That is a lot of change $$$ for a charcoaled piece of carpentry. So who would do such a thing and why?
Highlites!
Beautiful colors still remain on this brightly painted “fo kan” ancestral family shrine from Gansu (used for ancestor worship).
Known as “fó kān” (佛龛) in Chinese these are shrines of worship – essentially a family temple. In ancient times, Fo Kan were dug from rock much like niches or grottos. Later stone, wood and other materials were used. Eventually Fo Kan began taking on architectural characteristics, modeling houses, official buildings and even palaces. This particular one is quite impressive and its owner would likely have had some level of material wealth.
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 […]
Germany’s fake Xian terracotta warriors – seems even the museums get duped sometimes
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.
Reduced prices – Sale of gorgeous antique walnut alter tables, armoire, benches from Gansu province.
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 […]
Mystery: Are these Chinese oracle bones inscriptions carved on a tortoise shells?
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 […]