Q & A

M.P. writes:

This vase was left behind when my Mother passed away a few years ago. It almost ended up in the garbage. I don’t know anything about it except that it stands about a foot tall and appears to be made of ivory. It also has Oriental writing on the inside of the lip. Any info you could give me would be great. Thank you for your time.

We asked Colin Ritchie to respond:

A very dark photograph of what might be mistaken to be a Chinese Ivory Vase but I am certain that it is made of a plastic composition. These reproductions were made as early as the 1920's and to my knowledge are still made today as inexpensive copies of carved ivory objects. They were generally cast in a mould and then highlighted by hand.

The vase represents a style of carved ivory produced during the Qing Dynasty and made from about 1760 to 1900. The writing on the lip may be a pseudo Emperor's reign mark or it could be a poem or verse.

Unfortunately as a plastic composition reproduction it has a very minimal resale value, perhaps in the region of $100 at auction.