FREE Evaluation and Talk at Naik Antiques and Oriental Gifts

Dear readers, 

In order to assist our customers, friends and associates in their quest to collect beautiful collectibles, we have decided to to include a mini talk in our second evaluation session! Below are the full details:

Date: 26th May 2018
Venue: Naik Antiques and Oriental Gifts
Address: 111M, Jln SS21/37, Damansara Utama, 47400 PJ

AGENDA
3pm - 5pm: FREE evaluation of items
5pm - 5.30pm: Introduction to Blue & White (Ceramics)
5.30pm – 5.45pm: Q&A

Please click on the link below to register:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/free-evaluation-and-talk-at-naik-antiques-and-oriental-gifts-tickets-46149462284

For further inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact me at 018 3867939.

Regards

May Naik

Ancient Greeks 'may have inspired China's Terracotta Army' by Maev Kennedy

Greek craft workers may have helped inspire the most famous Chinese sculptures ever made – the 8,000 warriors of the Terracotta Army who have been watching over the tomb of the first emperor of China for more than 2,000 years.

Archaeologists and historians working on the warriors say they now believe that the figures’ startlingly lifelike appearance could have been influenced by the arrival in China of ancient Greek sculptures, and even that Greek sculptors made their way there to teach their designs.

Li Xiuzhen, a senior archaeologist at the site, said recent discoveries, including that of ancient European DNA recovered from sites in Xinjian province from the time of the first emperor, were overturning traditional thinking about the level of contact between Asia and Europe more than 1,500 years before the travels of Marco Polo.

The Terracotta Army , unearthed from pits in Xi’an, was discovered in 1974 by a farmer, who was terrified to see a human face staring up at him from among the cabbages. Many other pits of terracotta soldiers have been found, but the older ones are small and usually very stylised. The Xi’an figures, safeguarding Qinshihuang, the first emperor, with their weapons, horses and war chariots, are life size and sculpted in extraordinary detail down to elaborate hairstyles and decorative knots tying sections of their armour.

Archaeological discoveries from both eastern and western sites have already shown the extent of very early trade. The Silk Road, with its caravan stops and trading posts, was formally established in the third century Han dynasty, but many of the trade routes were far older. Chinese historians recorded the arrival of Roman traders; by the time of the emperor Augustus Chinese silk was streaming into Rome and many of its wearers were being denounced as effete and immoral by commentators including Seneca.

The Terracotta Army , unearthed from pits in Xi’an, was discovered in 1974 by a farmer, who was terrified to see a human face staring up at him from among the cabbages. Many other pits of terracotta soldiers have been found, but the older ones are small and usually very stylised. The Xi’an figures, safeguarding Qinshihuang, the first emperor, with their weapons, horses and war chariots, are life size and sculpted in extraordinary detail down to elaborate hairstyles and decorative knots tying sections of their armour.

Archaeological discoveries from both eastern and western sites have already shown the extent of very early trade. The Silk Road, with its caravan stops and trading posts, was formally established in the third century Han dynasty, but many of the trade routes were far older. Chinese historians recorded the arrival of Roman traders; by the time of the emperor Augustus Chinese silk was streaming into Rome and many of its wearers were being denounced as effete and immoral by commentators including Seneca.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/oct/12/ancient-greeks-may-have-inspired-china-terracotta-army-sculptors-ancient-dna

Étienne Terrus Museum in Elne Uncovers Fake Art in Collection

A French museum dedicated to painter Étienne Terrus has discovered paintings it thought were by him were fakes.

The Terrus museum in Elne in the south of France discovered 82 works originally attributed to the artist were not painted by him.

More than half the collection is thought to be fake. The paintings cost about €160,000 (£140,000).

Staff at the museum were not aware of the forgeries until a visiting art historian alerted them.

The council in Elne bought the paintings, drawings and watercolours for the museum over a 20-year period.

Eric Forcada, an art historian, contacted the museum in the town near Perpignan several months ago to express his doubts about the authenticity of the paintings.

The museum assembled a committee of experts from the cultural world, who inspected the works and concluded that 82 of them had not been painted by the Elne-born artist.

The news was announced on Friday as the museum opened after a renovation.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43933530

Mini Tour and FREE Evaluation at Naik Antiques and Oriental Gifts

Dear readers,

I'm pleased and excited to announce that Naik Antiques annd Oriental Gifts will be having our very first mini tour and FREE evaluation session on 28th April 2018!

Agenda:
3pm - 4pm: Free evaluation of items
4pm - 4.30pm: Mini tour

Please click on the link below to register. 

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mini-tour-and-free-evaluation-at-naik-antiques-and-oriental-gifts-tickets-45423329401

For further inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact me at 018 3867939. We look forward to seeing you there!

May Naik

Director of Naik Antiques and Oriental Gifts

Ker-Qing! How Sky-High Prices for Chinese Porcelain Hurt Museums by Kylie Knott

"While we think of porcelain and ceramics as being incredibly fragile, which, of course, it is, it is also very resilient, so when we get shards of porcelain that have survived over time we can use it as a way to teach people about Chinese social history from the origins of China right through to now," says Harrison-Hall, who has a special interest in the material culture of later Chinese history, particularly the Song to Qing dynasties (960-1911).

British-born Harrison-Hall, who has published many books on Chinese ceramics, is also fascinated by the Ming period (1368-1644), a time of great growth in China when emperors and their palaces benefited from the skilled workmanship that created paintings, furniture, costumes, ceramics and jewellery. Even in modern China, the Ming dynasty is still considered a "golden age" of Chinese culture, she says.

But while Harrison-Hall wishes people luck building their private collections, she says the growing number of them - and the huge prices paid by private collectors - make it difficult for museums to acquire pieces. "When items are selling for £21 million [HK$254 million] then it's tough for museums to build on their collections. Museums rely on private donations and much of the money also goes on building maintenance and staff, so these prices make it very hard."

But she is not surprised by the amounts being paid considering the rarity of Qing imperial porcelain. "Very few examples of such high quality exist and those that do are in the imperial collections of the Beijing Palace Museum, Taipei National Museum or the Percival David Foundation in London."

http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-entertainment/article/1831921/ker-qing-how-sky-high-prices-chinese-porcelain-hurt

Chinese Protests Fail To Stop 'Illegal' Water Vessel Sale

A rare sacred Chinese bronze water vessel made between 2,200 and 3,600 years ago has been sold despite protests by the Chinese government.

The recently discovered bronze Tiger Ying sold at auction for £410,000, Canterbury Auction Galleries said.

China's State Administration of Cultural Heritage condemned the auction saying the relic was taken illegally from the country in the 19th Century.

Only six similar vessels were previously known to exist.

The vessel dates from the Western Zhou dynasty - 1027-771 BC - and was named the Tiger Ying because the spout and cover were each cast with models of the animal, the auctioneers said.

The vessel was found with three other later Qing dynasty bronze works of art in a home in Kent and had been given an estimated price of between £120,000 and £200,000, a Canterbury Auction Galleries spokesman said.

The Chinese government agency said it had contacted the auction house "through various channels", demanding the cancellation of the sale and telling the auction house to "abide by the spirit of international agreements and code of professional ethics, as well as respecting the cultural rights and national feelings of the Chinese people".

Hajni Elias, a Chinese art and cultural historian, said: "We cannot underestimate the wealth and sophistication of the late Zhou culture that created such an outstanding bronze vessel. Only men of high status, such as a king, his nobles and officials were able to obtain them.

"They represent some of the finest vessels and are treasured by collectors and connoisseurs worldwide."

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-kent-43726526

Our Featured Items for April 2018

Dear readers,

Please feel free to drop by our shop and check out our featured items for the month if you happen to be in the neighbourhood.

Venue: Naik Antiques and Oriental Gifts

Address: 111M, Jln SS21/37, Damansara Utama, PJ

May Naik