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Re: Chinese Brush Washer with defect

Posted By: Bill H
Posted Date: Sep 21, 2013 (03:49 AM)

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Can't tell much about your brush washer from the images provided. However, I recollect that your evident source for the washer, goantiques.com, had less than a five-star reputation in their former incarnation as an auctioneer. In 2005, they were subject of much discussion among respectable sellers and advanced collectors for having apparently taken an inventory of high quality Chinese fake porcelains to sell in their live auctions for a discredited and de-registered eBay seller called Antiques-USA.

I took a fresh look at the website where Goantiques is now providing a venue for online sales by others. A quick sampling indicates that while some of the wares offered there are indeed legitimate Chinese antiques, others described as antique are recognizable as contemporary copies.

One of the better-known repros on sale is a group of plates in the pattern shown here, which dishes began appearing in some auction houses and online stores in the early years of the current century. It is made in the style of an 18th century pattern called "Guifei Zui Jiu", depicting a legendary episode where the famed but ill-fated Tang concubine Yang Guifei dipped a bit too deep into the Maotai. The seller has six plates in stock, described as all dating to "1750-1760", regularly $850 but available at the Goantiques discounted price of $450.

Fortunately, among other stylistic clues to the fakery, if you look close, the golden scroll design on the border is recognizable as having been applied by transfer instead of being hand-painted, as was the period practice.

The photo below was obtained from a reputable dealer who got stung when these dishes first hit the market.

Caveat emptor as usual,

Bill H.



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