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Hello,

My dad have many pieces of Chinese porcelain which he believes to be the underglaze-blue Jingdezhen wares from the Vung Tau Wreck. My dad wants to sell them, so I'm helping him identify the genuine pieces and find estimated value. I am a newbie. So, it would be great if you can check out the photos I share on 4shared and give your opinion. Any comments are welcome.

Thanks!







Link :More photos of Vung Tau Porcelain

Hello Marisa,

I have my doubts if lidded jars with this shape belonged to the cargo of the Vung Tau. Maybe another reader, who has the cataloque or book, can confirm this. I followed your link and saw those vases with the so called canal houses decoration. These are Dutch canal houses and probably special ordered by a rich dutch family. So there is a big change that items with this decoration was only found on this wreck. The ones on the foto (also)don't fit with the ones I've seen from the Vung Tau.
All in one (see also my other post about the wine cup) I get the feeling that these " Vung Tau pieces" are fakes.
I hope I'm wrong and will be corrected by others if I am.

Regards,

Arjan

Thank you for your reply Arjan.

I have a book "Porcelain from the Vung Tau Wreck: The Hallstrom Excavation" and try to compare them with the pictures in this book.

The decoration seems to be similar i.e. the Dutch canal houses, the flowers. However, like you commented about the wine glass. The shape is not exactly the same as what was in Christie's auction in Amsterdam back in 2002.

My dad used to tell that the bottoms contains different marks which represent different makers/company. Would it be possible that making by different makers/company made the shape a bit different? Please correct if my dad and I am wrong.

Thanks!

Hello Marisa,

I don't expect that pieces with such a specific decoration were made at different kilns but if so you should be able to find that shapes and sizes in the book or cataloque.

Regards,

Arjan

Pieces of these patterns with a lot of sea staining & barnacles have been appearing in quantities for some time now. The style& quality of painting indicate they are copies put into the sea for a year or two to add authenticity. From the photos I am virtually certain the Canalhouse panel vases are copies and I would be very suspicious regarding authenticity of all. I don't think they are Vung Tau wreck or Kangxi period, though they have been produced to replicate several pieces recovered from the Vung Tau wreck & sold at Christies in 1992.

CJ comments pertinent about recent immersions. Those molluscs all just babies.

Good luck,
Cal

Thanks a lot for your comment CJ and Cal

IMO this piece is authentic. Of course nothing equals a direct examination, and the Chinese are very good at producing replicas, BUT...they found 48,000 pieces in that shipreck. The piece your father owns may have been diverted from the "official" catch...Even at Christies' they did auction only half of the trove. I bought myself some stuff in a stall at Phnom Penh market early 90's, small beakers reproduced in that book. It would be interesting to know how your father got it. It looks like a big piece, what is its size?

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