Will the real Tibetan Antique please come forward #
“Tibetan” style furniture is a phrase used loosely, and frequently items made just yesterday, are placed side by side with items 50 or 80 years old. Of course, all are claimed to be real “Tibetan Furniture.” So when it comes to so called Tibetan” items, its important to know just what it is that you are actually purchasing (if you are a customer) and/or what you are selling (if you are a seller). So, without further ado lets help you better understand by demonstrating the differences in the low end, the fake and even the good stuff!
An comparison of "Tibetan Furniture" styles #
There are generally 3 different types of “Tibetan style” furniture you will come across on the market. They are:
- Chinese style reproductions
- Tibetan style reproductions
- Genuine Tibetan antiques
We will start by looking at the differences between some common painting styles you may come across on furniture, as this will often instantly tell you, which of these three types you are looking at.
As we see on the top row, the left (antique) and the right (reproduction) share some similarities. They are both to some degree “detailed” and delicate. Both are works of art in their own right.
Now look at the bottom row and note the difference in the highly commercial paintings done by local Chinese workers (bottom left and right) compared to the previous subtle designs of the top two.
Lets break down each style from the standpoint of their commercials origins.
1) Chinese style reproductions #
These essentially locally produced “Sudo-Tibetan Style.” Locally produced means near to local Chinese antique style furniture workshops, as opposed to in Tibet (or sometimes Gansu).
Inexpensive and colorful copies of vaguely Tibetan style furniture; this is is basically “Tibetan imagery” applied to Chinese furniture forms. So we see items that would never exist in actual Tibetan furniture, like daybeds, coffee tables etc.
The other complexity here is sometimes Mongolian style reproductions get mixed up in here as well.
Characterized by very thick, raised-paintings in bright, primary colors, these pieces are often constructed from newish pine, occasionally elm or any other number of inexpensive softwoods. Finishing is relatively simple, with minimal attention to finer details. “Rough” is a good word to describe these pieces. The workers who produce and paint these pieces are not actually familiar with actual Tibetan furniture.
Tibetan Furniture: Identifying, appreciating, collecting #
This comprehensive book, the first on the subject, will be indispensable to the growing number of collectors of antique tibetan furniture beautifully illustrated with hundreds of beautiful pieces, mostly from the 17th – 19th centuries, it is however far more than a simple catalogue it will help readers to identify the main types of tibetan furniture; to appreciate their origin and uses; and to identify and understand the most common designs.
An offense to the eyes #
Its important to point out that in reality, there is little about these (if anything) which could be considered "Tibetan" (other then the bright color scheme). A favorite with low-cost/high volume wholesalers & trading companies, they are usually "cranked-out" in high volume. Huge numbers of these were produced and exported to furniture and home decor sellers abroad. Since these pieces are inexpensive, contemporary, and make good accent pieces (like the magazine rack in the examples shown below) they were easy to integrate into the home. Many of them are still being listed and sold as "Tibetan antiques." In fact, the stool in the samples shown below was listed as a "RARE Tibetan wood painted chair" from a seller on ebay. The magazine rack was from overstock.com.
2) Tibetan style reproductions #
This part of the industry is dominated by sellers from Gansu (and occasionally Tibet). While its true these are pieces usually made made outside of Tibet and while they may employ local Han Chinese workers, the work itself is done under Tibetan or Gansu supervision meaning these pieces are more faithful reproductions. And of course in some case they are made in Tibet as well.
These pieces follow Tibetan antique styles more closely and most are authentic reproductions of originals. The most common wood used here is pine. Attention is given to minor details, distressing is used as an “aging technique” and to many people these will feel like authentic originals. They are works of art in their own right.
Grey areas #
In some cases sellers may even upcycle and/or restore vintage shells but enhance them with new or heavily retouched paintings. This creates a grey area of what is considered and authentic antique. Of course this occurs with not just Tibetan furniture but with Chinese style furniture in general.
Because of their familiarity with traditional techniques, these same sellers will often also also produce Tibetan style furniture for restaurants and hotels and may even take on projects to to paint decorative archways and entryways of temples, pavilions or any other traditional style architecture.
Lets move onto the real thing.
3) Genuine Tibetan Antiques #
Cabinets might have been used to store brick tea, incense, religious artifacts or perhaps clothing and other valuables.
Other painted chests might have been found in monasteries, where they were used to store special ornate butter lamps or perhaps religious manuscripts or even ceremonial garments used for certain occasions.
Depending on where you are buying, these will have originally sourced from Tibet or they may even come from Nepal.
Of course the problems of determining what is original and what has been retouched still apply. The shrine portal in the gallery above is antique yet has been heavily retouched.
Notice the subtle paintings, the clear signs of age and wear and tear on these genuine antiques as opposed to the reproductions pictured earlier.
On all of these there are signs of wear and tear as well as signs of repair. Like other antiques these are always indicators to look out for.
The natural pigments and colors are all more subtle as well on the antiques, as opposed to the garish bright colors of new reproductions which use contemporary chemical lacquers and paints.
