Often asked: Chinese Antiques How To Authenticate?

How do I know if my Chinese pottery is valuable?

Look for a mark on the bottom of the vase. Marks may reflect the name of the company that made the vase, as well as the name of its designer. When the vase has a company name and an artist’s name, it may be worth more than if it simply has a company name. Marks may be inked, painted or engraved into the bottom.

How can you tell if a Chinese antique is real?

To evaluate the age of Chinese porcelain, and thus the era it was manufactured within, the following must be assessed – in this order:

1. Shape of the item.
2. Colour palette.
3. Decorative style.
4. Base and foot of the item.
5. Glazed finish.
6. Clay.
7. Signs of ageing.
8. Any marks on the item.

How can I tell if my Chinese furniture is antique?

Dovetails that are made by hand almost always indicate an antique piece made before 1860. Also, look closely at the back, bottom and sides of the drawers. If wood shows cuts or nicks, it was probably cut with a plane, draw-knife or spokeshave. Straight saw marks also indicate piece is an antique.

How do you identify Chinese pottery marks?

Reign marks follow a set format, and a six-character mark can be broken down as follows: the first two characters refer to the dynasty, and are either Da Ming meaning ‘Great Ming’ dynasty (1368-1644), or Da Qing, translated as ‘Great Qing’ dynasty (1644-1911); the second two characters refer to the name of the Emperor;

How do I identify an antique?

How to Identify Antique Furniture

1. Examine all sides of the piece. If it’s a table, turn it over and look for marks or labels.
2. Check the surface of the piece. Do you see saw marks?
3. Look at the joinery. Are drawers dove-tailed?
4. Check the finish of the piece.

Is unmarked China worth anything?

No marks on a set of this age means possibly very old and therefore VERY valuable (despite the worn condition). DO NOT DISPOSE OF IT UNTIL YOU GET IT LOOKED AT EITHER ONLINE OR OFFLINE!

How can you tell if ceramics are antiques?

A few factors to look out for when figuring out how to identify antique pottery are the weight of the piece, its translucency or resonance. It’s easier to figure out the body if the piece is chipped – simply run your finger along the fracture to identify how hard the grain is.

What is a Nippon mark?

Nippon basically means “made in Japan.” When you see a “ Nippon ” mark on the underside of a base of a piece of ceramic, you know that you have a piece that was made in Japan. If it is marked “Japan”, then your piece was made and imported after 1921.

What wood is antique furniture made of?

The wood itself is the final clue. Very early furniture — before 1700 — is mostly oak, but from 1700 on, mahogany and walnut were widely used. In America, pine has always been used because it’s easy to find and easy to work; better furniture may be made with maple, oak, walnut, cherry, or mahogany.

How do I know if my furniture is valuable?

Five Ways to Tell If Furniture Is Actually Antique

1. Look for dovetailing. Dovetailing is a sign of quality craftsmanship in woodworking, used to hold together different parts of the same piece of furniture.
2. Multiple types of wood is a good thing.
3. Beware of furniture that’s made to look old.
4. Do a thorough search for labels or stamps.
5. Shut out symmetry.

Is furniture made in China?

Many of the leading furniture designers have their furniture produced in China, although usually, they avoid talking about it. The population of China is also playing a vital role in making this country the biggest exporter of many products, including furniture.

What is the mark on the bottom of China called?

Hallmarks or Maker’s Marks Also called backstamps, these markings may be found on the bottom of a vase or figurine or on the bottoms of china plates, saucers or cups.

Do all Chinese vases have markings?

This is process that takes many years to learn. It is not an exact science. Many oriental ceramic objects have marks, a mark might declare that the piece was made at a certain period. However, identifying the mark can give a misleading impression of the period the object was made in.

What is the most expensive pottery?

On 3rd October 2017, 10.58 a.m., the Ru Guanyao brush washer from the Northern Song Dynasty was sold for HK$$294,287,500 (US$37.7m), becoming the world’s most expensive ceramic. Provenance (consolidated by The Value): Hongxi Museum, Taiwan.