The Chinese and Asian Art Forum. For Fans, Collectors and Dealers.
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On eBay, especially within the Asian Arts categories I see a lot of "ANTIQUE" items listed.
What is an ANTIQUE? - I am really confused 🤪Â
I've tried asking Google, but Google tells me the following:
A) having a high value because of age and quality.
B) existing since or belonging to earlier times
C) perceived as having value because of its aesthetic or historical significance
D) someone or something very old or old-fashioned
E) being in the style or fashion of former times
F) made in or representative of the work of an earlier period
H) art made at an earlier period and according to various customs laws at least 100 years ago
What do you think an Antique is?
Yes, I would go with that. The trade tariff codes apply the hundred years rule for antiques, too.
I may have once said 40 years for vintage but I think that has become quite a market and the boundaries have widened. Maybe, the same is true of antiques and that should be adjusted to 75 years - I find it hard to consider nice, expensive Republic pieces as vintage.
In other words, I think officially "antique" only relates to age but in common usage the age limit is more flexible if the item has a value or belongs to a specific, well-regarded era.
Terms not legally defined like this mean "buyer beware". A lot of sellers use it in place of "used".
I agree with Mark about the definitions.Â
Make that the 4th agreement for Mark's definition.Â
Julia also brings up a great point tho - I think the prevalence of "vintage" items being popular shifts the aspect of "antique" as a result.Â
The site I have most of my offerings on prides itself on vintage pieces, but actually considers anything pre-21st century now as such - which admittedly I think is a bit of a stretch.
Yet at the same time, (as she stated), I would much rather attribute something from the 30s-40s from a skilled Republic artisan or kiln as antique before declaring it "vintage". WW2 items are being sold consistently marked as "antique", and frankly I'd have to agree with that.
So that brings up the question: is it industry specific, or the old school rule still of one century or older?Â
Certainly something to think about..
Best,
-JRNÂ
I believe all the antique associations jointly concur with the 100 year rule. I just learned that cars over 25 years old are in some instances classified as classic.Â
In 1930 the Smooth-Hawley tariff act classified items made after 1700 and prior to 1830 as antique.
The term antique, vintage or retro really gets tossed about these days. Especially on platforms like eBay and alike.Â
There have been some attempts to modify the term 100 to a lower 75 year rule or even 50. Alas to no avail at this time.
MarkÂ
100 years is antique, but as Julia said, a Republic piece that is not 100 years, would still be a antique in my eyes! Probably it all depends on rarity, beauty, etc ... It is in the eye of the beholder !
Michael
Chinese sellers use the term „antique „ for everything that looks old or is made in an old style. I have read somewhere that this is a cultural characteristic and was initially not meant to deceive. You can find many examples on Aliexpress where they offer „antique Ming vases“ for a few $. I think a Chinese buyer would never think of them as authentic.Â
The trouble started when these items and descriptions were available to Western buyers with whom the word „antique“ has another meaning.Â
Birgit
That is an interesting point, Birgit. Nothing annoys me more than the sellers of recently made, antique-style pieces from China who post them in the antique forum on ebay, but what you said adds a different perspective.
When I lived in Greece, I used to get annoyed at what I perceived to be the lack of manners of the children who even at their most charming did not often say please or thank you. I mentioned this to my neighbour's sister who was visiting from the UK, in a nice inquisitive way, and was told that to a Greek's way of thinking, it is unnecessary and may even sound sarcastic because why would you have to plead with your family or friends for something you needed like a glass of water or food or keep thanking them for taking care of you?
Whether that was generally true or just locally true, it certainly made me think about how easy it is to make cultural assumptions based on one's own world view.
Addition: Of course this should be no excuse for sellers deceiving people with wrong attributes and ripping them off with all kinds of tricks (like smuggling a good item into Peter‘s newsletter as a recommendation for their other items that are all fake)
Birgit
Republic Period is up to and including part of 1949, so some are antique, while others are merely vintage, but I agree with Michael that they are all precious to my eye. That good looking plate that Birgit mentioned in another post, I hope someone gives it a good home for a bargain price.
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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.Â
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
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