All About Antiques

Yixing teapots: how to identify genuine purple-clay (zisha) pots, read maker’s seals, and understand their value.

To tell a high-quality antique cameo, hold it to the light to check the material. Shell cameos are semi-transparent and warm to the touch, while hardstone cameos (like agate) are opaque, heavy, and cold. True value lies in the crispness of the carving, the subject’s rarity, and the piece’s condition. Imagine you are at a…

Chinese reign marks explained: how to read six-character Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong and Guangxu (大清光绪年造) marks, plus a chart of all nine Qing reigns.

Authentic Japanese okimono carvings can be identified by the material’s weight and grain structure, the presence of an engraved artist signature (often in a red lacquer reserve), and the intricate details carved into the base. Genuine ivory shows characteristic Schreger lines (cross-hatching) under magnification, while bone exhibits tiny black pits (Haversian canals), and wood pieces…