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Q&A Chinese Antiques
Classical furniture 2004-12-22 http://www.cfhot.com detnews
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ClassicalChinesefurnitureisstillafavorite
ByCatherineMurrell/The(Louisville,Ky.)Courier-Journal
TheyopenedMingGalleryinOctober1999.Inadditiontoservingasthegallery'sbuyer,KenistheinternationalsalesmanagerforTasmanIndustries,whichdealsinrawcowhide.HelenLudwickhasabackgroundinretailclothingsalesandabachelor'sdegreeinfashiondesignfromCaliforniaStateUniversity.
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QUESTION:WhatshouldIlookforwhenshoppingforChineseantiques?
Helen:Alotofpeoplearetakenbythewayanantiquecabinetlooks.Theyliketheappearanceandoftenfailtoinspectthepiececarefully.It'simportanttoinspectapiece.Openupthedoorsanddrawersandlookforwearandsignsthatthepiecehasbeenrefinishedorrepaired.
Ken:Lookforthewearthatwouldnormallybeassociatedwithyearsofuse.OneoftheimportantthingstoknowaboutChineseantiquefurnitureisthattheChinesedonotviewthemascollectibleantiquefurniture.Theyviewthemasoldfurnitureandthey'redelightedwheneveranAmericancomestoChinatobuythatoldfurniturefromthem.Theydon'tkeepthepiecesinnicecondition.
Helen:Askthedealerifthepiecehasitsoriginallacquerandtheoriginalhardwareandifanypartshavebeenreplacedorrepaired.Anantiqueisdefinedasapiecethat's100yearsorolder.Chineseantiquesareoftenmucholderthan100years.
Ken:AlotofChineseantiqueswon'thavetheoriginallacquerbecausethey'resoold.We'retalkingaboutfurniturewithahistoryofmorethan1,000years.Becausethereweredifferenttechniquesforlacqueringfurnitureovertheyears,thetypeoffinishcansometimeshelpyoudeterminetheageofapiece.Anexpertcanlookatatablewithaverythick,heavilycrackledlacquerandtellinfiveminutesthatthepieceisover300yearsold.That'ssomethingthatcan'tbefaked.
Q:HowcanIbesureI'mgettinganauthenticantique?
Helen:Askthedealeralotofquestions,suchasthesourceoftheirantiques.
Ken:That'soneofthefirstthingsthatinformedbuyersask.AskthedealeriftheyactuallygotoChinaandseethepiecebeforeit'sbeencleanedup.That'ssomethingveryfewdealersdo.DotheybuytheirpiecesfromwholesalerswhoimportmassquantitiesordotheybuytheirpiecesovertheInternet?
Basicallytheonlywayyou'regoingtoknowifsomethingisarealantiqueorifit'safakeisifthedealertellsyouitisandyoutrustthedealer.There'snowaytheaveragepersonisgoingtoknowifapieceisafakeornot.It'shardsometimesfordealerstotell.Youhavetobeanexperttoknowifit'sanAsianantique.It'samatterofknowingthedealerandknowingyoucantrustthedealer'swordonapiece.
Q:WhatelsedoIneedtoknowbeforeIgoshopping?
Ken:There'sclassicalChineseantiquefurnitureandthere'sChinesecountryfurniture.ClassicalChinesefurnitureismorerefined.It'smadeofbetterqualitywoodsandhasbettercraftsmanship.
TheChinesecountryfurnitureismoreregionalized.Thedifferentregionshavetheirownstylesandthefurnitureismorecrudelymadethantheclassicalfurniture.Andthere'salotmoreofthecountrypieces.You'renotgoingtofindtoomanyone-of-a-kindcountrypieces.
Forme,thelookofthetrueChineseantiqueisthelookoftheclassicalantique.TrueclassicalChineseantiquesandthestyleofthosepieceswerebornintheMingdynasty.ThestylehasverycleanlinesandblendsinwellwithmodernWesterndecor.
Helen:ItgoeswellwithEnglishandFrenchantiquesandwithWesternstyleingeneral.
Ken:Ifyouwanttogetbetterinformedbeforeyougoshopping,therearebooksaboutChineseantiquesyoucanread.They'vebeenfairlywellestablishedinthemajormetropolitanareas.
Q:Whatcharacteristicsmakethesepiecesdistinctive?
Ken:I'mfascinatedbythetechniquestheChinesedevelopedforthejoineryofthefurniture.Thetechniquestheyemployedhavelastedalmost1,000years.
TheyweredevelopedduringtheMingdynasty,thegoldenageofChina.It'satimewhenartflourishedinChina.
Thatthefurniturehaslastedthislong,that'sagreattestamenttohowitwasmade,especiallyconsideringthatpeopledidn'treallytakecareofit.Manyoftheolderpieceshavelivedthroughrevolutionsandoccupationsbyforeigncountries.
ThejoineryisdifferentfromthatusedinEuropeanandAmericanantiquesandfromanyothertechniquesinvolvedinfurnituremaking.It'saveryelaborateandcomplexjoinerysystem.Youhavetoseeittogetasenseofit.
ManyofthedealersofAsianandChineseantiqueswe'vemetareformercabinetmakers.TheyweresoimpressedwiththejoineryemployedinChineseantiquesthattheyfellinlovewiththem.
Helen:It'simportantthatpeopleknowthatthere'sadifferencebetweendomesticChineseclassicalfurnitureandchinoiserie,exportsmadefortheEuropeanmarketduringthe19thcentury.Thelookisverydifferent.ThechinoiseriehasalotofpaintingofChinesesceneryandgilding.
Ken:ThepieceswerestyledtoresembleEuropeanfurniturebecausetheyweremadeforEuropeans.
(Catherine Murrell)
ByCatherineMurrell/The(Louisville,Ky.)Courier-Journal
KenandHelenLudwickareownersofMingGalleryinLouisville,Ky.,specializinginclassicalChineseantiquefurniture.
----
QUESTION:WhatshouldIlookforwhenshoppingforChineseantiques?
Helen:Alotofpeoplearetakenbythewayanantiquecabinetlooks.Theyliketheappearanceandoftenfailtoinspectthepiececarefully.It'simportanttoinspectapiece.Openupthedoorsanddrawersandlookforwearandsignsthatthepiecehasbeenrefinishedorrepaired.
Ken:Lookforthewearthatwouldnormallybeassociatedwithyearsofuse.OneoftheimportantthingstoknowaboutChineseantiquefurnitureisthattheChinesedonotviewthemascollectibleantiquefurniture.Theyviewthemasoldfurnitureandthey'redelightedwheneveranAmericancomestoChinatobuythatoldfurniturefromthem.Theydon'tkeepthepiecesinnicecondition.
Helen:Askthedealerifthepiecehasitsoriginallacquerandtheoriginalhardwareandifanypartshavebeenreplacedorrepaired.Anantiqueisdefinedasapiecethat's100yearsorolder.Chineseantiquesareoftenmucholderthan100years.
Ken:AlotofChineseantiqueswon'thavetheoriginallacquerbecausethey'resoold.We'retalkingaboutfurniturewithahistoryofmorethan1,000years.Becausethereweredifferenttechniquesforlacqueringfurnitureovertheyears,thetypeoffinishcansometimeshelpyoudeterminetheageofapiece.Anexpertcanlookatatablewithaverythick,heavilycrackledlacquerandtellinfiveminutesthatthepieceisover300yearsold.That'ssomethingthatcan'tbefaked.
Q:HowcanIbesureI'mgettinganauthenticantique?
Helen:Askthedealeralotofquestions,suchasthesourceoftheirantiques.
Ken:That'soneofthefirstthingsthatinformedbuyersask.AskthedealeriftheyactuallygotoChinaandseethepiecebeforeit'sbeencleanedup.That'ssomethingveryfewdealersdo.DotheybuytheirpiecesfromwholesalerswhoimportmassquantitiesordotheybuytheirpiecesovertheInternet?
Basicallytheonlywayyou'regoingtoknowifsomethingisarealantiqueorifit'safakeisifthedealertellsyouitisandyoutrustthedealer.There'snowaytheaveragepersonisgoingtoknowifapieceisafakeornot.It'shardsometimesfordealerstotell.Youhavetobeanexperttoknowifit'sanAsianantique.It'samatterofknowingthedealerandknowingyoucantrustthedealer'swordonapiece.
Q:WhatelsedoIneedtoknowbeforeIgoshopping?
Ken:There'sclassicalChineseantiquefurnitureandthere'sChinesecountryfurniture.ClassicalChinesefurnitureismorerefined.It'smadeofbetterqualitywoodsandhasbettercraftsmanship.
TheChinesecountryfurnitureismoreregionalized.Thedifferentregionshavetheirownstylesandthefurnitureismorecrudelymadethantheclassicalfurniture.Andthere'salotmoreofthecountrypieces.You'renotgoingtofindtoomanyone-of-a-kindcountrypieces.
Forme,thelookofthetrueChineseantiqueisthelookoftheclassicalantique.TrueclassicalChineseantiquesandthestyleofthosepieceswerebornintheMingdynasty.ThestylehasverycleanlinesandblendsinwellwithmodernWesterndecor.
Helen:ItgoeswellwithEnglishandFrenchantiquesandwithWesternstyleingeneral.
Ken:Ifyouwanttogetbetterinformedbeforeyougoshopping,therearebooksaboutChineseantiquesyoucanread.They'vebeenfairlywellestablishedinthemajormetropolitanareas.
Q:Whatcharacteristicsmakethesepiecesdistinctive?
Ken:I'mfascinatedbythetechniquestheChinesedevelopedforthejoineryofthefurniture.Thetechniquestheyemployedhavelastedalmost1,000years.
TheyweredevelopedduringtheMingdynasty,thegoldenageofChina.It'satimewhenartflourishedinChina.
Thatthefurniturehaslastedthislong,that'sagreattestamenttohowitwasmade,especiallyconsideringthatpeopledidn'treallytakecareofit.Manyoftheolderpieceshavelivedthroughrevolutionsandoccupationsbyforeigncountries.
ThejoineryisdifferentfromthatusedinEuropeanandAmericanantiquesandfromanyothertechniquesinvolvedinfurnituremaking.It'saveryelaborateandcomplexjoinerysystem.Youhavetoseeittogetasenseofit.
ManyofthedealersofAsianandChineseantiqueswe'vemetareformercabinetmakers.TheyweresoimpressedwiththejoineryemployedinChineseantiquesthattheyfellinlovewiththem.
Helen:It'simportantthatpeopleknowthatthere'sadifferencebetweendomesticChineseclassicalfurnitureandchinoiserie,exportsmadefortheEuropeanmarketduringthe19thcentury.Thelookisverydifferent.ThechinoiseriehasalotofpaintingofChinesesceneryandgilding.
Ken:ThepieceswerestyledtoresembleEuropeanfurniturebecausetheyweremadeforEuropeans.
(Catherine Murrell)
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