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Collecting Antique Chinese Porcelain

Welcome to the beauty of Chinese ceramics


This site is an introduction to antique Chinese porcelain and ceramics, including some tips for collecting Chinese antiques in general.

Establishing a collection of Chinese antiques requires not only knowledge specific to the antique, but it makes it also necessary to learn a lot of peripheral knowledge and the ability to recognize fakes. This is especially true with porcelain. There seems to be always much more to learn when it comes to antique Chinese porcelain.

Porcelain BuddhaActually, the better we understand the issues involved the more we realize how much more knowledge antique porcelain made in China requires.
Even expert collectors of Chinese ceramics are often only specialized on ceramics produced during a few dynasties.

These pages shall provide tips and information to the beginning collector of antique Chinese porcelain.
The site will also provide some information regarding the identification of Chinese characters found in antique porcelain marks. Authenticity problems associated with porcelain and pottery from China require the attention of both, the new and the experienced collector.
Some light will be shed on Chinese commercial practices as compared to western purchasing attitudes, and why fakes are proliferating.


First things first:

What do we define as antique porcelain?


Our definition follows to some extent customary practice here where we live:
(1) An antique must show porcelain age signs.
(2) It must originate either in the early republic, Qing or Ming dynasties, or earlier.
The question is what is considered "early republic" period? We usually consider anything made after the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) during the 1910s or 20s as early republic, thus for us it ends 1930. Anything produced later is qualified as "vintage".

This site is concerns itself with antique hand painted china porcelain. Printed porcelain or transferware is not included.


Qianlong willow plate








What is the difference between Porcelain and Pottery?

Many people do not clearly understand the difference between porcelain and pottery. This is especially often the case in the land and language where porcelain first was produced. In Chinese often any type of glazed ceramics is called "porcelain". Click here to see a definition.

For any unknown terms, please refer to the glossary of Chinese porcelain terms.





Table of Contents

Chinese Porcelain Marks Book
Chinese Porcelain Marks Book With LARGE Number of Chinese Marks to Hit Bookshelves!

China Antiques Blog - Mark and Identification Queries
China Antiques Blog for Mark and Identification Queries by Visitors to chinese-antique-porcelain.com

Chinese Porcelain Glossary
Chinese porcelain glossary containing must-know porcelain terms and related Chinese language terms

Antique Porcelain Marks and Pottery Marks
Antique porcelain marks and pottery marks on Chinese ceramics, their value and use for dating porcelain

Antique Porcelain Authentication
Antique porcelain authentication for China ceramics

Scientific authentication of antique ceramics using spectrometry
What you should know about scientific authentication of Chinese ceramics, spectrometry and thermoluminescence analysis

Antique Appraisal and Valuation
An antique appraisal or valuation can help the collector with new information on his collectibles

Porcelain age signs
Porcelain age signs indicative of the age of china porcelain and ceramics

Buying Antique Porcelain
Buying antique porcelain made in China requires some prior research to avoid buying fake porcelain

Antique Chinese Porcelain - Buying Tips
Guide to antique Chinese porcelain buying - what to consider when purchasing china and glazed pottery

China export restrictions of cultural objects
China export restrictions on cultural objects and craft and art objects

Buying Antiques Online
Buying Antiques Online, online auctions, antique buying online, customs duty

Antique Porcelain Reproductions
Antique porcelain reproductions and fakes of antique Chinese ceramics made in China

Fake antique porcelain
What you must know about fake antique porcelain from China. Fake antiques are flooding the antique markets

Porcelain Age Faking Methods
What you must know about porcelain age faking methods of china, and how to avoid buying a fake

Fake Antiques and the Buyer
Fake antiques from China flooding the antique markets

Fake Antique Trade and Porcelain
What you must know about the fake antique trade

Kiln Firing Faults of Antique Chinese Ceramics
Kiln firing faults as found in Chinese porcelain and other ceramics

Ancient China Trade - Trade routes in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries
Europe's ancient China trade picked up during the 17th and 18th centuries when the demand for porcelain, silk, tea increased considerably

Shipwreck Ceramics and the Ancient China Trade
Ancient shipwreck ceramics explain trading relations in Southeast Asia

Chinese Export Porcelain and Decorative Styles
Chinese export porcelain and other decoration styles

Chinese Art and Craft Motifs
Art and craft motifs used in Chinese porcelain decoration

Dated Porcelain
Dated porcelain is mostly having its source in the later 19th century

Chinese Culture and the Role of the Chinese Calendar
Chinese Culture and the role of the Chinese calendar in traditional society

Chinese 60 Year Cyclic Calendar
The Chinese calendar used in dated ceramics is the 60 year cyclic calendar

China History Timeline
Chronological China history timeline with dynasty names and reign names of Ming and Qing emperors

Chinese Emperors of the Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty
Chinese emperors reign names, Ming and Qing dynasty reign names

Chinese Calendar and Year Notation
The Chinese calendar and year notations used in China

Chinese Language Reign Names
Chinese language reign names of the Ming and Qing dynasty emperors

Novice Collector of Chinese Porcelain
Tips for the novice collector of Chinese porcelain

Identifying Chinese Porcelain and China Pottery
Identifying Chinese porcelain, the process used for visual identification of Chinese ceramics

Porcelain Repair and Restoration
Porcelain repair and restoration is more than just sticking broken pieces together

Porcelain Collections Around the World
Major Chinese Porcelain Collections of the World

Ancient Chinese Kilns
Ancient Chinese Kilns listed in relation to location

Chinese Porcelain Making in Pictures
Chinese porcelain making process in pictures

Antique China Categories
Antique china categories used in China for porcelain

Pottery and Porcelain - China Porcelain and Old Time Pottery
Pottery and porcelain of China -- the difference between old time pottery and porcelain

Chinese Porcelain Figurines
Chinese porcelain figurines and their use in China's culture

Yixing Pottery and Tea Wares
Yixing pottery or zisha clay used in tea wares

Baba Nyonya Peranakan Porcelain and Antiques
Nyonya or Peranakan porcelain is a colorful export porcelain made specifically for Peranakans

Image Gallery
Image Gallery

Antique Porcelain Gallery - Images
Sample Chinese antique porcelain gallery - pictures of export and minyao porcelain

Sites Worth Visiting
Sites worth visiting related to ceramics, antiques or Chinese culture

China Antiques News
Your News Headlines with China Antiques News and Information

Chinese Antiques Search
Chinese antiques search, appraisals search

Sitemap
Visitor Sitemap

Blog Sitemap
Blog Sitemap for Chinese-Antique-Porcelain.com

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Identifying Antiques -- Porcelain and Pottery
Identifying antiques made in China - Chinese porcelain and pottery





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