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Dec 06, 2011
 rust spots
by: Anonymous

you didnt address the matter of the rust spots which I understand indicate great age?.


Answer:
I cannot see any rust spots. Such spots are usually larger. What is seen in the last two pictures are not rust spots. They look like glaze contractions. If they look brown or are dark in color, this is because they have dirt in them. With the proper cleaning methods the dirt can usually be removed.

Anyway, even if there WERE rust spots, you cannot use one positive age factor to conclude age. In an overall evaluation ALL factors need to be right. One single negative factor means the item is not antique.
With this item this negative factor is the painting style, which is later in the 20th century.

FYI, rust spots take about 100 years to develop. But, old blanks were sometimes used to paint a decorations at a later time. You cannot use rust spots alone to judge an items age. Always check all age factors.

Peter
May 16, 2010
 vase age
by: peter

Michael,
Thanks for uploading all the details. Unforunately, they do only confirm what I already suspected.

First, the hairdo of the ladies is NOT possible in any antique Chinese porcelain. The hair was never painted that way until well into the 20th century. You will find that the eyes are also painted in a more western style, only available on newer ceramics. And, the gilt seems to have a reddish hue. Gilt was always yellow on Chinese ceramics until the 20th century.

Glaze contractions:
I will add some more detailed explanation to the glaze contractions on this website.
While glaze contractions can be considered age characteristics, the reason for their existence is also the reason that some do exist in some newer porcelain, while there are less in procelain of the Qianlong reign. Thus, you cannot depend on the contractions you kindly pointed out.

Their cause is an unclean environment in kilns of old. Foreign matter adhering to the clay body evaporated during firing leaving a place with little or no glaze. With very early kilns the environment wasn't well controlled yet, so they had many glaze contractions. And, it follows that glaze contracts can be a sign of age ("can" be, but not necessarily are).
During the Qianlong period porcelains have often no or exceptionally few glaze contractions due to good environment control during that period. But there was a deterioriation of quality later on, and some end of 19th and 20th century porcelains have many glaze contractions because of a poor kiln environment.

Your vase is a very clear case, not much room for error I'm afraid. It is always necessary to all to conclude age.
At the most this vase can be considered vintage.

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