Beginner's guide to Asian antiques

There is a special charm to many Asian antiques. You may find yourself drawn to Asian furniture with the low sitting tables and miniature sized cabinets that give a unique yet oddly comfortable presentation to your living or dining room. Or it may be the beautiful and unusual antique paintings or sculptures that really catch your eye.

Don't be fooled by fake Asian antiques

Whatever it is that draws you to Asian antiques, this is not a market that you should jump into without some knowledge of the items you are purchasing. It isn't all that difficult to find many Asian antique items offered today, especially if you enjoy going to auctions where a lot of antiques are presented.

Yet, it can be difficult at times to find genuine Asian antiques! Since products from various parts of Asia have been rather popular for home and business décor around the world and many antiques go for high prices at auction, there is a big market for knockoffs and cheap replicas.

If you just want the look of Asian furniture or ornaments in your home then going with the much cheaper knockoffs may not bother you, as long as you realise that they are not genuine. It is when you really want to start collecting genuine Asian antique items that you need to start doing your research.

Researching Asian antiques

Start digging around online and learning about the historical importance of different Asian antiques and you will find valuable information about what to look for to prove something is genuine. A good pricing guide can also be accessed online or purchased in book form to help you guide your purchases.

Distinguishing features of Asian antiques

To get you started, let's consider just a few of the things to look out for when shopping for Asian antique furniture.

• Table legs are usually not straight and square like table legs made elsewhere in modern times. Antique furniture from Asia may be easy to spot because of the preference of being low to the ground and smaller in size, but there are some distinct features to look out for on the legs of those low lying tables. Many did not have the rather boring straight, square or rounded legs that you see on tables made today. For instance, some will have what is known as "elephant trunk legs." These table legs will be thick and decorative and will be shaped much like an extended, curved elephant trunk.
• Feet that resemble claws. Many table legs from ancient Asia will feature feet that look like claws or some type of animal paw. This was a common design that can be used to help identify Asian antique furniture, but be careful because this is a feature that can easily be replicated since it is just a design feature and not a marking of any sort.
• Antique Asian furniture didn't necessarily use the most expensive woods available. When many people think of valuable antiques they think of expensive materials that are durable enough to hold up through the years. This makes sense, but don't be fooled when you come across some of the more rare and unique Asian antiques and find that they are made of cedar or other inexpensive woods.

There is much more to be learned about Asian antiques. The more reading and research you do before making purchases the better.

Find out about about some of Boningtons' Asian antiques auctions.