Chinese Art

I just read long discussion of collecting Chinese antiques. It was excellent. I have studied Chinese art for more than 30 years and looked at museum collections from coast to coast. To the above mentioned discussion, I add, the Chinese have been reproducing old porcelain and other items for literally thousands of years gepleted with old chop marks. Don't forget the old but true statement: "the last place to look when evaluating Chinese porcelain is on the bottom." The nice blue reign marks do not indicate very much, if anything. Currently, the Chinese are making porcelain items using the old kilns, the same clays and decorations as during the Qing and Ming dynasty. Even with my 30 years of experience, I will not buy a piece of Chinese porcelain without having it in my hands. And my odds on being correct are less than 80 percent.Ivory is a little easier to tell. One of my rules is never buy a stained/painted piece. You cannot see the very slow changes in patination that results from aging.