Buying Guide for Chinese Antiques

Chinese antique chair Qing Dynasty 250 years old $400 Ancient bhudha 300 years old $250? Amazing, why have I not being buying these pieces before, I too can be an antique collector!

Do these people really think they can sell such items on EBay or from there business with any sort of legitimacy? Absolutely! And they do time and time again. I guess the people paying $20,000 USD for the 300 year old vase at an auction in New York have been living under a tree and are not aware of EBay.

Unfortunately the consumer is getting ripped of every time they purchase an item from these people. 250 years old maybe 300? Maybe it was made last week, in a little factory out of old wood? Hmm oh, but why would they lie to me?

One of our goals at China Style is to educate the customer on what is antique and what is not. Yes even industry experts get fooled by the worlds best craftsmen, but I can assure you that you will not be buying any legitimate antiques from the Ming dynasty for less then the price of a Porsche. The Chinese government also forbids the exportation of antiques and associated items over 250 years old, that is not to say that none have ever left the country, but the chances of you buying them from EBay or a quaint little shop is extremely rare.

Often a retailer will provide a certificate of Authenticity or age, but unfortunately these are often not worth the cost of the paper they are written on. Unless the certificate is written by an industry expert or someone of relevance, it is just another piece of advertising designed to entice the unsuspecting customer.

With that little piece of knowledge we can then sift through a lot of the rubbish that is on the market today. Most pieces that are sold are well under 150 years old, which is still an antique in my eyes.

If you are buying from a dealer ask them as many questions as possible to help determine how genuine the piece is.

Did they source the furniture direct from China or from a wholesaler locally?

Do they travel to China themselves?

What type of timber is the piece made from? The type of timber will often dictate the value of a piece combined with its age

Do they know what province the piece came from?

Does the piece smell of fresh paint and or lacquer?

Are the painted pieces fresh and distinct? Or faded and smooth

Are there wear marks on the drawer runners?

Are the dovetail joints small and universal in shape? The should be large and chunky if they are hand made

A very old antique lacquered cabinet will often show cracks running through the lacquer, this type of ageing extremely difficult to reproduce and is often a good indication of age.

Unfortunately there are also a lot of companies that are also deceiving the unsuspecting retailers of the world, which unknowingly pass the incorrect information onto the public. They manufacture alleged antiques from old lamp posts and the like so the timber is old but the construction is new. This type of furniture is hard to detect from the genuine antiques, but asking the right questions and looking at some of the details discussed above should help.

Another indicator though not often realized until your treasured piece is at home is the movement of the furniture. Chinese furniture is designed to move with the seasons, however excess cracking and continual movement is often an indication of young timber that has not yet dried properly.

All of the above should be taken into consideration when deciding on the purchase of a genuine Chinese antique. In the upcoming months we show you two pieces of furniture similar in style but only one is antique the other is reproduction. This will hopefully be a basic guide for those of you who wish to purchase genuine Chinese antiques.

Here is a another useful website for you to find futher information Humble House