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 Jade
continues to be a major item in the trade in Chinese antiques in China
and among Chinese overseas, although there are a number of noted Western
connoisseurs. Antiques markets and antiques shops in Beijing, Shanghai,
Xian, Tianjin and Guangzhou all have dealers selling jade: one piece
the size of a finger can be worth US＄50,000, so obviously this is
not a trade that requires extensive premises.
With so many pieces on
the market, it is important to be able to distinguish
the real from the fake, however, that the Chinese have been “faking”ancient
jade for at least2,000 years. Thus a Song-dynasty copy of a Han jade
may be worth as much, or more than the Han original. Buying jade is
a tricky and adventurous business, but the rewards can be great. If
one had to come up with a single bit of advice on how to identify
good jade, try the following, despite its seeming density: a fine
piece of jade should breathe as if it were alive. |
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distinguish