approval (the red Chinese character is the school's stamp). Each is unique having a different goat on each side. Just for fun I have included a picture of one of my Masters Bottles below. Now if this doesn't just blow your mind I don't know what will.
Terms Of SaleI am selling them first come, first served and will do my very best to remove any sold bottles from the list immediately. But I can't make any guarantee. If you do purchase a bottle online which has already sold I will promptly refund your money through Paypal. If you wish to pay by check or money order be sure to email me and I will hold your bottle for 10 days. I have many many more... All of my goat bottles are pygmies but I have some with other designs too that I will be posting. Stay tuned! Bottle One $24.95
Bottle Two $19.95
Bottle Four $29.95
Bottle Five $19.95
Bottle Six $24.95
Bottle Seven $29.95
Bottle Eight $22.95
Bottle Ten $29.95
Bottle Twelve $29.95
Bottle Thirteen $29.95
Bottle Fourteen $29.95
Want
to learn more about
collecting inside
painted snuff
bottles?
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This
amazing 200 year old
art form from China
is still mostly
unknown in the
Western world.
Each bottle is carved,
not cast, from a
block of manmade
rock crystal (think
manmade quartz), it
is hollowed by
hand. A semi
precious stone,
usually jade or
agate, is carved and
polished to fit the
top and glued to a
cork stopper.
Left unpainted they
are works of art in
and of
themselves. To
enable the paint and
inks to adhere steel
shot is placed
inside then the
bottle that is then
mechanically shaken
for many hours to
slightly roughen the
inside
surface. The
artist then paints
the inside using
tiny curved and
hooked brushes, through
the neck of the
bottle, in
reverse! They
do not use a
magnifying glass to
help them see what
they are
painting. A
faint outline is
painted in diluted
ink, then painting
the highlight in the
eyes first, the
painting takes form
one tiny paint
stroke at the
time. With the
bottle being frosted
the artist can't see
precisely where the
tip of the brush
will touch, they
paint as much by
feel as they do by
sight. The
background is
painted last.
It usually takes a
few select students
5 to 10 years to
achieve Master
Painter
status. 
little
white goats painted
inside. I had
to have it and kept
close track on the
bidding until it was
mine. Then the
seller, David
Osborne, contacted
me thinking he had
found another snuff
bottle enthusiast,
but soon found it is
was the subject
matter, goats, in
which I was most
interested. He
informed I had
bought a
"Student
Bottle", one
painted by a student
of the Xisan Academy
for Inside Painting
who was just
learning the art and
that I should see
what a "Master
Bottle" looked
like. He had 2
such Masters Bottle
with goats.
Needless to say I
have them now and so
started my
collecting these
little gems.
