Japanese art is a type of art that has a very distinctive look. If a painting, a vase, a sculpture or some other type of art is Japanese, particularly if it’s antique art, it usually only takes a quick look for you to recognize the art’s origin. Just as every culture has its own specific properties, the artwork of Japan will always have certain traits in common, no matter what kind of media the artist used to express himself.

Some of the most popular pieces of antique Japanese art are, of course, the paintings. Scroll paintings are distinctively Asian, and come in many sizes and levels of detail. Authentic scroll paintings only dating back as far as the early 20th century cost as little as $200, but some Zen scroll paintings from that period that bear the artists name as well as the temple, and are in excellent condition, can be worth as much as a few thousand dollars.

Another popular type of antique Japanese art is porcelain. Early 20th century porcelain pieces are generally going to cost at least a few hundred dollars, provided they’re in good condition. Vases from the 19th century will generally cost at least that much, if not more. Japanese carvings like those on top of wooden treasure boxes can be worth thousands of dollars. Most likely, though, the exact year of manufacture isn’t known, and they’re more reasonably prices.

Japanese art is full of renderings of Buddha, so many antique pieces feature him in paintings, carvings, or stand-alone statues. These can be valuable, particularly if they’re carved of ivory or stone, and are more than 100 years old. Japanese decorative bronze work is a popular type of antique, too, as they often added detailed embellishments to things like bronze vases or chests.
Most Japanese artwork is easily recognized because of the brush strokes and the subject matter. Landscapes are popular, often featuring cherry blossoms and lots of trees. Wildlife is a popular subject in Japanese art, with cranes being a popular bird. And let’s not forget dragons. Dragons have an important place in Japanese mythology and culture, and are often depicted looking like serpents. Unlike the negative view much of the world holds against serpents, the Japanese thought serpents and dragons to be good luck, and very valuable.

When you’re shopping for antique Japanese art, if a piece you love is out of your price range, you can usually find reproductions of most anything for a more reasonable price. Nothing beats the authentic piece, though, so make sure that the seller is knowledgeable about the piece and Japanese art in general. Unfortunately with many pieces of art, especially paintings, the only way to determine if you’re getting a fair price is to have the item appraised. You might want a piece for its beauty, but be prepared to have it appraised eventually. Many sellers don’t even know the true value of the pieces they have up for auction, so look for similar items online and compare the prices.

Originally posted 2008-12-05 14:00:24. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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