Chinese Antiquities: An Introduction to the Art Market provides an essential guide to the growing market for Chinese antiquities, encompassing all sectors of the market, from Classical Chinese paintings and calligraphy to ceramics, jade, bronze and ritual sculpture.
The different Western and Chinese perceptions of Chinese art are examined in detail throughout the book to provide an understanding of how the market for Chinese antiquities has developed over the last century. An historical analysis of the issues surrounding the infamous Yuanmingyuan incident of 1860, in which foreign troops plundered cartloads of Imperial Chinese treasures and shipped them to Europe, sets the scene for the current trend in China for patriotic art investments and the repatriation of national treasures. The rise of the Chinese auction houses, and the growing prominence of Chinese art as one of the top commodities in the international art market, are also examined, bringing into question whether this recent phenomenon is merely a short-lived trend or a long-term fixture of the twenty-first century art market.
Aimed at current and aspiring collectors, investors and galleries interested in Chinese antiquities, the book sets out to demystify the process of buying and selling in the Asian context, highlighting Asia-specific issues that market-players might encounter and making this category of art more accessible to newcomers to the market.