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Around 1958 the Ye family, the most noted and probably the best inside painters remaining from the Middle Period" took three aprentices ; Wang Xisan, Liu Shouben and Ding Guiling. These three became the "parents" of the Modern Period of inside painting. As far as I know, Ding Guiling became the second female to become a snuff bottle painter, following Ye Shuying, the great grand-daughter of Ye Zhongsan. Guiling was born on September 26, 1943 in Fan County, Shandong Province and moved to Bejing at age 11 in 1954. Her mother died when she was a year old. Coming from a very poor family she began work in 1958 at the Bejing Cloisonne Factory. In October 1960, she was asked by the Cloisonne workshop director if she wouldlike to visit the inside painting studio of a senior skilled artist who had won the title "Old Master Craftsman". Having a great love for art and painting from her childhood, she gladly accepted the invitation and visited the studio along with Liu Shouben. Ding became fascinated by the magic. The next day, both of them were transferred to the Ye family as apprentices. Information from "A New Look of Chinese Inside Painted Snuff Bottles |