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Tips to Identify Fake Antique Porcelain
It
is very difficult for novices or new collectors to judge whether
or not they are looking at or buying a real piece of authentic
antique porcelain or a fake. Even people who have been in the
antiques business for years can still be fooled by some of the
fakes that are out there.
Here
are a few pointers to help you identify an original from a
phony:
·
It’s hard to believe but some fake pieces are now accompanied
by fake Certificates of Authenticity (COAs). This doesn’t help
you identify a fake but we wanted to mention it so you would not
have a false sense of security should you come across an item
with a COA. Obviously a Certificate of Authenticity no longer
means what it used to. Good grief.
·
Hold
the piece of porcelain you are interested in and look for mold
marks. If you find them, this will let you know that the piece
is most likely mass-produced and of relatively little worth.
·
You need to use some common sense when trying to judge the age
of a piece of expensive porcelain, even if you don’t know much
about it. Look at the bottom. Is there any wear around the edge
of the base from being picked up and put down over and over
again during, say, the last hundred years? Now hold the piece up
and move it around so you can see if there are any scratches on
it. If there is no wear and no scratches, you can probably
assume that it is not an antique.
·
If a piece of porcelain you are considering seems expensive then
compare the price against the quality of the piece. Again, even
if you don’t know much about porcelain, you still may be able
to judge if the decoration looks well done or not. Compare it
with some other less expensive pieces around. Does the expensive
piece really stand out as exceptional?
·
If
a piece of porcelain looks to be too shiny for its purported age
then it probably is. Go with your gut. If something doesn’t
seem quite right – ask questions. Ask the seller if he or she
has any past history concerning the piece. If he or she acts
nervous or isn’t sure what to say, head for home or a
different shop.
·
The
item is just too dirty. Some people will bury fakes for a period
of time so they will take on the appearance of being old.
We’ve seen a lot of these pieces. Some of them even feel
gritty – like they just came out of an excavation site. Most
antique malls, antique stores and auction houses usually go out
of their way to make their merchandise look presentable.
It would be unusual to find antique pieces that have not been
washed or at least dusted. However if the “gritty” pieces
are phony, cleaning them would ruin the desired effect.
·
You
should note that exports coming into the United States after
1891 had to include the country of origin on each piece. So a
piece of Royal Doulton after 1891 also had to be marked,
“England” or “Made in England”. The same would apply to
the beautiful porcelain pieces entering the United States from
France, Germany and Czechoslovakia. Some of the forgeries
entering the U.S. today from China comply with the law by having
paper labels that say China. These labels can easily be removed
once the pieces are inside the country.
·
If you see a piece that has a copyright mark (C inside a circle)
as part of the signature or the backstamp, you should keep
walking. No copyright marks existed prior to the 20th century.
·
Colors
on older decorated pieces of porcelain were softer – not
overly bright. Colors on reproduction pieces are
“brilliant.” In some cases, this can be a dead give away.
·
Be
careful of the term “museum quality.” We’re sure it has
been used properly one time or another but, for the most part,
you should treat that phrase the same as you would, “She has a
nice personality.”
Written
by Anne Benedetto, Auction House Talk
All Rights Reserved
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