Ultimate Guide To Starting Your Asian Antique Collection

Most people think buying Asian antiques is all about amassing rare wooden and jade carvings, snuff bottles, or intricate lacquer boxes. To begin an antique collection, you must study the area of antiques that you have interest in before buying any item. Visit a reliable online antique store with a variety of items. These sites managed by professionals with many years of hands-on-experience to gain knowledge about antiques. Below is an ultimate guide to starting your Asian antique collection to avoid making expensive mistakes. 

How to buy antiques

Before buying any item, keep in mind that each antique piece is proof of handcrafted work of art as a foundation r its value. Additionally, you also have to consider the condition of the item plus level of workmanship. Make sure to anticipate the piece’s artistic merit or how complicated the artwork looks. In most cases, forces of demand and supply dictate the market value of a piece. High demand means a higher price for the item.

If you are lucky enough, you can land on a piece with exceptional quality and rarity. Take good care of your item since there is a likelihood of selling the item at a higher price in the years to come. An item’s provenance greatly enhances its value. If you are diligent to buy a well-known collector item, you will earn a higher price.

Why choose Japanese antiques

Are you a great fan of Japanese pieces? Well, netsukes should be your best bet, to begin with. The netsuke is an inch high and works like modern key chains. It is a miniature wood or ivory carving made as a handling piece for an “inro”. This is a lacquered container made exquisitely and decorated with the netsuke attached with a cord. The “Inro” served as a miniature cosmetic case or an ancient pillbox.

Japanese antiques especially the lacquered pieces are wonderful pieces to collect for their superb workmanship. They are very difficult to reproduce or to produce fake ones. Lacquered pieces require very many thin layers fit into place before to making any decoration or painting. Furthermore, it takes time to finish a piece. The good thing is that the decorations are from a combination of thin metalwork, fine shell inlay, multi-colored lacquer, and gold.

Here is the catch

To determine the value of Japanese antique pieces, the amount and quality of workmanship put into creating the netsuke is key. A fine item doubles the appeal of a good “inro” to make such a purchase a wonderful investment. Additionally, less and finer is better when purchasing Japanese antiques. Flawless quality of workmanship guarantees the item a solid and vibrant color.

For any Asian antique enthusiast, Japanese nukesuke is wonderful item to invest in. These come with timeless beauty and appeal not easily noticed in other pieces. However, you can only find these from a reliable online supplier. You will be able to acquire wonderful antiques at an affordable cost.

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