Porcelain is an integral thread of the fabric of Chinese culture. In the 14th century, while Europeans were still eating from low-fired earthenware or wooden dishes, the Chinese had developed the first underglazed porcelain. They were using cobalt, originally imported from Iran during the Yuan period (1279 to 1368 A.D.), to add exceptional shades of color, from pale blue to nearly black, to translucent white wares. As soon as Marco Polo brought back a few samples, the world couldnt and still cant get enough of it.
Copper is the other basic color of underglaze decoration. It delivers hues that range from the first muddy brown of the early Ming dynasty to the true red of the 18th century. "Peach bloom or unripened peach is a greenish tinge produced when copper has oxidized. Overglaze decoration was done in various kinds of enamels and called famille rose (a French expression meaning "pink family"). There is famille verte (green), famille noire (black), and famille jaune (yellow). Pieces with a black background enameled in famille rose or in combinations such as rose-verte (pink and green) was a late-17th-century innovation. It is generally agreed that overglaze enamel decoration reached its height in the 18th century.
The Japanese at this time were also developing porcelain, mostly in the form of ceremonial objects like the tea ceremony. The famous Satsuma porcelain you hear so much about was a 17th-century innovation, adopted from Korea and then greatly improved upon. By the Meiji period (1868- 1912) the Japanese had taken enameling to a new level. High fired and reflecting the Japanese characteristics of meticulousness, precision and definition, these porcelain paintings were highly conceptual. The art of Japanese enameled porcelains peaked between 1880 and 1920, whereas Chinese porcelain was at its best between 1710 and 1810.
In the last few years, particularly beautiful and particularly rare porcelains have become inordinately valuable. In March 2008, we sold a large Hongwu vase during Asia Week in New York City for $1.2 million. Fortunately, there is still a tremendous amount of beauty to be found in within an affordable price range. Slight flaws will bring the price way down, and yet the items are still very collectible and consistently appreciate in value.
Generally speaking, flaws on the glaze occur most frequently during firing. While several overglaze colors can theoretically be fired at the same time, more often than not they are fired separately. If gilded, the gold was the last to go on. It is the first to wear off.
When evaluating a particular piece of porcelain, start by viewing it as though it were perfect and determine what price perfection. (Access our online catalogs and the prices realized for each auction to use as a reliable price guide.) From there, adjudicate the flaws in the piece and judge the value in its current condition.
My own opinion is that very fine porcelain pieces with some damage or restoration are great buys today. A Ch'ien Lung bowl, for instance, in perfect condition would be out of the reach of most people. But if you find one with a small chip that was expertly repaired and the bowl would make a beautiful addition to your collection, buy it. They arent making them like that anymore and the chances of it holding its value, even appreciating, is enormous.
As for copies, you can spot them fairly easily. The decoration is usually too carefully drawn. Since porcelain does not show a lot of wear, you will notice immediately if a piece looks like somebody has taken fine steel wool and scrubbed it, put it up on a buffing wheel or tried to tone it down with chemicals.
Japanese porcelain from the Meiji period and notably from the Kutani (nine rivers Nine Rivers?) region has never really been effectively reproduced; the repros that do exist are noticeably inferior. Also, few reproductions come out of Japan these days.
Jade is one of the most-loved collectibles. Its origins are ancient, its properties both medicinal and decorative. Though revered around the world, jade is most commonly associated with China, where it has been known for 8,000 years. The early Chinese called it yu and saw it as a living stone, radiating with an inner glow.
Often ground, mixed with wine and fed to the emperors, jade was believed to increase imperial longevity. Symbolically, a court gentleman, on reaching 80, was allowed to carry a jade pigeon on a pole. Concubines received jade scepters from their emperors. Mandarin hats had carved small finials on their tops and a jade plume holder in the back. Chinese women decorated their hair with jade. Han dynasty princes and princesses were sometimes buried in suits of jade, a notable feat accomplished by stitching together bits of jade with threads of silver or gold.
Around the turn of the 20th century, we start to see large, fancy and colorful carvings made for Western consumption. Table-top and decorative items produced between 1880 and 1900 were often embellished with silver or gold, even enamel. In the second half of the 20th century, traditional styles began to give way to an elaborate new standard.
There are two kinds of jade: hard and soft. Ancient jade and hard jade are often referred to as jadeite. Though found in a variety of colors, the most valuable is green. The most valuable green is a near emerald green called Imperial Jade or gem-jade. Other colors, such as yellow jade, have their place in the pantheon of Chinese carvings too. Soft jade is called nephrite. Its coloration ranges from slightly off-white to yellowish white or greenish white. The latter is often referred to as celadon jade.
When you see the word jade modified by an adjective such as serpentine jade, mountain jade, new jade, watch out. These names are often given to pseudo jades. The quality of your collection depends on knowing how to differentiate the real jades from the imposters. (You will find an entire chapter on fake jades in my book, Collecting Asian Art.)
Since jade is an ancient stone, it is useless to try to quantify it by date. Other criteria must be used, and one way is to know the forms that were popular during the different periods. New, machine- made copies of older designs differ from the originals in subtle ways. The most prominent is that new carvings rarely have the same aesthetic relationship to the stone as older ones.
To value a jade carving, you must first determine whether it is modern or pre-World War II. If the jade you are viewing has a high sheen, you will do well to err on the side of caution.
The next step is to figure out if the raw material is actually jade or a fake jade. Real jade tends to feel little bit colder than pseudo jade, so give it the touch test. Next, use a jewelers loupe to look for inclusions. There should not be any. Nowadays, carvers work around black spots and trapped crystalline formations, using holes and other tricks to hide impurities.
Finally, determine if the stone has been dyed. Again, get out your loupe. If you see that the color is located only in the fissures, you can safely say the stone has been artificially colored. If you do this and are still not sure, there are tests you can be done at home or in a lab.
To begin your comparison of jade carvings, look at the catalog for our upcoming International and Fine Arts Auction, or any of our past sales. We regularly vet and feature collections of fine jade carvings.
Debby Jones has sinced written about articles on various topics from Interest, Tax and Accounting Guide. Debby Jones is a freelance writer who is known for writing his reviews & thoughts on diverse topics & industry. His current article features his tips on how you can Collect Porcelain as. Debby Jones's top article generates over 6600 views. to your Favourites.