Sunday, April 29, 2012

How To Clean Your Antique Silver Cutlery

Today, what is considered to be silver cutlery has less silver than most buyers know. Antique Silver Cutlery refers to the earliest silverware that was made up almost entirely of silver. Over time silver was blended with other metals in increasing proportions until today, when even cutlery made of pure stainless steel is being referred to as silverware. For the purposes of this guide Antique Silver Cutlery is entirely, or mostly, made of silver.

As silver is a soft metal, it should not be treated in the same way as other metals used in cutlery. For those who regularly use Antique Silver Cutlery, simply washing the pieces in warm water with a gentle detergent is enough. The cutlery should not be left to dry but dried with a soft cloth immediately afterwards.

If the cutlery has bone handles, ensure the water is cooler. The handle may be damaged as the silver metal expands due to exposure to heat. Leaving the cutlery in water may also damage the handle itself. If the bone section is very dirty, one may use toothpaste to get out the dirt and dry the cutlery immediately afterwards.

The reason special care must be taken when cleaning Antique Silver Cutlery is because of tarnishing. One way in which the silver is tarnished is by reacting to sulphur in the atmosphere to form silver sulfide. This causes a black tarnish to appear. For cutlery that is mixed in with other metals like copper, tarnishing will lead to more corrosive effects as oxides form.

For Antique Silver Cutlery that has obviously suffered from tarnishing, use the following traditional but effective method of cleaning:

  • Cover a large pot entirely with aluminium foil. Be sure to leave no gaps either in or outside the pot. 
  • Fill it up with water and dissolve a half-cup of baking soda to every gallon of water within. 
  • Bring the water to a boil and switch of the heat. 
  • Place all the silverware in the water ensuring they are well submerged and in contact with the foil. After a while, it will be evident that a reaction is taking place as the foil begins to turn black. This is because the baking soda draws out the sulfur and aluminium attracts and reacts with it. 
  • If the foil turns very black, you may need to repeat the process to ensure you have extracted all the sulphur from the Antique Silver Cutlery.


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Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Antique Books Value - How To Determine The Actual Value?

Many of us, take interest in collecting antique books which is likely to turn ourselves into new book hounds. In spite of being highly interested, we lack the proper knowledge as to how to properly judge the condition and real value of any antique book. There are many such collectors who actually do not know the difference between old books and antique books. In this article, we will explore some important points, that will surely help in satiating all the queries of interested antique books collectors.

Let us start with how to distinguish between old and antique ones. You must be very particular regarding spending money for the worthy one and not something fake. Inherited possessions always have their own sentimental value which cannot be compared with any particular sum of money. You may personally consider them to be of great value but others may deter from paying extravagantly for it. You will come across an array of old books, published in the early twentieth century or even before, but hardly has any good market value.

However, there are many books as well as paperbacks that arrived in market in the late 60s and 70s are priced at a couple hundred bucks. So, you can understand well that an old book is nothing more than one published several decades or may be a century ago and antique books are those which people would like to spend their money for. With time, you must grow the capability to distinguish between the two.

While you are determining the value of any antique book, you must take into consideration its condition and how rare it is. Even its popularity and that of its author's play a huge role in deciding the worth of the book. It also depends on how many copies of the book is actually accessible presently. Maximum of the collectible books with great vintage value are first editions by highly acclaimed authors. Do not forget to inspect the condition of the vintage book that you are thinking to buy. Some of the considerable factors are as follows:

  • Check whether it has both the main cover and the dust cover intact or not and whether those are warped or not.
  • All the pages must be present in it.It should have its binding intact.
  • The pages must not be present in ripped or creased condition.
  • After you have checked essentials like this, you must turn your attention in finding those that should not be present; line, handwritten notes by any previous user.

Though such notes are highly undesirable by us, but if rightly done, such notes can enhance the literary excellence of the book. This definitely depend on the qualification and expertise of the previous reader. If such remarks or notes have been written by any famous author or person of substance then those certainly add up the antique books value. So, do not be an instinctive buyer, otherwise you may have to lose your hard-earned money for something unworthy.

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Saturday, April 21, 2012

Exploring Different Styles of Antique Chairs

There are several styles of antique chairs that are good collection items. These are chairs that are over 100 years of age. An antique item has to be 100 years old for it to be termed as antique. There are places where antique item including furniture that are sold to collectors. These are online antique sites and antique fairs where collectors converge to view and trade their collections with one another.

If one has the eye for spotting antique items they can easily locate the chairs and other items from the internet and make arrangements for purchasing them or visit the antique fairs to try their luck in getting one of the items. The chairs are made from different eras and styles and that is what makes them very unique and even collectable. Some of the chairs can be distinguished by the kind of patterns they have on the legs, on the arm rests or even how the chair is shaped and the upholstery used to cover them. This is how one can actually look at the chairs and tell from which era or period it is. The items are not for sale only but one can collect them and out them in their house. While some might be slightly uncomfortable or be not practical to sit on at this day and era, even when they are sitting somewhere on the corner of the house or on the hallway, they pose an artistic look and add value to the overall look for the house and its furniture.

The antique chairs are often sold in sets of two or four chairs. Examples of the chairs and how to know them is; a corner chair has a square seat that is placed diagonally with arm rests and one leg in front and other three behind. This chair was developed in the 18th century and its also known as writing chair or roundabout chair. Another chair is the curule which is also referred to as Dante chair, Grecian cross chair or even Savonarola. This chair's legs are curved and joined in the middle of the chair under the seat. This chair was common in the 6th century during the BC Roman era. Other designs of the same chair were formed in the 18th Century during Louis XVI period. Another chair that can be considered as antique is the gondola chair which is a chair that has a concave back and sides that are sloping continuously down to the seat of the chair. This chair has splayed saber legs in the back and was developed I France circa around the period of 1760.

There are many other styles that one can learn from the internet and the joy of finding a set in the style you love will be immense. Researching on the internet is a great way of locating items but inspecting them by hand yourself is the only way of finding out if they have the quality you require. Of course, some people enjoy restoring such items that have been a little battered and bruised over the years and this too can add value to the antique chairs but only if the restoration is sympathetically done.

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Tuesday, April 17, 2012

The History Of Antique Spoons

Even before the time of Christ, spoons were very much in existence and for the most noble of houses it was not unusual to find gold and silver spoons in use. Unfortunately though not many of these Antique Silver Spoons survived as they eventually suffered the effects of corrosion and tarnishing. Gold spoons actually fared better. There are still however many Antique Silver Spoons that can be found that are centuries old.

As from the 1300s In the United Kingdom, silversmiths were required to mark their works so that the history of any silver item could be traced back to its original creator. This trend has been fortunate for us today as it helps current collectors to identify the age of their antique spoons. In this era there were many apostle spoons created. Each one carried an emblem and they served as a christening present.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, slip top Antique Silver Spoons came into being. The designs were fairly simple with the end of the handle part formed into a column with a flat base. The puritan spoons were much plainer Antique Silver Spoons. They featured flatter stems without decoration. The trefid spoon dates back to the late 1600s and was far more elaborate than its predecessor. The lace-backs and flame-backs are particularly revered in the collectors market as they feature quite an amount of intricate designs.

The dog nose spoon came in towards the close of the 17th century and this particular design was the first to follow the British standard of silver which consisted of 95.8% purity. The end of the handle was typically widened and featured some design. These are just a few of the Antique Silver Spoons that can still be found today. Most of the spoons made after this period resemble what is currently in use today.

As with other collectibles, it is not unusual to find valuable Antique Silver Spoons tucked away in a box in the basement. Although the art of collecting Antique Spoons is not very big, there are many families that hold on to their own as family heirlooms. Though it may not be very active, there are occasional finds that stimulate interest such as the 600-year old English spoon that went on to be sold at $20,000. Amateurs and aficionados can go online and find several resources that cater to Antique Silver Spoons collecting.

You will find more information on the history of Antique Spoon Makers throughout the centuries.

This includes the Victorian Era, Georgian, Lunt, Tiffany, Edwardian, Gorham, Reed Barton, Wallace and more.

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Thursday, April 12, 2012

Lost Great Wall of China Segment Found?

A forgotten section of the Great Wall of China has been discovered deep in the Gobi Desert- and outside of China- researchers say. With the help of Google Earth, an international expedition documented the ancient wall for roughly 100 kilometers (62 miles) in a restricted border zone in southern Mongolia in August 2011.

The defensive barrier formed part of the Great Wall system built by successive Chinese dynasties to repel Mongol invaders from the north, according to findings published in the March issue of the Chinese edition of National Geographic magazine. (The National Geographic Society is responsible for both the magazine and National Geographic News.)

Preserved to a height of 9 feet (2.75 meters) in places, the desert discovery belongs to a sequence of remnant walls in Mongolia collectively known as the Wall of Genghis Khan, said expedition leader and Great Wall researcher William Lindesay.

Named after the founder of the Mongol Empire, the Wall of Genghis Khan usually survives only as "a faint trace," Lindesay said in an email.

But "we found a 'real wall', standing high and existing as a dominant landscape feature," he said.

What's more, it wasn't the work of Genghis Khan or his heirs but actually a long-lost segment of the Great Wall of China network, the team's findings suggest.


First to Investigate New Great Wall?
Close to China in the border region of ?mn?govi Province, the ancient structure hadn't been scientifically explored or studied before, said Lindesay, director of the International Friends of the Great Wall conservation group, based in Beijing, China.

"We're the first to investigate the ruins," he said.

"According to the army officers who minded us, we were the first outsiders to be allowed into the area," Lindesay added. "We assumed various local Mongolians had been to the area, but had not considered the structure of much interest."

At times seeking out topographic clues seen in Google Earth- the wall is visible on satellite images- the team located two well preserved but contrasting stretches of wall.

One section had been made mainly with wet mud and a woody desert shrub called saxaul, the other from blocks of black volcanic rock.

Along its vast length, Lindesay suspects, the wall originally stood at least 2 meters (6.5 feet) taller than it does today.

"What we found was just the last remaining piece of a 'fossil'- the skull or the large thighbone, with the rest missing," he said.

"One can expect the wall was both much higher and continuous for vast distances."

That dark basaltic rock seems to have been an obvious choice for the second stretch, which crosses the rugged remains of extinct volcanoes.

The clean, straight edges to the blocks indicate that the stone was quarried, which would have required a large, organized workforce and an efficient transport system, the team said.


Rewriting History
Ancient Mongolian texts suggest that the so-called Wall of Genghis Khan was built as an animal fence by Khan's son ?gedei to keep wild gazelle on his land.

But the recently explored Gobi Desert wall segment isn't in a region where large herds of gazelle occur.
"There would be no reason to build an animal wall in the Gobi," said anthropologist and Mongolia historian Jack Weatherford, formerly of Macalester College, Minnesota.

Chinese researchers, perhaps not surprisingly, have speculated that China's Han dynasty had erected these little-studied stretches in about 115 B.C.

But radiocarbon dating of partly exposed wood and rope remains extracted from the wall indicates that the saxaul-segment construction went on for more than a hundred years- and occurred about a thousand years later than thought, from A.D. 1040 to 1160.

Those dates hint that the Western Xia dynasty built the walls- or at least rebuilt old Han walls on the sites.
Holding Back the Mongol Tide

This northwestern Chinese dynasty isn't known to have contributed to the Great Wall system, but in at least one aspect, a Western Xia origin makes sense.

During the Western Xia period, Mongol tribes were rising in strength and making forays south, Lindesay noted.

"If one imagines the wall as a platform, with some kind of battlement- perhaps of wooden stakes, functioning as a shield to those manning its top- then it would have been an effective defense installation," he said.

But, mysteriously, the expedition team found no pottery, no trash, no coins, no weapons- nothing to prove the wall was ever actually manned. Nor did they find any of the watchtowers that mark surviving sections of the Great Wall within China.

"The wall system was incomplete," Lindesay said. "It not only lacked the signaling capability [to make smoke signals]- it didn't appear to be capable of accommodating troops."


Unfinished Business
"I believe the wall here is only half built and that there was, for some reason, a rethink on locating the wall here," Lindesay said.

It isn't difficult to imagine how the purported Great Wall segment's harsh desert location might have led to the remote frontier defense being abandoned, he added.

Weatherford, the Minnesota-based anthropologist, agrees with Lindesay's conclusion that the newfound remains were Chinese constructions.

There's a good reason, Weatherford added, that the stretch nevertheless carries Genghis Khan's name.
Mongolians, he said, are sensitive to the idea of "Chinese structures built on their land, since it carries the possible claim that the land was once Chinese.

"By calling it the Genghis Khan Wall, the name makes the place Mongolian and rejects foreign influence," Weatherford said.

He also describes the expedition new findings as "very important, because to my knowledge this wall has not been studied."

"I would risk saying that it is the largest human-made structure or artifact in all of Mongolia," he added. "It is amazing to me that it is not already much better analyzed."

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Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Nine peach color blue and white General tank fighting

Nine peach color blue and white General tank fighting



Production process:
Bucket blue color, is a kind of underglaze blue and white, underglaze red and theglaze color combination of a variety of species. Doo Choi Chong burning in theChenghua period is underglaze color (blue) and the glaze color combination of a decorative varieties. Tire first blue and white patterns painted on the good part, cast atransparent glaze, kiln roasting; firing after leaving the space filled with low-temperaturecolor material painted, re-entry in the baking oven, Serve bucket color. Blue and whitecolor screen constitutes the entire fight the main color, glaze color is only slightlyembellished it.

Doucai features are: static and dynamic and storage, contrast, both elegant andstately. This decoration has shown a rich expressive power and its features.



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Monday, April 9, 2012

Omen – Phoenix of china pottery



Porcelain Products: works of ceramic art in the form of work. Phoenix into art works,ancient general shape, coarse and heavy infiltration of the rich in the antique flavor,simple lines to Phoenix look lifelike sculpture, glazed with a white three-dimensionalpoint, a flow texture, deep flavor works.

Production process:
Jun Porcelain City of God originated in the Henan Yu Hou town, as one of the famous five porcelains, is the Treasure of the Chinese history of the kilns, dating back more than thirteen hundred years of history, has been hailed as the “National Treasure . “ Jun porcelain from the Tang and Song Sheng beginning, since the emperors Huizong been handpicked from the Queen’s treasures, except for Royal all, are not allowed to private possession. In the Song dynasty to enjoy “gold was priceless Jun”, “even though some family property as chinaware million a consistent” and reputation. Junyao changed the appearance of white domination of the young history of the world into a ceramic industry and its glorious period.

Jun Porcelain of God, extraordinary and wonderful, absolutely world crown four characteristics of the name:
God, with its mysterious unique “kiln” Art, to create a beautiful colorful, ever-changing Jun Porcelain charm.
Odd, like piano pieces such as the opening bell sound, elegant hack vulgar, put the action in the static, accompanied by a criss-cross network of ice cracks, making it more shiny enamel dripping through the living, as into the fragmentation, and refers to the sense of smooth glaze surface showing a pearl point. Crab claw marks. Such as mud lines earthworm wonderful artistic effect.

Wonderful, very muddy art of living shiny Junyao consonance, it gives unlimited imagination, that is, different angles, different light to you to new discoveries, new feelings, Smart through the live, unique charm .

Absolutely, poly color by kiln forming, and the formation of the landscape are the must.

Jun Porcelain Taizhi polished, solid and delicate; glaze natural, opalescent crystal, colorful and glorified, very poetic, and indeed the world is a must. Jun porcelain is that it has never get tired of rare charm, the glaze is not the man portrayed naturalness, Jun porcelain glaze each is unique, is the so-called “Jun Porcelain unparalleled, the kiln without the” with high appreciation and collection value, and become wealthy merchants and connoisseurs are striving to acquire high-end gifts and VIP gifts.

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Thursday, April 5, 2012

Coral red flowers and birds painted Jin Kaiguang Wenqiufuping

china pottery

Republic of China porcelain mainly refers to the 1911 to 1949, firing of the porcelain works. Republic of China, porcelain Fetus thicker, more kilns products, such as the comparison with ancient porcelain, differ greatly. Combined with the Fetus enamel is not close enough, often glazed enamel off the bubble and the phenomenon. Hair color dark blue blue and white porcelain, called Ocean Blue. Ocean Blue is the dynasty and continued into the late Republic, when most of the application of blue and white porcelain kilns ocean blue. Fine art gradually less, the increase in lightly. Watercolor is the late Guangxu a porcelain color, this color does not contain silty, with the color material is thin, vitreous enamel features. Production of ceramics for daily use such as kilns, cap tube, pots, bowls, cups, cans and so on. Decorative patterns are from the previous landscape, figure, floral, evolving into one side painting, writing poetry side decoration. Most of Jingdezhen in Jiangxi, Tianjin, Tangshan, and porcelain factory firing. It is noteworthy that the Republic of China, in addition to production of ceramics for daily use, but also appeared a large number of antique porcelain, antique porcelain of this period a wide range of quantity, not imitation ancient ceramic wares, as well as imitation of the early Republic of China porcelain late.
New Fencai Ci is the porcelain one of the major highlights, especially the representatives of the second generation of the new pastel portrait masters “Zhu Shan eight friends.” Porcelain painting became popular in 1928, Wang Qi initiative in the establishment of full moon will be eight portrait master, known as the “Pearl Mountain Friends of Eight”, after a total of 10 portrait master to participate, namely Wang Qi, Wang Generally, Cheng Italian Pavilion, Wang Ye Ting, sort of people, Xu Zhongnan, Deng Bishan, Tazuru cents, Bibo Tao and Liu Yucen. “Eight Friends of the Pearl Mountain” exquisite porcelain art have left a number of very strong artistic personality works, some works even at the time was more than the price of Qing Imperial porcelain.

Characterization of ceramic decoration process technologyPorcelain surfacedecoration is the patterns, it has simple decorative patterns arecomplex, and can plan, engraving, paste, pri Qing Zhao meaning of the word of china potteryPorcelain products:Work for thedisc-type, line art master Li Jin Chinese characters as the theme usedto glaze color map is When the new offerings for ceramic cross Porcelain Kiln of Fujian concelebrate God Po Mei VillageJune 27, located inFujian Dehua porcelain town of Bao Long Xun's ancestral village'sterritory underwater Luoguxuantian, a hot Overglaze “Songhe sickness” triangular Xiang device of china potteryThe work on three sides connecting linedrawn in the pines, white crane in the enamel painting, moral Songhesickness. Strict at 50 Qiao tan painted red porcelain 30 countries earn foreign exchangeOnly the market from thefirst heat baked red vase, to the day before yesterday the entire 10months, the temple town of Huairou Ceramic flute-pottery-china-ceramicsPorcelain flute is Dehuaporcelain treasures in one of Arts special, early Ming dynasty known tothe world.Porcelain of Deh Chinese roots glaze high of china potteryThis picture of pure high temperature forthe Chinese roots of whole body background color glaze. Portrait mastersdecorate Silver clay burn out ivory, jade tired of freezing than the total fat of china potteryDehua kiln unique styleof Ming and Qing dynasties to white popular 1:00, also very influentialabroad, enjoy the "Oriental Blue and White and Red, “a heron Yun” bottle of china potteryThe author's love of blueand white underglaze red is still to kiln God, quite love Fu. This is a rare blue andwhite and R “Haha Ni” new ideas and ancient fossils ceramic classic collisionShenyang "Haha Ni"Creative Ceramics Co., Ltd. has once again shows us the creative firingceramics. In addition to glaze Purple circles of seven veteran artists Jiang Rong: Purple landmark peak of Bionic classJiang Rong is the masterof contemporary Chinese arts and crafts, art for the purple famous"seven old artist", is one of t Glaze drum of china potteryTang, Lushan kiln, drum length 58.9 cm,22.2 cm in diameter drumhead is possession of Beijing Palace Museum. Cylindrical drum Turquoise green pastels, the opening bat pattern pattern celestial bird bottle of china potteryPorcelain Products:This is thecelestial sphere bottle, neck and shoulder dragon sculpture and jump redcolor, to turquo

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Monday, April 2, 2012

Glaze pot of china pottery

china pottery

Porcelain Products:
This work by Professor Xu Wenhui use made of colored glaze decoration techniques. Style is unique, with a colored glaze decoration techniques, kiln changes flow through the glaze, glaze the natural flow of change.

Production process:
Color Glaze is a metallic element containing the raw materials for coloring the coloring beautiful glaze. Glaze by adding different metal oxides as coloring agents, after calcination above 1250 degrees Celsius in order to show the flow of oil if it is light, color Hong Xia, lines if clouds waterfall unique charm. Colorful variety of color glazes. By firing into the nature of post-flame oxidation of flame color glaze, color glaze reduction flame two. After the appearance of features classified by firing can be divided into single-color glaze, complex glaze (glaze), crack the glaze, matte glaze, crystalline glaze.
About the author:
Xu Wenhui: 1947 births. Graduated from the Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute of Fine Arts, bachelor’s degree. Jingdezhen Ceramic Art Professor, has taught at the Normal School of Jingdezhen, Jingdezhen College Art Department, Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Normal University, Department of Fine Arts College. University staff present Jingdezhen Ceramic, Jingdezhen Ceramic Association executive director. Good at painting and calligraphy, cursive script, official script stands apart. The ceramic works of painting with books, pictures in the book, silhouetted against each other, since the interest all day long, showing a kind of elegant and quiet style.

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