Snuff bottle with blue and red decoration

[PatLP]

Hello... I'm trying to find out an approximate age for this snuff bottle and what it's made of. I know it's ceramic but it seems heavier and more dense than porcelain items?

Would the decoration be what's called underglazed blue and copper red?

The bottle is 2-7/8" tall and has no marks. I believe the scene is of a fisherman, with a fish dangling from a cord in his hand.

Is the round blue object probably representing the sun or moon?

I'd appreciate any thoughts on the bottle, including approximate age.
.

[Stan]

Snuff bottles can be difficult to tell age, but I can say the older bottles most of them were  skillfully hand drawn, this one is not that good as far as quality, it is a porcelain snuff bottle and does look like it has age, may be early republic in my view.

[PatLP]

Thanks for your reply. Although I love the image, I agree the execution isn't the highest quality. 

Would early republic be roughly between 1912 and 1930?

[Stan]

1912 through 1949 was the republic period.

[peterp]

> roughly between 1912 and 1930?

Yes, but there is no firm date when it ended.

[PatLP]

"1912 through 1949 was the republic period." Thanks, Stan. I did see that online, just was asking if *early* republic would be the teens and twenties?

[Stan]

More like 1912 to 1922 close enough. Peter you have a good point was the end of the republic period 1949 was that the beginning of the Chinese Communist part ? I answered my own question, the Chinese communist party started in July 21 1921, but the communist takeover of mainland China was in 1949.

[peterp]

We still have the Republic Period, They started counting with first year of the republic, so we have the Republic year 102 now.

When I think early republic period I indeed do think normally up to about the twenties, but depending on the item type up to the thirties. To me it is less a matter of age but rather a change happening in view to techniques, decoration styles and materials during this period. Some things changed more slowly, but during or after the thirties most things had changed for good.

[PatLP]

Thanks guys for the info and perspective. It's been very helpful.

Pat