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Subject:Re: blue and white bottle
Posted By: John Carpenter Sat, Nov 02, 2019
Well, Oliver, I must say that I agree with you, but I wish you could suggest some features of the piece which compel you to reach this conclusion. My hangup is the artistry of the potter who made the piece and the various signs of wear and ageing which, if designed to deceive, should have made the piece much more expensive for me than it was. I bought this bottle at auction from a collection at the same time I bought a Xing Bai bowl from the same collection for $500.00 when it had a pre-auction estimate of $80-$120. A reputable curator later determined the bowl to be modern, as she also did for this bottle, so I sold the bowl through the same auction house for $2800.00. I know this has nothing to do with the bottle, but it does make me wonder about the criteria experts use to determine a piece's origin. I have other early pieces the origins of which are beyond doubt, but I keep this bottle to remind me that deception resulting in an attractive object insults my sensibility mainly when it hurts me in my wallet. When I gaze at this bottle, I can't help but feel sad that its maker may have needed to deceive to make his living, and it reminds me that one who creates to deceive may hurt himself in ways he is unlikely ever to discern. Also, I can't help imagining against my better judgment "What if..." and thereby give myself an opportunity to meditate on my own weaknesses.
Regards,
John
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