The collectables market in this country is worth around $7 billion. However, with more and more people becoming interested in Oriental collectables, there have been some significant changes in the market. Suddenly, people are looking towards China for antiques and art and, all over the world, auction houses are now selling Chinese and Asian art. Those from the Asian continent, going beyond just China, are increasingly interested in Oriental art, decor, and collectables. Indeed, it is a trend that is repeated all over the world, with professional such as Nigel Allen spotting this type of collectibles in homes all over the world.
Oriental Art and Collections According to Nigel Allen
Whenever something becomes in high demand, there is also an influx of counterfeit and cheap goods. This means that those interested in Oriental collections have to find out how they can make sure that what they purchase is actually of good quality. A quick look around various retail stores across the country will show a range of cheaply manufactured oriental-inspired goods, and while these may look ok, they will never offer the quality that can be expected from true oriental art.
True oriental collections are made with quality workmanship. Often, the makers of the collections are known in the country of origin for their skill, even if the piece is an antique and the manufacturers are therefore long dead. Indeed, there are many Asian styles that have no competition as other people in those countries would not even dream of trying to replicate a work of art of that type of standard. Naturally, this superior skill and attention to detail does also translate in a higher price tag.
At the same time, it is undeniable that everything is made cheaply in China, including replicas and fakes. They tend to be plastic and easily breakable and only cost a few dollars. Those items will never appear in the Oriental collection market, however, as not even someone who has no knowledge of true art would believe those are genuine pieces. As such, the Chinese knock off market and the Oriental collection market are two very separate entities.
How to Recognize Quality Work
Unfortunately, fake oriental collections do exist and they can sometimes be hard to tell apart from the real deal. It is all really down to the attention to detail. Most of the time, true oriental collections have mistakes in lines and colors. It is not uncommon, for instance, to see a wavy line where it should be straight, simply because the original artist took a deeper in-breath as they were painting it. Yet at the same time, the genuine article will have far more details than a fake one. It will look at a tiny little aspects such as fingernails on hands, individual strands of hair, patterns on clothing and fabric, and so on. These are things that cannot be replicated in a cheap manner, which is why you simply will not see them in knock-off oriental art. That said, you do have to have a pretty good eye to be able to spot this.