Porcelain, Ceramics & Blanc-de-chine | The specialists guide to Chinese antiques

A “Laowai” from ancient times: A closer look at a Han dynasty bearded foreign groom

Laowai (老外) is a common Chinese word often heard by any foreigner in China. Literally translated as “old foreigner” we often hear it all to many times. Yet, it seems foreign devils in China are not recent occurrences, judging by this foreign gentleman, who is a bearded Xianbei - Xiongnu guardian (or more likely a groom) based on the hat, eyes, large nose and upturned chin & beard. He’s lost a hand along the way, though understandable after 2000 or so odd years. He is likely from either the Western Han dynasty or the Northern Wei Dynasty (Ad 386 to 534). (Quite an interesting article debating the origins of the Xianbei people can be found here.) While foreign grooms are more common during the Tang dynasty, the rough features seem to lend more towards Han.

This particular Chinese tomb sculpture is about 40 cm tall, from the Shanxi - Shaanix region and is made from low temperature fired earthenware with cold-painted red and blue pigments over a white ground. His long flowing robe is draw up in the front. While ceremonial/ritual representations and funerary art predate Han as far back as neolithic times (5000 BC – 3000 BC), it was during the Han dynasty that it flourished and became almost a true art form in itself. Belief in the immortal world was particularly strong in all layers of society during this time. However unlike the archaic Bronze forms often seen in Shang, Zhou and prior dynasties, Ming Qi goods were not seen as ritual offerings but rather symbolic and practical representations of personal items and were found in both the common man’s tomb as well as in royalty’s.

Often placed near the front of the tomb (or in larger tombs nooks and in side chambers), they were intended to provide the tombs occupant with surrogates of various daily objects which might be needed for the next life. As burials became increasingly more elaborate, reaching a golden age during the Han period, an entire industry sprang up creating Ming Qi goods. Often relatively inexpensive to produce (as opposed to bronze wares), these objects would have many times been very “middle class” in nature, though not exclusively. Nor was Ming Qi limited to pottery, as specially made clothing was even considered a form of Ming Qi.

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

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?

cinnabar lacquer box 226x300 Retired chocolate factory worker discovers his blue and white vase is a rare 600 year old Ming dynasty moon flask worth millions!

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”.

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

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

Qianlong vase initially valued at $1300 sets record price of $69 million at auction

Its been happening so frequently that these headlines are almost starting to become old news. Still, it does make you want to go poking around in your grandmothers attic…

Credit: Reuters/Bainbridges

Neglected Family Vase Sets 66 million Record for Chinese Art at Auction

Apparently the 18th-century Qianlong-era porcelain vase was discovered while cleaning out a modest London suburb home. Other then knowing it was acquired in the 193o’s, the anonymous family who owned it knows little else as to its origins. According to the auctioneer Bainbridges, the vase itself dates from the Qianlong period (1740′s) and would have most definitely been fired in the imperial kilns before finally residing in the Chinese Royal Palace. According to the Antiques Trade Gazette, Bainbridges is a small suburban auction house which normally deals with cheaper antiques, equipment and lawnmowers. Not bad, considering they stand to reap a 13.8 million dollar buyers premium from the sale. Purchased by a Chinese bidder on behalf of an undisclosed buyer, the sale price was not only more than 40 times the pre-sale estimate, but it set a new record for a Chinese work of art. But wait – it gets better. “About 30 years ago it was shown on a television show called Going For A Song where an expert appraised it at $1300 as a “very good copy.” Poor guy – I definitely would not want to be him right about now.

Regardless of whatever price was paid, the real or fake, the vase really is absolutely stunning. Beautiful!

The downside? A tax bill totalling a few million.

: Credit: Reuters/Bainbridges

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

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.

Kanxi blue and white porcelain bowl 150x150 The 47,000 USD dollar tooth brush holder Chinese porcelain brush pot in owners bathroom sells at auction for staggering sum.

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.’

Detecting Fake Chinese Porcelain & Ceramics

I am always a fan of people who dig into a subject, taking the time to take photos, make illustrations and simply dig in to the nitty-gritty details. People often forget that it takes time to take the time to share their own thoughts and insights on topics they are passionate about. So I was excited when “JP” at earlyming.com was kind enough to allow me to share his writings (below) on collecting antique Chinese porcelain.

It’s been some time now since I’ve made any additions to my collection. There are several reasons. The first being that authentic Ming and Qing porcelains of value are quite rare and difficult to find. The second reason is that the online supply of such is totally out of control. I am speaking mainly of e`Bay. I like e`Bay, and in the early days (1998) there was an occasional bargain to be found.

Comparing the early trading days of 1998 to the present, I see many changes. Back in 1998 you could search for the exact phrase “Ming Dynasty” and come up with about 15 or 20 items. Of those, possibly one or two might be authentic. Statements of authenticity were carefully phrased with sellers wanting to build a good reputation. The e`Bay picture for Chinese porcelain quickly started to change.

Doing that same search on e`Bay today now returns about 300 items. Most are guaranteed to be authentic Ming Dynasty. The sellers are now international, many from China. The Chinese authorities would not allow national treasures that belong in their museums to be sold for pennies to outsiders. The Chinese are not foolish. Of the many wise sayings Confucius came up with, he’d have smiled at the famous P.T. Barnum saying that there is a customer born every minute. Time of course has replaced the quoted word customer with the word sucker. I bowed out of e`Bay’s Chinese porcelain trading years ago and have only recently returned with a renewed interest. I’m working on the detection of fakes.

Early in 1999 I reported a certain seller, user thesaurusfinearts, to e`Bay as being very dishonest in their claims, thinking they would look into the matter. Nothing happened. They instead allowed them to continue trading for another 4 years. In 2003 I got the following message when checking the username:

This seller is not currently offering any items for sale

Hmmm… I wonder why. Here’s why.

The US Government finally stepped in and closed down the dealer, Thesaurus Fine Arts of Seattle. Their claims of guaranteed thermoluminescence testing were finally challenged by an investigative reporter. Oxford’s Authentication Laboratory of England and Daybreak Archaeometric Laboratory of the US, both world leaders in the field, verified the fraudulent test results. Charges of fraud have been filed causing Thesaurus Fine Arts of Seattle to close down their operation. Click here to view that article.

In the Reference section of this site, under the heading of Buyer Beware, I point out one of the tactics to look out for in online auctions, the private auction. This particular seller quickly converted to the private auction early on. At one point I tallied up the asking price of the 50 some items they were offering that week alone. It came to $250,000.00. So why did e`Bay allow trading to continue for so many years in opposition of the many complaints I know they received?

Though the sales were few and far between, they must have received a nice commission on some of the 162 transactions listed, 88 from unique users.

I still like e`Bay, but only hope that they will now establish guidelines to protect the buyers instead of ignoring complaints, and turning a blind eye until the US Government has to step in.

Continuing on now with the detection of fakes, I’ve chosen these particular pieces as they have the appearance of genuine Ming blue and white. In some cases they almost mirror what you would see in a Christies or Sotheby’s catalogue.

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Germany’s fake terracotta warriors – seems even the museums get duped sometimes

Somehow I missed this one (which dates all the way back to 2007). While I have to admit its a bit cynical to say it, I find this absolutely hilarious (on so many levels, I can’t even begin to touch on all of them). From rampant piracy in China, to its historical context concerning fakes to the gullible nature of foreigners doing business in china. Either way, for any of us who have burned a few bucks on a item we thought was “an authentic antique,” its good to know that from time to time even the experts get taken for a ride.


A fake at the Hamburg museum.	On of our own “authentic fakes

German museum admits terracotta warriors are fakes

More than 10,000 visitors to an exhibition of terracotta warriors in Hamburg are to be offered refunds after organizers admitted the figures on display are fake. Germany’s art world was stunned by the scandal, which came to light when officials from Xian, the home of the 2,000-year-old clay army, said they were unaware that they had lent any of their figures to Germany and that those on display at Hamburg’s Museum of Ethnology could not possibly be real as the originals were all elsewhere.

Chinese experts are on their way to the northern port city to examine the objects in the Power of Death exhibition, which consists of eight clay warrior figures, two horses and 60 smaller artefacts including bronze vessels, weapons and tools. German art detectives have launched their own investigation.

A spokesman for the Leipzig exhibition company, Centre of Chinese Arts and Culture (CCAC) which arranged the show, reluctantly admitted on German television that the figures were copies. But he was keen to stress the figures’ similarity to the originals.

“First of all one has to say that the material clay was also used in those days. Then one can say that these figures are the same size as those in Xian, but in any case they are not originals,” Yolna Grimm said. He added that the figures had been obtained from public authorities, institutes and businesses in China.

The company also organised a show of terracotta warriors in Leipzig two years ago, but there visitors were explicitly told that they were viewing copies.

Wulf Köpke, director of the Museum of Ethnology, said he had agreed to the exhibition on the firm understanding that the exhibits were genuine and the company had assured him that was the case.

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