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Subject:This Is NOT Nephrite Jade
Posted By: Jac Tue, Mar 18, 2014 IP: 218.212.242.167

This is not nephrite jade. No scratch test required.

What is it? I don't know.

Soapstone, perhaps?

Sharper pictures:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/k1f1pim4ta29bjf/um5oNgMZdM








Link :Soapstone??


Subject:Re: This Is NOT Nephrite Jade
Posted By: Ernest Wilhelm Wed, Mar 19, 2014

Soapstone, or a soft Serpentine, artificially coloured,nicely done.
Ernest

Subject:3 Artificially Coloured Nephrite Jade
Posted By: Jac Sat, Mar 22, 2014

All 3 pieces purchased recently, this year.

Top piece, diameter 5cm, purchased for S$20, for my research. My wife likes it. I don't. Looked horrible to my eyes.

Middle piece, length 5cm, S$50. My wife doesn't like it. I like it, a lot. We have different tastes.

Bottom piece, diameter 5.5cm, S$60. My wife likes it. So do I.

What's my point? People have different tastes for jades?









Subject:Re: 3 Artificially Coloured Nephrite Jade
Posted By: Dave Sun, Mar 23, 2014

Read more and learn the correct knowledge in differentiating good stuff from junk.

Subject:Re: 3 Artificially Coloured Nephrite Jade
Posted By: Jac Mon, Mar 24, 2014

The really good stuff sells for a million pounds an inch:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2146064/Jade-seal-belonging-Chinese-emperor-250-years-ago-sells-3-4m-auction-London.html

I am a middle class jade collector with limited funds to spend on jades. The most that I have paid for a single jade carving is S$8K.

Perhaps you should start a thread and show us what good stuff you have collected.

Show us your dangling dragon, if you have one.








URL Title :Jade seal belonging to Chinese emperor 250 years ago sells for £3.4m at auction in London


Subject:Methods of Imitating Ancient Jade Objects
Posted By: Jac Mon, Mar 24, 2014

The following are commonly seen methods of making imitations after ancient objects:

Acid etching. Jade is soaked in the solution of hydrofluoric acid, nitric acid, sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid, and then it is heated and dyed, chrysoidine used for red, potassium permanganate for yellow, and mercuric sulfide for black. The effect varies with the proportion of acid, time of soaking and ingredients. Finally, the jade is coated with tooth and bone powder, epoxy resin (phosphorus benzene diformate acid, DBP and ethylenediamine) or crystal clear lacquer, and then is polished to produce a glass luster.

Burning. Jade is coated with sodium hydroxide and wrapped up with calcium oxide (lime), and then is smoldered in sawdust for two days. It becomes chicken bone white when it is taken out. If it is dipped into cold water while it is hot, it will acquire ox-hair patterns; if potassium permanganate is added to the cold water, the jade will acquire blood-red ox-hair patterns. If dyeing is needed, the jade is dipped into the dye while it is hot (300 degrees Celsius). Finally, it is polished with lard on abrasive paper.

Baking. An imitation is degreased through alkaline water boiling, prune water boiling, acid etching or alkaline etching. Then it is coated with organic or inorganic dye or pigment and baked over an electric stove or coal stove, or in a baking oven to bake the color into the interior of the jade. Blend colors are mainly used for imitations of this kind, for example, the use of shoe polish for black, brown sugar for red, and curcuma longae or dragon's blood for yellow brown.

High pressure. After jade is polished, mercuric sulfide (black) or ferric chloride (yellow) is applied to parts of the jade to be dyed and is wrapped up with a mixture of certain proportions of sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate and sodium silicate, together with lard. Then, it is put in a closed stainless autoclave with high pressure (80 to 120 atmospheric pressures) and high temperature (160 to 200 degrees Celsius) for four days. Finally, it is taken out of the autoclave, blown dry with hot carbon dioxide wind and reduced with sulfuric acid. In this way, the jade surface is grayish white, glass-like glossy and lustrous.

Smoking. Imitations are made by means of smoking, in the same way as white walls are smoked dark and grey. The main colors are yellow, brown and black to give the wrong impression that the new jade is age-old. The jade can be smoked in a kiln or an oven with smoke from firewood and oil, and the time of smoking varies. After the smoking is done, the jade is cleaned and the soot is wiped up. The smoke, oil and other impurities in the fissures of the jade and the grinding slits on its surface, together with the yellowish color of the surface, give the impression that this imitation is an ancient object.

Frying. In this method, oil is heated till it gives off smoke, and then an imitated jade at normal temperature or one just out of an refrigerator is quickly put into the hot oil. The oil seeps into the jade through the fissures and the jade takes on the color of the oil. This method can also be used to make oxhair imitations. The oil can be either colored, such as soybean oil and cottonseed oil, or colorless, such as walnut oil and hair oil. Colorants can be added to colorless oil.

Boiling. Jade is boiled for a long period of time in stale water or in water with various pigments, so that the jade will take on the color of the dirt in the water.

Mottling. An imitated jade is heated to 300 degrees Celsius, a pigment is dripped onto the hot jade with a dropper and mottles form on the jade. Hematic mottles can be formed if potassium permanganate is dripped.

Clay coating. Clay is made into mud and coated onto the jade. When the mud is dry, the fluid mud on the surface of the jade is wiped off and some is left in the fissures, so that the jade looks like an unearthed object.

Imitations after ancient objects can be made in kilns, baking ovens, microwave ovens, coal stoves, electric stoves and firewood stoves, and auxiliary materials include dried apricot, prune, curcuma longae, dragon’s blood, grass paperboard, castor oil, sawdust, shoe polish, asphalt, brown sugar, spice, carrion, various kinds of acid and alkaline salt, organic paints and pigments,etc.

If one has a good understanding of the features and methods of counterfeiting imitations in all ages, especially those of modern imitations, and has the ability to make judgments on imitated jadewares, he will be able to avoid failures on the jadeware market. This is an indispensable accomplishment for jadeware collectors.
--------------------------------------------------------------

The information above iis taken from an extract from the book published in 2012 (courtesy of zengshu.hanban.org):

Jade Ware - Highlights Of Auctioned Chinese Antiques

WRITTEN BY : Yu Yanjiao
TRANSLATED BY : Zuo Quanwen, Zhou Jian, Zhao Yahui


Subject:Re: Methods of Imitating Ancient Jade Objects
Posted By: Super Sun, Mar 30, 2014

Please DO NOT believe in everything you read about how to make imitation jades especially those come from Chinese sources, some can be real and some are just imaginations or heresays. The important part is to learn how to tell they are fakes and which were made artificially. Of course, this is easily said than done because even the Emperor Qianlong who had so many wonderful archaic jades were fooled by some of the well made jade fakes. Furthermore, just because one has a limited budget does not necessarily mean one cannot obtain some decent jade carvings and just because you can obtain some "Hongshan" jades cheap or some cheap jade junks do not means you are necessarily doing great. Those pieces you show here simply do not have any collector's values. One or two of the Hongshan style pieces you posted previously were actually made of pretty good jade material even though they may not be authentic. Of course, if you are just buying jades for fun, that is all right to do whatever will please you since it is your money after all. My friend had spent about 25k US money buying Neolithic (Hongshan, Lianzhu) and archaic jades from eBay that he valued at 500K US dollars and he is very happy. He even loaned it to the art centers of his city and local university for exhibitions, inviting tons of people to view them. He even wrote a book with his jade collection in it and offered the book for sales at Amazon.com. These days, anybody can publish electronic books easily. He never spend that much money in buying jade reference books written by reputable jade scholars though. I guess his jade knowledge come solely from his collecting experience and internet. He truly believes in his expertise in jade and I will not be the one to burst his bubble.

Subject:Re: Methods of Imitating Ancient Jade Objects
Posted By: Jac Mon, Mar 31, 2014

Hi Super,

Thanks for you advice. I will NOT believe everything I read and I will continue to learn how to spot the fakes.

I buy jades for fun and also because I enjoy looking at them and caressing them. Over the last 20+ years I have spent four times more than your friend on jades. All the jades that I own have ZERO collector value as I treat my jade purchases as expenses, not investment.

I remember paying S$1.5K for a Hongshan Culture C shaped dragon and S$1K for 2 pieces, in the early 1990s. My friend told me that amount of money can buy an apartment in Shanghai at that time. I don't know, as I have never been to Shanghai or China, in the early 1990s. Where did you get the impression that I obtained my Hongshan Culture jades cheap?

I posted the prices of the pieces I showed here because I believed it would be more meaningful to the reader if a piece has a dimension and price paid. Use the price that I paid to drive a better bargain for a similar piece or just laugh at the high price that I pay for a piece of junk.

On the subject of authenticity, I choose not to argue with your beliefs. Can you ever own a genuine piece of Hongshan Culture artifact if you do not know how to spot the genuine ones? For every genuine piece of Hongshan Culture artifact unearthed from controlled documented excavation, there may be 9 equally genuine ones in the hands of private collectors.

I have a stunning sculpture of a Hongshan Culture goddess of fertility, made of the best quality jade. Genuine one, to those who know how to spot the real ones. Used to belong to one of my jade runners. His prized possession which he said he had to sell to me during the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s. If I choose not to show it, you and all the other armchair critics would have nothing to say but then the world would never know what masterpieces the Hongshan Culture people has created but lost through illegal excavations.

Subject:Spending more than US$ 100,000 on junks?
Posted By: Super Mon, Apr 07, 2014

You said, "I buy jades for fun and also because I enjoy looking at them and caressing them. Over the last 20+ years I have spent four times more than your friend on jades. All the jades that I own have ZERO collector value as I treat my jade purchases as expenses, not investment."

My friend had spent at least US$ 25,000 on his so called "Neolithic/archaic" jade collection on eBay and you said you spent 4 times more than him, that means you had spent more than US$ 100,000 or S $ 126,000 in buying junks. Please understand that it is not my intention to show disrespect to your jade collection but it was you yourself who said your jades had no collectors' values.

I do not know if I should applaud your love for jade or envy your ability in dumping US $ 100,000 in buying jades that had no collector's values.

The things that puzzled me the most though are:
(1) If you truly love something and start collecting them, whether they are jade, ceramic, coins, won't you want to learn as much about what you collect and build up your knowledge so you can build a collection you can be proud of?

Without buying any reputable jade books or studying with any Hongshan gurus in China with known excavated Hongshan jades, how can you learn anything about Hongshan jades and just based on what your dealers/buyers/sellers in China told you and from what you could find on internet, do you truly believe you can learn anything about Hongshan jades?

(2)Without studying or testing any of your jades, how in the world can you even know for certain what type of material your jades with no collectors' values were made of or what considered as "best quality jade" (like your Hongshan goddess of fertility.) Again, no pun intended but I will post a separate a message regarding your "nephrite" cong piece below to show you what I meant.

Again, you did have the right to do whatever pleased you with your money. I just wonder what happened to the multi-million US dollar one Texas oil guru spend on his fake "Hongshan" jade collection in the 1990s. Wrote off as a bad investment and got a tax credit?

Subject:Re: Methods of Imitating Ancient Jade Objects
Posted By: Gary Tue, Jul 22, 2014

Well, I think the lure of Collecting any ancient objects is the hope that we are going to hold something that might have been made many thousands of years ago. Yes, the museums have most everything... but then again, no they don't.

In the case of collecting ancient objects, there's always those which fall outside the acceptable range.

In the case of Jade; people give the impression that all the ancient people used was Jade, and they give-in and stretch that to Nephrite and Jadeite, sometimes.

Since 'they' (ancient Chinese cultures) didn't KNOW they HAD to make things out of only those materials - they oftentimes used crappier materials such as Agate or whatever other stone they might find.

Lets look at Hongshan for a second. Extremely little is known about the Hongshan culture. It didn't extend very far - look it up. So, probably, the chances that you ever would find authentic Hongshan jade objects that you could actually afford? Most likely zero.

Does that mean you can't find any authentic ancient artifacts, then?

No, there's the ones that are real - but they get labeled as fake because they aren't marketable.

What does that mean? Well, to many... if it isn't made from the most perfect translucent green jade - it's nothing.

And, to others, anything that's not jade - its worthless.

To others, if it's not made of jade yet it might have been 'faked' in the Han dynasty? Because it isn't Hongshan, yet was 'faked' in the Han dynasty... THAT MAKES IT FAKE?

It's still 2000 years old!

So, snobs are snobs. Snobs are everywhere.

OK. Now lets talk about REAL fakes. Probably 99.9999% of all objects, particularly if they are coming directly out of China right now... they're made right now.

Why? Because they have export laws. If it really is over 100 years old, they have to say it is.

So, just because of that - there is no real stuff coming across illegally from China, period.

Does that mean there's nothing worth anything coming over? Not at all. There are artists that are overlooked in every time period, including now.

If it is good art? Then it is still good art done by an artist that is being overlooked and underappreciated. People have always, for unknown reasons, said things made by 'forgers' are always crap. They wrangle over a painting that is JUST AS GOOD AS THE MONA LISA. And, if it turns out that they think it wasn't made by Leonardo da Vinci? It's worthless.

What?

Is there something missing in this puzzle?

First, I never saw the Mona Lisa as being the most amazing painting ever painted. I'd say it is an overworked piece of crap in many ways. That smile looks like no smile any human ever gave. It is a crappy smile. It tells you nothing whatsoever about the person named Mona Lisa.

Now, getting back to ancient things vs modern things.

I say... keep your eyes AND your heart open. Look at something and assess it. Then re-assess it. Determine its worth, not JUST because it might be old, or because it might be made out of perfect jade, or it might be worth a ton of money (oh what crap is hidden in the concept of 'that's old, so it's worth a lot').

Let me post an example which always mystifies me. I got it at the Gem and Mineral show about 10 years ago... and I know ancient surfaces.

I noticed that the hole seemed to be bow-drilled, and that it was bow drilled at 45 degree angles to each other.

Inside the hole were what I would term 'adhesions'. Little bumps that were attached to the surface.

The surface has this haze to it. The material is shiny with a slight translucent nature.

And, the overall shape is very pleasant. I have always seen it as a hornet.

It has to be what is often termed 'A Hongshan Fake'. This is a beautiful object!

It's only 2 1/2" long x a little under 3/4" wide.

Look up Hongshan and Museum on Google. This is so much more beautiful than all the ugly wrinkle browed 'pig dragons' in the world. Look at the sitting ugly statues with the dumb-looking faces. They WERE NOT great artists. The things they made were generally crappy looking sitting monsters with dumb-looking faces.

I would say, if it looks regal and well-done; it's not Hongshan. Even in the museums. I think the museums are some of the worst liars out there. I don't think most of them get anything from actual archaeological digs. Most fill their coffers the exact same way we are.

This cost me 2-for-$20. I looked through about 300 objects that were all thrown together in one big container. Took me about two hours of close-up looking. Pulled one out, looked at it very closely, took out another, looked at it very closely. ...and in the end I decided upon this guy.

Is there any possibility that he's old? I think there's a tiny-tiny chance. Is he from 6000 years ago from the Hongshan culture? Almost probably-definitely no; but then again - almost nothing is. And, I didn't pay $6000 for a fake thing. I paid $10 for it.

I had fun, it cost almost nothing and I love to hold it and sometimes wonder if just possibly it might be Hongshan, or some other ancient time period. And that's the reason I do it.

And, if it was made 10 years ago? I see that lonely artist. I see him, being forced to make crap-after-crap-after crap every day day-in-day-out. And, sometimes he chooses to take longer than usual on one just to honor his ancestors. And here it is - and I appreciate him for a moment.

And that's how I see it.





Subject:'Fake' Hongshan Jade Objects as Art
Posted By: Gary Mon, Aug 04, 2014

Since 99.99999% of all 'Hongshan' pieces that you will see out there are all fake except for those that are in museums; it is my thought that one should look for those pieces that are being made right now which truly are works of art.

If you absolutely love the artwork, then who cares if it is authentic or not because it's good art. Maybe people now-a-days will be blind to that fact being all stuffed with 'I has to be 2000 years old in order to matter'.

In another 2000 years someone will dig up all our fakes. WE will have become the most stone-aged culture anybody has ever seen. We churn out millions of pieces of stone objects every year.

There has never been a culture which made so many things out of stone before. In 4000 years, all our plastics will be gone (no matter what people who fear say, I have seen what happens to plastic in just 100 years. It disintegrates because most all that we make is made out of crap that decays fast.

Except the stone things we are making... by the ton.

They will dig-up these two pieces, and someone will see that they are amazing pieces of artwork; even though right now they are lumped in with the word 'fake' and thus nobody can see.

What makes people blind, you might ask. Why does quality hide right in front of people's noses, when crap that really is from 5000 years ago isn't just the crap it was 5000 years ago? Just because it is made out of 'real jade' and is 5000 years old?

I have no answers for why some people are blind.

Anyways, for your enjoyment are two pieces I got because they are cool. There is nothing like either of the two of them in the entire world. If you can find a monkey skull with a silkworm coming out of its head... or even an octopus by any culture that is so well-done in stone - show them to me.

Bet you can't do it, though. In both cases the artist has captured something. It might not be that they captured the Hongshan culture. But, I guarantee you that in another 4000 years when it's dug-up someone will treasure both of them because they are art.

And, as far as the extremely slight possibility that either of the two of them is actually from 5000 years ago; yeah, right...

But in the meantime, since I won't hold my breath until an authentic Hongshan piece ever falls-in-my-lap; I like all my 'Hongshan' Pieces. And, all of them together don't add up to $200. I have six in all and I keep my eye open all the time, trying to always look with a fair mind so I can clearly the moment instead of being blind to beauty that is currently outside the acceptable so it can't be seen properly.







Subject:Artificially Colored Nephrite Jade Bowl
Posted By: Jac Thu, Mar 27, 2014

An imitation nephrite jade bowl with artificial russet patches.

Upper diameter 17cm.

I purchased this bowl in the late 1990s for around S$500. I was not aware that this bowl was artificially colored when I bought it.

Perhaps this is the thread where I show off all the "junks" that I have collected so that others may avoid buying or overpaying for these stuff.

Attached is an interesting short video showing a former taxi driver from China and his Qi Baishi painting that auctioned for 65 million dollars.

http://www.nytimes.com/projects/2013/the-new-collectors/?smid=fb-share








URL Title :The New Collectors


Subject:Re: Artificially Colored Nephrite Jade Bowl
Posted By: Super Mon, Apr 07, 2014

When you said "imitation" what exactly did you mean?

I am having troubles in believing this bowl you posted here was made of nephrite jade. If it is and with its size, you actually got a good deal because it is very expensive to make any nephrite jade bowls. A scratch test alone will not be able to confirm its material because some white stones that can pass the scratch test is neither made of nephrite or jadeite. Now of course it could be made of cheaper Kunlun mountain nephrite jade. Only further testing will tell.

Subject:A White Nephrite Jade Lion
Posted By: Jac Sat, Mar 29, 2014

A not so small 15cm white nephrite jade lion with russet patches/streaks.

Purchased in the mid 1990s for around S$500.







Subject:Seller Said Jade, I Said Stone
Posted By: Jac Sat, Mar 29, 2014

I purchased this 8cm piece today, 29 Mar 14, from an arts/antiques shop here in Singapore, for S$150.

I was looking for white nephrite jades with black patches/streaks for my research into artificially colored jades.

The Chinese female seller said this piece is made of "Yu" (jade), I said stone. She said it is old, I said imitation.

She wanted $$220, I offered $80. She said no way as a jade dealer from China has offered her S$200 and she did not sell.

I ended up paying her S$150. I do not believe I got this piece at a bargain price. Pieces like this sells for less than S$50 at the Sunday flea market here, if there is one for sale.

I do not know what animal it is. Neither can I date this piece with confidence. It looked old but poorly carved.

It doesn't matter if that Chinese Singaporean stalking troll shouts junk, again. I like this piece and I have a lifetime to study it.

Last week, I paid S$500 for a 10cm white jade plaque, from the Sunday flea market. I has seen the piece the previous week and I could not stop thinking about it. It was expensive for me, but I sleep much better after I purchased it.








Subject:Genuine Nephrite Jade, Artificial Calcification
Posted By: Jac Wed, Apr 02, 2014

A modern yellowish green nephrite jade cong, with fake/artificial calcification patches.

Height 11cm, purchased last year for S$50, from a shop in Singapore's Chinatown.

How do I know the calcification areas are artificially created? It can be removed with a fine polishing stone which I have done.

I share some of my jade collecting experience here in Singapore in this forum thread.

This is not my attempt to teach others on any subjects relating to jade as I have neither the qualification nor knowledge to do so.








Subject:Re: Genuine Nephrite Jade?
Posted By: Super Mon, Apr 07, 2014

I agree that your piece is modern and the weathering on it is artificial, but how did you decide it was made of nephrite?

Did you not see those horizontal and circular white carving lines on your cong piece? Seeing any white carving lines like that on the surface of any green stones is usually a bad sign. That means if you perform a scratch test, you will see white lines after the scratch, which will mean this stone can be scratched by metal, therefore was not made of either nephrite or jadeite.

Furthermore, look at some of the white carving lines on top of your "calcification patches", that means they are artificial like you said because genuine wreathing should be on top of your carving lines and not vice versa.

In short, you cong piece was made of cheap serpentine and even the almost US$40 you paid for it, IMHO, is overpaid. In short, you are correct that it would have no collector's value, either for its authenticity or the quality of its material. Again, no pun intended.

Subject:Re: Genuine Nephrite Jade?
Posted By: Jac Tue, Apr 08, 2014

Hi Super,

I agree with your observation that the material of this modern, artificially stained cong is NOT nephrite but cheap serpentine. It has no collector value, no intrinsic value, no resale value and could probably be purchased at a lower price.

As I have said before, I am not a jade expert, just an amateur jade collector who has some experience in collecting Hongshan Culture jades in the 1990s, in Singapore.

In the 1990s I had relied on the experience of two jade runners from China to help me collect archaic jades after I purchased some Hongshan Culture jades from freelance "agents/runners".

When I started collecting jades, I have only heard of nephrite jade and jadeite jade, not serpentine or bowenite or all the other stone materials used in ancient China.

There not much resources on jades which were readily available in the early 1990s. The only jade book that I have read when I started collecting is the one written by Roger Kaverne, titled Jade. Most jade books were written in Chinese which I do not understand.

The first two pieces of Hongshan Culture jade that I purchased ware brought to my home by a China Chinese lady who claimed that she is the daughter of ship captain, in 1991 or 1992. As I like what I saw, I decided to buy first, and then find out what it is later.

After I purchased my first two pieces of Hongshan Culture jades, I brought them to the curator of a local musuem here in Singapore. That elderly Chinese male museum curator spent about 45 minutes examining the pig dragon that I showed to him. It was after this experience with the museum curator that I decided to collect more Hongshan Culture jades.

I started studying what I have purchased in the 1990s only last year. When it comes to accumulating knowledge on jades, I have only ONE year experience. If I had in the early 1990s, decided to buy books to learn about Hongshan Culture jades before I buy, I would have nothing to show here. Others will surely buy what I choose not to buy and the opportunity to own a piece of early Chinese history will forever be lost.

This is how I started. What about you? After all the jades books that you have purchased and the knowledge that you have accumulated, what Hongshan Cuture jades have you collected?

I am very curious what genuine/authentic Hongshan Culture jades you can show me/us as you do come across as THE AUTHORITY on Hongshan Culture jades.

P.S.

You friend spend US$25K on a collection. My friend spent S$45K on just one piece of jade sculpture, in the mid 1990s. I thought it was junk!

When I say my Hongshan Culture goddess of fertility is made of the best quality jade, I meant that the material is more beautiful than the famous yellowish green pig dragon and the human figure excavated from the Niuheliang site.

To avoid further arguments on authenticity, I believed I should bring this never before seen goddess of fertility to a qualified person(s) who have handled genuine Hongshan Culture jades for appraisal before showing it here.

This piece will surely blow your mind off if you get to handle it personally after it has been determined by genuine experts to be the real thing, if you are truly a lover of Hongshan Culture jades.



Subject:Are These Hongshan Culture Jades??
Posted By: Jac Thu, Apr 03, 2014

All three photos below credited to Poly Auction (Hong Kong) Limited, from their online auction results of an auction on 7 Oct 13 in Hong Kong.

Top photo:

http://www.polyauction.com.hk/catalog/result_ecatalogue.php?id=1216&cid=52

Middle photo:

http://www.polyauction.com.hk/catalog/result_ecatalogue.php?id=1213&cid=52

Bottom photo:

http://www.polyauction.com.hk/catalog/result_ecatalogue.php?id=1248&cid=52&page=2

These three items are NOT my genuine Hongshan Culture jades based on my Hongshan Culture jade collecting experience .

Just my thoughts, which may be very different from yours.










URL Title :“In Pursuit of the Past” – Archaic Bronzes, Jade, Song, Yuan Ceramics and Lacquered Wares | HK


Subject:This Is GENUINE Hongshan Culture Jade
Posted By: Jac Sun, Apr 06, 2014

This pig dragon pendant shown below IS "my genuine" Hongshan Culture jade sculpture.

One person belief this item, which was sold for RMB 1,568,000 in an auction in 2007, is a FAKE:

http://www.asianart.com/phpforum/index.php?method=detailAll&Id=31551

I believed certain Hongshan Culture artifacts sold in auctions are not of the Hongshan Culture period, but not this one.

What I believed are genuine may be fakes to others and what others believed are fakes or styles, can be "my genuine" Honghsan Culture jades.

You have your beliefs, I have mine.

Let's respect each other's beliefs as we share whatever Hongshan Culture artifacts we have collected and knowledge we learned from our collecting experience so that we may get closer to the truth.

P.S.

Pig dragons are believed to be tribal totems of the Hongshan Cuture people.

The Hongshan Culture pig dragon shown below measures just 7.4cm, which means this could be a PENDANT, as described, that could have been worn around the neck of the owner.

This lead me to a belief that Hongshan Cuture jades that are used as tribal totems has small size pendants.

If you share my belief that the Hongshan Culture C-shaped dragon is also a tribal totem, would you not believe that there would be genuine smaller size C-shaped dragon PENDANTS in existence, even if there has been no C-shaped dragon discovered from official excavations?

What if I could show you a palm size C-shaped dragon which I have evaluated, which I believed is not a copy? Would you continue to shout STYLE out of ignorance or envy?





Subject:Injured Animal, Nephrite Jade
Posted By: Jac Tue, Apr 08, 2014

This animal, whatever it is, is made from nephrite jade, right?

I am a novice jade collector who buys jade & stone sculptures for its aesthetic values rather than its material value.

This animal which measures 12cm wide and 10cm high, has an injury, if you care to look closely. The vendor had asked for $200 when I looked at it two weeks ago. I did not buy it because of its injury although I like it a lot.

One week later, this injured animal still could not find a home/owner, so I took it home for S$130.

I did not buy this piece for its "collector value" (a term I learned from recently, from this forum thread). It bought it for its aesthetic value and scholarship value, to me. The injured/broken front left leg matters little to me.

The monetary value of a collectable may be important to some collectors but could be irrelevant to others, agree?







Subject:Jade knowledge cannot be taken away from US
Posted By: Super Sun, Apr 13, 2014

Hi, Jac:

That is indeed nothing wrong with just enjoying the aesthetic values of any art objects including jade carvings. If you truly do not care about either the quality of the material or the workmanship of the jade carvings you collect but because you simply like them, then nobody can fault you in buying whatever you like. For myself, I no longer want to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on inferior jade carvings.

There may be one day when you are really in need of money, I hope you won't be upset in learning that you may not even get back 10 cents on the dollar from the sales of your jade collection. You are lucky that you can continue to indulge yourself in your jade hobby. It is true that Singapore does have the large percentage of not only millionaires but also billionaires.

It is hard enough to tell the material of a jade carving or rock sample by examining in person, it would be an impossible task from pictures alone. Once a collector in California who said he found jadeite rocks in his backyard sent me some samples to test. They are dark green, look and feel like nephrite to me. They felt heavy enough to be nephrite (in my hands) and passed the scratch test. Only found out they were green jasper after I performed the S.G. test on them.

There is a chance your piece here was made of nephrite. A scratch test will not confirm it 100%. It appears to be quite translucent, not always a good sign because serpentine, bowenite or agate are translucent. The last two can pass the scratch test. Anita Mu once posted a similar piece, but made with much better material in this forum and she truly believed it was archaic. Your piece is at best archaistic. Those artificial stains and dirt on its carving lines are problematic. With a broken front left leg, even if it was antique, will greatly reduce its aesthetic or collector's value, IMHO. I once received a gift of a bracelet made of very fine white Hetian jade, it really saddened me because how can such a fine example be ruined like that?

That may be why I very seldom buy jade carvings any more because I am unwilling to buy inferior and ugly jade carvings no matter how much a bargain they may appear and cannot afford to buy authentic and beautiful archaic/antique jade carvings.

In short, if you are truly serious about what you collect, you really do want to consider buying some nice jade books, especially those with pictures of authentic archaic/antique jade carvings, then may be you would truly enjoy the beauty of such jade carvings. In most hobbies, you almost always get what you paid for, or very often much less than what you paid for.

One of the famous jade experts in the States, Sam Bernstein, once said in this forum:

"There is an old saying among jade collectors that if you ask 6 experts for an opinion, you'll get 12 opinions! Expertise is derived from direct personal experience over a prolonged period of time. Expertise in one field does not by itself guarantee expertise in another discipline. Gaining expertise requires hard work, study, reflection and confidence in one's ability and the integrity to admit there is always something new to be learned. Keeping an open, flexible mind and applying knowledge to a real world situation are important. Knowledge once painfully gained cannot be taken away from you.

Thank-you,
Sam Bernstein
S. Bernstein & Co. San Francisco"

That is indeed well said and should serve as a reminder for us jade lovers.

Cheer.

Super


Subject:This Animal Is A Fuba?
Posted By: Jac Mon, Jul 28, 2014

Since this animal has no horn, it is a Fuba, according to the "Cultural Interpretation" section of the article written by a Postgraduate of History from the Henan Museum on a stone Bixie shown here:

http://english.chnmus.net/fortnightselection/node_5793.htm

Somewhere in this article, it says:

"Research by contemporary scholars suggest that what is now commonly known as bixie could be what is referred to as fuba in ancient records. In other scholars' opinion, the tianlu has one horn, the bixie has two, and the fuba has none."








URL Title :Stone Bixie


Subject:Private Collectors Purchase and Donate Magnificent Bronze to Museum
Posted By: Jac Fri, Apr 18, 2014

“As always, it is our duty to be a responsible steward of the important cultural objects that are entrusted to our care.” said Steven P. Murphy, CEO Christie’s, “Christie's feels privileged to have acted as custodian of the ‘Min’ Fanglei and to have facilitated its transfer."

http://www.christies.com/sales/asian-art-week-new-york-march-2014/min-fanglei/







URL Title :The Min Fanglei


Subject:Palm Size 12cm C Shaped Dragon, Archaic? Jade?
Posted By: Jac Tue, Apr 22, 2014

Shown below is a 12cm palm size C shaped dragon that looked "rugged and corroded", taken from:

http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/11033446_an-archaic-jade-dragon

The item was described as:

Hongshan Culture Period, the dragon head carved at one end with slit mouth facing the tail at the other end. A perforation is located behind the horn of the dragon. It measures 12cm high.

Live auction started on 11:00 PM - Mar 24, 2012. Ended.

Sold NT$2,200,000.

There are people who believed "rugged and corroded" C shaped dragon like this one is genuine, or else the experts from the auction house would not have put it up for auction.

There is one collector who is willing to pay NT$2,200,000 (USD 72,600) for it, if it is indeed sold.

There is no attributes on this item that could lead me to believed it is of the Hongshan Culture period.

This another man's treasure is my junk.




URL Title :An Archaic Jade Dragon?


Subject:Hongshan Culture - Nomadic Tribes? Disappeared Mysteriously?
Posted By: Jac Thu, Apr 24, 2014

The West Liao River valley is situated in the southern region of Northeast China, between the Yellow River valley and the Eastern Eurasian steppe. It was occupied by a diverse sequence of human cultures that were different from both the farming populations of the Yellow River Valley and the nomads of the Eurasian steppe [1]. The sequence of cultures include the Hongshan culture (6500–5000 BP), Xiaoheyan culture (5000–4200 BP), Lower Xiajiadian culture (4200–3600 BP), and Upper Xiajiadian culture (3000–2700 BP) (Figure 1). The Hongshan culture is one of the most advanced Neolithic cultures in East Asia, with social stratification, distinctive painted pottery and elaborate jade ornaments. Archaeological investigations suggest that hunting- gathering was the main mode of subsistence, but they also indicate early use of cultigens in the Hongshan Culture. The Xiaoheyan culture adopted the basic features of the Hongshan culture, but had a simpler social organization. It was followed by the Lower Xiajiadian culture, which was marked by a gradual shift to agriculture and the establishment of permanent settlements with relatively high population densities, while retaining some of the hallmarks of the Hongshan culture [2]. It was replaced abruptly by a radically different culture, the Upper Xiajiadian, which was influenced by the Bronze Age cultures of the Northern China steppe [3]. The mode of subsistence shifted from hunting and early farming in the Hongshan and Xiaoheyan cultures, to advanced agriculture in the Lower Xiajiadian culture, and eventually to pastoral nomadism in the Upper Xiajiadian culture [4].

Extracted from:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3850526/

URL Title :Y Chromosome analysis of prehistoric human populations in the West Liao River Valley, Northeast Chin


Subject:Black Tiger Seal, Tiger? Black Jade?
Posted By: Jac Tue, Apr 22, 2014

Purchased this animal figurine last Sunday, for S$50. I did not haggle for a lower price because I have a weakness for stone carvings that resemble a tiger. Usually when the seller ask for S$50, I would bargain the price down to S$20 to S$30. This piece, I paid the asking price.

I am not sure if this animal is a tiger or a dog. The stone color is black, obviously, and the material is black jade, according to the seller. I do not know if the material is nephrite jade. It does not matter to me. I buy the art that I see in this carving.

No idea what the characters on the seal means. Perhaps this is the seal of an ancient general, if it is not modern.







Subject:Jade Seal With Two Chilongs, Nephrite Jade?
Posted By: Jac Thu, Apr 24, 2014

A square jade seal. Length 7cm, width 7cm, height 8cm.

The original material appears to be white jade, likely nephrite, as claimed by the seller.

The carving is crude and I can see that a horizontal line that symbolizes the mouth of the chilong is absent on both chilongs.

S$300, purchased this year, about 2 months back, from a shop in Singapore, not from the flea market.

My favorite seal, my treasure.

If you think this seal is junk, you have a better taste in jade than me, perhaps.

The black tiger seal from my previous post measures 7 cm in length and 4.5cm maximum height.







Subject:A Modern Red Stone Seal, Dragon Carving
Posted By: Jac Thu, Apr 24, 2014

Height 5.5cm. S$130.

Not nephrite jade.

Some type of stone.

What stone, I don't know.

I am a jade/stone collector, not a stone expert.

If you think this seal is expensive, there is another one that cost 10 times more, about the same size. Seller said chicken blood stone, not for sale!







Subject:A FAKE Han Dynasty Sword Pommel
Posted By: Jac Sat, Apr 26, 2014

This piece is a modern FAKE, COPY, REPRODUCTION, REPLICA, or whatever you like to call it.

I show this FAKE piece here for comparison against another piece of similar design that I will show later, which I believe is genuine Han Dynasty jade.

I could not remember exactly when I purchased this from the sidewalk flea market in Singapore, or exactly how much I paid for it. Perhaps about S$30 - S$50, about 3 - 5 years back.

Poor workmanship, cheap stone. Even I think it is JUNK, worthless, no collector value. If you were to buy something like this here in Singapore, for research or whatever reason, try not to pay more than S$10 for it.

Size 7cm. Material - you figure it out.








Subject:A Han Dynasty Jade Sword Pommel Cap With Two Chilongs
Posted By: Jac Mon, Apr 28, 2014

Diameter 5cm. Superb workmanship. Fit for display in any reputable museum, in my opinion.

Purchased 2 weeks back from a jade runner/dealer here in Singapore for pittance, compared the amount that the rich pay in high end auctions.

Material - looks similar to some genuine, excavated Han Dynasty jades that I see from from the internet.

High resolution photos:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/qwbw62nqvng1jg0/Yt9MUTC48v








URL Title :Sword Pommel


Subject:Re: A Han Dynasty Jade Sword Pommel Cap With Two Chilongs
Posted By: Jac Sat, Aug 22, 2015

I have re-examined the sword pommel cap shown in my previous post and compared it against unearthed museum pieces shown below.

I could find no fault with its shape, form, surface appearance that would make me suspect that it is a modern fake, although it cost me only S$25.







Subject:Large Nine Dragon Jade Bi
Posted By: Jac Fri, May 23, 2014

Diameter 28cm. Purchased from the flea market, last year.

The seller is a young boy whose father collects old/antique stuff from homes in Singapore and sells them in the Sunday flea market.

He has no idea what he sold to me for S$50. Neither do I know what I bought. I thought it was a wooden cover/lid for a big jar when I first saw it.

Do you know what it is? Do you like it? Wouldn't you buy something like this for just S$50, even if you do not know what it is?

Material has a translucent glow. Perhaps an archaistic jade bi, with gold dust, a few hundred years old?

Beautiful, in my eyes.







Subject:Genuine Hongshan Culture Horse Hoof Cong? Jade?
Posted By: Jac Wed, Jun 04, 2014

http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot/a-rare-altered-opaque-buff-jade-hoof-shaped-5344449-details.aspx#top

Lot Description
A RARE ALTERED OPAQUE BUFF JADE HOOF-SHAPED TUBULAR ORNAMENT NEOLITHIC PERIOD, HONGSHAN CULTURE, CIRCA 3500 BC
Probably a hair ornament, the walls of the oval tube flaring from the lower edge to the upper edge which is curved and lower on one side, the stone now completely opaque from alteration
3¾ in. (9.5 cm.) high

Provenance
A.W. Bahr Collection, Weybridge, 1963.

--------------------------------

Is this your genuine or not genuine Hongshan Culture cong?

This piece is NOT "my genuine" Hongshan Culture cong.



URL Title :A RARE ALTERED OPAQUE BUFF JADE HOOF-SHAPED TUBULAR ORNAMENT


Subject:Re: Genuine Hongshan Culture Horse Hoof Cong? Jade?
Posted By: Super Thu, Jun 05, 2014

The Christie's piece is actually quite nice, please note that it is not a cong but a hoof-shaped ornament, probably not made of nephrite, but made of either bowenite or serpentine. Somebody must believe it was real, since the winner of the lot paid US$22,500 against an estimate of only 4000-6000.

The lot notes for this lot:

"This distinct shape has been labeled "horse hoof" or mati by Chinese archaeologists excavating Hongshan cultural sites in Liaoning and northern Hebei provinces. They are now thought to be some kind of hair ornament, as they have been found under or next to the head of the occupants of Hongshan tombs. A photograph of Tomb 4 at Liaoning, Niuheliang, area 11, showing a hoof-shaped jade beneath the head of the deceased, is illustrated by J. Rawson, Chinese Jade from Neolithic to the Qing, British Museum, 1995, p. 116, fig. 1. One, excavated from the Gejiayingzi site, Balinzuoqi, Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region, is illustrated by Gu Fang, The Complete Collection of Jades Unearthed in China, vol. 2, Beijing, 2005, p. 36. See, also, the larger example of this type from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, sold in these rooms, 25 March 2010, lot 1040."

Subject:3 Hongshan Culture Graves With Hoof Shaped Jade Object
Posted By: Jac Fri, Jun 06, 2014

One hoof shaped object placed above the head - see 1st photo below.

One hoof shaped object placed below the head/neck - middle photo.

One hoof shaped object placed near the chest - bottom picture.

"Horse hoof" or mati are now thought to be some kind of hair ornament, as they have been found under or next to the head of the occupants of Hongshan tombs?

What about the horse hoof jade object found on the chest of the occupant of the tomb shown in the bottom picture below? A hair ornament for a hairy chest?








Subject:A Nice Hoof Shaped Jade Object
Posted By: Jac Mon, Jun 09, 2014

Height 12cm.

Material appears to be nice translucent shinny light green nephrite jade.

Mine, but not my genuine Hongshan Culture jade sculpture.










Subject:A Fake Horse Horse Hoof Cong
Posted By: Jac Thu, Jun 05, 2014

This piece is mine but not my genuine Hongshan Culture cong.

It is a modern FAKE, COPY, REPRODUCTION, REPLICA, IMITATION, STYLE or whatever you like to call it.

Material is not nephrite jade. No scratch test needed.

Height 10cm. No holes.

P.S. I have a few Hongshan Culture horse hoof cong which I believed are genuine.







Subject:Two Hoof Shaped Objects
Posted By: Jac Fri, Jun 13, 2014

Can you tell if these are genuine or modern copies, from the appearance alone?

Height 12cm & 10cm.

I have evaluated these two pieces and they are NOT "my genuine" Hongshan Culture burial jades.

Would you like to see my genuine Hongshan Culture hoof shaped jade sculptures?







Subject:Another Modern "Mati" Cong
Posted By: Jac Mon, Jun 30, 2014

Height 14cm. Material looks like nephrite jade to me.

An imitation with no imitation calcification, no imitation surface crystals, no imitation pits?

It is unlikely that a jade object buried in a stone piled grave for about 5,000 years would look so clean and new like this piece.

Not my genuine Hongshan Culture hoof shaped object.







Subject:Yet Another Fake "Mati" Cong
Posted By: Jac Mon, Jun 30, 2014

Height 11.5cm.

Does this piece looks old to you?

There are no "mati" cong with a face displayed in any museum. None were ever discovered from legal excavations.

Does this mean genuine Hongshan Culture hoof shaped jade objects with a face does not exist?

A fantasy piece?

Not my genuine Hongshan Culture hoof shaped object.

P.S. I have a hoof shaped sculpture with an animal face which I believed could be from the Hongshan Culture period, although no similar object like it has ever been discovered from controlled excavations.







Subject:A RARE MOTTLED OLIVE-GREEN JADE HOOF-SHAPED TUBULAR ORNAMENT
Posted By: Jac Thu, Jun 05, 2014

http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot/a-rare-mottled-olive-green-jade-hoof-shaped-tubular-5298177-details.aspx

Lot Description
A RARE MOTTLED OLIVE-GREEN JADE HOOF-SHAPED TUBULAR ORNAMENT
NEOLITHIC PERIOD, HONGSHAN CULTURE, CIRCA 3500 BC

Probably a hair ornament, the walls of the oval tube flaring somewhat from the oblique lower edge to the upper edge which rises in a curved arch along one side, the semi-translucent stone with veins of black inclusions and veins of buff mottling showing mica-like inclusions, with a lustrous polish and some small surface adhesions
5 3/8 in. (13.7 cm.) high

Provenance
C.T. Loo & Co., New York.
Frank Caro, New York, acquired prior to 1977.

Price Realized
$92,500 (Set Currency)

Estimate
$20,000 - $30,000

Sale Information
SALE 2405 —
FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART INCLUDING PROPERTY FROM THE ARTHUR M. SACKLER COLLECTIONS
25 March 2010
New York, Rockefeller Plaza

---------------------------------------

Is this a genuine Hongshan Culture ornament to your eyes?

The surface alteration looked natural to my eyes. From the picture alone, I have no reason to doubt the authenticity of this piece.

P.S. I have large knee height Hongshan Culture C shaped dragon with "veins of black inclusions", like those found on this hoof-shaped ornament.

Subject:An Interestng Recent FT Magazine Article on CT Loo
Posted By: Jac Wed, Jun 18, 2014

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/cd747768-cb46-11e3-ba95-00144feabdc0.html#slide0

And the photo of what I believed to be a ceramic hoof shaped object of the Hongshan Culture (from - http://www.pitt.edu/~chifeng/text.html).







URL Title :CT Loo: champion of Chinese art ... or villain?


Subject:!,000 Years Old Bronze Camel For S$10
Posted By: Jac Tue, Jun 10, 2014

S$10 is the actual price.

1,000 years is not the actual age. It is what the seller claimed. Song dynasty (960-1279), he said.

The sand pebbles lining the walls of the cavity of this camel as seen from the bottom photo below cannot be removed by washing. They are stuck there. Intriguing.

Nice? For S$10, does it matter if it is really old or fake, if you like it? Buy first or search for a book about bronze to read first before buying?

P.S. I paid S$730 for a one foot long, green "jade" animal today, not knowing if it is really jade or old. A white jade animal in the same shop, about 6 inches long, which I also like, has a S$3,800 asking price. Two jade plaques which I like but did not buy when I saw it about a month back, is gone. Sold.







Subject:The Han Dynasty left behind abundant cultural relics and over 10,000 tombs?
Posted By: Jac Mon, Jun 16, 2014

http://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/archaeologists-announce-rare-discovery-100-han-dynasty-tombs-china-039984#.U52DUmE1I04.facebook

Perhaps some of the jade carvings from some of the 10,000 Han Dynasty tombs found their way to collectors in Singapore.

Perhaps the one foot long "jade" animal that I purchased last week for S$730 from a collector is a genuine Han Dynasty carving. It has features that looked similar to the Han dynasty pieces from museums shown below.

Top picture below (from Wikipedia):

A Chinese bronze statue of a mythological chimera (a lion-like creature with wings, horns, fangs, and claws), from the Eastern Han Dynasty, dated 1st century AD. Freer and Sackler Galleries, Washington D.C.

Bottom Picture (from https://www.flickr.com/photos/mharrsch/7986749878/):

Bixie (Chimera) attributed to Chu culture Western Han Dynasty 2nd - 1st century BCE Hunan or Hubei Province China Cast iron with silver inlay.






URL Title :Archaeologists announce rare discovery of more than 100 Han Dynasty tombs in China


Subject:All These Ebay Han Jades For Sale Are Imitations?
Posted By: Jac Mon, Jul 28, 2014

Take a look at the white jades for sale from China listed here:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_kw=Chinese+Antique+Nephrite+Jade+Han

I believe these are not genuine Han dynasty jade carvings.

These pieces here could be used as references to identify fake white Han dynasty jade, in my opinion.

Subject:Antique Bronze Kettle, Indonesian
Posted By: Jac Wed, Jun 11, 2014

Maximum height 20 cm, body width 18cm.

Seller said antique, from Indonesia, museum quality.

S$80, purchased this year.

Nice? Bad news?







Subject:Genuine Excavated Hongshan Culture Hoof Shaped Jades
Posted By: Jac Wed, Jun 25, 2014

First 2 photos by Gary Lee Todd, from:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/101561334@N08/13969846337/in/set-72157644560824696

https://www.flickr.com/photos/101561334@N08/13969842887/in/set-72157644560824696

Third bottom photo is that of a just excavated hoof shaped jade object, fresh from a Hongshan Culture tomb, for reference/information.

Attached are the links to an educational video on the history of ancient Chinese jades.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrZuwPe3U8s
Ancient Chinese Handcraft / History of Jade 1/2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkYmcdO1t6A
Ancient Chinese Handcraft / History of Jade 2/2









URL Title :Ancient Chinese Handcraft / History of Jade 1/2


Subject:Re: Genuine Excavated Hongshan Culture Hoof Shaped Jades
Posted By: adam Sun, Jul 06, 2014

Interesting with all the "experts" on this site no-one has mentioned these "Hoof shaped objects" have now long been know as objects used in shamanic divination...NOT HAIR ORNAMENTS!! One was found in situ, primed for use, so its pretty conclusive!!

Subject:A 65cm Jade Statue of A Male Attendant
Posted By: Jac Sat, Jul 12, 2014

In the mid 1990s, I purchased 3 "jade" statues from one of my jade runners - a male standing figure (shown here), a female standing figure and a kneeling male figure which I gave away to my neighbor.

The statue shown here cost me about S$1K to S$1.5K. I cannot remember the actual amount I paid for it.

I do not know for sure if the statues were made of nephrite jade or some other softer stones or if they are antique or modern imitations.

I have seen "jade" statues taller than the one shown here for sale about 6 months back from a antique dealer in Singapore. Old stock, imported from the 1990s from China, selling for less than what I paid for my jade statues, in the 1990s.

I wonder if antique looking "jade" statues like the one shown here has any collector or investment value. Perhaps if it can be authenticated by a Beijing firm and offered for sale in an auction in the US, some rich Russian may pay millions for it.

A 4,400-year-old, 75cm painted limestone statue was sold for £15,762,500 in an auction, a few days ago:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/fury-egyptian-statue-centre-cultural-3841707








URL Title :Fury as Egyptian statue at the centre of cultural row sells for nearly £16 million http://www.mirr


Subject:An Imitation Sword Scabbard Slide
Posted By: Jac Thu, Jul 17, 2014

Length 6cm, width 3cm, depth 2cm.

Material is irrelevant since this piece is an IMITATION with no collector value.

P.S. I have a scabbard slide which I believed could be from the Han dynasty, with traces of cinnabar. I may post the pictures here after further research.







Subject:Soapstones Are Valuable
Posted By: Jac Sun, Jul 20, 2014

http://www.shanghaidaily.com/Feature/art-and-culture/Leave-no-stone-unturned/shdaily.shtml

Chicken blood stones are valuable in the gem trade due to their rarity and incredible beauty, writes Qu Zhi.

Chicken-blood stones are mined only in China and prized as an ornamental material used for seals and carvings.

The best stones are bright crimson, and the locals who first found them gave the name ji xue shi (鸡血石) because it appeared as though they had been splashed with the blood of a freshly slaughtered chicken.

The stones can only be found in Changhua Town near Hangzhou and Balin in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

“Unlike other stones, you can’t display a chicken-blood stone otherwise it will lose the color,” says Wu Songlin, a gemstone collector. “So you just take it out to enjoy for a while and then put it back in the box immediately. But even for such a short time, it is satisfying.”

While known as chicken-blood stones around the world, they are actually soapstones. The only difference is the presence of cinnabar, a bright red mineral consisting of mercury sulfide.

A stone will appear more red if it has a higher content of cinnabar. The reddest stones are rarer, thus more expensive — prices can reach hundreds of million yuan for an uncarved stone — and prized by collectors.

The cinnabar in soapstones oxidizes easily in sunlight, thus even the richest red stones will darken or become black within half a year if they are not stored out of sunlight.

Red also symbolizes good luck in Chinese culture. The color has remained very popular from ancient days to modern times and is another reason why the stones have stayed so desirable.

“Among all the stones, I think Changhua chicken-blood stones boast the most beautiful color of red,” says Wu, who followed in his grandfather’s footsteps and started collecting gemstones as a child.

The stones can be used to make seals or sculptures although Wu prefers seals.

“Only the best chicken-blood stones can be selected for seals because there can’t be any crack on it and it still needs to have a beautiful pattern,” he says.

Cracked stones are best for sculptures since the sculptor can cover up the crack by carving that particular area of the stone.

In 1972, when China and Japan re-established diplomatic relations, then Premier Zhou Enlai gave Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka a pair of chicken-blood seal stones from Changhua. The stones became famous worldwide soon after. Collectors then swarmed China’s mainland in the 1990s looking for the stones.

During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), nobles and refined scholars started to collect chicken-blood stones for use as a seal. During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), emperors and their concubines all chose chicken blood stones as a seal stone.

The best stones usually come from Changhua. In this small town, about 70 percent of the locals are in the soapstone business. Every day nearly 3,000 miners go out digging in hopes of finding the one stone that will make them rich.

Villagers are only allowed to dig in the nearest mine, which prevents masses of people from scouring the area. In the past, villages have disputed the rights to mines, leading to some deaths.

Mechanized mining has desolated some of the mountains in Changhua and many of the area’s mines are reportedly near exhausted.

Mine 207 was legendary for its chicken-blood stones. Experts have said it had consistently produced the best-quality chicken-blood stones. From 1958 to 1962 a large number of chicken-blood stones was mined, however they were mostly used to refine mercury. Collectors today regret the loss of so many stones.

Even today at auctions, if a chicken-blood stone is tagged from this mine is considered a mark of high quality.

Balin in Inner Mongolia has some new mines where some high-quality stones have been found recently. However, the chicken-blood stones from Balin tend to be more transparent, not as red as those from Changhua and the color fades easier.

Changhua locals enjoy sharing some legends about chicken-blood stones with visitors. One goes that two golden pheasants once flew from Jiuhua Mountain in Anhui Province to Changhua. One day one was bitten by a snake and its blood seeped into the cracks of the mountain, creating chicken-blood stones.

Other villagers say the crimson color of the stones comes from the blood of a phoenix that fought bravely to protect the locals from catastrophe.

Collector Wu says about six years ago he visited Changhua looking for chicken-blood stones. He remembers finding one measuring 2cm by 2cm by 7.5cm, featuring a rich crimson color covering most of the stone and an irregular rounded top. Even better, it had not been carved, Wu says.

The dealer was asking 600,000 yuan (US$97,851) for the stone, Wu says.

“It was too expensive,” he says, taking the stone out of a box. “I went back on six occasions over a period of time trying to negotiate a cheaper price. But the dealer didn’t drop the price. One day, I gave in and bought it.

“I’m glad I did. The color haunted me so much that I couldn’t fall asleep at night. Now the stone is worth at least 3 million yuan!” Wu says.

This crimson chicken-blood stone from Changhua, Zhejiang Province, placed over a carved wooden piece, costs several dozen million yuan.




URL Title :Leave no stone unturned


Subject:An Imitation Chicken Blood Seal
Posted By: Jac Mon, Jul 21, 2014

I did not know this 13cm seal is a fake blood stone, when I purchased it for S$110 a few years ago.

I broke it into two pieces for further investigation after I found out that the surfaces were painted with imitation blood.

I should have bought a book first, or asked for a money back guarantee before I purchase it.

I got back zero cents on the dollar for this piece and I do get upset every time I got fooled into buying a fake product.

Mistakes like this is one reason why I treat my jade/stone purchases as expenses.









URL Title :Traveled to China to find Bloodstone


Subject:An Imitation Chicken Blood Carving
Posted By: Jac Thu, Nov 06, 2014

Length - 25 cm.







Subject:An Imitation Hongshan Culture C Shaped Dragon
Posted By: Jac Sun, Jul 27, 2014

Height 31cm.

Material - I don't know.

Color - looks like deep green.

This fake/style/forgery/imitation piece is presented here to show what imitation calcification and imitation pits could look like on a deep green colored stone.

Yes, I would agree with you, if you think this piece is easy to identify as an outright fake. Would a novice collector know this is a fake, if they have never handled any C shaped dragon before?








Subject:Modern or Ancient Surface?
Posted By: Jac Wed, Jul 30, 2014

Take a look at the jade "phoenix" shown here:

http://www.rn-hswh.com/bbs/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=107379&extra=page=1&filter=typeid&typeid=144

Are the pits/cavities natural or artificial?

This piece is not my genuine Hongshan Culture jade sculpture.

URL Title :Modern or Ancient?


Subject:A White Jade Cicada Pendant, Han Dynasty?
Posted By: Jac Tue, Jul 29, 2014

Length - 7cm.

Material - White nephrite jade.

S$30, from the weekend flea market, purchased recently.

The calcified surfaces, color impregnation & crack lines does not appear to be artificially created.

With my limited knowledge, I would need further research to determine the probable age of this pendant, which I believed is not a modern forgery.







Subject:Re: A White Jade Cicada Pendant, Han Dynasty?
Posted By: adam Fri, Aug 01, 2014

Jac....If you truly paid £1500 for that statue then you were canned...Not worth £50 in my opinion.
Rather than look for bargain "Ancient" pieces, buy a few more modern cheaper jades until you have your eye in...........

Subject:Modern Cheaper Jades
Posted By: Jac Sat, Aug 02, 2014

Adam .... the price I paid for the 65cm, 40kg statue is truly as stated, not less than $1K, not more than $1.5K, in Singapore Dollars (S$), not £. 1 £ = 2.1 S$.

I have purchased a few more modern cheaper jades recently, this year. I show you 6 modern jade pendants here. They cost S$50 each, except for the one in the middle of the second row, which cost $$25 and the one on the bottom right cost S$100.

The first two white jade pendants on the top left has a "stamp" on the back as shown on the middle and bottom photos. Can you translate the Chinese text for me? Do you know why some pendants have a stamp/mark/chop and some don't? I do not know.

Do I need to buy more cheaper modern jades to get my eye in ....?







Subject:An Imitation Chenghua Doucai Chicken Cup
Posted By: Jac Sun, Aug 03, 2014

A collector from China paid US$36.12 million for chicken cup recently:

http://www.bjd.com.cn/10beijingnews/leisure/201407/23/t20140723_7473145.html

In 1999, the chicken cup was sold for US$3.77 million.

I saw an IMITATION chicken cup for sale at the flea market today, so I bought it, out of curiosity, for S$35.

The background image on the computer screen in the bottom photo shows the real US$36.12 million chicken cup compared to the S$35 imitation cup.








URL Title :Liu Yiqian drinks from the antique Chenghua Chicken Cup he purchased for $36.12 million.


Subject:Museum Han Dynasty White Jade - Genuine Ancient Surface
Posted By: Jac Mon, Aug 04, 2014

First 2 photos - Imperial Han dynasty seal, from museum, not mine. Shown here to train the eyes to see genuine patina on white jade buried in a Han dynasty tomb for close to 2,000 years.

Bottom photo - Han dynasty sword guard, from Hebei museum in China.

For comparison with a white jade sword guard and a scabbard slide that I purchased recently.







Subject:Sword Guard, White Jade, Han Dynasty?
Posted By: Jac Tue, Aug 05, 2014

Length - 7cm.

Material - white nephrite jade? Passed repeated scratch test!

Washed & brushed with water to removed the dirt present on its surface after I purchased it, a few months back, for S$60.

I have compared this pieced to the white "Han dynasty" jades for sale from vendors in China from eBay (which I believed are reproductions). They do not look the same.







Subject:Sword Scabbard Slide, White Jade, Han Dynasty?
Posted By: Jac Wed, Aug 13, 2014

Length - 10cm. Width 2.5cm.

Material - white nephrite jade? Passed repeated scratch test!

Original condition, unwashed after I purchased it, a few months back, also for S$60. Come together with the sword guard in my previous post. Dirt and what look like traces of cinnabar still present on its surface.

Modern reproduction piece or genuine Han dynasty white nephrite jade scabbard slide?







Subject:Fake Hongshan Culture Artifact Valued at US$500,000 For Sale at US$100,000
Posted By: Jac Wed, Aug 13, 2014

Estimated Price: $300,000 - $400,000

Description: Hongshan Culture Jade Ware with design of clouds. Calcification and crystallization throughout. Featured in Macau Chung Shun 2012 Spring Arts Auction, one of China's most prestigious auction houses, and valued at $500,000 USD. Measures 13 5/8" x 5 11/16" (34.6cm x 14.9cm). Weighs 766g.

http://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/-1-c-8B5F98BAA6?utm_source=inv_kwalert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=keywordalertlive&utm_term=1

The artifact featured in the auction listed above is NOT a genuine Hongshan Culture sculpture, to my eyes.

The pair of pig dragon shown in the link below are NOT genuine Hongshan Culture sculptures, to my eyes. The C shaped dragon avatar of the thread starter is also fake, in my opinion.

http://www.rn-hswh.com/bbs/thread-87328-1-1.html

These artifacts could be used as references by jade collectors to identify modern Hongshan Culture forgeries/fakes.

I am not a jade expert, just a jade collector who has learned to identify Hongshan Culture fakes, from experience and research through the internet.

URL Title :Lot 100: HONGSHAN CULTURE JADE WARE w DESIGN OF CLOUDS


Subject:The Real History/Origin of The Three Legged Frog
Posted By: Jac Fri, Aug 15, 2014

Before the advent of the three legged money frog/toad, there exist a three legged frog, with no money, possibly of archaic origin, pre Han dynasty, used as a burial artifact, perhaps a symbol of reincarnation.

This is NOT another theory of mine as I am just reproducing information on NO MONEY three legged frog that I can find online.

Before I show my three legged jade frog, take a look at a similar one shown below, taken from:

http://www.silkqin.com/01mywk/tdll.htm

The author of the article said:

"This stone toad was described to me as "a jade stone object dug up in northeast China, perhaps Liao dynasty (907-1125)". Another opinion is that based on its style it could date from any time in the past 2,000 years -- similar carved animals are commonly found in tombs beginning from the Han dynasty, and even then they were probably rough replicas of what in earlier tombs had been more elaborate figurines."




URL Title :A 9-inch \


Subject:Re: The Real History/Origin of The Three Legged Frog
Posted By: adam Sun, Aug 17, 2014

Those few jades you showed were supposed to prove what?
They are cheap and modern and I doubt a couple are even jade,
Also yes a three legged toad was in Chinese mythology prior to the cash toad/liu hais toad.
See-- Chang-o the lunar deity and also prior to this there was a similar 3-legged reptillian beast that served to give the shape of three legged bronze vessels.
The big statue was worth about £100 as a decorative(?)item only

Subject:A Three Legged Jade Frog
Posted By: Jac Thu, Aug 21, 2014

Length 22 cm.

Material - all the jade runners and jade vendors in Singapore that I know call this type of material jade. Whether it is nephrite jade or not, I do not know. No scratch marks from scratch tests.

Surface looked ancient/archaic. Front right leg reattached. Purchased this year, from an antique and collectibles shop here in Singapore, for S$50.

High resolution photos:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/hcyt00k5nwx7k9v/AACvQbOQhx_demPi9DvI27Gua?dl=0








URL Title :3 Legged Frog


Subject:A Modern Lapis Lazuli Three Legged Money Toad
Posted By: Jac Tue, Sep 16, 2014

Approximately 7cm length X 7cm width X 5cm height.

S$80. Inexpensive, right?

Better looking than some expensive three legged white nephrite toad that I have seen somewhere.







Subject:A Modern Agate Snuff Bottle & Seal
Posted By: Jac Thu, Aug 21, 2014

First two images below - agate snuff bottle, height 7.5 cm, width 5 cm. First image illuminated with a torchlight placed below the snuff bottle. S$145. Seller would not sell it for anything less.

Bottom image - agate seal, no carving, height 6.5 cm, width 2.7 cm. Seller said the color is rare. S$100. Expensive?

If you think the pieces here are worth just one tenth of what I paid for them, what can I say? I am not an experienced agate collector. I bought them because I liked what I saw. They do have a nice feel, nicer than most jade pieces I have.

I have never heard of or owned any Chinese agate carvings until I purchase 4 pieces recently, this year.









Subject:S$25 Jade Disc With 2 Chilongs - Before & After Cleaning
Posted By: Jac Mon, Aug 25, 2014

The S$25, 6.2 cm Bi that I posted for expert opinion on the thread below has been cleaned for further investigation, to determine if it is modern or antique.

http://www.asianart.com/phpforum/index.php?method=detailAll&Id=77125#78115

Photos of the Bi before cleaning:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/2ljvr14511zodc4/K1Z6bhEcQ0

The Bi was scrubbed repeatedly for 30 minutes with a 3M Scotchbrite pad, with water and kitchen detergents. A pointed steel tip was used to scrap off persistent black dirt residues.

Repeated scratch tests with a pointed steel tip was performed on the Bi. Black lines appear on the surface of the Bi after scratch tests, indicating that the material is harder than the pointed steel tip - see the three black patches on the Bi, first photo below. Results of scratch test is good news, right?

A 15 seconds burn test was done to check if the Bi was carved from a natural stone or molded from synthetic resins. No visible changes can be seen after the burn test. This is good news, to me.

Why 15 seconds and not shorter or longer burn test? The steel tip takes 10 seconds to glow, so a 15 seconds burn test will expose all fake jades/stones made from synthetic materials as they will melt/burn with a stinking smell.

The burn test is my test for fake jades, do not do it on your piece, as it can cause irreversible harm to your valuable authentic jades like cleaving or color change.

Further examination of the Bi after cleaning under 10X magnification reveals the presence of tiny reflective specks/patches on some parts of the Bi - see bottom photo below. This IS good news, as I consider these reflective (likely metallic) specks to be "marks of authenticity" which cannot be faked.

These reflective metallic spots/specks are usually hidden beneath the layer of dirt covering a genuine piece of antique jade carving unearthed from illegal excavations. This is from my experience evaluating the jade pieces that I have collected.

Sharper photos of the Bi after cleaning:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/aglkvs4f3v927hu/AABsEaGaH_s-h9qBtDOiuKz4a?dl=0








URL Title :Bi With Two Chilongs, Cleaned


Subject:Dragon & Phoenix Ornament - A Good Fake or A Cultural Treasure?
Posted By: Jac Wed, Sep 10, 2014

Purchased last Sunday from a flea market rag-and-bones man who sold me two Lapis Lazuli sculptures in addition to this carving.

Diameter - 7cm. Thickness - 1 cm.

Original material - white mottled light green nephrite?

Seller wanted S$30, I offered S$10. He gave it to me FOC after I purchased a 12cm X 7cm X 5cm lapis lazuli carving of a double fish from him for S$120.

I could not find a similar example of this design from reputable museums or auction houses. Have you seen something like this somewhere?

I did find an obvious poor copy of something similar to this ornament at this site:

http://ancientpoint.com/inf/106232-chinese_old_jade_handwork_carved__jade_dragon_statue.html

If there is an almost identical piece in reputable museum somewhere, this piece shown here is likely a good replica. At this moment, I am still not sure if this ornament is a good modern copy or an old copy or an original cultural treasure.

Sharper photos:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/813mw1j3bdz5b6f/AABFVe37qHLYUghWECdmlD8Ea?dl=0









URL Title :Dragon & Phoenix Ornament


Subject:Re: Dragon & Phoenix Ornament - A Good Fake or A Cultural Treasure?
Posted By: Corey Mon, Sep 15, 2014

I have a related one. I would say 19th-20th century.

Concratulations with your find of a Han dynasty sword pommel btw. The material of that one looks like Khotan yellow jade pebble material. It's a very nice piece.







Subject:Re: Dragon & Phoenix Ornament - A Good Fake or A Cultural Treasure?
Posted By: Jac Tue, Sep 16, 2014

Hi Corey,

Thanks for the feedback. I am pleased to know that there are others like you who can appreciate the sword pommel. Kudos to the unknown ancient artist who carved this exquisite piece.

The white nephrite dragon and phoenix ornament that you posted above looks like a finely carved piece. I would buy it for myself if I can find something like that here in Singapore.

Larger and sharper pictures (front and back) with dimensions would certainly help other collectors appreciate the pieces that you have collected.

Subject:An Antique Oxblood Vase?
Posted By: Jac Mon, Sep 15, 2014

Height 27 cm. Centre width 20 cm.

Purchased for S$120 last Sunday, from the flea market. Seller said about 100 years old.

I know little, almost nothing, about collectible Chinese porcelain.

Looked nice and has a nice feel.

Conned or canned again?








Subject:An Imitation Sword Guard
Posted By: Jac Thu, Sep 25, 2014

Length - 7.8cm. Quite well carved. S$10, from the market. Study or trial and error piece.

Material - Not nephrite. Some type of softer stone, perhaps serpentine or bowenite.

Failed scratch test. See white scratch marks above right shoulder of the chilong ( first picture below).

Hollow hole/cavity does not look right for a genuine sword guard.

If you see something like this somewhere, do not pay a lot for it. It is not a genuine Han dynasty jade sword guard.







Subject:Re: This Is NOT Nephrite Jade
Posted By: mikael Fri, Sep 26, 2014

Many years ago i was given a collection of stuff. It consisted of drawings. maps, etchings and some small stone things from/ depicting japan and china. I can date everything from a period between 1780-1820. The small stone (jade?) things (buttons?) i can't date thou. Help anyone?





Subject:A Man And A Horse, Painted Pottery
Posted By: Jac Wed, Oct 08, 2014

Maximum length - 17cm, height - 15 cm. S$50.

I have no experience and no knowledge collecting these stuff so I would not know if it is a modern imitation or a genuine antique.

I see some art in this piece.







Subject:Small Dragon & Phoenix Bi With Ancient Tool Mark?
Posted By: Jac Thu, Nov 06, 2014

Diameter - 3 cm.

Material - not nephrite jade.

The other side of the Bi has strange looking tool marks which does not appear to have been made with modern electrical tools.







Subject:Openwork Jade Carving of Two Chilongs
Posted By: jac Mon, Jan 26, 2015

Maximum length: 9 cm. Maximum height: 5 cm.

Modern imitation?

Purchased last year.







Subject:Round Jade Pendant With Double Dragons & Taotie
Posted By: jac Tue, Feb 10, 2015

Diameter: 7 cm

Material: White nephrite jade, to my eyes.

Age: I don't know.

Nicely carved.

Purchased from the flea market last Sunday for S$12.







Subject:Round Pendant With Two Dragons
Posted By: jac Thu, Feb 26, 2015

Diameter: 7 cm.

S$10. Purchased from the flea market, last Sunday.

Material: Hardstone, passed scratch test & burn test.

Modern souvenir for tourist, or study piece, to me.





Subject:A Goat
Posted By: jac Sat, Feb 21, 2015

Length: 18 cm. Height: 14 cm

Material: White nephrite jade?

Happy Lunar New Year 2015.







Subject:Yellow Nephrite? Bao Jiang? Archaic?
Posted By: jac Mon, Feb 23, 2015

Height: 9 cm.

Material: Yellow Nephrite? Passed scratch test.

Age: I don't know.

I doubt this piece is of the Hongshan Culture period or archaic.







Subject:Yellow Seated Drummer.
Posted By: jac Mon, Feb 23, 2015

Height: 13 cm.

Material: Not nephrite. Failed scratch test.




Subject:A Large Jade Frog. Yellow Nephrite?
Posted By: jac Tue, Feb 24, 2015

Diagonal Length: 10 cm. Maximum Height: 7 cm.

Material: Yellow Nephrite? Passed scratch test.







Subject:A Jade Cong With Toatie Mask Design Carved in Low Relief
Posted By: jac Thu, Mar 05, 2015

Height: 5 cm. Width: 6 cm. Inner Diameter 3.7 cm.

Material: Looks like nephrite to my eyes. Passed scratch test.

Age: I don't know.

Purchased from an elderly collector for S$120, last weekend.







Subject:A Fake Liangzhu Cong
Posted By: jac Thu, Mar 19, 2015

Length & Width: 5 cm. Height: 4 cm. Inner Diameter: 3 cm.

Material: Hard stone of no value.

Study piece, not worth more than S$10, to me.







Subject:Another Fake Lianzhu Cong?
Posted By: jac Thu, Mar 19, 2015

Length & Width: 5 cm. Height: 4 cm. Inner Diameter: 3 cm.

Material: Hard stone of no value.

Another of my study piece. Looks old and rugged, with shinny metallic specks all over its surface.

I have a pair of Liangzhu cong which I believed are not imitation/forgery/fake.







Subject:Illegally Excavated Hongshan Culture Pig Dragon
Posted By: Jac Thu, May 28, 2015

http://www.rn-hswh.com/bbs/thread-117172-1-1.html







Subject:Illegally Excavated Hongshan Culture Turtle & "Hooked Cloud" Object
Posted By: Jac Mon, Jun 01, 2015

http://www.rn-hswh.com/bbs/thread-117147-2-1.html

These are genuine Hongshan Culture sculptures excavated illegally.

Size, material, shape, surface alteration of the objects shown here could help a collector to identify genuine Hongshan Culture artifacts.








URL Title :http://www.rn-hswh.com/bbs/thread-117147-2-1.html


Subject:This Hollow Oval Object Wth A Cicada Is NOT Ancient
Posted By: Jac Sat, May 30, 2015

This object is modern, with imitation white calcified surface, based on my own evaluation.

Material appears to be nephrite.

Size is irrelevant since this piece is not a genuine ancient artifact.

The smell of this object can be use as a reference to identify imitation calcification.








Subject:This Toothed Pendant Is Modern
Posted By: Jac Tue, Jun 09, 2015

This toothed pendant, measuring 13 cm X 6 cm, is modern.

There are many small, thin, toothed pendants being peddled or exhibited as genuine Hongshan Culture artifacts yet none has ever been unearthed from controlled legal excavations.

Small pendants in the form of a bird/falcon have been unearthed from legal excavations, but not small toothed pendants.

I have not seen a small, thin, toothed pendant, anywhere, that I believed could be a genuine Hongshan Culture artifact. Have you?

Take a looked at the two pieces of incomplete thin toothed pendant shown in this video, at 1.34.

https://youtu.be/iMpMJH_H2gM

Are these genuine Hongshan Culture artifacts to your eyes? They looked very fake to me.

This fragment of a toothed pendant is unlikely from the Hongshan Culture period.

http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot/a-rare-greyish-green-and-opaque-buff-jade-5418321-details.aspx



Subject:Is This Pupa Neolithic? Sold For 32,500 EUR In Jun 2013 Paris Sotheby's Auction
Posted By: Jac Sat, Jun 20, 2015

http://www.sothebys.com/fr/auctions/ecatalogue/2013/arts-dasie-pf1307/lot.90.pricehl.html

4,1 cm is a very small pendant.

Shape/form is Hongshan Culture but is it really Neolithic?

Based on the size, surface appearance and material, would you be convinced that this is a Neolithic or Hongshan Culture artifact?


URL Title :Rare chrysalide de cigale en jade jaune Chine, époque Néolitique


Subject:Plain of Jars in Laos - Megalith Congs?
Posted By: Jac Wed, Jun 24, 2015

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plain_of_Jars

Have anyone seen a 50 cm, knee height, horse hoof cong, like those found in Hongshan Culture graves?

I have one, perhaps ancient, like those stone jars shown below that like huge neolithic congs.








URL Title :Plain of Jars


Subject:A Modern Jade Tube With A Face
Posted By: Jac Mon, Jun 29, 2015

Height: 11.5 cm.

This nephrite tube has a face carved on each half of its outer surface.

Pieces like this are "my fakes".

It is a modern copy/imitation/reproduction/fake/styled object.

Surface alteration/degradation does not look natural.

Perhaps carved in a hurry and artificially aged to look like the real thing.









Subject:Another Modern Jade Tube
Posted By: Jac Tue, Jun 30, 2015

Height: 7 cm.

Material is scratch proof nephrite, nice color.

This piece is modern and if my judgement is wrong, it is my loss, as I wouldn't mind losing pieces which I believed are modern.

For research and comparison against what could be genuine.







Subject:A Fake Hongshan Culture Toothed Object
Posted By: Jac Wed, Jul 01, 2015

This 22 cm toothed nephrite sculpture is modern.

Large Hongshan Culture toothed face plaque are rare.

I have collected none that I believed is genuine.










Subject:These Are NOT "My Genuine" Hongshan Culture Sculptures
Posted By: Jac Fri, Jul 03, 2015

Not a single piece shown at the site below is "my genuine" Hongshan Culture artifact.

http://throckmorton-nyc.com/Current/Hongshan_3-13/index.html

If I am the owner of any jade artifact that looked like any of the pieces shown there, I would not dare to claim that they are of the Hongshan Culture period.



URL Title :HONGSHAN Late Neolithic Chinese Jades Ca. 3500-2500 BCE


Subject:Metropolitan Museum of Art "Gouyun Pei", Hongshan Culture?
Posted By: Jac Sat, Jul 04, 2015

An object like this can never be "my genuine" Hongshan Culture carving.

There are quite a number of genuine "guoyun pei" unearthed legally from Hongshan Culture graves for comparison.

This piece does not have the right form & size and its surface does not look old.

The pits on its surface - do they not look natural or artificial?

http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/75244

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/2009.176

===================================
Plaque in the shape of a squarish loop with projections, ca. 3500–2000 B.C.
China, Hongshan culture
Jade (nephrite)
H. 3 in. (7.6 cm)
Purchase, The Vincent Astor Foundation Gift, 2009 (2009.176)

This handsomely crafted plaque is one of the rarest examples of jade from the Hongshan culture of Neolithic China (ca. 3500–2000 B.C.), whose jade carving remained unknown until the 1980s. Hongshan jades show an extraordinary command of the material and the techniques of carving it. They are characterized by their intriguing shapes, great attention to detail, phenomenal subtlety of surface, and engaging tactile quality, all of which are well demonstrated in the elegant form, fluent lines, subtle luster, and smoothly modulated grooves of this plaque.

Large ceremonial structures built with rocks and graves lined with stone slabs have been excavated at Hongshan sites in northeastern China. Jade seems to have played a particular role in the culture; most, and often the only, artifacts found in Hongshan burials are jade. Many Hongshan jades are ornaments of some kind: they are either bracelets or pendants or they have fixings or holes that would allow them to be attached to the body or to clothing. But the exact function of several other types, this plaque among them, remains a mystery.




URL Title :Plaque in the Shape of a Squarish Loop with Projections (Gouyun pei)


Subject:Re: Metropolitan Museum of Art "Gouyun Pei", Hongshan Culture?
Posted By: Claus Sun, Jul 05, 2015

Jac:
Two suggestions that would make your posts easier to read and respond to:

Learn to reduce the size of your photo. To better see the item now, is necessary to copy and reduce the picture.

It would also be helpful to start a new thread to introduce a different item. Presently, the threads are so long, and contain so many different subjects, they become tiresome to navigate.

Regards,
Robert Claus

Subject:MY First Jade Purchase & A Fake Hongshan Culture Turtle
Posted By: Jac Sun, Aug 02, 2015

My first jade purchase, around end 1992 or early 1993 was not nephrite jade - see first two photos below.

I did not know what it was when I bought it and I still do not know what it is or when it was made, today.

The shop where I made my first "jade" purchase was located at the basement of Tanglin Shopping Centre in Singapore. The owner, who is from Macau claimed that his shop is the only one in Singapore that sells only jades, mostly modern white nephrite jades.

The only Hongshan Culture jades that he has for sale are modern imitation/style pendants which cost S$50 each.

No jade items (except the nephrite and agate Hongshan style pendants) in his shop cost less than $300 and that was the amount I paid for this "not nephrite" sceptre shown below.

I have purchased many jade pieces from this jade dealer right until he closed his shop/business and returned to Macau after the Asian Financial crisis.

This jade dealer claimed he learned about jade from his father and has made millions from selling jade but lost most of his savings on Malaysian stocks during the Asian Financial crisis.

He said he bought a million SGD worth of Malaysian penny stocks through his brother's recommendation and when its value drop 50% his brother asked him to buy more. He bought another million and prices drop another 50% and when the CLOB exchange was closed by the Malaysian authorities, his stocks were worth less than 20% of what he paid for them.

After the Asian Financial crisis in 1997/1998 and the SARS outbreak in 2002/2003 many antique shops in Singapore closed down. I stop buying jades from the early 2000s until year 2013.

I have purchased many jade pieces in the last 2 years, and some cost less than what I would have paid for them 20 years ago, here in Singapore.

Today I chanced upon a gift shop located in a hotel in Singapore through the internet, with jade turtle for sale for USD 8700 shown on the bottom photo, take from this site:

http://pissisdesign.com/pjc_cat_274_208.htm?x=237&y=101

This turtle is not "my genuine" Hongshan Culture artifact. I wonder how their jade consultant could have determined this turtle, which is an obvious fake to my eyes, to be a genuine Hongshan Culture object.







Subject:Chicken blood stone
Posted By: Melissa Sat, Aug 22, 2015

Need more insight and opinion on my family heirloom. Chicken blood stone



Subject:Re: Chicken blood stone
Posted By: Jac Sun, Aug 23, 2015

Hi Melissa,

I am unable to offer any insight or opinion on chicken blood stones as I have none in my collection, except fake ones.

I hope a true expert on chicken blood stone will come out to help you.

Cheers.


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