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Subject:Re: Sancai Glazed Horse (Tang Dynasty)
Posted By: Michael O Mon, Apr 11, 2016
Hi TD,
While I completely agree with you that history and provenance are vital and valuable, I think it is just impossible, at most times, for any collector to get any certifiable history or provenance whenever he buys something from a dealer. Even then, can the provenance be trusted? I see so many accounts of articles bought from estate sales and these usually belonged to someone's great great grandparents who had travelled or or worked in the exotic east.
Now when you also mention that TL tests can be faked, that leaves me with a serious question : then what or whom can we trust?
I think when it comes down to it, we may just have to defer to the experts; serious folks who have put in many years of studying, analysing, seeing, touching, testing, discussing the artifacts....I think we can find several real experts in this forum here, although I think they would, rightly so, only give qualified opinions based on low resolution photos, which by the way, can also be faked or pulled from other sources.
Come to think about it: this forum may also have some fake experts who provide (dangerously) fake opinions! As readers and posters, I think we need to use our own judgement as to whether the expert who respond has any credibility.
I dont recommend this forum as a place for collectors who want to authenticate or appraise good quality antiques. They should bring them to qualified and reputable auction houses. This forum should be where one comes to for some advice, quick opinions, some exchanges of notes, or simply to show off one's collections.
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