How To Identify Antique Chinese Pottery
There is something about the antique pottery and porcelain you get from China which makes it very appealing to collectors. If you are getting into antiques and love the pottery that comes from China, and want to add some to your collection, you will first need to understand what it is that you are buying. Below are some tips to help you educate yourself in this type of pottery so that you know what to look for and can add some beautiful pottery to your collection.
Read Lots Of Books
One of the best ways to understand Chinese antique pottery is to read as much as you can on the subject. There are websites that provide plenty of information on a wide variety of antiques, including Chinese porcelain, and they are an excellent source for knowledge. Do as much research as you can on the subject, and you will increase your knowledge and understand what you need to look for when you want to purchase an item.
Visit Lots Of Dealers & Antique Fairs
Another way that you can increase your knowledge is by visiting antique dealers and antique fairs where you can physically look at lots of items and handle them. When you are at an antique fair of visiting a dealer, you can also ask a lot of questions which can also help to increase your knowledge of Chinese antique porcelain and pottery.
Look At Online Dealers
As well as visiting dealers and fairs to look at antiques, you will also find plenty of websites that are packed full of antiques, including porcelain from China. You can again ask lots of questions about individual pieces and gain knowledge about them from online dealers, and many of these websites will have Chinese porcelain and pottery antiques for sale UK wide.
Purchase What You Love
Ultimately, you will want to purchase items that you like, and if you like something, no matter what the provenance, you may wish to buy it. However, you will also want to ensure that you do not overpay for it, even if you love it, and if someone is selling antique pottery that it is not what they say it is but you love it, you will need to negotiate the price.
Understanding The Value
You will need to gain knowledge of the value of Chinese pottery that is antique and understand the market. The higher demand for a style of item, the higher the price will be, and if the market is starting to sag, prices will also go down.
Know The Different Glazes
There are thousands of years of history in China, and it is also a vast country that has been making a lot of pottery. There are different glazes, and types of kilns used to make the pottery and to understand these will help you to identify antique porcelain and pottery, and where in the country it came from and from what period.
With some time to educate yourself and experience of talking to lots of different dealers and collectors, you can be in a position to identify and purchase genuine Chinese antique pottery and porcelain.