porcelain

When submitting porcelain, semi-porcelain or pottery for an online evaluation, appraisal. We need:

1) Provenance: The item's history and where you obtained it from.

2) Measurements/dimensions in either inches or centimeters.

3) Digital photographs giving the front and side view, and another picture of the the base with any marking.

Furthermore, we would like to know, as best as you can:

4) Are there are any cracks or repairs (that you know of), because these generally cannot be determined by simply look at the online photograph. For fine porcelain, in order to determine thus, you just hold the piece up to a bright light and look through it.

5) If possible, who made it and/or in what country do you believed it was made, i.e. Royal Doulton, Royal Crown Derby, Coalport, Ansley?

6) If possible do you know if it is porcelain, semi-porcelain (earthenware) or pottery? If you do not know the difference please see the commentary below and do the best that you can.

If you have a porcelain or semi-porcelain or pottery tea set or set of dinnerware that you want an online evaluation, appraisal of, then browse this page and then click on "Sets"

As with all on-line evaluations, appraisals, the more of the above informations that you provide, the more accurate our online evaluation, appraisal will be.

Commentary

For clarification, porcelain is the finest, and is generally translucent, meaning when you hold it up to a light it will allow some light to pass through it. The porcelain itself, is also always white. Semi-porcelain and earthenware is generally thicker, not allowing the transmission of any light through it and can be white or colored. Pottery is the thickest and coarsest, with the pottwery itself (not the glaze) is generally brown.

Often Oriental wares are marked. Japanese have a whole array of marks (tens of thousand to be precise). Accordingly, often when dealing with Japanese porcelain and pottery, we judge the piece by its quality.

Chinese marks are somewhat easier to deal with. For example, the mark on the above rare double handled celadon pottery flask, indicating the Qianlong period (1736-95) of Qing dynasty of China.

A good website for Oriental marks: http://www.gotheborg.com/

Note: When dealing with any marks, there are many fakes/ reproductions as well as many that cannot be fully determined. Sadly, this happens to most things of value, so quite often it comes down to having a feel for the quality of the p iece. It should also be stated that not all reproductions were made with the goal of deceptions, as is the case of many Chinese pieces wherein they copied pieces from earlier generation not to decieve the new customer but rather to honour their past.

Unfortunately, not all porcelain is marked, which often leaves us guessing. The rule of thumb remains the value of the piece depends upon the quality of the piece and the execution of any artwork.