Emperors Antique

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Big Appeal of Small Markets by Kelly Tey

Compiled from The Star

There was a time when weekend flea markets within a commercial complex were unheard of in the Malaysian shopping scene.

The concept of n informal gathering of people coming together to buy, sell, and trade used or old goods under one roof was completely foreign.

It all changed in 1998 when Amcorp Mall set out to create an indoor antiques market inspired by one of the most iconic antiques market in the world — the Portobello Road market in the United Kingdom.

Amcorp’s infant flea market started slowly, with just a handful of pioneering antique enthusiasts displaying their prized possessions in the mall’s lower ground level.

Sixteen years later, the number of traders has soared to about 300, and the space it takes up has grown from one floor of the mall to four.

The idea of flea markets has also visibly grown on Malaysians.

To view the full article, please go to http://www.thestar.com.my/Business/SME/2014/05/31/Flea-markets-start-to-flourish-Weekend-bazaars-are-turning-out-to-be-nurseries-for-small-businesses/

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

A Very Large and Fine Cloisonne Enamel Guan Yin (In A Sitting Position) With Highly Elaborated Flower Patterns On the Clothing For Sale

A Very Large and Fine Cloisonne Enamel Guan Yin (In A Sitting Position) With Highly Elaborated Flower Patterns On the ClothingH - 58 cmKang Xi mark and period

Price is available upon request. Interested parties can contact May at maynaik23@gmail.com.

Sunday, June 8, 2014

China Art Auctions – A Great Money Laundry by Anna Healy Fenton

After a wobble a couple of years ago, China’s art market is hot and continues to be a hot topic. Art data from Artron showed sales in China exceeded the United States for the first time in 2010. Sales in 2013 were 57 billion yuan (HK$72.5 billion).

But it’s been a bumpy ride, with a major hiccup in 2012. The China Association of Auctioneers (CAA) and international art group Artnet reported 788 auctions in 2012 made Rmb29 billion – half last year’s figure.

The 2012 -2011 wobble, according to the CAA, was due to “only half of the works offered at auction actually selling”. This can be attributed to many buyers questioning authenticity and refusing to pay. Eagle Standing on a Pine Tree, a 1946 ink painting by Qi Baishi, made a record $65.4 million in May 2011. But the New York Times noted the painting was still languishing in a Beijing warehouse two years later. The bidder had refused to pay up, doubting it was genuine.

As well as counterfeit concerns, Week in China explains that payment defaults often occur when bidders agree to sky-high valuations in an attempt to prop up prices for works by particular painters or artists that these “market makers” collect. Some auction houses look the other way as long as the (eventually aborted) sales make the market look strong. Pieces often get sold time and again.

Reuters noted in October that a Qi Baishi painting had gone under the hammer four times in a decade, with the price shooting from $30,000 to $794,000.

You’d think the general air of dodginess would spook buyers, but demand of Chinese art continues unchecked. The reason? “The price of Chinese art is really abnormal,” Jiang Yinfeng, a painter and art critic told the Worker’s Daily. “Art has become the best tool for money laundering and corruption.”

To view the full article, please go to http://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/1409498/china-art-auctions-great-money-laundry