The specialists guide to Chinese antiques » Highlites!

Beautiful colors still remain on this brightly painted fo kan family shrine from Gansu used for ancestor worship

Roger S. — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 09:11:19 +0000

Been quite busy recently spreading time between Beijing, Guangdong and Hong Kong and thus have been a bit slow with blog updates. Which is all the more reason why I enjoyed some free time hunting around of the back alleys of the antiques world with James from UK based Shimu Chinese Furniture (who by the way also a fan of Shanxi painted furniture and has a very nicely developing blog on Chinese antiques here worth a look). Of course the “finds” are different each time and this particular visit turned up this amazing family Shrine from Gansu in western China.

Known as ”fó kān” (佛龛) in Chinese (or sometime fo gui 佛柜), these are shrines of worship – essentially a family temple. In ancient times, Fo Kan were dug from rock much like niches or grottos as can still be seen today in many buddhist heritage sites. Later stone, wood and other materials were used. Eventually Fo Kan evolved and began taking on architectural characteristics, modeling houses, official buildings and even palaces. In many ways they are very particular to each region, more so like architecture then furniture. This particular one is quite impressive and its owner would likely have had some level of material wealth judging by it size and grandeur.

The Confucian ideas concerning filial piety strongly reinforced the practice of ancestor worship and thus Fo Kan were commonly seen in ancestral halls, homes and temples. Inside would contain religious statuary or “soul tablets.” As ancestor worship is a complicated topic in itself I shall leave this for different future post.

Probably late 18th or early 19th century, the inscriptions on this Fo Kan read 父母恩泽似海深 fùmǔ ēnzé sì hǎi shēn (left) 宗族功德如天大 zong zu gong de ru tian da（right). In English this basically would translate as “Our parents kindness is as deep as the ocean and the merits of the clan are as vast as the sky.” (谢谢小花)

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Hidden beauty: Careful cleaning reveals beautiful color on this Chinese antique sideboard from Shanxi

Roger S. — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 08:03:59 +0000

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 restorer, especially if what the customer is after is the color of the piece. So where does the problem lay? Well… what you are seeing is not color. That beautiful patina on the un-restored piece is actually dirt and grime built up over the years, as opposed to actual color. Like that rustic “limed finish look” on that un-restored antique table? Then know that its actually just gray dust and after restoration we will need to somehow recreate that effect. For the restorer, the challenge is to remove dirt and build up while retaining the patina. Other times though, this is all part of the fascinating and revealing process with at times, very pleasant surprises.

Take this antique sideboard from the Shanxi – Shandong region in northern China. Though a fairly common sideboard, the eight painted figures were remarkably well preserved and this alone makes this piece worthy of a purchase decision. The image above was taken at the time of purchase.

Note that this sort of sideboard would open across the top front in three half depth panels which lift up. Many of these antique Chinese sideboards seen on the market today have been in fact been modified for contemporary use and the doors are rarely original. In this case, the customer (wisely) choose to retain its original form and opted out for such modifications, which would have detracted from the value of such a wonderful cabinet. The next step is careful cleaning to remove the years of use in the countryside and in this case the results were better then expected.

Five of the size figures depicted separately on each panel are carrying swords. Before cleaning this was barely visible, so much that I neglected to even notice this and it was not apparent until after each panel was cleaned. I was also surprised to see vibrant red, blue and green hues spring forth in brilliant color, the kind often seen in antiques as most chinese antique reproductions today use commercially available synthetic colors which lack the richness the ones used in times past.

The next question: who are these figures, what do they symbolize and what story do they depict?

You tell me?

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

Roger S. — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 12:47:57 +0000

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.

“The CCAC presented us with certificates of authenticity, but not documentation proving how they had been transported,” he said.

The museum has not managed to free itself from suspicion of involvement, particularly as the figures for exhibition were delivered after dark. “The fact that the warriors came to the museum in the dead of night adds to the sense that deception was at play,” wrote Die Welt newspaper.

Grimm of the CCAC insisted he had never claimed the figures were original. “There was never a word about originals in the Hamburg contract,” he said.

China’s state office for the administration of cultural artifacts in Beijing, said it was likely that the exhibits were illegal copies. “It looks like this is a problem with the protection of copyright,” a spokesman told German media.

Authorities in Xian confirmed that the only exhibition of the clay soldiers that had been authorized was the ongoing First Emperor exhibition at the British Museum in London, China’s biggest ever overseas loan of the figures.

Many have questioned the timing of the row. China recently heaped criticism on Germany after the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, paid a visit to the chancellor, Angela Merkel. Political leaders promised that Germany’s refusal to stop the visit would have “consequences”.

Until now the Chinese authorities have often turned a blind eye to terracotta warrior fakes, even allowing a controlled number of authorised fakes to be made by certified manufacturers. It is not clear whether the Hamburg exhibits were authorised copies.

Hamburg’s museum has now put up a sign informing visitors that the authenticity of the exhibits is in doubt. “Some or all of the objects in the exhibition that are said to be authentic may in fact be copies,” the sign reads.

An "authentic rare blue terre cotta warrior" on a customers balcony

German art critics have called it the “art crime of the decade”, saying that exhibition-goers have been conned in what could be one of the biggest copyright infringement cases Germany has ever known.

The terracotta army was uncovered around three decades ago by a farmer digging a well. It comes from the tomb of China’s first emperor, Qin Shihuangdi, who spent more than 20 years laying the foundations of modern China before his death in 210 BC. The clay soldiers were created to protect him in the afterlife.

Original article from the guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 12 December 2007

Reduced prices – Sale of gorgeous antique walnut alter tables, armoire, benches from Gansu province.

Roger S. — Tue, 11 May 2010 15:16:03 +0000

One of ACF’s local “inside suppliers” wishes to liquidate his existing stock of restored antique walnut furniture from Gansu at reduced prices, as he is now dealing only in un-restored antiques. As an “inside supplier” this restorer does not normally sell directly to overseas customers and instead local furniture factories buy from him to then resell in their own warehouse at a premium. As he is one of the few people who specializes primarily in walnut furniture from Gansu province (halfway between Beijing and Tibet), this is an very unusual and rare opportunity to see such a large volume of walnut pieces in one single location. Normally factories will only have a few such pieces (which they likely purchased from him).

While not as costly as rosewood or Huali, walnut furniture is generally more expensive them Elm, Pine or Poplar and are generally sold at a higher premium. Availability has dropped and prices for walnut furniture have risen significantly over the past few years. Walnut is a much harder wood, more durable and longer lasting with a rich deep copper or caramel brown color with a nice grain and wonderful texture. Restorers also tend to use better brass hardware for walnut as the two colors compliment each other. Mostly from Western Gansu, styles are often understated, well balanced and elegant in their own right.

A few other things to know about this lot:

ALL these pieces are antique (there are no vintage or reproduction pieces in this batch).
Quality is quite good and all pieces are restored and ready to ship.
With a very few exceptions 90% of the pieces are walnut and from Gansu.
Not all items are pictured here (there is at least a 40 foot container).
He also has a few rare items that are not seen very often.
Sizes and proportions are very practical and usable.
The flash on the camera tends to give everything more contrast and more yellow (note this).

Larger photos of the complete lot can be seen online at this address:

http://www.antique-chinese-furniture.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=254

Or go to http://www.antique-chinese-furniture.com/gallery/

then navigate to

Customer Orders > General Sourcing > walnut 05-04-2010

For price list/additional details email me at roger at antique-chinese-furniture.com

Mystery: Are these Chinese oracle bones inscriptions carved on a tortoise shells?

Roger S. — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 09:54:53 +0000

Interesting recent find… The question is “what is it?” Are these oracle bones ( 甲骨 jiǎgǔ) ? And if so, why is it not cracked? Or was this particular one simply used for practicing carving inscriptions? Or maybe even record keeping? Is this pictographs indeed an example of jiăgŭwén (oracle script) or is it seal script (小篆 Xiaozhuan /大篆Dazhuan)? What about clerical script (Li shu 隸書)?

According to the I-Ching, tortoise divination is one of the best method for making sense of the events. So, the very symbolism of the tortoise shell itself, would lead credence to the idea that this was used for some form of divination. Most popular and known for during the Shang dynasty, documented cases show this practice continued up until the Qing Dynasty though less frequently. Personally I would guess this example is Ming. But as I said, your guess is as good as mine…

If anyone wants to dig-in to what it says, Harmen Mesker’s website has some fascinating Chinese character analysis topics.

Hand carved Vs. CNC woodworking

A pair of late 18th to early 19th century Qing dynasty Chinese Nanmu compound cabinets

Roger S. — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 16:59:13 +0000

Item: A pair of late 18th to early 19th century Qing period Chinese compound cabinets
Region: Shanxi Province in Northern China
Materials: Nanmu (楠木 – Phoebe) and Chicken Wing wood (鸡翅木) *
Price: 60,000 to 80,000 Chinese RMB (SOLD) **
Condition: Purchased un-restored. Minimal restoration. New hardware. Carvings likely replaced after being defaced during the cultural revolution.

* Nanmu is a very durable medium density Chinese softwood which is extremely stable and excellent for furniture making due to its resistance to expansion, cracking caused by climate changes or humidity. Chicken Wing wood is called as such do to the pattern of its grain resembling that of a chicken wing.

** Price in China as of 2009

ACF China in the New York Times/Herald Tribune

Roger S. — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:32:59 +0000

Pretty neat. If anyone can pick up a copy for me it would be much appreciated as I have yet to see in print.

Reactionaries? Make That ‘Collectors’

By DAN LEVIN Published: February 3, 2010
Original article online at: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/04/garden/04chinese.html

TREASURE HUNT A worker at the ACF China furniture factory with a refurbished trunk.

CONTESTANT No. 3, a portly man in suspenders named Cui Xiaosong, clutched a golden mallet and gulped like an executioner having second thoughts. As a guest on China’s wildly popular antiques reality show “Collection World,” Mr. Cui knew he might have to get violent before the next commercial break. The victim? A delicately painted vase he had brought to the show, which he believed to be from the Qing dynasty and worth about $30,000.

“If it’s a fake, will you smash it?” asked the program’s white-gloved host, Wang Gang, as Mr. Cui faced the studio audience and three guest judges.

Mr. Cui nodded. The audience quieted down and Mr. Wang used the final minute to impart a bit of wisdom about collecting antiques in modern-day China: “Just as China opened up, so too is collecting about opening the mind to understand the outside world.”

It was hard to tell whether Mr. Cui was listening, but he certainly heard the host announce the judges’ verdict: “It’s a modern reproduction!”

Mr. Cui winced as he swung the mallet, shattering the vase — and with it his dreams of the wealth it might have brought at auction. Cue the instant replay.

Some four decades after the Cultural Revolution, when many of the country’s centuries-old treasures were defaced or destroyed as a result of Mao’s command to eradicate “the four olds” — old ideas, old culture, old customs and old habits — China has reversed its attitude toward antiques. Ming dynasty porcelain vases, 19th-century hardwood furniture and even early 20th-century calligraphy ink pots have become popular status symbols for an emerging middle class eager to display its new wealth and cultural knowledge. The antiques market has become so hot, in fact, that it has given rise to a new category of must-see TV here.

In recent years, “Collection World” and a dozen other similar shows — with names like “Treasure Appraisal” and “Art Collector” — have been luring both serious collectors and armchair enthusiasts, offering information on collecting trends and appraisal techniques, and encouraging a new wave of treasure hunting.

While some in the antiques world laud these programs for turning antiquing into a national pastime, others are skeptical of their educational value. As Yan Zhentang, the president of the Chinese Collectors’ Association, noted, “These shows certainly help get ordinary people interested in antiques, but the bottom line is they are just entertainment, and they make mistakes.”

Daniel Newham, a British expatriate who has become a popular television personality in China, said he was dismayed by the lack of professionalism when he served as a celebrity judge on an episode of “Collection World.”

“The other judges were pretty awful,” Mr. Newham said, adding that one of them admitted to him that he had only recently started working in the field of antiques and did not have the skills to properly appraise the featured items. (The show’s executives declined to comment and refused to allow Mr. Wang, the host, to be interviewed.)

Nevertheless, the shows have attracted a devoted following. Zhou Yajun, a long-distance truck driver and collector from Hebei Province, near Beijing, said he watched “Collection World” and other antiques shows every week, testing his appraisal skills against those of the judges in the hope that he could learn to outwit the counterfeiters who prey on the country’s amateur antiquarians.

Mr. Zhou, 38, said he began collecting antiques four years ago, and his hobby quickly became all-consuming. “For a week after I bought my first antique, I would hug it to sleep, I was so excited,” he said, showing off photos of his favorite purchases on his cellphone during a morning of poking around Panjiayuan, Beijing’s vast antiques market.

Mr. Zhou said he had spent the equivalent of $12,000 so far feeding his addiction, a hefty sum for a man who earns less than $18,000 a year. But spending so much time alone on the road takes an emotional toll, and collecting has become a way to fill the void.

“If I don’t see my antiques for a few days, I miss them,” he said.

“The problem is, everyone wants to collect now, so there’s not much of the real stuff left,” he added, eyeing some rusty coins advertised as 100 years old before shaking his head and moving on to the next vendor.

Distinguishing real Chinese relics from their latter-day replicas can be a daunting task, especially since forgers have access to the same televised information that collectors do. “I used to go to the countryside to buy antiques,” Mr. Zhou said. “But lately I’ve found the peasants are buying fakes and making up a story to pass the pieces off as authentic.”

Perhaps wisely, Mr. Zhou has come up with his own way of evaluating authenticity: “After I buy something, I put it in my home for two days,” he said. “If I start to like it, it’s real. If not, it’s counterfeit.”

THE Chinese government has become increasingly assertive about claiming ownership of its national heirlooms. It condemned Christie’s last year for auctioning bronze sculptures looted from the capital’s Old Summer Palace in 1860 and, more recently, it sent outgovernment officials and art historians to inspect the collections of global art institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian for cultural artifacts that might have been illegally obtained from China. And so, many private collectors have come to regard their passion not just as a smart investment, but as a patriotic duty.

“Chinese people are becoming richer and need to be responsible for our dignity and history,” said He Shuzhong, the deputy director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage’s legal and policy department and the founder of the Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center, a nonprofit organization. “How can China rise peacefully if we cannot protect our culture?”

But many in the industry acknowledge that the profits driving the antiques trade are a more powerful incentive than nationalism.

As Yan Xubao, 31, a dealer at the ACF China furniture company in the Gaobeidian market on the outskirts of Beijing, observed, “Without a free capitalistic spirit, these antiques would still be buried in the countryside somewhere.”

Mr. Yan is a regular at many of the city’s antiques wholesale markets, where peasants bring old broken furniture, farming tools and stone carvings collected from the outer provinces. Such items are bought by urban restorers, like those at ACF, who resell the repaired pieces, often at a huge markup.

While the global economic crisis has affected ACF’s wholesale business, which often exports to retailers abroad, its retail sales have remained relatively robust because of the strength of the Chinese economy and the antiques industry’s growing grassroots base in China, said Roger Schwendeman, founder and one of the company’s managing partners.

Mr. Schwendeman, an American who has worked in China’s antiques trade for eight years, said Chinese buyers are still paying top dollar for jade and furniture from the Ming and Qing dynasties made from rare hardwoods like yellow rosewood and ebony, which most foreigners ignore.

“Western buyers ask about history, while Chinese are interested in the value of the material,” he said, over the noise of hammering and sawing, as a trio of workers restored an ornately carved rosewood cabinet at his factory outside Beijing.

Many of those same foreigners who bought up troves of China’s antiques in the 1980s and ’90s are now seeking out the increasingly wealthy mainland Chinese buyers, Mr. Schwendeman added. “They know the money and passion are in China.”

Cool Finds: A look at some 2000 year old, Han Dynasty earthenwares

Roger S. — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 09:49:18 +0000

A 2000 year old, Han dynasty earthenware jar with swirling cloud patterns

A set of Han earthenware painted jugs

Note: All images are clickable.

During our treks and travels, we come across all sorts of rare, unusual and interesting things. Like this 300 year old temple table we stumbled across this past summer. Or this Chinese ancestor painting which eventually wound up permanently wall-mounted in a friends living room. But this cache of Han Dynasty earthenware, which we recently found surely deserves a mention. Now, normally our blog is encompassing of all topics pertaining to antiques, but in this case, these Han dynasty burial items are best described in terms of antiquities and archeology. And though by no means, am I an archeologist, I must say I understand that there just something really cool about holding an object in your hands made over 2000 years ago (Or for that matter, owning something that can found in museums or at Christies Auction house).

First, a quick lesson in history. Lasting almost 400 years, the Han dynasty (Han Dynasty, 206 B.C- 220 A.D) consisted of two main periods referred to as “Western Han” (Chang’ an) and “Eastern Han” (Luo yang) which is why you will see Han burial items often referred to in this manner ( Its worthy to note that there does indeed exist a third and very short in between dynasty named “xin” or “Wang Man”). To put that much time into perspective, lets just say, this was during the same period as the Roman Empire, the silk road and the birth and death of Christ.

Coccon shaped Han dynasty "hu" jar similar to the one in the Kimbell Art Museam

A closer look at the mouth of the above Han dynasty jug

So what are they? Since the afterlife was considered an extension of life for the people of Han, Ming Qi or “brilliant artifacts,” like these funerary jars and other grave furnishings were buried along side the deceased and were intended to provide the departed with all the necessary daily objects needed for the after life. Not only vases, pots and animal figurines, but water wells, cooking ovens and even entire models of farms where known to been buried with the deceased. The unusual Cocoon shaped jars are called “Hu” which basically means wine vessel or water container and this design is most commonly found in tombs from the Western Han periods.

Items from this period, were typically un-glazed black, gray or painted earthenware as glazing did not exist yet in early Han and/or was in its earliest experimental phases.

Han earthenware "ding" vessels

Large Han dynasty wine "hu" jug

If you want to learn a bit more about Ming Qi there are a few good sources of information I can recommend:

The Vibrant Role of Mingqi in Early Chinese Burial (This is a short but very good introduction from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.)
The forums (here and here) on the Asian Art website have some lively discussions and though mostly centered on jade and porcelain authentication there are discussions on pottery and earthenware as well.
Ancient China From the Neolithic Period to the Han Dynasty: This is a PDF file which I have included here, from the Asian Art Museum Education Department and includes quite a lot of info not only on Han but also other dynasties and covers bronze and jade as well. The additional Powerpoint slides are here (includes the color images).
The Mingqi Pottery Buildings of Han Dynasty China: This book is available here on Amazon.
A Guide to the Tomb and Shrine Art of the Han Dynasty: This book is also available here on Amazon.

a closer look at the rich painted colors

Examples in Museums:

A few amazing examples from Museums around the world…

Kimbell Art Museam:

Chinese Cocoon-Shaped Jar with Cloud-Scroll Design

Late 2nd or early 1st century B.C.
China, possibly Luoyang, Henan province, Western Han dynasty (206 B.C.–A.D. 9)
Earthenware with painted polychrome decoration
11-1/2 x 13-1/8 x 9-1/4 in. (29.2 x 33.3 x 23.5 cm)

The National Palace Museum, Taipei

Pottery cocoon-shaped Hu vessel

Creation Date:
Warring States Period to Western Han Dynasty
Start Year Date:
B.C.481
End Year Date:
A.D.9

Krannert Art Museum – University of Illinois

Hu vessel (2nd century CE)

Chinese, Han dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE)
Ceramic: earthenware with red, black and white slip
diam: 8″ x 5 1/2″

Collection:
National Palace English
Work ID:
M01D00015
Title:
Pottery cocoon-shaped Hu vessel
Creation Date:
Warring States Period to Western Han Dynasty
Start Year Date:
B.C.481
End Year Date:
A.D.9