I was recently looking over a gilded and painted antique Chinese book cabinet (书柜), with a customer in a very expensive Hong Kong antique dealers shop. I casually remarked that the gold paintings have been retouched and in some cases were completely new. (Though the dealer would swear the paintings were original, whether they knew […]
Paintings
Hidden beauty: Careful cleaning reveals beautiful color on this Chinese antique sideboard from Shanxi
You never really know what you will find when you start on restoration of an antique. Experience helps but its nevertheless often times more art then process. Since some customers, particularly those in the know, prefer to select antique pieces in un-restored form, which while exciting and educating, can present some tricky problems for the […]
A quick look at some beautiful antique shanxi painted furniture in unrestored form
During a recent buying excursion, I stumbled across these beautiful lacquered / painted armoires, from Shanxi province in Northern China. While not nearly as prized by Chinese buyers, who often prefer hardwoods like Hua li or Hong mu, the status of Shanxi painted furniture has nevertheless risen significantly over the years for its beauty and […]
Chinese reverse glass paintings
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 […]
Chinese wardrobe with erotica paintings on the front.
This unusual red Chinese wedding cabinet come with a twist – the erotic scenes hand painted in gold are both beautiful and unexpected.
Chinese Ancestor Painting
A closer look at a beautiful authentic 10 generation antique Chinese ancestor portrait recently purchased for display by a friend in their home.
