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.
For example: a Qianlong cup like this was on my search list for years. The decoration is not unusual but the lady had to carry a bird and there are many bowls where she doesn’t. Then sometimes I didn’t like the execution of the painting, sometimes it was nice but damaged. But eventually the perfect piece came my way and it was worth waiting. I still enjoy looking at it.
Birgit
Good points! I think everyone starts out on the collecting trail by seeing something that speaks to them at a gut level, but it is also equally true that they have little or no knowledge of the item’s history, quality, or rarity. That is why it is important to inject some discipline into the process of collecting.
By example, there is another recent thread about five Kangxi export blue and white plates recently purchased by another forum member. I believe he made his selection within the curated list of objects from BidAmount and probably bought them from a dealer vetted by Peter Combs. Good start! They are decent ‘middle of the road’ plates with some charming details with a slightly out of the ordinary mark. So instead of purchasing that late 19th, famile rose vase that he has been eyeing online, what if he continues to concentrate on Kangxi blue & white plates with a “Good, Better, Best” strategy. So, keep the two best plates and sell the remaining three on eBay (be certain to mention that they are spares bought from a trusted dealer). Start looking for plates (still from the curated pool of examples) that have a more sophisticated design, or a more vivid shade of blue, or a unusual shape. Stay with the odd numbers so that one can continue to partially sell off plates to bring total costs down for this exercise. By the end of the year, he should have accomplished two things; trained his eye to identify the best in this category and have a tightly curated collection for his enjoyment. What if he decides his collecting interests lie elsewhere? Then place his collection with one of the regional auction houses. A coherent collection of objects from reputable dealers always attracts attention.
Size matters, as Julia said when traveling, you want to be able to tuck it in a suitcase. I also enjoy the hunt and the aspect of serendipity, the piece finding you when you are shopping in person, which has the added advantage of not having to pay shipping and no worry as to whether it will be whole when you receive it. I know that I am unlikely to find something truly outstanding by going to hole in the wall shops and asking, "anything Asian?" However, that is part of the enjoyment. Sharon
One of my favorite, long term collecting strategies has to do with my love of 17th/18th century Chinese monochromes. It’s pretty simple minded. I wanted a red one, a blue one, a green one ... a black one. In other words, I put together a collection of the various glaze types mostly produced for the Chinese market at a time (20 to 40 years ago) when examples were available from reputable dealers in the range from a thousand dollars to three thousand dollars. I learned a hell of a lot regarding the subject, made some new friends, travelled the world to see and sometimes handle the best of the best. Also, at some point I can send the collection back out into world for more money than it’s original cost. What more could one ask of a hobby?
Those are excellent points on the rewarding side of collecting. I, too, like the randomness of finding good things to buy. An unexpected score can put a smile on my face for the rest of the day.
Being a history buff I also love the connection to the past that these items offer. Since I've started collecting Chinese antiques I've been reading up on Chinese history, which I didn't know too much about, pre-20th century.
-Steve
I believe it sold for the princely sum of $154. I think there was a small hairline crack. There is a type of penetrating glue used by porcelain restoration personnel that will make a clean hairline totally disappear.
If one has patience and perseverance, there are still wonderful, authentic antiques out there. I’m sure everyone who reads a story about someone who made a fantastic discovery at a yard sale is thinking they must be the luckiest person in the world. Maybe, but that person used years of knowledge & experience in the field to make that decision to purchase a forgotten treasure.
@william thanks.
as a new collector, I think these are the challenges that I see, maybe others can chip in as well？
1. not sure what the price range of some basic/beginner item is. even looking at the sold items, it's confusing that some lot will be passed. while the same period, same maker sometimes go to the $300 range. Maybe it's because of damage/etc. for example, the hairline that you mentioned, as a new collector, we don't know how serious is some damage vs others. I still have questions in this area. like how much does it matter when a vase is drilled? (esp when the drilled hole is not a very clean circle.)
2. a common mistake that I have made myself is. I learn something like. look for "hand painted", then I see something and fall for it simply there is some parts of it is hand painted. haha kind of looking at what I want to see, but not seeing the printed parts of a piece. Because of "over zealous" of what new things I learned.
3. I think Peter mentioned this in his videos. so I haven't fall for this yet lol. Peter was exposing some gallery in GA where they have all these amazing items but for the estimate of $1000 -$5000. And he was like "do you think you can buy Van Gogh for a few thousands when they normally sell for millions?" 😀
Hi Ang,
Thanks for bringing these up! I am still an amateur but I have had some experience, so I'll offer my two cents.
Prices are tricky and you will develop an instinct for them, especially as to what you are willing to pay. Of course we all want to underpay when possible but sometimes there is a piece that you really really love and just have to have, in which case there's nothing wrong with paying more than its market value for it as long as you can afford it. Most sellers do a good job with describing the condition because they don't want complaints later. I've gotten overly-excited by something only to realize that it was repaired. (A rule I have for myself - that I don't always follow - is never bid or buy something in the evening; sleep on it and see it again in the cold light of day.) Also, there will always be the occasional delusional seller who thinks a mediocre Canton pattern plate is worth $1000 and can be the source of a smile on your face.
As you look at and handle more items you'll learn to recognize hand painted from printed. It can be tricky, especially with modern fakes. Also, fakes can be hand painted too.
As to the last part: if I don't know a seller I like to check out their other items. Once I was entranced by what I thought was a Kangxi revival 19th c. vase only to realize when I looked at their other stuff that there were other items that were kind of similar and in the same price range and that the seller was a warehouse of fake antique imports. Then the telltale signs of artifice really popped out and I could see it with clear eyes. Greed and "irrational exuberance" can blind you to what you're looking at.
Good luck and be sure to share your favorite finds with us!
-Steve
One hard lesson that every beginning collector has to learn is what types of antique items are currently available in the the marketplace that are both genuine and within the collector’s budget constraints. Pricing can change through the decades; surprisingly in both up and down directions. Your best tool for starting the necessary research process is this website. By all means buy what you like, but keep your selections within the pool of vetted objects. Use the information about trusted sellers in your decision making process. Those weekly videos have lots of valuable information regarding current market pricing. Finally, have the patience to wait for that item that meets most, in not all of your selection criteria. Having one antique object of merit in your collection to examine will teach you far more than a pile of randomly selected, counterfeit, overpriced junk.
@shinigami haha thanks! I have definitely felt the urge to "buy anything else out of disappointment when you just lost a bidding war" 😐
Latest Post: Chinese Satsuma 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.