The Chinese and Asian Art Forum. For Fans, Collectors and Dealers.
Basic Rules For the BidAmount Asian Art Forum: Talk about whatever you want.  You can even discuss and offer things that are for sale if they are authentic.  Maximum image file  size per post is 2 MB. Images of 700pxl x 700pxl are optimal if saved at a medium resolution. Be respectful of others and enjoy yourself. Click the YouTube link for a brief tutorial on using the forum. You can also EMBED Videos by cutting and pasting from You-Tube, Vimeo etc. Â
NOTE: To post an item or add a new post, click open the category title from the FORUM LIST, and CLICK the Blue ADD TOPIC button.Â
Does this look like it could be a China trade painting? It's the only picture I have to go on at the moment.
Â
I've been researching and it is clearly based on the Hongs of Canton pictures. I am not clear on if this is a reproduction or a modern copy. What I also find interesting is that the Dutch and Spanish flags seem to be miscolored. So curious to know what others think of this.Â
What does the seller say about it?
@julia I've got no info to go on. It's just one of the many pictures posted for an estate sale I'm planning to go to. They don't even mention the word China anywhere in the sale write up. I don't know if they know exactly what this is, which I've seen happen at these sales. Either that or it's a reproduction and so they know it's nothing great, but I don't think that is the case because they did choose to put up a photo of it so they want people to know about it, even if they aren't clear about how to describe it. At any rate I'm kind of flying in the dark until I can actually go lay eyes on it up close. If this is authentic, do you think this looks like an oil painting or could this be a reverse glass? It seems that many of these Hongs of Canton were made and that they have a wide variety of value in the four and five figures. Maybe it will be a lucky find. At any rate, any and all pointers are welcome. I want to show up as informed as possible so if I get the chance to buy it I can hopefully make a good decision. I have no idea what they will want for it either.Â
Estate sales must be really interesting to go to. Are you allowed to ask questions pre-sale? Request more photos?
I have looked at the photo and can tell absolutely nothing from it.  All I can suggest is to compare the way the flags, boats, other factors (eg the painting is very empty of people) were done with other works. Look at as many as you can and go to the sale remembering that one swallow does not make a summer! 😊Â
Good luck!
Hi John,
We are a bit stymied by the photo understand not your fault as is the Auction house photo. As far as I can see the frame seems a little suspect to me, looks pretty modern to me. Wonder what that white rectangle is that runs around the inside edge it seems to overlap some of the picture so it is not an inside mount. Could be an old painting or print that has been re-framed of course. If you go to the sale perhaps you will let us know more, take your torch and magnifying glass.Â
Regards
Michael  Â
@julia The estate sales are interesting. There is an opportunity to send messages and ask for more info leading up to the sale but it depends on how they operate. And I have not had good luck with getting better or additional pictures in advance so it's always an adventure!
@brettm I also noticed and wondered about that white line going around. I wonder if it is just a design element on the glass frame? I don't know enough about frames to know if that is a thing that they ever do. I am planning to go to the sale to see this puppy for myself and I've also sent the sale people a message regarding previewing the sale or getting better pictures/more info prior. I'll let you guys knows how it goes.Â
Johnshoe, I do not often post any more, with all the smart folks here I have very little to add but on first impression of your picture it has a feel of a hand coloured stipple print. A very Victorian thing. The photo isn’t good enough to make out the details but the way the clouds and other smaller details have a washed in look of water colour paints strongly reminds me of several antique prints of this style I own.
Ron
@ronm Interesting, Ron. So, when I go check this out I will be looking for signs of that up close. I know very little about painting and prints but hopefully I will be able to tell the difference. I imagine if it is a painting I'll be able to see the textures and possibly cracking, whereas the print would be smooth, more flat, etc. We have some old prints from the 1800's that are colored so I imagine that is what they would mostly be like so I do have some minimal familiarity. I guess the main thing I am worried about is not being able to tell with confidence if it is a more modern painted reproduction because that is something I am not educated on. But hey, I'll have my loupe so I'll be looking the part!
@ronm So I was just realizing that it could be painted in watercolor as you mentioned which would be smooth but still be painted. So, how would I be able to tell an authentic older watercolor and a later print that had water color added? Any pointers are welcomed! I'm learning on the fly.
Hi Johnshoe,Â
What bothers me about this particular item is the white border printed on the image. I suspect this image is a later 20th century print. You will never see a painting with a border like this, but are often done on later prints to assist framers etc. Also as posted by Brettm I believe the frame is new and possibly made from resin.Â
This image is well-known and has been painted with varying themes etc.Â
Personally based on one image I would not bid/buy this item without closer inspection. If it's a later print which I suspect then it's practically worthless in my opinion.Â
I always enjoy reading your posts.
Mark
@imperialfinegems I agree, if that white line is actually on the picture itself then I would have no interest. I think I will go have a look just so I can tell for sure that it isn't some odd design that is on the glass rather than the picture. If I could find another copy of this specific version of the scene then that would answer the question but I haven't been able to find this one exactly, just a bunch that are similar, so it still retains some of it's mystery for the time being. But don't you find it odd about two of the flags being rendered incorrectly? I find that to be bizzare and not something that would be on a print because wouldn't they want to make a print of one that is accurate? But there I go using logic again - Giiovanni has warned me of such things when it comes to the world of Chinese reproductions.
@johnshoe, old prints were impact printed, this compressed the paper and left a raised edge on the periphery of the paper, most modern copies are contact printed  or one of the new computer printers. The white edge you see may not be a line but the edge of of the plate that has no print on it.  All older (150 year or older) should have the raised edge on the paper. Also, the paper should have some discolouration from shear age of the paper, usually a yellow or buff tinge. This is do to quality of the paper during manufacture, if the unprinted area on the edge is to white like modern paper you can bet it is probably a newer print. As far as the washing of colours, the look of old hand painted print can be copied pretty accurately now so unless you can get a good look, preferably out of the frame it may be hard to tell.
This is assuming it is a print and not a water colour.
Latest Post: Picking this up tomorrow Our newest member: mbokstrust mbokstrust Recent Posts Unread Posts
Thanks for visiting "The BidAmount Asian Art Forum | Chinese Art"
If you sell on eBay, or have a shop feel free to post images and descriptions and links.
Check back often for discussion about the latest news in the Chinese art and antique world. Also find out about the latest Asian art auctions at Sotheby's, Christie's, Bonhams and Tajans.
Auction results for: fine porcelain, ceramics, bronze, jade, textiles and scholar's objects. As well as Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese and other Asian cultures.
Thank you,
Peter Combs
Topics and categories on The BidAmount Asian Art Forum | Chinese Art
Kangxi vases, Kangxi dishes and chargers, Kangxi ritual pieces, Kangxi scholar's objects, Qianlong famille rose, Qianlong enamels, Qianlong period paintings, Qianlong Emporer's court, Fine porcelain of the Yongzheng period. Chinese imperial art, Ming porcelain including Jiajing, Wanli, Xuande, Chenghua as well as Ming jades and bronzes.Â
Join the BidAmount Chinese and Asian art discussion board and forum today
The BidAmount Asian Art Forum | Chinese Art
A free Asian art discussion board and Asian art message board for dealers and collectors of art and antiques from China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and the rest of Asia. Linked to all of the BidAmount Asian art reference areas, with videos from plcombs Asian Art and Bidamount on YouTube. Sign up also for the weekly BidAmount newsletter and catalogs of active eBay listing of Chinese porcelain, bronze, jades, robes, and paintings.Â
The art of calligraphy - and for the ancient Chinese it certainly was an art - aimed to demonstrate superior control and skill using brush and ink. Calligraphy established itself as one of the major Chinese art forms during the Han dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE), and for two millennia after, all educated men were expected to be proficient at it.
The Museum’s collections of Asian art span nearly five millennia and encompass the cultures of China, the Himalayas, India, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia. In 2007, the Museum launched an initiative to create dedicated galleries for the collection, beginning with a gallery for the arts of Korea ...
Chinese art is full of symbolism, in that artists typically seek to depict some aspect of a totality of which they are intuitively aware.
China Online Museum is the finest online museum of Chinese art. It features Chinese calligraphy, painting, ceramics, bronzes, carving, and other artworks.
Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art. Overview Upcoming auctions Contacts Auction results ... Christie’s sales of Chinese ceramics and works of art showcase centuries of Chinese history. Held throughout the year in London, New York, Paris and Hong Kong, they attract a wide audience of collectors and connoisseurs vying for pieces as diverse as ...
Explore Asian Art Week. Contact the Specialist Department. Chinese Paintings ... Senior Specialist, Head of Sale. [email protected]. Tel:+1 212 641 5760. Bid in-person or online for the upcoming auction:Fine Chinese Paintings on 10 September 2019 at New York. Bid in-person or online for the upcoming auction:Fine Chinese Paintings on 10 ...
Discover an abundance of must-see art from all corners of a vast continent at Christie’s NY Asian Art Week. From contemporary classical and Chinese paintings to works with exemplary provenance from the Art Institute of Chicago, our Rockefeller Paza galleries will be full of ancient treasures and contemporary masterworks in a salute to the vibrant arts of Asia.
Sold to benefit The Art Institute of Chicago’s Asian Art Acquisition Fund, the sale features 84 lots with a focus on Ming and Qing porcelains, and offers a rare insight into the taste for collecting Chinese ceramics and works of art in the Midwest from the end of the 19th century through the 1980s. Highlights include two Wanli wucai garlic-head vases, a Qianlong mark and period, blue and ...
Specialist, Chinese Paintings, Christie's London Dr Malcolm McNeill is a Specialist in Chinese Paintings at Christie’s, based in London. He previously worked as an assistant curator of the Chinese collections and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, as a researcher at the British Museum, and as a translator and tour guide at the National Palace Museum in Taipei.
The Christie's Education 2020 Conference: The Chinese Art Market 18 Jun 2019 Christie’s Education is delighted to announce our first international academic conference in Asia which will take place in Hong Kong from 26-27 November 2020 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and will run in parallel with Christie’s Hong Kong Autumn Auctions.
The summer Chinese Art sale in Hong Kong will feature works of art from several private collections, including Qing porcelains and textile from the collection of the legendary Chinese art dealer A. W. Bahr (1877–1959), fine gilt bronze Buddhist sculptures from an old Hong Kong collection, an East Asian collection of Qing dynasty wine cups and jades, and a Japanese collection of Song ceramics ...
Sotheby's Chinese Works of Art Department holds two auctions each year in London, New York, Hong Kong and Paris.
Chinese Art - View Auction details, bid, buy and collect the various artworks at Sothebys Art Auction House.
With more than 340 Chinese works of art dating from the Neolithic to the Republic periods, highlights of this sale include a selection of Qing Imperial monochromes from the collection of Arnold and Blema Steinberg, early ceramics from the Art Institute of Chicago and Chinese porcelain and works of art from the collection of Henry Arnhold.
Results: Sotheby's Asia Week achieved $52.4 million in six strong auctions, exceeding pre-sale estimates. With 76.5% of lots sold and 60.3% of lots surpassing high estimates, the Asian art sales at Sotheby's indicate continued collector interest in the finest works of art from China, India and and the Himalayas.
Today's sale of Important Chinese Art will proceed as planned with sessions at 10 AM and 2 PM EDT. Sotheby's will be monitoring the weather conditions throughout the day and will be available to coordinate alternative bidding options should conditions make it difficult for clients to attend the auction in person.
Bonhams Chinese Art department is renowned for offering the finest works of art representing the richness and breadth of China's artistic heritage, particularly Imperial porcelain, white and spinach green jades, cloisonné and Buddhist art. Specialised international auctions are held globally, including London, Hong Kong and San Francisco.
Bonhams : Chinese Works of Art We use cookies to remember choices you make on functionality and personal features to enhance your experience to our site. By continuing to use our site you consent to the use of cookies. Please refer to our privacy and cookie policies for more information.
Bonhams Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers: auctioneers of art, pictures, collectables and motor cars. We use cookies to remember choices you make on functionality and personal features to enhance your experience to our site. By continuing to use our site you consent to the use of cookies. ... Chinese Art (US) General enquiries
Bonhams : Fine Chinese Art We use cookies to remember choices you make on functionality and personal features to enhance your experience to our site. By continuing to use our site you consent to the use of cookies. Please refer to our privacy and cookie policies for more information.
Bonhams Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers: auctioneers of art, pictures, collectables and motor cars Bonhams : Asian Art We use cookies to remember choices you make on functionality and personal features to enhance your experience to our site.
Bonhams are international auctioneers of fine Chinese and Japanese art. We specialise in rare Imperial and Export Chinese ceramics and works of art, as well as Japanese ceramics, fine and decorative works of art from the Neolithic Period to the 20th century. View on map
Bonhams Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers: auctioneers of art, pictures, collectables and motor cars. We use cookies to remember choices you make on functionality and personal features to enhance your experience to our site. By continuing to use our site you consent to the use of cookies. ... Asian Art Bonhams. Work. 22 Queen St.