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.
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.
Hello John:
Apart from felt pads for the stand, you could also use Museum putty to secure the figure on the stand. That is also available at Amazon.com. Of course, none of these will work if the figure is in a location where it can be accidentally knocked by someone. It would still tip over.
I was interested to see that you like Ormolu. I have a couple of marble vases from the Louis Philippe period (see photographs) in which the Ormolu has become discolored and darkened over the years. I see that conventional brass cleaners should not be used on Ormolu. The Victoria and Albert Museum in London has the following recommendations for discolored Ormolu:
"Cleaning gold and ormolu should be limited to gently dusting with a soft brush. If the surface is discoloured, use a swab moistened with methylated spirit and rub gently. If this doesn't work, try a swab moistened with spit, followed by a swab moistened with distilled water."
I have found that simple household cleaners don't work for this, but have not tried methylated spirit. Do you have any suggestions for removing the tarnish that does not involve taking these very heavy marble vases to a metal specialist? Incidentally, the photographs below were taken several years ago when the Ormolu mounts still had a bright appearance. Now they are a dull color.
Regards,
Errol
Hi Errol,
Your ormolu-mounted marble vases are stunning. Unfortunately, I have no experience in caring for ormolu. I did see this article, but the materials seem out of reach to me: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/journals/conservation-journal/autumn-2014-issue-62/a-methodology-for-the-conservation-of-furniture-mounts/
In addition, there's a video that talks about the conservation of cabinets in the Royal Collection, and they go over the decision-making process in choosing how to conserve the ormolu mounts a bit. Although it doesn't go in-depth or show it, I found it interesting that he used a scalpel and microscope to scrape off corrosion: https://brightonmuseums.org.uk/royalpavilion/2019/04/11/restoring-and-conserving-the-royal-collection-cabinets/
I wish I could be more helpful, but thank you for sharing your vases. They're spectacular!
Kindly,
John
Hello John:
Thanks for the information. I think the V & A technique is well beyond any home do it yourself project. Obviously, they are dealing with priceless and irreplaceable pieces of French and English furniture and must be exceedingly cautious.
I am delighted that you like my pair of urns. I got them at an auction on eBay several years ago for $656 and I thought that was a reasonable price. They are extremely heavy. I have studied their history a little and they are usually described as "Pair of Mid-19th Century Louis XVI St. Marble and Ormolu Mounted Cassolettes" but the "St." indicates that they come from the later reign of the Orleans monarch, Louis Philippe, who was the last French king (1830-1848 reign). I am attaching a photograph (see below) of a similar pair available for $16,000 on 1st Dibs. if you have the money to spare, they will be delighted to sell them to you! As you can see, the urns should have lids and mine lost theirs between the 1830s and when I bought them. The ones in the photograph below also have ormolu mounts looking like new although some people prefer the more subdued tarnished patina. Their argument is that antiques should look old and I have some sympathy for that point of view. I might try a little Weiman brass cleaner in an area that is not visible to see if that cleans the mounts somewhat because I think they are probably mainly brass and have lost their gilt surface years ago. If that does not work I am just going to let them be.
In the informative link that you sent me from the V & A museum they state regarding ormolu decoration that "X-ray fluorescence (XRF) indicates that, in general, the alloy composition of the mounts varies, but is primarily made from an alloy of copper and zinc i.e. brass. The analysis also revealed that mounts thought to have been gilded in fact had no trace of gold."
Kind regards,
Errol
Hi @Erroll,
I think your eBay purchase was a bargain for the quality. It's almost exactly what I paid for my jade figure. What size are they? At any rate, I'll be adding that to my saved eBay searches. I appreciate you showing me them! I've mostly been collecting narrowly since I just started about six months ago and haven't explored European wares as much. My lack of experience is also likely what makes me weary in trying to restore my pieces. I was even afraid to put water near my porcelain for a while!
Kindly,
John
Hi John:
They are 13 inches high by 5 inches at their widest part (the foot). I am attaching photographs of other similar pairs from 1st Dibs.
Regards,
Errol
Latest Post: Kendi Question Our newest member: James Close 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.
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.
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.