Antiques -> Asian -> Chinese

If you are interested in a unique Asian collectible that is sure to get plenty of discussions going, antique Chinese parrots are an excellent choice. These delightful decorative collectibles come in many different shapes and styles and many are vibrantly colored and well designed. Most antique Chinese parrots are hand painted and very detailed works of art that can enhance any personal collection. Before you start collecting antique parrots, here is what you need to know.

1. Authenticity is key

While decorative collectibles are fun to look at it, if you’re in this business to acquire valuable pieces of art, authenticity is definitely key. There are a lot of mass produced collectibles out there that are pretty, but have no value above their sticker price. When you want to buy authentic antique Chinese collectibles, make sure that they are authentic. You can do this by hiring an appraiser, or by looking for special maker’s marks on the bottom of the piece.

Condition is important

Chipped or cracked collectibles instantly lose their value. If you are buying an antique Chinese parrot online, make sure that the seller provides you with many different pictures that cover all the angles of the piece. If you can’t see the item well, ask for a clearer picture. This is the best way to make sure that you are getting a piece that is in good condition. If you are shopping in person, hold the piece up the light and take the time to really examine it. This can mean the difference between a collectible that is worth thousands, or one that is worth $5.

Look for certain eras

Antique Chinese parrots were more popular during some eras in Chinese history than others. It pays to do your research on the different dynasties and learn how the various parrots were produced during each era. This will help you build a collection that is either based around design similarity or that is based by era. If you are serious about building a specific collection around a dynasty, this is a very important step to take.

Look for fading paint

This is natural, especially with older antique Chinese parrots, but it can have an impact on the overall value of the piece. Ideally, you should be looking for one that is in near perfect condition. One of the easiest ways to tell the age of a piece is to look for how worn the paint is. This is probably the one time where the condition may not count against the piece. If there is a small area of worn paint, that should not impact the value too much. However, a piece that is very faded may need to be restored. This can have an adverse effect on the value.

Collecting antique Chinese parrots can be fun and educational. These brightly colored pieces have a lot of history and are at home in any place or private collection where antiques are appreciated and loved.

Photo Credits: uwdigitalcollections

Originally posted 2008-10-03 05:00:18. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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For anyone who enjoys Asian art, an antique silk screen can make a gorgeous addition to your home. Paintings and even silkscreened prints with an Asian theme can give a room a distinct atmosphere, but there’s nothing quite like a paneled screen that can be hung on the wall like artwork or placed on the floor. And while a new silk screen might offer a wider variety of colors and designs than antique ones probably do, new ones just don’t bring with them that ancient feel and authenticity.

A reproduction of an antique Chinese silk screen will probably cost anywhere from $100 to $300 today. Some reproductions are hand-painted in much the style one would have been done hundreds of years ago, so if you’re looking for a screen as close to an antique original as possible, these are your best option for finding one affordably.

A true antique silk screen could cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars and on up, but most likely you’ll find true antique screens priced well into the thousands, with some very exquisite pieces easy reaching five figures. Much depends on how the screen is made, its age, its condition and whether or not it has the original fasteners and findings.

An antique silk screen that’s handpainted with four panels and a very small, unobtrusive frame is the most common type you’ll probably find. In many, the entire painting was done as one solid piece of art across all four panels, and there’s no real border to speak of. In some screens, each panel has its own image, and most of these have some sort of frame or border around each panel. Some have the border around each panel, with each panel as part of the large painting, as well.

The least expensive type of screen will most likely be the kind with no border around the individual panels and one large artwork covering the whole thing. The price is determined by the age of the screen and its condition. Sometimes a silk screen isn’t painted, but embroidered instead, or finished with a combination of the two. Often these will have the borders around each panel. Ask what type of wood makes up the frame—zitan wood is especially valuable, as it’s so rarely used for things today. It’s an extremely dense wood that sinks in water, and was once a popular type of wood in China. A wooden-framed screen could be rather plain with only straight borders and legs, but some are intricately carved, adding greatly to the value.

When you’re looking a silk screen, either in person or on eBay, ask if the fastenings are original or if they’ve been replaced. Be sure and ask about any damage, as well, because pictures don’t always reveal small details. Any antique screen will likely grow in value at it ages, so they’re all good investments. The ultimate test in whether you should purchase an antique silk screen, though, is whether or not you love the artwork.

Originally posted 2008-12-07 05:00:17. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Chinese antique jade isn’t just beautiful in its own right, but carries a deep cultural significance for the Chinese people. Historically, it was used for jewelry, in religious ceremonies, culturally, monetarily, and was believed to hold great mystical and healing powers. Today, it’s still an important stone for the Chinese people, whether used in jewelry or in a traditional jade carving.

Its beauty is admired worldwide, and often jade appears without any link to China or its history at all, in jewelry and other mediums. While most people think all jade is green, that’s merely the most popular color. Jade actually comes in a variety of hues. The Chinese had several different stories about the origins of jade, with one of the most popular holding that when the Mongols invaded China, dragons cried for the people. Their tears became Chinese antique jade.

Jade was revered above all other stones and minerals in ancient times. It was given as an award for the winners of contests of skill, intelligence and strength. The nobility owned jade, and often carved seals and symbols were passed down through the ages, much like a crown or sceptre, as a sign of rank and honor. When someone died, jade might have been given to the grieving family and then placed in the tomb. It was a valuable stone for much more than its beauty. The Chinese people believed that there were certain qualities inherent in the stone that made it desirable. If you find Chinese antique jade, the story behind it, one you’ll likely never know, could be fascinating.

A truly ancient piece of jade could have been used in marriage, birth, death, fertility, healing or other ceremonies. It could have been an amulet used to bring luck, or keep bad luck away. It might have belonged to someone of high rank or great importance. Those who collect Chinese antique jade do so in part because of the rich history of the pieces, even if one can only guess at the true purpose of a piece. When you find a piece that speaks to you, whether anyone knows its history or not, then that’s the perfect piece for your collection.

Often you’ll find Chinese antique jade in the form of carvings. While there won’t be a date or any other outward sign of the actual age of a carving, most carvings were relatively small figures until the advent of Buddhism, when the carvings expanded in size a bit to encompass landscapes and larger scenes, including large statues of Buddha. Statues of dragons, flowers and animals were some of the most popular. If you find a rare antique jade that’s a creamy white color, it’s probably much older than the green jade.

When collecting Chinese antique jade, you may want to specialize in a particular type of jade, like carvings of a certain type, or pieces from a certain period. Places like eBay are great for looking at a variety of pieces, but find a knowledgeable dealer so you know you’re getting genuine jade.

Originally posted 2008-11-11 06:17:57. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Many ancient cultures have their own dragon myths, some that are traced back as far as 4000 BC, but the ancient Chinese believed that dragon statues represented a creature that symbolized strength and good fortune. Other cultures saw dragons as rather wicked and dangerous creatures intent on destruction, but the ancient Chinese saw dragons as symbols of creation, instead. They were revered as protectors of the sacred, able to fly on massive wings.

Where did the dragon stories come from, and how did every ancient culture come up with such a similar representation of the dragon, if they didn’t exist? Unlike today, when an image can be placed on TV and the Internet and half the world can see the same thing, communication was difficult among countries in ancient times. How could they all have claimed such similar stories? The stories might have been used to explain the discovery of dinosaur bones. These would have looked similar no matter where they were found, and can explain the similarity of the earliest dinosaur statues and other artwork depicting dinosaurs.

Dragons, particularly the sea dwelling variety, were fear and said to live at the edges of the sea, when the world was believed to be flat. And not only did adventurous sailors risk sailing off the edge, they risked being eaten by the dragons who lived on the fringes of the world. Ancient maps often said “Here be dragons” at the edges for that reason. These days, the only place you’re likely to encounter a sea monster dragon is in the many different types of dragon statues produced for lawn and garden, or as collectibles suitable for display.

Dragons appeared in Greek mythology, and were a common theme in fairy tales and myths. Who hasn’t heard the story of the young Prince set to slay the fire-breathing dragon to either discover a vast treasure or rescue the would-be-princess? Many cultures feared dragons, and their stories depicted dragons as creatures to be vanquished. But like ancient China, Rome believed dragons were wise and mysterious. Their dragon statues represented knowledge, strength and heroism, though a more sinister looking dragon often represented a threat.

Though dragons were depicted similarly throughout the world, Chinese dragon statues and the dragons of medieval times had marked differences. Chinese dragons often had very long bodies and squared heads that house their massive jaws. Medieval dragons were depicted as less lithe than Chinese dragons. They often had much wider bodies, more resembling some dinosaurs than the Chinese version, and were chunkier in general, with heads that more closely resembled serpents.

Collecting dragon statues today is a highly individual pursuit. Online auctions offer thousands of choices, so you can find something in your choice of materials and styles. Those looking for actual antique statues will have to ask many questions of the seller, as the word vintage is often used to describe the look of the statue, the type of dragon and reproduction, rather than its age or origin.

Originally posted 2008-10-19 14:00:55. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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