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Is Yongzheng vase authentic ,.. ?

by David Mowder
(Canada)

I have this small 6 " Chinese vase with the Yongzheng 6 character mark on the bottom, and I was wondering if it is from the period or if it was made later as a copy. I've seen other real Yongzheng period vases on the internet with the same markings, and sometimes they don't even look that old, but they are the real thing. How do you tell the difference ?

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further info,..
by: David

The white spots on the blue ring are reflections,..these pics were not taken in adequate
lighting.
yongzheng vase
by: peter

>...sometimes they don't even look that old, but >they are the real thing. How do you tell the >difference ?
Well, sometimes it is very difficult or even impossible to tell for sure, if it is a good fake or authentic. Some imperial items look new, and some have never been used. In addition to that, some museums also sell reproductions of their collection items. For this reason, it is always recommended to ask for a second opinion, especially if an item resemb es the real thing and shows nothing that points to a copy. Apart from visual inspection the weight, feel and ring can also provide clues. A magnifier also can help. Inspection via images only is sometimes not decisive to whether an item is authentic or not.


Anyway, here the mark would be right for Yongzheng imperial, but these were also copied on later porcelain.
Close-up images with good resolution might allow better evaluation of the item itself.
The bottom and foot rim, and any blemishes or age signs would be very important, also the inside of the mouth and a close view of the decoration (partial).
These pictures should be taken under natural light to allow for real colors. Therefore it is suggested to take them near a window, in daylight.

In the current picture, the double ring around the mark looks as if there are white spots on the blue ring. Is this a reflection or are there really intermittent breaks in the blue color of the ring?

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