There are many factors that have contributed to the advent of synthetic materials that have the color and texture of ivory. At the top of the list is the removal of elephant ivory from the market. Long before...
As long time collectors of Asian art, we have purchased many authentic and truly remarkable Chinese antiques on eBay. You can too. But fair warning - you need to really understand how this fraud riddled...
Collecting Chinese snuff bottles likely began in the late 17th century when the first powdered tobacco afficionado in the Imperial Court collected a few small snuff containers and noticed how intriguing they...
Bone has been used in arts and crafts for as long or longer than ivory and there are beautiful items made from bone. Many larger pieces would just be too expensive to market if made from ivory. Bone also...
There are many items on the Market today being represented and sold as Ivory that really aren't. This may be due to intentional deception or innocent ignorance. Next to the term "Antique", this is the most...
Greetings, I am writing this guide because I still see a lot of fake Asian items described as old, antique, antique like, and so forth. Where can you find help? I know we all would like to find a good deal,...
As we all know most "Antique" Chinese Jades on eBay are blatant fakes. However, within the past years, a few authentic Qing-Dynasty carvings have surfaced on eBay, mostly coming from private sources. How to...
Antique Chinese Imperial Ming and Qing Porcelain I am writing this guide to share with you the years of knowledge that I have acquired with the hope that you may benefit from it. You may apply it to Doucai,...
Snuff coming to China Tobacco originated with the Indians of North America and has a long history of over 2000 years. Long ago the Indians lived a hard life, often walking long distances or migrating to look...
Amber is fossilized tree sap, color depends on the type of sap and where it came from. Terms such as cherry, whiskey and butterscotch refer to the color of the amber. The majority of amber comes from the...