Friday, December 30, 2011

All About Collecting Chinese Antiques

Possessing Chinese antiques is a great way to enlarge your antique collection. Some unique Chinese antiques that can be your prized possessions are:-

Pendants

Pendants are among one of the Chinese antiques that are extraordinary. You will find some beautifully undercut pendants with the same kind of intricate carvings that you will find in snuff bottles. Another good thing is that the pendants may not cost you much. If you are lucky you may discover some very rare beauties as well.

Snuff Bottles

The Chinese snuff boxes are unique masterpieces with beautifully carved designs. The snuff bottles which were used to store snuff now are considered as invaluable pieces of art and are in high demand. The snuff bottles are made up of different materials like jade, ivory, wood, glass, metal, ceramic, porcelain and tortoiseshells. The unique feature of these snuff bottles is the exquisite paintings and calligraphy is done in the inside of the bottles

Jade

Any Chinese item made of jade like snuff bottles and pendants are costlier than large jade carvings because of the amount of effort that is put in to create these articles. You will be astonished by the innumerable jade carvings that you can find such as sculptures of animals, bowls, figures, screens, boxes and boulder carvings. Some items will leave you wonderstruck such as vases that have lids attached by chains which may have several links and all these are carved out of a single piece of rock. Jade is a very difficult material to work with. Thus these jade carvings are truly remarkable and deserving pieces of Chinese antiques.

Chinese Cinnabar Lacquerware

When an item is coated with lacquer they are referred to as lacquerware. The lacquer is a product of a tree that gives a long lasting finish and does not get spoilt by water, acid or scratches. The art of lacquerware is an age old tradition in Chinese history. The Chinese added a red color pigment called Cinnabar to the lacquer for coating the items That is how the name Chinese Cinnabar lacquerware came into being. You may not often find these unique Chinese antiques displayed regularly because they react negatively to light which can cause the browning of the item.

It is said that 500 coats of lacquer are applied depending on the size of the item and the artwork that would be done. Only after the first coat gets dried the second coat is applied and it may take several years to get the required coats. After the object is duly coated the artisan carves intricate designs on them and since lacquer is hard it requires sharp tools and high proficiency. Sometimes there are different colored layers of lacquer and the artisan has to display his carving skills to make the contrasting colors visible. The ancient cinnabar lacquerware consisted of any type and size of object but in modern days the items that you will find are small boxes, plates, trays, beaded jewelry and other smaller objects.

Antiques Businesses Are Becoming Very Popular

If you are deciding to become an antique dealer keep in mind that you will be meeting many different type of people, each of these people you meet have a different role in antique dealings. Many people are now finding antiques as a great way of making their rooms look that little bit more special. When it comes to antiques many people have their own agenda, many people prefer clocks, porcelain, furniture or jewelry.

Next look to make sure that you can afford to purchase items in your chosen item, you may be fascinated say by rare art, but unfortunately it may be unaffordable. Purchasing antiques usually involves money; lots of money, gathering the proper information can help with the purchase process and avoid being fooled or making mistakes. Knowing the how to speak "antique" or knowing the proper terminology and doing the proper research will help in determining what to look for and what to buy, it will also help in knowing how much the items are worth so you don't overpay for the item.

In today's world antiques have become big business for many people, finding that piece that was created many years ago and selling it for 3 to 4 times its value is a great way to make money. If you compare the same items today with those that were created years ago it is amazing how the older items are made incredibly well plus they fetch more money on the market.

To find old pieces of furniture you need to look in the following places, outhouses, attics or cellars, many people stored their valuable items in these places. Furniture began to bear designs such as pagodas and birds, originally only seen on items of porcelain. Antique furniture that has been covered with a finish that is long lasting will look better plus fetch a higher price. But, over time and with polishing, oak darkens into a rich brown color. Until the middle of the 17th Century, furniture was fairly simple, made of oak with peg joints.

Place your collection on display or will then be kept in a safe place. For some who have inherited a lovely collection of heirlooms, yet do not have any idea of how to look after them or even keeping up with the collection they already have as well as they should.

It's the fluctuations in relative humidity caused by central heating that results in real damage. Consider installing a humidifier on your furnace to raise the humidity levels in winter and run a dehumidifier during the summer months. With wood antiques, you want the humidity to be as stable as possible. To take care of the antique furniture you will need to wax the pieces with bees wax, do not store the furniture in damp, bright rooms, and make sure the furniture is not in a place that the temperatures fluctuate because this may damage the wood.

There are many benefits when selling on an online Antique mall. You want to sell your antiques or collectibles online be careful and research the proper way to do this. One of the most popular places where people from all over the country display and have their antiques appraised is at the Antiques Roadshow.