Resources for Dealers and Collectors of Asian Art

Identification of Asian Art. Translation of Chinese and Japanese Porcelain Marks

Do you need help with identification of your antique or vintage Asian items? Own a piece of antique Chinese or Japanese porcelain and want to know who made it and what it might be worth? Have you spotted something at auction that you are not sure about?

We will help you identify your item or any unknown Chinese and Japanese porcelain marks, as well as signatures on other objects such as antique bronzes or carvings. We can tell you approximate age of your item, its value, and show you examples of similar recently sold objects.

Chinese Porcelain Marks Identification Guide

This page lists Chinese porcelain reign marks and seal marks of Qing and Ming Dynasty Emperors. Simple guide explains how to read these Chinese marks and meanings of the symbols surrounding the Emperor’s name. Link under each reign mark contains examples of mark and period pieces for reference. You can also find complete lists of Chinese Ming and Qing dynasty emperors here.

Japanese Porcelain Marks Identification Guide

Another great resource page with many maker’s marks found on antique Japanese porcelain and ceramic objects including Arita porcelain, Banko pottery, Kutani porcelain, Nabeshima porcelain, Seto porcelain, Satsuma pottery, Sumida pottery and others. Link under each maker’s mark contains examples of works by that individual potter or a studio. This page is regularly updated and new porcelain marks added each month.

Other Japanese Marks and Signatures

This page lists some of the marks and signatures found on antique or vintage Japanese bronzes, cloisonné, woodblock prints, paintings and other non-ceramic objects. For identification of marks on Japanese porcelain and pottery visit our Japanese Porcelain Marks Identification Guide.

Chinese Export Silver Marks Identification Guide

This glossary lists some of the most common marks of artisan and retail silversmiths found on antique Chinese export silver. Identification of Chinese silver marks can often prove to be a tedious task so we’ve created this simple, condensed list of names, marks, dates and locations to make your initial research slightly easier.

How to Date Chinese Porcelain By The Foot Rims

Foot rims of Chinese porcelain items could be a very helpful tool when trying to determine whether they are genuine antiques or just one of many modern reproductions that are flooding the market at the moment. When you recognize the trends and forms used during certain periods and dynasties, it is usually quite easy to spot when there is something obviously ‘wrong’ with the piece. However, it’s not always easy to spot a fake based on the foot rim alone and so it is always important to take into consideration all elements of your item when trying to determine its age – material, form, glaze, enamels, firing imperfections, style of the decoration, surface wear, similar known examples etc.

Asian Art Curator – Latest eBay Auctions

Regularly updated list of specially selected Asian art auctions currently listed on eBay. Featured Chinese, Japanese and other Asian antiques that caught our eye. This page also includes various other resources for eBay buyers such as list of recommeded sellers, useful saved searches of objects in Asian/Oriental antiques category and special searches for misspelled listings that are otherwise very difficult to find. See what’s selling on eBay this week and grab a bargain!

Chinese ‘Clobbered’ Porcelain Decorated in Europe

Clobbered porcelain or porcelain with later polychrome overglaze decoration done in Europe is a fascinating sub-category of antique Chinese export porcelain. What started as a simple addition of gilt borders, spouts or handles later evolved into more elaborate patterns such as Dutch decorated ‘Amsterdam bont’ porcelain imitating Imari palette, and even more colourful English pieces – with bright green, yellow or purple enamels – produced in the early 19th century.

Antique European ceramics inspired by Chinese and Japanese porcelain

This post is dedicated to European ceramics inspired by antique Chinese and Japanese porcelain or other Oriental objects. Europe has a long history of trade with these countries so it is not surprising that many European potters were inspired by their designs and attempted to recreate them in order to capitalize on their popularity. All objects pictured below are from our own collection (some already sold). We will keep updating this page as we come across any additional examples of European ‘Chinoiserie’ or ‘Japanesque’ ceramics influenced by Oriental designs.

Asian Art Price Guide – Recent Auction Results for Chinese and Japanese Antiques

This is a complete list of Asian art price guides on our website that feature some of the most recent auction results for selected categories of Chinese and Japanese antiques. You can access each individual list of guide prices by clicking the title or the ‘view all’ button below. All pages are updated on a regular basis to reflect latest market trends.

Terminology of Asian Art

This glossary lists some of the most commonly used terms that you will come across as a dealer and collector of Asian Art. Included are Chinese and Japanese terms for objects and art techniques, words taken from Buddhism and Daoism, special porcelain and ceramic terminology, as well as some English phrases related to ceramics or Asian Arts in general. We hope that this simple glossary will help collectors, students and anyone else with newly found appreciation for Chinese and Japanese art.

Chinese Archaic Bronze Forms

This reference page lists some of the most popular Chinese archaic bronze forms of the Shang and Zhou dynasties. Many of these bronze forms are based on earlier ancient ceramic examples and were also reproduced in later periods in other materials including porcelain and cloisonné. Illustrations on this page show only general shapes of vessels and omit the decoration. Most commonly found decorative motif on Shang and Zhou ritual bronze vessels is animal-like ‘taotie’ mask with large bulging eyes and curved horns. This list is by no means complete and includes only some of the most commonly used bronze forms of the Shang and Zhou dynasties.

How to Date Antique Chinese Cloisonné – Ming and Early Qing Dynasty

Dating antique Chinese cloisonné can often be a challenging task, as it is not always easy to determine the age of a piece based on its appearance alone. However, there are a few key characteristics that can help narrow down the age of a cloisonné piece. One of the most important factors in dating antique Chinese cloisonné is the style. Generally speaking, cloisonné from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) tends to have a more formal, classical style, while cloisonné from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) is often more decorative and ornate.

Unusual Chinese Export Porcelain in Japanese Kutani Style

Did you know that Chinese made copies of Japanese Kutani porcelain in the late 19th century? Me neither. After acquiring a unique Chinese dish decorated in typical Kutani style – complete with mock Kutani mark! – I was curious to learn more. However, sifting through literature and searching online didn’t help – there appears to be no mention of these anywhere. One of the curators at V&A told us that they remember Rupert Faulkner, their retired Senior Curator of Japanese Art, mentioning Chinese copies of 19th century Japanese export ceramics in a conversation some years ago. This anecdotal evidence was all I had at this point.

Free Appraisals of Antiques and Asian Art

We offer free online valuations of Asian art and antiques. Find out what are your antiques worth – get your free appraisal by contacting us today!

FREE APPRAISAL – RECEIVE AUCTION ESTIMATE ONLY

1. Provide a brief description of your item – include any information that can help with its identification and appraisal such as dimensions, known history and condition. Press Submit.

2. You will receive confirmation email and can send photos of your item as a reply to this email (attach at least 2-3 clear shots of your item).

We will examine your submission and get back to you within 48 hours.

Reference Archive of Our Photographs

This is our extensive photo archive that includes high resolution photos of items currently in our collection and items that we’ve handled in the past. Each object is identified and includes a short description. Objects are photographed from various angles and you can use these photos for reference, for example to compare and identify foot rims on Chinese porcelain or to zoom in on characteristic features of various types of glazes and overglaze enamels. We update this archive on a regular basis. All royalty free images are licensed through Alamy Ltd.