SPECIALIZING IN CHINESE & JAPANESE ANTIQUES
Roger Schwendeman is one of the few non-Chinese to have worked for decades, full time, on-the-ground, inside of Mainland China’s antiques industry. An almost incalculable and immense quantity of antiques have passed through his hands, during this time, providing him with an incomparable and highly unusual form of hands-on education; of the kind that cannot be obtained through a degree, nor in the confines of a gallery, nor from within the pages of any book.
His experience is remarkably rare and unparalleled within the industry.
A bit of history
Peking, 1997
Leaving the cosmopolitan bustle of New York City, a young Roger Schwendeman set off for a new life in China’s distant, far-off capital. Long before the Beijing Olympics and subsequent economic boom, the city at that time was rough, undeveloped and lacking most of the creature comforts of the developed world.
Deng Xiao Ping had died just days prior. Imported goods were costly and scarce. Bicycles were the primary form of transport. A cup of coffee required a trip to a five star hotel and foreigners were an oddity to be stared at and pointed at.
This was a very different time in China, and long before the city became the international metropolis it is known as today.
A UNIQUE Classroom...
It didn’t take long before Roger’s background in fine arts, coupled with a fascination with Chinese culture and history, led him to begin working with antique and reproduction furniture. Initially he started out as a buyers agent, sourcing antiques & reproductions for overseas importers. It was in that pursuit, that he began to spend countless hours, day in and day out, trawling through the dusty factory warehouses and antique markets, dotting the surrounding countryside.
...And Unusual Teachers
Having now been exposed to the very foundations of the trade, relationships with local artisans, craftsmen and peasant sellers soon naturally developed. Runners who collected antiques from the far corners of the country, shared their personal stories with him. Knowledge and expertise was exchanged. Trust was built up. Local sellers soon indoctrinated him in into the industry as one of their own.
"This form of education is one which cannot be obtained by securing an advanced degree. You cannot acquire it solely from the comfort of museums, galleries and auction houses. And while scholarships is indeed vital and those who create it are to be celebrated and admired, this particular brand of knowledge nevertheless cannot be absorbed from reading books. The tuition fee must be paid in experience. It must be paid in the currency of dusty markets, the fumes of lacquer, the cigarette smoke of a junior polisher and the daily interactions between individuals who have spent their entire lives eating, drinking and breathing nothing but antiques. This is a fascinating but painfully slow and difficult education to acquire. Its also the most invaluable one."
TREASURE HUNT: A worker at the ACF China furniture factory with a refurbished trunk. Credit... Shiho Fukada for The New York Times
The ACF China Factory
In the mid-2000’ies, a close partner invited him to share the burdens of running a shop, warehouse and restoration facility operating out of Beijing’s famous Gaobeidian antiques street. Working in tandem, they collected, repaired, stocked and resold hundreds of thousands of pieces to overseas collectors and resellers. Master lacquerers soon taught him the finer points of finishing. Carpenters shared their knowledge accumulated over decades of woodworking. The techniques of restoration became an almost daily topic of discussion with those who had spent a lifetime learning.
In contrast to the short buying trips experienced by most dealers, who only temporarily leave their clean, comfortable galleries and storefronts in the developed world, Roger abandoned those surroundings, trading it for a 24/7 work environment of warehouses, workshops and antique markets. Long hours were passed in cold storerooms and dusty warehouses. Language barriers were overcome. Technical terms learned. Failures and successes were an indelible part of the landscape. As he crisscrossed China from North to South; from the mainland markets to the galleries and auction houses of Hong Kong he began to develop an careful eye, a deep understanding and innate sense.
This was total immersion.
A randomly selected sampling of prior handlings
Present Times
Fast forward to present day, and Roger now portions his time between China, Japan and Hong Kong, dealing in a range of unique and rare antiques, while catering to customers worldwide.
While not the first and surely not the last, Roger is nevertheless one of the rare few in recent years to to be a deeply embedded part of mainland China’s antiques industry. An almost immeasurable quantity of antiques of all kinds have passed through his hands. Needless to say, his expertise is highly unique, having worked in both the hot, dusty workshops of North and South China, as well as in the high street galleries of Hollywood Road road, Hong Kong’s famous antiquities street.
Roger is a Mandarin Chinese speaker. He is currently also learning Japanese.
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