Oriental Painted Victor VV-XVI Sold on Ebay 3/15/10

[brianu]

this XVI recently sold on ebay in NJ and I was wondering whether anyone was watching it, or might know where it ended up. although it's nearby, I don't have the space for it and the bidding went higher than I would have liked any way...

but the decoration looks original, no? but would it be after market in that there's no black lacquer beneath the figures and scenery? I'm not aware of any victor factory produced machines that incorporated such decoration on top of a non-lacquered finish, and this finish appears to be a dark oak, maybe fumed. although the red painted underside of the lid has the dealer decal on top of the paint rather than painted over...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0389285409

[phonophan79]

Bid history: 22 bids
Winning bid: US $1,400.01

...wasn't me.

Question about the asian art machines of the this time period... don't they all appear to be similar? Whether it's a Victor or an off-brand, it looks like the Asian art came from the same source?

[gramophoneshane]

Question about the asian art machines of the this time period... don't they all appear to be similar? Whether it's a Victor or an off-brand, it looks like the Asian art came from the same source?

Yep...Asia

That style of "art" was popular for everything from furniture to porcelain. Probably the most notable & longest lasting of this styleis the blue & white Willow pattern china.
Below is picture of the cupboard door of my parlor cabinet, and it also sticks to the same basic layout.
I think ?? a lot of Asia art was meant to tell a story, or symbolize different beliefs etc. If I remember correctly, things like dragons, butterflies, fans, different birds etc all had different meanings.
I might have a quick google & see if I can find what the temples, bridges and old dudes symbolized.

[phonophan79]

LOL, G-Shane...

I meant, was there one company painting multiple brands of phonos?

[Jerry B.]

I once asked a Chinese (national) lady to take a look at one of my painted Victrolas. I asked if the painting were Chinese or Japanese. She looked at the front and said it was Chinese. Next, she studied a side and said it looked Japanese. I concluded that the artwork was done by any artist to give an oriental theme. I think the buying public did not care about authenticity and only cared about the look. I would like to know if there was a "Victor" decal under the lid to better determine if the painting was from the Victor factory or after market. Either way, it's a great piece. Jerry Blais

[gramophoneshane]

I think there was probably many places that this sort of thing could be done. I'd imagine during the 10's 20's & 30's, Chinese & Japanese labor would have been fairly easy to come by.
I dont know what it was like in USA, but my cabinet was made in UK, and there was many many companies producing bamboo & laquered panel furniture of ever kind.
Over hear, a law was passed in around 1896, and furniture was actually stamped well into the 1930's saying who made it... a lot of my furniture is marked "European labor only", but I've got a wardrobe maked "A1 Chinese labor only".

Anyway, back to the phonograph...I think the figures on the door panels may well be 4 of the "Eight Immortals".
There's a big list of "symbols" on this site. I'll have to have a better look & read when I get time.

http://www.asianartmall.com/8immortalsarticle.htm

Here's a bit of info I pulled off another site regarding trees and flowers, but it gives an idea what I was getting at. Another site also mentioned that many of these scenes related to specific religious beliefs or different legends.

Lotus
This flower is often associated with Buddhism and perfection. Many depictions of the Buddha include the lotus. Lotus in Chinese art represents purity, and Buddhist ideals of remaining mindful in the beauty of the present.
Peony
This flower symbolizes compassion and a happy marriage. It also is used in Asian art to convey a message of wealth and honor.
Pine Tree
This tree represents longevity in Asian art because of its constancy and endurance year round.
Orchids
Orchids are popular symbols. These flowers symbolize fertility, refinement and virtue. Asian art typically uses orchids in portraits of women.
Bamboo
Carving bamboo into sculpture, instruments and relief is traditional Asian art. Bamboo symbolizes longevity, flexibilty and simplicity because of this plant's characteristic austerity in windy weather.

[gramophoneshane]

I once asked a Chinese (national) lady to take a look at one of my painted Victrolas. I asked if the painting were Chinese or Japanese. She looked at the front and said it was Chinese. Next, she studied a side and said it looked Japanese. I concluded that the artwork was done by any artist to give an oriental theme. I think the buying public did not care about authenticity and only cared about the look. I would like to know if there was a "Victor" decal under the lid to better determine if the painting was from the Victor factory or after market. Either way, it's a great piece. Jerry Blais

Apparently that happened a lot with furniture made outside it's native land. I guess Europeans (and Americans) didn't fully understand Asian art, and would pick what they thought was pretty, and as long as it looked oriental they were happy.

It's never easy to judge things from photo's, but I think this is an aftermarket job.
Most finishes I've seen in this style have been done to replicate authentic laquerwork. It is normally smooth & glossy, so a tight grained wood like mahogany would be used to achieve it.
I dont think I've ever seen this kind of work done on an open grain timber like oak. If it was, I'd expect it to have paper mache under the laquer to hide the grain.