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Dear Giovanni,
Thank you for the clarification.
The style is a little unusual, I agree. I collect this pattern and I am picky about the quality of decoration; there are a fair amount of, shall we say, sketchy, loose, or somewhat clumsy examples around. This one I was able to buy at an amazing price (I was the only bidder) and I liked that there were people included even though the composition is somewhat simplified and there is a mood of hastiness about it (you can see the way the buildings look unstable).
Now that it's here, it fits right in with the collection and the way the trees are done reminds me of the platter I have.
Regards,
-Steve
Hello Michael and all:
Michael's article on firing flaws indicated that hairline cracks might sometimes also develop during the firing process. I found that very interesting. My understanding had been that hairlines were usually due to damage incurred much later. I have a few items in which hairlines seem to start at the location of chips suggesting that in most cases hairline cracks are due to damage and don't occur during firing. However, when there are isolated hairlines it is probably impossible to tell how they developed.
Regards,
Errol
Dear Erroll,
basically, there are three types of hairlines.
All them shares a basic ingredient: the inner stress of the ceramics.
During firing, ceramics are subjected to a certain expansion, as every material. Then, during cooling we have a subsequent contraction that tends to bring back the object, which now is no more plastic, to its original dimensions; on top of that there is a further contraction due to the loss of water by evaporation.
Then, you can imagine what happens in the case of a dish. On the rim, you have much bigger pulling forces than at the central areas, hence stress. We can reasonably imagine that inside each of our porcelain items there are pulling “springs” which are constantly under tension, and forever; unless they are “discharged”, which just happens when we have a crack or hairline.
Which, as said above, can be divided in three main categories:
- Hairlines subsequent to an impact (damage) which of course make it easier for the inner forces to be discharged, although being not great forces.
- Hairlines generated during the cooling process, which happens when the expansion/contraction rates of body and glaze differs very greatly, or are due to the particular shape of the object; thus big forces that are enough to alter the state of the ceramic.
- Hairlines that happens when the inner forces are between the cases 1) and 2), i.e. forces that are bringing the ceramic near to the breaking point, and just waiting for an external triggering, as it could be a thermal shock, or just a minor impact.
Look at the picture below, it is an excellent example illustrating this third case. Pay attention to the footprints of the bird (a duck, or a seagull) on the left side of the image. You can see that each footprint is just placed over a crack on the surface of the mud.
What happened? Was the seagull just joking, by intentionally walking over the cracks?
Or was he instead walking before the formation of the cracks, generated by the different contraction (evaporation of water) between the surface of the mud and the “main body” below it, triggered by even a small external alteration of the conditions, the innocent walking of a seagull?
No doubt, it is the latter one.
Regards,
Giovanni
Dear Giovanni:
Many thanks for this very educational explanation. I can begin to understand why hairlines are so much more prevalent at the periphery of plates and chargers and in the necks and rims of vases.
Regards,
Errol
Interesting information.
I don't mind a hairline or two (as long as I don't plan on using the item). Plus they make the items more affordable.
Hello all:
Do contemporary production techniques reduce the possibility of hairlines occurring? In other word, can hairlines be considered a reflection of age when, as so often happens, one is trying to determine whether an item is old or a contemporary replica? Further to that point can hairlines be "faked" to make an item look older than it actually is?
Errol
That's a good question. I am going to guess that one cannot tell the difference between some kiln cracks and ones caused by later damage.
It seems unlikely to me that fakers would purposely cause a hairline because it reduces value, especially to Chinese buyers. Although for fake Ming and earlier it might be more effective.
Curious to know what the others think.
I am getting more fond of my provincial kiln and kitchen Qing items every day, because the fakers will not bother to fake them, but I'm pretty sure they do "age" items with repairs and I'm beginning to wonder about the lovely Fitzhugh plate I purchased because it had a lovely staple repair, it's a gamble.
Everything is faked today, and yes, including damages, repairs, hairlines, etc.
Once again, as said thousands of times: do not rely on shortcuts for determining authenticity. Learn how to recognize the real item in its whole, first at all by painting style and shape.
Dear Erroll, as said, the “springs” of the inner stresses are always loaded. So, more age means more chances to develop hairlines.
Giovanni
Dear Sharon,
I know what you mean!
Although several kinds of export ware items are faked (especially Federal/American eagle, Fitzhugh, Ming Kraak, high end Kangxi & Qianlong for example), some probably aren't worth faking: Canton (of course) and Nanking (although they are probably now as well), as well as the provincial items. I have a large ginger jar done in a faux Federal style with American Eagle I bought when I was naive, but now that I know it's from the 1980s I kind of like having it around. It's a reminder of how transfer ware can be quite clever but not foolproof (at least not 30 years ago). I also have a fake ship platter (that arrived broken) that graces my kitchen wall. Although to be clear both of these items were not artificially aged; they may have been intended as obvious reproductions.
As to faking repairs; for the Western market they might, but it would still decrease the value I would guess.
Regarding your plate, is there anything about it that might suggest it's faked? Just curious.
Regards,
-Steve
No, it is lovely and came from a dealer in the Northeast and the staple repair reminded me of an old family piece that we did not inherit, drat those other pesky relatives. I will eventually post it when my photographer gets finished making some long awaited (like 50 years in a few cases) to some old furniture, at the moment he is busy with an Eastlake center parlor table that was my Valentine present in 1976 and has been rickity all these years. I have been keeping him busy as it makes all this lockdown easier. Best, Sharon
Hi Sharon,
Yes! Please do when the photos are ready!
Glad you are repairing your furniture. I have a vintage/antique Hickory chair from the early 30s that is beautifully warn and well-loved with patina but was slightly broken. I decided having a chair around that you couldn't sit in was bad juju so I had it repaired a few years ago and now it's a functional piece of furniture. 🙂
And Eastlake table makes a romantic Valentine's Day gift, I'd say!
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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.
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