WAY COOL thank you MarthaHill! I have enjoyed learning about this stuff. I ordered these off e..y years ago for my foster mother and they actually were shipped from overseas. I am headed there now to learn what these funky little things are. thank you again. headed off to learn about these things now.
http://www.antique-shop.com/forums/index.php?topic=18553.0
I cross posted this to my other forum because some of the members there know this type item well !! You can follow the thread !!
One thing about the marks,, you can not put much faith in them !! They marked their items “in the style of” not necessarily what they are !!
If its as small as a trinket box it would likely not be for tea !!
You can look at the bands and see if they are marked !!
Would have helped to know the box`s composition earlier,, I assumed it was porcelain from the pics !!
If you found other similar boxes/marks,, you can bet its an export piece made for sale here (U.S.) and other countries !!
It is Chinese, apparently. There is one exactly like one of the butterflies on the site that begins with e and ends in y that is described as:”Chinese Porcelain Celadon Blue and Iron Red Silver Accents Box Signed” the pictures on that one could have come from mine! I found another that has the same mark on the bottom and it seems that it comes from the Qing dynasty, either Guanxu or Kuanghsu and I already knew it was the Nian period and zhi make. the difference in price is 10 fold, literally, so am aiming for the lower amount. All it took was your wisdom. I will do nothing until I hear from you, as I trust your opinion more than a salesperson’s. thanks again
Going with the Chinese and then Oriental designation, and Google research on how to read marks, I THINK the bottom states it is the Nian period and Zhi make. I have not found one image of a tin covered bottom and none of the medallions. Is this a tea caddy? One of them shows a line that is darker and could be from tea getting wet in it over the years.
all of that silver (?) stuff comes off those boxes. I haven’t touched it, but it is all tabbed onto the box and lid and appears to be applied after it was made. Should I take it off and see what’s under there? Also, there are red spots in the blue and white, almost like rust or something. Is that good or bad? Gosh, someday I am gonna have to just hug you for all you do for antiques and this forum. thank you
