| Firstly, we had decided that we would
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| | bought was an exceptional piece and had a
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| only collect antiques that we considered
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| | lot of appeal, especially as the price
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| to be beautiful, secondly, the
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| | was so much less than half the cost of a
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| craftsmanship had to be outstanding and
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| | similar quality bottle! Admittedly no
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| thirdly we preferred to collect really
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| | hollowing out was involved, in forming
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| unique treasures! By unique, we mean
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| | the pendant, but some pendants are
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| hand crafted, rather than mass-produced
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| | wonderfully undercut and the remarkable
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| antiques such as rare postage stamps. We
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| | carving skills admired in snuff bottles
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| also were inclined to prefer the small
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| | were still very much evident in these
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| Asian antiques that could easily be
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| | pendants.So that is how collecting
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| safely stored without taking up too much
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| | pendants began, quite a while later we
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| space.ANTIQUE SNUFF BOTTLES, PENDANTS AND
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| | learnt that really fine pendants are
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| JADE
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| | surprisingly rare, far more so, than top
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| So we have been collecting (mostly at
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| | quality snuff bottles. The search was on
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| the top end of the market) Chinese snuff
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| | and whenever we found one, the price
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| bottles, pendants and jade carvings. All
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| | remained much lower than an equivalent
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| of these antiques are truly unique works
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| | bottle. Partly this was due to the fact
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| of art, not always just because of being
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| | that there were simply not as many
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| hand made, but also because of the
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| | pendant collectors as there were snuff
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| materials used.We first came across
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| | bottle collectors. This fact did not
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| Chinese snuff bottles, in a small shop in
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| | deter us!Just as with snuff bottles there
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| London that had quite a range of snuff
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| | are lots of poor quality pendants (and
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| bottles, but it was the stone snuff
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| | modern copies) that are very easy to
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| bottles that particularly intrigued us.
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| | find. But in this specialised antique
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| Not only had beautiful bottles been
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| | collecting area, it is only the finest of
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| formed from a lump of rock that are
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| | the antiques that are really worth
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| incredibly well hollowed, through such a
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| | collecting, both from the satisfaction
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| tiny hole in the neck, but also they
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| | and pleasure derived from appreciating
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| managed to create pictures on some of
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| | the superior quality of these carvings
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| these bottles from the natural markings
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| | but also from the investment point of
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| or inclusions that happened to be found
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| | view.JADE
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| within the stone. We decided these were
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| | When considering jade, little jade snuff
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| worthy of a lot more study, as we were
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| | bottles and pendants are relatively far
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| fascinated and the prices of the finest
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| | more expensive than the larger jade
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| examples were within our reach.But how
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| | carvings, for the amount of work and the
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| and why did we end up collecting pendants
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| | size of stone one acquires, although the
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| and jade carvings having started with
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| | quality might be equally high. Years ago
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| snuff bottles? The real reason was due
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| | this was not the case, but now you can
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| to what I call the constant changing of
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| | buy fine large carvings for not much more
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| comparative values. These are what one
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| | than you have to pay for the best little
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| evaluates by trying to compare the
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| | handling pieces.These carvings are to be
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| craftsmanship involved with the current
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| | found in numerous forms such as animal
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| relative value.PENDANTS
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| | sculptures, figures, bowls, boxes,
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| As an example, we once stopped buying
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| | screens and boulder carvings. There are
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| snuff bottles for a while. This was
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| | some remarkable vases with lids attached
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| partly because the prices had suddenly
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| | by a chain that can consist of a large
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| escalated, at such an incredible rate
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| | number of links, all carved out of the
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| (this can happen now and then in any form
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| | one piece of rock. This is quite amazing
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| of antique collecting), so it was very
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| | when one appreciates how hard and
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| hard for us to accept paying so much
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| | difficult Jade is to work with.Some fine
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| more, for just the same quality of
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| | pieces are of a good colour and flawless
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| bottles, as those we already owned. But
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| | material, others make good use of natural
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| there was also another reason; it was
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| | colours and markings found in the stone.
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| about at this time that I had discovered
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| | The quality of the carving in the 18th
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| (a dealer friend had shown me a small
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| | century of jade was really superb and
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| collection) the existence of very fine
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| | even some of the early 19th century
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| Chinese pendants. The very same artists,
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| | pieces are very fine, and in my view this
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| who had made the best snuff bottles, had
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| | is an area where there are still some
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| also made these pendants. We were
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| | good antique carvings to buy available.
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| instantly hooked!The first pendant we
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