THE strength of the market for Asian items such as porcelain and works of art continues to be very strong. The changing economic climate in China, together with the live Internet bidding facility at specialist auctions, means that Asian items continue to sell well.
From the collection of a Derbyshire entrepreneur, the pair of 18th Century Chinese meiping vases we have pictured, decorated in muted polychrome enamels, of a domestic interior with a figure attended to in bed – the interpretation of the scene is lost in the translation somewhere from China to Europe.
The vases measure 24cm high, with a six-character mark for the Qianlong reign – 1736 to 1795 (one of the ten reigns during the great Qing dynasty which lasted from 1644 to 1912.) Meiping vases are traditionally used to display branches of plum blossoms.
Estimated at £300 to £500, they made a staggering £4,550 and are now on their way back to China.
China is rich in the raw materials needed for making porcelain and it is so identified with China that it is still called ‘china’ in everyday English. Chinese ceramics, even pieces of the finest quality, were made on an industrial scale and few names of individual potters have been recorded.
Many of the most renowned workshops were owned by, or reserved for, the Emperor, and large quantities of ceramics were exported as diplomatic gifts or for trade from an early date. The most desirable in today’s market is still the sophisticated Chinese porcelain wares made for the imperial court.
The price of these vases was helped by the fact they are painted in colours. A great deal of Chinese imported porcelain was decorated in an underglaze blue, which affected the fashion for blue and white ware in the market.
English manufacturers had produced delftware in the 17th Century, technically it was the best imitation of the fine Chinese white porcelain that we could manage, but such English pottery lacked the magical translucence of the Chinese originals. Because these originals commanded such high prices, there were many early attempts to copy it and it wasn’t until the mid-18th Century when William Cookworthy started to produce porcelain that we saw a flourishing market for its production in England.
Editor’s Note: Perhaps you also have Asian antiques and collectables that might be valuable? If so, it is worth getting the advice of an Independent Antiques Valuer to assess them.
For further information, contact Vivienne on 07870 238788 or go to www.viviennemilburn.co.uk or email vivienne@viviennemilburn.co.uk