Simply Abu Dhabi Magazine XVI

Turkey and Indonesia. And from roughly 1980 onwards, a huge amount of my time was spent in China. I’m sure this travel contributed to my initial lifestyle inclination, but looking back I must say that in the early years becoming conversant with Asian philosophies and recognising the continuous interactions and cross-cultural influences of so many diverse civilisations that spanned millennia is probably what focused my attention on this region. What would you say to someone who’s interested in embarking on starting their own collection? Any advice? The best advice I can give would actually vary depending on the reason they wish to collect. If someone is looking at collecting for short-term investments, there are definitely important criteria different than those for someone who truly feels an affinity for a particular art form or historical period and wishes to pursue collecting for the beauty and intellectual stimulation. Beyond that, I can say that irrespective of the reason, all new collectors should study multiple sources rather than simply relying on the experience or opinion of others. And looking at it from the other side, what insights would you have for someone who wishes to sell something from a collection? The time frame available and the degree of necessity involved in the sale are certainly the major considerations when someone wishes to sell something from their collection. If time is of the essence, contacting dealers who specialise in the type of artefact to be sold is probably the quickest means, if not the most lucrative. Given a bit more time, consignment to a dealer or auction could possibly net more for the individual (although the auction, of course, has more risk which means the ups and downs are more of an unknown). Given a reasonable amount of time, without the necessity of a sale being of great consequence, it would benefit the individual to try and have the artefacts shown in a museum or academic setting, as well as possibly publishing the artefact in a non-commercial venue, to increase the potential value in a meaningful way. On the topic of publishing, you’re now a respected author as well. What can you tell us about your work? My latest publication is titled “A Meaningful Guide to the Scientific Authentication of Asian Antiquities”. This text offers a concise, usable synopsis of many of the techniques most commonly used in the study of artefacts and the detection of forgeries. The information was gathered from a wealth of sources and the invaluable input of renowned scientists relevant to the analytical techniques discussed. Basically, I can say that it tells you what most authentication examinations can and cannot do, as well as when and where to use them. I have been most pleased that more than one knowledgeable reviewer has said “this book should be required reading by every serious collector and curator of Asian antiquities”. I should probably mention that the cited techniques can be used on artefacts that are neither Asian nor antiquities; however, Asian examples are what that we used and with which we are most conversant, hence the title. The authentication process is probably the most crucial aspect of both collecting and understanding artefacts and their historical importance in the antiquities field. True authentication is defined here as the competent combination of relevant scientific analysis and connoisseurship. It must also be made clear that there is virtually no single scientific test, on any medium, which can give you complete authentication. The reasons why are spelled out in the guide, which also contains an essay at the end which addresses the many pitfalls of not using science in the authentication process. As Galileo once said, “By denying scientific principles, one may maintain any paradox”. Be aware that many scientific examinations are still being refined and that there are many more to be discovered, and as we all know, not all scientists or experts are equal. Why is authentication so essential in your field? With the increased demand for antiquities, it’s easy to fall prey to forgers if you’re not equipped with knowledge. We personally try to ensure the authenticity of our artefacts by following the principles outlined in our latest text. We can only reiterate that collectors and curators must not rely on consensus opinion as their primary guide to authentication. Reproductions are easy to detect by those with even a modicum of experience. Masterpieces of forgery, however, are virtually impossible to detect with purely visual inspections. The one consistent trait of master forgers is that as soon as they learn what visual clues people are using to detect forgeries, those clues will disappear. Things are not always as they appear, but the master forgers will always provide the appearance of what you classically expect to find. With all your expertise in the field, does anything still surprise you? Absolutely. We’ve had numerous surprises over the years involving the value of historical Chinese artefacts. Although certainly both the greatest surprise and conundrum is that later pieces that are virtually copies of antiquities (although they usually not as well proportioned and are generally more abundant) can actually sell for multiples of the originals! This is most likely the case because buyers are more fearful about the authenticity of the antiquities. They do not know that it is generally easier to analyse whether or not an artefact is genuinely an antiquity rather than a later interpretation or copy! With all you’ve studied, do you have a favourite era or style? I must say that each individual ancient culture, and the different periods within those cultures, all have produced artworks and styles, in different media, which can leave me in awe. Those artworks that demonstrate an obvious creative energy I find among the most desirable. Though I would have to say that artefacts that have been created in the noble metals tend to draw me more than most other media. Firstly, because the noble metals generally make it easier to truly see what the artist originally intended. The natural patina, even corrosion, can provide a beauty and inspiration that you cannot receive frommodern works in virtually any media. But the patina on noble metals generally has a more gentle enhancement of the age and artwork. Secondly, these media are generally made for royalty and the powerful, hence are rarer or unique, and usually required the greatest technical expertise available to those cultures, even nomadic ones. Are there recent acquisitions that have caught your attention as being standouts? My favourite Chinese artefact this year is actually the most favourite artefact I have ever had. It is an Imperial, en-suite set of solid gold vessels that are the most historically important, technically advanced and delightfully designed set made in ancient China. Approximately two millennia old – I’m not sure that its equal exists in any other culture of that era! What’s your take on the antiquities market currently? Prices in most of the traditional fields of collecting and Asian antiques have recently been rather consistently strong. However, the two areas of consequence that I feel have the greatest potential for growth, and are currently undervalued, are Chinese paintings and ancient gold. If one were to compare the top prices for ancient Chinese paintings by their great masters to the prices realised for Western painting masters, ancient Chinese paintings should be considered delirious bargains, even with their recent increases. Nationalism, the increase in wealth, and actually the reality of the rarity and importance of the early Asian masters almost demands the increase in price. Ancient gold, until the past few years, has always been considered one of the most difficult fields to collect because of a lack of obvious corrosion products and the rather incomplete and somewhat misunderstood databases. Recent science and newly discovered material, however, has changed that. Very few people know that the one peculiarity of gold is that it is the only metal which can actually be dated. There does exist a fairly substantial margin of error and therefore true connoisseurship is additionally required for the most accurate dating. With noble metal’s rarity and historical importance, not to mention its beauty, it must be the most undervalued medium in today’s market. What is the outlook for your particular focus, Asian art, in this market? Asian art, for generations, has been considered in the top three most stable and fastest growing of all known investments. In recent years, there have been some very unusual ups and downs due to a recently affluent but not particularly knowledgeable group of buyers affecting the market. They are quickly becoming more sophisticated, however, and the market should soon be as stable as ever, but probably even faster growing than before, as the audience for ancient Asian art has increased so dramatically. Over the next five years Asian art should continue its steady growth, except of course in the fad areas (which fortunately generally involve mediocre work). But there will be a few fields that may have astronomical growth. While China’s growth in general has slowed somewhat, and some of the extraordinary prices realised actually occurred because of corruption, which is now being dealt with rather severely, the fact is that most Chinese people are rather fearful of the stock market; and with investment in housing and development having already been over-done, many are turning to the art market to invest. The already very wealthy developers certainly need to diversify, and they additionally are able to obtain great prestige and favourable reputations through repatriation of Chinese art, which in turn leads to the favourable future investment potential in other arenas. With the exception of ancient bronzes, most true antiquities of China have been undervalued. Much of this collecting is still in its infancy due to a number of factors including the learning curve, the turmoil of 20th century China, certain cultural inclinations, and the lack of fixed regulations relating to the ancient art world. This valuation picture will most certainly change in the near future. Additionally, we know from discussions with various museum officials that many of them are going to pay much more attention in their collecting and exhibiting to China’s interaction with other ancient cultures, rather than maintaining a strictly nationalistic focus. This should lead to much more interest and financial growth in the artefacts from the borders of China rather than just the central plains cultures. Any final words of advice for our readers who may be interested in starting collections? One should be careful of short-term fads and most definitely the forgeries. Fortunately, more accessible proper procedures in the scientific analysis of artefacts, combined with the scholarship being much more readily available now, makes this latter problem quite a bit easier to deal with. Fads are a bit more of a difficult animal, not only to identify this reoccurring quirk, but also to benefit from it with any consistency. An investor must really define the time he or she wishes to be involved in the investment before they make their decisions on what to buy, and obviously they must equally define the risk/reward parameters for their desired returns. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us about TK Asian. We’re sure our readers will find this a fascinating topic. It’s been my pleasure. If your readers would like to learn more, they’re very welcome to visit our website at www.tkasian.com or to contact the team in our Virginia headquarters. And if you’re ever in New York, do call in at our gallery on East 57th Street! 2 8 9 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I