Authenticity
In the world of high dollar value antiques, authenticity is critically important. For less valuable antiques, it is still important. You paid for an authentic Roseville vase. You want to know that’s what you are getting. Keep in mind that most antiques are not signed or marked. For them, there is no absolute identifier. Appraisers or connoisseurs evaluate characteristics of the object which will lead them to conclude that it is genuine. What if the object is signed or marked? Unfortunately, even signed or marked antiques may have questions about their authenticity.
Unless you can be certain that the signature or mark was applied at the time of manufacture, there is no guarantee of authenticity. Forgers are creative. They can fool the experts. The art and antiquities world is frequently stunned by the revelation that a valuable museum piece is, in fact, a forgery. But you don’t need to own a museum piece to be duped into accepting a forgery as genuine. Some forgers are careless and rely on the ignorance of the buyers to fool them. In other cases, there is no intent to defraud. Items produced as reproductions, especially older reproductions, are sometimes mistaken by buyers and sellers as original to an older period.
Forgers sometimes go to great lengths to create a forgery, such as constructing reproductions using old materials and techniques. The quality of the forgery is often superb. If you have a bunch of old chair parts around and you are in the forgery business, you construct a new chair out of the old parts. Forgers have been known to “marry” two unrelated but similar items to create a more desirable and valuable united piece. The parts may both be old or one part may be old and the other new. Myrna Kaye terms this a “Married Piece of the May-December Sort” (1997:11). Easier still for the forger, is the criminal application of labels and marks to unmarked items at later dates. Ceramics are sometimes marked and refired at a later date to make them more valuable.
While the majority of antiques are not signed or marked, it is possible to attribute work to a single maker, although we may not know his name. Identifications are based on elements of style and construction, such as carving and ornamentation. If a sufficient body of work survives, scholars can then use similarities to establish a body of work for the unknown craftsman. Identifying an unknown craftsman through his work is intellectually and economically rewarding.
So what can buyers and sellers do to protect themselves? Become knowledgeable! Educate themselves about the areas of art and antiques in which they are interested. Patronize established and reputable art and antiques dealers. They want to help their clients build a collection. Finally, use the services of a qualified appraiser before you commit to expensive purchases.
In the world of high dollar value antiques, authenticity is critically important. For less valuable antiques, it is still important. You paid for an authentic Roseville vase. You want to know that’s what you are getting. Keep in mind that most antiques are not signed or marked. For them, there is no absolute identifier. Appraisers or connoisseurs evaluate characteristics of the object which will lead them to conclude that it is genuine. What if the object is signed or marked? Unfortunately, even signed or marked antiques may have questions about their authenticity.
Unless you can be certain that the signature or mark was applied at the time of manufacture, there is no guarantee of authenticity. Forgers are creative. They can fool the experts. The art and antiquities world is frequently stunned by the revelation that a valuable museum piece is, in fact, a forgery. But you don’t need to own a museum piece to be duped into accepting a forgery as genuine. Some forgers are careless and rely on the ignorance of the buyers to fool them. In other cases, there is no intent to defraud. Items produced as reproductions, especially older reproductions, are sometimes mistaken by buyers and sellers as original to an older period.
Forgers sometimes go to great lengths to create a forgery, such as constructing reproductions using old materials and techniques. The quality of the forgery is often superb. If you have a bunch of old chair parts around and you are in the forgery business, you construct a new chair out of the old parts. Forgers have been known to “marry” two unrelated but similar items to create a more desirable and valuable united piece. The parts may both be old or one part may be old and the other new. Myrna Kaye terms this a “Married Piece of the May-December Sort” (1997:11). Easier still for the forger, is the criminal application of labels and marks to unmarked items at later dates. Ceramics are sometimes marked and refired at a later date to make them more valuable.
While the majority of antiques are not signed or marked, it is possible to attribute work to a single maker, although we may not know his name. Identifications are based on elements of style and construction, such as carving and ornamentation. If a sufficient body of work survives, scholars can then use similarities to establish a body of work for the unknown craftsman. Identifying an unknown craftsman through his work is intellectually and economically rewarding.
So what can buyers and sellers do to protect themselves? Become knowledgeable! Educate themselves about the areas of art and antiques in which they are interested. Patronize established and reputable art and antiques dealers. They want to help their clients build a collection. Finally, use the services of a qualified appraiser before you commit to expensive purchases.