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I have two antique chairs purchased in Hong kong
in 1997.
I have a receipt/ certificate from K H Chau Antiques for $5300.00 & a Citibank receipt number for that amount.
Please help with revevent information.
Many thanks for site
Dara

Many such chairs being recreated from pieces of other furniture. Only hands-on exam by true expert can tell full story.

You can look for obvious: holes (patched) with no purpose, wear in odd place, rebuilt feet, etc.

Good luck,
Cal

It is not Ming style at all. IT can be any where from 18th to late 20th century. I can narrow it down if you post some better day light pictures. Try to take pictures in open shadow outdoor.

need
Close ups of the wood grain and cravings, underside and the feet rest.

Certificate of age and receipt from antique dealer.

Dara,

You need story told by chairs, not story told by dealer.

Good luck,
Cal

$5300.00 in Hong Kong in 97 is reproduction pricing (depending on the shops rent, even a little over priced in fact).

I was just in Hong Kong a few weeks back and while there went posing a a tourist and had some chats with the dealers there. All I can say is I was amazed with some of the "stories I was hearing.

I run a restoration facility in Beijing, and so you can imagine my reaction when one dealer told me that "If I was in the industry and knew the product I would be able to see that it was old - but since I was not, it was really just best for me to "trust him." Trusting him would have meant buying a 2500 Chinese RMB reproduction cabinet for about 60,000 Hong Kong Dollars.

I would say this is a brand new piece (maybe some minor element or piece of wood is old). Unless the person is a genuine authority on the subject, the certificate of antiquity is simply paperwork.

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