The specialists guide to Chinese antiques » antique appraisals

Retired chocolate factory worker discovers his blue and white vase is a rare 600 year old Ming dynasty moon flask worth millions!

Roger S. — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 16:12:34 +0000

Just a super quick update post since the folks at Chine Gallery in Hong Kong have been keeping me quite busy these days. Though with lots of cool things there to look into like this 18th century cinnabar lacquer box from Beijing can you blame me?

On to the latest “record price” headline, this one picked up from the BBC. Whats amazing is the guy walked in with the vase stuffed inside a cardboard box!!!

Cardboard box Chinese Ming vase ‘may fetch £1m

A blue and white Chinese Ming Dynasty vase that arrived at a Dorset auction house in a cardboard box is expected to sell for more than 1 million.

The 11.5in (29cm) vase is the largest ever recorded from a rare group of early Ming “moonflasks” from 1403-1424, Duke and Son auction house said.

The Dorchester-based firm said it was believed to be one of the most exciting works of art to come to light in years.

The seller, a retired Cadbury’s worker aged 79, does not wish to be named.

‘Spectacular find’

A Duke’s spokesperson said the man “lives modestly and has been interested in antiques for many years”.

Guy Schwinge, of Duke’s, said: “When my colleague initially showed me what had arrived in a cardboard box I could not believe my eyes.

“The vase is in perfect condition and it is amazing to think that it has survived unscathed for almost 600 years”.

Duke’s consultant for Chinese Works of Art is Anthony du Boulay, a scholar and author, who said the vase was “a spectacular find”.

The vase will be sold at auction in May.

Original BBC story:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-12355404

This content comes from The specialists guide to Chinese antiques located at http://www.antique-chinese-furniture.com/blog/ For more articles please visit The specialists guide to Chinese antiques - A unique insiders peek at the world of Chinese antiques & reproductions, Asian culture, exotic decor and oriental-inspired design from the far east.

The 47,000 USD dollar tooth brush holder – Chinese porcelain brush pot in owners bathroom sells at auction for staggering sum.

Roger S. — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 04:53:19 +0000

Here’s a great tidbit from the Dailyrecord: China pot which owner used as toothbrush holder sells for £30k at auction. Quick – everyone run into their bathrooms right now to see what you got in there! I have a pristine tube of Crest toothpaste which I have been holding onto for years – definitely going to have it appraised!

An antique Chinese pot sold at auction for £30,000 (47,000 USD) was used for years by its owner as a toothbrush holder! Gordon Murray didn’t think the ceramic writing brush holder was worth much and reckoned he’d be lucky to get £400 for it. So he was left stunned when it fetched the princely sum at auction in Edinburgh.

Gordon, who runs Atholl Antiques in Aberdeen, cleaned up the pot for it to go under the hammer at Lyon and Turnbull on Wednesday. He said he began collecting antiques as a boy in Aberdeen in the 50s and his passion continued to grow.

He said: “On Saturdays I’d head off into the antique shops in town, including Young’s in Belmont Street and Alec “Cocky” Hunter’s in Castlegate, where I would buy what my meagre pocket money could afford.”

One thing for sure is there are definitely hidden gems out there waiting to be found! Here’s another one from the Dailymail from about the same time: Antique Chinese bowl valued at just £600 by auctioneers fetches £38,000… after bidding war breaks out among buyers.

Have you got one of these in your attic?

This antique Chinese bowl, which had a guide price £600, sold for more than £38,000 (60,000 USD) at auction yesterday.

The blue and white porcelain pot, which is believed to be a 19th century copy of one made in the Kangxi dynasty of 1662 to 1722, was bought by a Chinese man who lives in Britain.

Unassuming lot 379, which is eight inches wide and depicts a man ploughing a paddy field with water buffalo, attracted a surge of interest from its homeland after the auction catalogue was put on the internet.

Auctioneer Steven Moore, of Anderson & Garland, Newcastle, said: ‘I wasn’t surprised by the price, as I knew the amount of interest it had generated.

‘Chinese people are trying to find and collect their heritage.

A Chinese man living in the UK bid the highest price at this week’s auction.

Mr Moore added: ‘There is the possibilty that people have these things or things similar to this sat in their house and it is very possible that they are also worth this amount of money.

‘This is definitely the best time to sell Chinese porcelain.’

Woman finds out her father’s jade collection is worth over a million USD.

Roger S. — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 15:45:41 +0000

18th-Century Qianlong Jade Collection from Qing Dynasty

Appraised Value:

$710,000 – $1,070,000

Watch the appraisal video here on the Antiques Roadshow website. Or even better, watch this interview with the owner in North Carolina.

GUEST: My father was in China two different times– I think in the late ’30s and sometime during the ’40s, with the Army, and he was a liaison of some sort. He was just a Kentucky farm boy, but he learned Chinese and he met a Mr. Liang at number ten Jade Street, and that’s pretty much what I remember him always telling me. Mr. Liang would call him and say, “John, I have some pieces you might want to look at.” As children, we heard that some of them had imperial seals, and then I just always have been curious.

APPRAISER: Well, that Mr. Liang must have been a very, very good friend of your father’s, because he led him down the path of great collecting. Generally you see people who purchase things in China at that period of time, and they purchased things that were very, very poor quality. These things are all of very, very fine quality. Did you have any idea about the value on these things?

GUEST: This dragon bowl, as we’ve always called it, we’ve always heard that it may be worth a lot of money, but no, I don’t know the value.

APPRAISER: You start with, basically, the runt of the litter in terms of these groups is that bowl there. And that’s a bowl that’s based on a style from India that they refer to as Mogul style. And it’s Chinese, 18th century. Very, very thin carving, really beautiful, crisp workmanship. This one here is the same style, but only a little more ornate. This is also Mogul style, also 18th century.

GUEST: So 1700s.

APPRAISER: Yeah, they all date from the Qianlong period, which is 1735 to 1796. This one here is set with a ruby in the top and very, very finely carved. The animal is a thing they call bixie. It means to ward off evil. And that animal is just a beautiful piece of celadon jade, wonderfully carved. And then we have the top piece of the group. This one has an inscription in the bottom that is imperial. It has a cyclical date there, which they’re kind of hard to read, because they run in 62-year cycles. But it also has the mark “by imperial order.” Rather than just “made.” So it was made specifically for the emperor himself.

GUEST: Oh, fantastic.

APPRAISER: But you start getting into the value of these objects, and the bowl there, a conservative auction estimate on that bowl would be $30,000 to $50,000.

GUEST: No! Oh, my gosh!

APPRAISER: A conservative estimate on this vase here would be $80,000 to $120,000.

GUEST: Oh, I love this one.

APPRAISER: This animal here, beautifully carved, wonderful quality, would be $200,000 to $300,000.

GUEST: Uh… I can’t believe you.

APPRAISER: And this bowl here, because of the imperial inscription, this would be probably very, very conservatively, $400,000 to $600,000.

GUEST: Oh, I don’t bel… Oh, my gosh.

APPRAISER: For a total amount of between $710,000 to $1,070,000.

GUEST: Damn.

APPRAISER: It’s an incredible collection, and he also bought at a period of time where I would doubt if he paid more than a hundred dollars for any one of these pieces.

GUEST: Yeah, I’m sure you’re right. I just can’t… I had no idea.

APPRAISER: It’s the best thing I have ever seen on the Roadshow.

GUEST: Oh, my gosh! I love hearing that. Thank you.

APPRAISER: By far.

Chinese vase valued at €150 sells for €110,000 at auction

Roger S. — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 15:53:23 +0000

“I have a lot of people approach me with inquires about selling porcelain collections they have either inherited or amassed over the years. I am guessing this might be one of the reasons why:”

THE OWNERS of a Chinese imperial vase which sold for €110,000 at a Co Laois auction on Tuesday – a record-breaking price for ceramics at an Irish antiques sale – plan to sell the remainder of an inherited collection of oriental porcelain.

While the Co Carlow family wish to retain strict anonymity, the auctioneers acting on their behalf said they were unaware of the vase’s historical significance and its value when it was consigned for sale. The family did not attend the auction and missed seeing the vase sell for 1,000 times its estimated value.

Durrow-based auctioneers Sheppards said the owners were “shocked but also delighted and chuffed” by the sale. They were also coming to terms with the potential value and importance of the remaining items in the collection.

The family inherited the collection from two sisters who have since died, who had emigrated to the United States in the 1940s. The women lived and worked there for many years and amassed a collection of ceramics which they brought back to Ireland. The vase may have been bought in the city of Philadelphia.

A selection of about 20 pieces from the collection was included in the general sale of furniture and collectibles at Sheppards Irish Auction House in Durrow, Co Laois, earlier this week. Most of the Chinese lots, including the vase, had pre-sale estimates of €100-€150.

However, international collectors who had spotted the vase on the internet recognised it as part of the personal collection of 18th-century Chinese emperor Qianlong. They travelled to Co Laois and sparked frenzied bidding, which resulted in the vase being sold for €110,000. A separate lot of two vases, with the same estimate, sold for €41,000.

Both lots were acquired by a London antiques dealer who outbid the wife of a collector in China, who had travelled from Beijing in a quest to buy the vase.

Auctioneer Philip Sheppard said the vase was “part of the first tranche” of the collection and the remainder would be sold at a future auction in Durrow.

The purchaser of the vase said he expected to make “a handsome profit” on its resale. Richard Peters said from his shop on Kensington Church Street that he was “absolutely delighted” with his purchase and described the vase as “incredibly perfect and a very special piece”. He will offer it for resale shortly and is confident it will appeal to collectors of oriental ceramics “especially in London and China”.

Mr Peters is “likely” to return to Co Laois for the sale of the rest of the Carlow collection.

Arabella Bishop, the head of Sotheby’s Ireland, was “excited about what happened in Durrow”. The Chinese market was “especially strong at the moment – particularly for good, fresh pieces, particularly those with an imperial connection”.

Dublin’s Chester Beatty Library, which has a world-class collection of oriental manuscripts, paintings and rare books, also houses a small collection of imperial Chinese porcelain which is available for public viewing “by appointment”.

Acting curator Laura Muldowney, said while she “could not comment on values”, thought the vase sold in Durrow “looks like a lovely piece” based on photographs. She said the Chester Beatty collection did not have any porcelain from the period of Emperor Qianlong but had pieces from the era of his grandfather, Emperor Kangxi.

MICHAEL PARSONS

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0304/1224265559078.html

Chinese vase smashes €150 guide price and sells for €110,000 in Laois

MICHAEL PARSONS in Durrow, Co Laois

A CHINESE vase with an asking price of just €150 sold at a Co Laois auction yesterday for €110,000.

The 12-inch-high blue-and-white porcelain vase attracted an opening bid of €50 – before a bidding war erupted between two international antique collectors.

Both had recognised it online as an authentic Imperial vase, and flew in for the one-day sale of furniture and collectibles at Sheppards Irish Auction House in Durrow.

Afterwards, the purchaser, London antique dealer Richard Peters (48), said: “I got a bargain.”

Underbidder Rong Chen (48), who had travelled from Beijing especially for the auction, said she was “very sad and disappointed”.

Her husband, an accountant and antique collector, had spotted the vase on the internet and believed “This is the one – we think it was in the Imperial household.”

The item was part of a collection of Chinese porcelain inherited by an unnamed Co Carlow family and consigned for sale. They were last night “chuffed and delighted” by the sale, the auctioneers said.

Mr Peters, who runs an antiques business in Kensington, said the vase was “made for the personal collection of the Emperor Qianlong in the 18th century”. He explained that the vase, in a shape known in Chinese as hu-yu-chun-ping, was decorated simply with “images of banana and bamboo trees”.

It had “probably been looted from the Imperial Palace in Peking by French or British or American soldiers sometime during the 19th century”, he added, describing the field of Chinese ceramics as “difficult because the market is filled with fakes and forgeries”.

When auctioneer Michael Sheppard called for an opening bid for the vase shortly after noon, he received an offer of just €50. But, within seconds, intense and frenzied bidding was under way and bids jumped, first in multiples of hundreds, and then thousands of euro. Mr Peters, who was seated, bid by nodding discreetly, while Ms Chen stood as she took instructions on a mobile phone from her husband. Later, she told The Irish Times that he had told her “to drop out at €100,000”.

When Mr Sheppard brought down the gavel at €110,000, there were gasps and then applause in the tightly packed saleroom.

Mr Sheppard said “that was the highest figure ever achieved for any item” in the 60-year history of the family-run firm of auctioneers and valuers. He said “something like this happens once in a lifetime”.

Mr Peters bought a second lot – a pair of Chinese polychrome vases – for €41,000. Like the Imperial vase, the items had carried a guide price of €100-€150.

Mr Peters returned to London last night with the items, which he is likely to sell to a Chinese client.

As the salesroom emptied, attendees spoke of their astonishment. David Stapleton, from the nearby town of Ballyragget, said “It was one of those moments. You had to be there – like the GPO in 1916.”

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2010/0303/1224265504158.html

Chinese reverse glass paintings

Roger S. — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 14:45:10 +0000

The Antiques Roadshow on PBS, has some great Chinese antique-relevant episodes, particularly this one on Chinese reverse glass paintings. Even cooler is the fact you can watch these episodes online! The Chinese reverse painted glass mirror pictured above was recently sitting in our shop before it was purchased by someone who is now enjoying it in their home. The one below is the one appraised in the show.

APPRAISER: “When you look at these, you’ll notice that there’s not that much attention to detail. The face is very white. Probably all made up with powder. Generally they wear very elaborate hair dress and earrings, and you can see the elaborate earrings. She’s holding a fan– that’s not unusual– and seated in an old chair. The details of the new ones are not that different from this. That’s why I have to point out to people, when you see one of these, you can only assume it’s new. Before you buy it, have a specialist look at it, because the new ones are quite deceiving. This has all the earmarks of an old one. One thing that’s interesting is you can see her arms through the dress. ”

APPRAISER: “Very unusual to find pairs. Could go for as much as $5,000.”

GUEST: “Wonderful. ”

APPRAISER: “This by itself is worth $1,500 to $2,000. “

GUEST: “Wow. That’s amazing. ”

To watch online:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/archive/200702A16.html

Chinese wardrobe with erotica paintings on the front.

thermoluminescence testing for porcelain, ceramics and bronzes

Roger S. — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 14:14:40 +0000

Another super quick post but a link worth including here: http://www.oxfordauthentication.com/

One thing to be aware of is that thermoluminescence testing works only with fired items, in other words items like porcelain, earthenware or bronze. If you don’t know what thermoluminescence testing is have a quick read of the snippet below from their website:

Thermoluminescence

A small sample of ancient pottery will emit a faint blue light when heated to a sufficiently high temperature. This faint blue light is known as thermoluminescence, or TL and is over and above the background red glow that is emitted from all materials. The TL can be measured using a sensitive detector known as a photomultiplier tube. The intensity of the TL signal is proportional to the time which has elapsed since the clay was last heated, normally since the kiln firing, and can be used to date when the object was last fired.

Sampling

Photo: Pottery
Only a fully qualified representative of Oxford Authentication Ltd is authorised to take a sample of powder. 100mg of powder is removed from an inconspicuous area of the object. Usually more than one sample is taken from each piece to verify that all the parts are of the same antiquity. Each piece is fully documented and photographed at the time of sampling, and the samples are sent to our laboratory in Oxfordshire for analysis.
Porcelain
Porcelain and stoneware are fired to a higher temperature than pottery, and the clay body is much harder. It must be sampled using a diamond core drill under running water. Two 3-mm diameter cylinders, 4mm long, are removed from the base or other unglazed part of the object. These are then cut into 200-micron (one fifth of a millimetre) slices using a fine diamond wheel. These slices are used for the TL measurement.

Bronze casting cores
Bronze antiquities are often cast around a clay mould and this casting core is trapped inside otherwise hollow sections, such as handles, legs, heads, or torsos. Once this core has been extracted through the bronze outer casing, the sample can be dated in the same way as pottery.

The Test

Powder samples are prepared by sedimentation in acetone: fine grains being deposited onto aluminium discs. After drying overnight, they are ready for TL analysis. Larger grains are not used for TL, but are analysed for their radioactive content. Bronze casting cores are prepared in a similar way.

Fine grains evenly deposited onto aluminium discs

Measurements are made on our RisØ TL readers, which we maintain at the state-of-the-art through regular involvement with the RisØ team. The TL readers have been programmed to run controlled sequences of heating and of laboratory irradiations. Radioactive analyses are carried out on our Elsec thick source alpha counters.

The RisØ TL reader.

TL analysis Once a sequence has finished on the TL readers, the data files are analysed. The TL signal is displayed as a glow-curve, a graph of Intensity versus Temperature (see CASE STUDIES, genuine and fake Tang ladies). We compare the natural or archaeological glow-curve with that obtained after a known laboratory irradiation. This enables us to calculate the total radiation dose absorbed by the object since it was last fired. Radioactive analysis from the thick source alpha counters gives the annual internal dose-rate. The environmental contribution to this total usually has to be estimated based on data from dated archaeological sites. The approximate age is given by:

Approximate AGE = Total absorbed dose (from TL analysis)

Annual dose-rate (from alpha counting)

Quoted age limits. All age ranges are quoted with ±20% limits.

Reprinted from http://www.oxfordauthentication.com/

Where can I find detailed information on Chinese porcelain, pottery and ceramics?

Roger S. — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 12:37:48 +0000

(This is a section from a previous post which I think is worth separating out here, since I am asked this question quite a lot).

Where can I find more detailed information on Chinese porcelain, pottery and ceramics?

Chinese porcelain, Oriental ceramics and Japanese porcelain and pottery are all unique entire subjects of their own and it would be impossible to cover even just a fraction of the material available here today. Rather then attempt to do so, I will suggest a few quality resources,

The website of Koh Antique in Singapore, has one of the most comprehensive sources of information on Chinese porcelain and ceramics, all meticulously described and cataloged in an easy to read format.

This is the most comprehensive source of information on Qianjiang porcelain on the internet. Besides giving a brief history, more than 350 pieces of Qianjiang porcelains have been cataloged. The pieces are displayed based on chronological order and also by artist.

Topics covered, range from “Symbolism on Chinese Ceramics,” to more specific information on time periods and individual styles such as Ming Blue and white, Celadon wares, Qingbai, Shufu, Ding and Cizhou wares. Particularly useful is his dictionary of Chinese symbolism and motifs used in ceramics.

Also invaluable for anyone wanting to understand the progression of styles between the various periods, is their Chart (available here) showing the development over time of the different Chinese porcelain types.

The other site most commonly cited on this topic is Gotheborg in Sweden, run by Jan-Erik Nilsson. The “Marks on Chinese Porcelain” page is probably the first stop for anyone trying to identify a piece.

The other two really major resources here are the “Antique Chinese and Japanese Pottery and Porcelain Discussion Board” and the links list which is very, very extensive.

With this Chinese noodle cabinet-scholar cabinet, appearances can be deceiving!

Roger S. — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:57:39 +0000

A customer recently sent me these photos of a Chinese Noodle cabinet which they purchased from an estate auction. Their inquiry was pertaining to its age, value and authenticity. In other words, a quick antique appraisal. The question of course was the one I am asked most frequently which was “Is it old and is it valuable”

Is it really old?

If you read “Blurring the line” you know answering this question becomes even more difficult when you consider the awkward journey a piece my take as it travels through the “antique-reproduction” supply chain.

The first question of “is it old” is quite easy to answer: Yes and No. Before going any further, take a moment to read a post from a while back entitled “Blurring the line further… How to tell if its a genuine antique?” which will explain just nicely the points to consider here. Finished yet? Ok, great – back to this item.

In this particular case, the actual cabinet itself is a very common tapered edge Chinese Noodle cabinet or “Mian tiao gui” since the shape of the cabinet itself or the hardware (depending on who you talk to) slightly resembles the shape of a noodle. With carved doors like this, it may be mistaken for a scholar cabinet. In un-restored form, a cabinet like this may be referred to by the workers as as a “la ji gui” which literally means “trash cabinet.”A Chinese country antique cabinet such as the one above, in un-restored form, built from common woods (value is often placed on exotic hardwoods), of a non-descript style and in poor condition will often hold minimal value on its own, with its true worth being essentially as parts and raw materials. From a materials cost perspective, a badly damaged cabinet will be cheaper to restore then to build new from scratch.

A quick look at the overall process...

Here is a quick overview of what typically occurs:

Take a fairly standard poor condition country antique cabinet ranging in age from 30 to 80 years old, which can be used for parts & materials
Restore main structure, replacing damaged panels and other sections with replacement wood.
Add in additional details to spice it up like carved panels.
Add shelves and drawers for additional functionality (easier to sell)
Add a new lacquered finish to cover inexpensive woods, repairs, etc.
Use aging technique so item does not look “too new.”
Add detailed gold “miao jin” painting for an additional touch.
Install new hardware.
Claim to customer it is Qing dynasty scholar cabinet, at least 150 years old and sell at a premium price.
Finished!

A "trash cabinet," like the one pictured above,may often be worth more for its parts then the sum.

Is it worth anything?

The answer is yes! However, maybe not for the reasons you might expect. Its worth something, because of the time and effort that an artisan put in hand-painting the gold trim and other details. Its worth something, every time someone visits your home and remarks what a beautiful cabinet it is. And its worth something, because you probably have a story about where and how you purchased it. So while it may not be worth an extreme amount in dollars, money is not the only value of worth. Its a beautiful piece and would look great in any home, and you never know – in 100 years down the road it just might be someone else’s genuine antique!

Some pretty standard inexpensive Chinese noodle cabinets up for sale on the internet

Approximate AGE =	Total absorbed dose (from TL analysis)
	Annual dose-rate (from alpha counting)