Page 192 - Deydier UNDERSTANDING CHINESE ARCHAIC BRONZES
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The latest fakes
■ Adding decoration to an authentic undecorated, plain vessel; in
In the past ten years, a great quantity of fakes has flooded the market. most such cases, the newly added decoration is incised into the
Coming mostly from Taiwan and mainland China, they are often of the surface of the vessel. Such decoration often appears stiffer than
highest quality, some reaching such a level of technical perfection that that on vessels originally bearing decoration and mistakes are often
they completely fool many collectors and dealers. Genuine specialists made by the forgers in matching the style of the decoration with the
are, fortunately, still able to detect them since they are often too heavy, period to which the originally undecorated archaic vessel belongs.
their artificial patina can be detached from their surfaces rather easily, Moreover, in such cases, the patina inside the incision marks of the
their inscriptions may not paleographically match the authentic writing newly applied decoration is either artificial or completely absent.
of the period from which the object is supposed to date and/or may Inscriptions, if added, are also usually badly formed and the style
not be cast deeply enough, and especially because no corrosion can of the calligraphy may be inaccurate.
be detected actually coming from inside the object’s metal, since the
false patina, such as there is, has merely been applied artificially to the ■ Adding to the decoration of an already partially decorated piece.
vessel’s surface. No matter how skillful the copier, a true specialist will The added decoration is rather stiff and sometimes it is possible to
be able to see through the hoax, since for him or her the copy always see chiselling marks. As in the case of originally plain pieces that
lacks ‘life’, the vital energy that only a genuine antiquity possesses. The have been wholly redecorated, the patina inside the incisions of the
ability to sense this ‘vital energy’ is essential for anyone attempting to added decoration is either artificial or completely absent.
make an appraisal.
■ Soldering or otherwise attaching a new decoration onto an authentic
piece.
Techniques used in producing fakes
■ Casting a new piece from a mold made from an authentic piece.
Despite all the skills which those producing reproductions possess, Usually the resulting vessel is slightly larger than the original and
a person with a sharp eye and knowledge of the techniques used by numerous casting faults are visible on its surface. The patina is
reproduction-makers can distinguish between fakes and the genuine artificial.
article.
Reproduction-makers employ a number of methods to produce pieces ■ Creating a reproduction based on photos found in publications
that are meant to dupe unsuspecting buyers. Among these are: picturing original pieces. Most often mistakes in shape, design,
decor, etc. will be made in reproducing areas of the original vessel
■ Reconstructing an incomplete authentic vessel by recasting its that are not visible in the photo that is being used.
missing pieces.
As mentioned above, a careful inspection of the patination of a
■ Constructing a previously non-existent ‘fantasy’ vessel by joining vessel can play an essential, determining role in the detection of a
pieces from several authentic, archaic vessels, sometimes even reproduction. Authentic patina is the product of a chemical reaction
authentic pieces from different historical periods. that takes place over a long period of time inside the metal of the vessel
when the vessel comes into contact with diverse mineral salts present
■ Changing the form of an authentic vessel into the form of another, in the soil in which the vessel has been buried and these chemical
rarer and more valuable vessel, by perhaps soldering legs onto a reactions give the surface of the bronze a certain appearance which can
cover to produce a separate vessel, adding handles to a handleless be granular, smooth or covered with miniscule crystals and a colour,
yu 盂 to make it into a gui 簋, etc. which can be maroon (cuprite or monoxide), green (basic carbonate
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