The Uniqueness of Asian Antique Furniture
Written by admin on July 31, 2009 – 3:30 pm -Asian Antique Furniture is remarkable and varied. It extends across many more centuries than all American antiques and most European ones. The diversity of styles and periods are incredible. If you thought it was tricky to identify and appraise American antiques you are in for a real growth experience as you learn how to even distinguish the average from the excellent in Asian antique furniture. Sometimes it requires an expert to determine authenticity.
Tags: Asian Antiques, Chinese Antiques
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New twist to bone china craft
Written by admin on July 26, 2009 – 2:29 am -By Elise Fu
Tags: antique accessories from china, Asian Antiques, Chinese Antiques
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‘Roadshow’ appraisal means million-dollar trinkets for Chicago native
Written by admin on July 15, 2009 – 10:52 pm -by Mike Thomas, Chicago Suntimes
Tags: Asian Antiques, asian decorative arts, Chinese Antiques
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Antique Chinese Ceramics
Written by admin on July 15, 2009 – 5:01 am -Early Chinese Ceramics
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Antique Chinese Yuang and Early Ming Porcelain
Written by admin on July 5, 2009 – 5:36 am -During the Mongol occupation and the early reigns of the Ming Dynasty, momentous changes occurred at Jingdezhen in Jiangxi Province. The kilns came under imperial patronage, and fine porcelain with underglaze decoration supplanted the glazed stonewares of the Song period as the most desirable form of ceramic. Exported Longquan celadons remained a vital source of revenue for the government.
PORCELAIN
Although porcellaneous wares had been made from the late 6th century, it was at Jingdezhen that porcelain developed to its full potential. The addition of kaolin (china clay) to the batch made it possible to make much larger pieces than before. Shu fu wares, which take their name from the two moulded Chinese characters shit and fu (”Privy Council”) found on their interiors, arc of thickly potted white porcelain with an opaque, greyish-white glaze; these were made during the Yuan period for the Ministry of Military and Civil Affairs.
UNDERGLAZE BLUE-AND-RED DECORATION
The use of underglaze decoration probably dates
from c.1330. Cobalt imported from Persia was applied directly onto the unfired body, which was then glazed and fired. Copper oxide, which fires red, was often used in combination with underglaze blue in the earliest painted wares of Jingdezhen, and by the late 14th century it was used on its own. Copper is much more volatile than cobalt and many of these pieces are flawed, the red being greyish and dull.
In 1368, after the Mongols were finally expelled from China, the Ming Emperor Hongwu (1368-98) imposed a strict trade embargo, and foreign cobalt became very rare. The use of copper oxide therefore became more widespread, and copper monochromes were introduced, reaching their peak in the reign of Xuande (1426-35). The Yongle (1403-24) and Xuande reign periods are also regarded as belonging to the classical era of blue and white, when foreign cobalt was once again in plentiful supply. The blue tended to filter through the glaze, creating an effect known as “heaped and piled”, much imitated during the Qing period.
Longquan
• FORMS abandonment of archaic forms in favour of large platters and forms dictated by the export market
• GLAZE thinner and more olive than on Song wares
• DECORATION very little space left undecorated
Qinghai
• FORMS large pieces made possible by the addition of kaolin to the paste
• DECORATION increasingly ornate, with little space left undecorated; beading and Buddhist figures common
Shu fu
• BODY thickly potted porcelain
• GLAZE opaque, greyish-white and waxy
• DECORATION may have moulded Chinese characters
shu and it scarcely visible under the glaze; moulded floral decoration on the inside and incised decoration on the outside
Blue-and-white wares
• FORMS bottles, bulbous wine jars, and large platters
(many with bracketed rims) for the export market
• GLAZE viscous in the Yuan period and inclined to
the pitted “orange-peel” effect in the early Ming
• BLUE dark speckled blue, known as “heaped and piled”, on some Xuande and Yongle pieces
• DECORATION themes include fish among aquatic plants, flower motifs, grapes, and vine tendrils (specifically for the export market)
• STYLE crowded arrangements in the Yuan, but elegant, harmonious spacing in the Yongle and Xuande periods
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Antique Chinese Qing Porcelain
Written by admin on July 5, 2009 – 5:34 am -During the Qianlong reign period (1736-95) the directorship of the imperial kilns passed from imperial officials to regional supervisors, and from that time there followed a slow decline in the quality of wares from Jingdezhen in Jiangxi Province. While some fine pieces continued to be made, there was a general tendency to over-elaborate in both form and decoration.
BODY AND GLAZE
The changes in the quality of the material were gradual and, when wares are unmarked, it can be very difficult to distinguish between one reign period and another. The dragon and phoenix wucai bowls, which were first made during the Kangxi reign period (1622-1722), continued to be made right into the 19th century and are a good example of the problem; their smooth bluish-white glaze and neatly drawn enamelling are virtually the same whether they are from the Qianlong or the Jigging reign periods (1736-1820). Without reference to the seal marks, most specialists would be hard put to tell the difference.
There was, however, a perceptible decline in quality during the Daoguang reign period (1821-50), and the inferior quality persisted to the end of the dynasty. The cool and lustrous glaze gave way to a grainy off-white, while the enamels were duller or harsher than their
brilliant predecessors. The decoration of enamelled porcelains was arranged in a crowded or ineffective manner, with over-complicated colour combinations.
STYLES, SHAPES, AND DECORATIVE THEMES The porcelains that had been produced in the 18th century continued to be made in the 19th. They included Ming-style blue-and-white wares such as moon flasks and pear-shaped bottles, as well as large saucer dishes. Likewise, monochromes continued to be produced, notably sang-de-boeuf red, “peachbloom”, and yellow. There were also artistic innovations, among them the production of “medallion” bowls.
• GLAZE marked deterioration in quality from the Daoguang period; “European-green” turquoise wash appears on the inside of many vessels
• DECORATION tendency to over-elaborate, complicated colour schemes and overcrowding; greater use of gilding; introduction of “medallion” bowls and “rice-grain” pierced wares; use of show and other auspicious characters; heavy use of enamels
Reign marks
Reign marks were inscribed on most 19th-and 20th-century domestic, imperial, and export porcelain; the mark shown here is in conventional script for the Guangxu reign period (1875-1908)
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The Joys of Chinese Porcelain
Written by admin on July 5, 2009 – 5:32 am -Jun Porcelain manufacture goes back Song Dynasty (960–1279) and originated in Yuzhou, Henan Province. The porcelain is known for its bright color, elegant proportions, exquisite shapes, and clear sound when tapped. Several dynastic emperors were fond of it, considered it rare, and commissioned utensils for the royal court.
Very few commoners could afford these possessions, and prices rose. The uniqueness of this porcelain comes from the craftsmen's way of firing the green-ware, as the unfinished piece is called. Application of copper and the craftsman's skills play a distinct role in how the finished piece will look.
The Ru porcelain, originating in Rushou, near Yuzhou, is another specialty heralding back to the Song Dynasty. Ru porcelain appears smooth and glistening, as if it has just been taken out of water. Three main features of this porcelain are the "pear peel," referring to the tiny spots scattered under glaze; the "crab paw," meaning the glaze's web-like texture, and the "sesame flower," the shape of the cracks in the glaze.
Colors include pinkish green, gray-blue, and tawny, with under-glaze patterns and birds. This style of pottery is prized, and many modern adaptations masquerading as antiques are for sale.
Hebei Province has introduced Tangshan porcelain, something fairly new for the area. It is functional, serving for industrial purposes and daily uses, but also includes some artistic pieces. The most precious among the porcelain for civil use are the cinder porcelain, white-jade porcelain, and the magnolia porcelain.
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