1.Fine tripod gueridon with two surfaces surrounded by elegant chased ormolu galleries, nearing the stamp of M. Carlin, master cabinet-maker in Paris in 1766. This great master’s creations are particularly sought-after.
2. A rare fine work table in mahogany with a Sevres porcelain top and extensive ormolu mounting, bearing the stamp of R. Lacroix.
3. Gueridon in chased ormolu with Spanish brocatello marble top and undertier. The period version is rare, highly-prized and expensive. This model has been faithfully reproduced with some variations throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.
4. A Rare small salon bureau of exceptional quality in precious, exotic wood veneer, with refined inlay and important chased ormolu mounting.
5. A Rare work table of exceptional quality in sycamore veneer inlaid with losenges and extensively mounted with ormolu. Attributed to Weisweiler. This type of table was made in the 18th century by the greatest cabinet-makers such as Carlin, Weisweiler and Riesener.
]]>
2. The mouth of the dragon is long, the tongue is open, and the scales are full. Dragon claws are fatter and have three or five claws.
3. It is fiercer and more vigorous than that of the Hongwu period, and the brushwork of the dragon is skillful and unrestrained.
]]>
2. The hair on the back of the dragon’s elbow looks like a streamer.
3. The dragon’s dorsal fin is mostly treated as one tall and one short.
4. The overall momentum is fiercer than the dragon pattern of the Yuan Dynasty.
]]>
2. The dragon head is flat and long, the eyebrows are flaming shape, and the eyes are small and lively.
3. The hair on the back of dragon’s elbow is fluttering.
4. The dragon’s dorsal fins are neatly arranged, and the neck is slender and curved.
5. The dragon is ferocious and mighty, with a fresh and elegant charm.
]]>
2.Fine bureau plat in mahogany veneer with sober, elegant ormolu mounting. The decoration of Sevres porcelain plaques makes this a rare piece, highly-prized by collectors. It bears the stamp of E. Levasseur.
3.Fine salon table of exceptional quality, in ebony veneer with brass and pewter profiles and a marble mosaic top. Richly mounted with chased ormolu. As we have already seen, the Louis XVI style drew heavily on the Louis XIV style in both designs and materials. This is an example of a table using subjects from furniture by Charles Boulle, celebrated cabinet-maker to the Sun King and known for his creations inlaid with marble, brass, pewter, silver and tortoiseshell. It bears the stamp of Martin Carlin.
4.Very rare fine table in solid mahogany and mahogany veneer, richly mounted with ormolu. Of particular note are the original shape and the four lyres in patinated bronze and ormolu which support the table top. It bears the stamp of G Jacob.
5.Very rare fine salon table of exceptional quality attributed to Gouthiere, the famous chaser, in blue lacquered iron with chased ormolu mounts. The top is supported by mounts in the form of female busts wearing draperies, with plaited hair and cushions on their heads.
6.Fine bureau plat of exceptional quality, in mahogany veneer with bands of ebony, richly mounted which chased ormolu and bearing the stamp of P.C. Montigny, master cabinet-maker in Paris in 1766.
7.Fine bureau plat in tulipwood veneer, inlaid with grecques in amaranth, enhanced with elegant chased ormolu mounts and bearing the stamp of P.H. Mewessen, master cabinet-maker in Paris in 1766.
]]>2.Fine half-moon commode with tulipwood veneer, ormolu mounts and a breche d’alep marble top. The two drawers have no visible traverse and are made to form a single panel by the ormolu mounts, which elegantly enhance the value of the piece.
3.Very rare fine commode with doors veneered in tulipwood and inlaid with stylished flowers, bearing the stamp of M. Carlin. The shape is emphasised by extensive ormolu mounting.
4.Fine commode a l’anglaise of exceptional quality, with tulipwood veneer and amaranth bands, extensively mounted with chased ormolu, bearing the stamp of C.C. Saunier, master cabinet-maker in Paris in 1752.
5.Excellent quality commode in amaranth veneer, bearing the stamp of J.F.Leleu. It is said to have been bought by George III of England at a sale held by the French revolutionaries and given to his personal physician, Mr. Coningby.
6.Fine commode in speckled mahogany, attributed ti Riesener, master cabinet-maker in Paris in 1768.
]]>
1.Fine small gueridon in mahogany with a central shaft and a top that can be tipped up. Of particular note is the extensive ormolu mounting in the form of asparagus, pearls and leaves.
2.Classic bureau plat with two drawers, amaranth veneer, inlaid grecques in pale wood and refined ormolu mounts. It bears the stamp of P.C. Montigny.
3.Fine small rectangular bureau. The tulipwood veneer with kingwood bands has a refined decoration of inlaid draperies, garlands and trompe l’oeil objects. The bureau bears the stamp of J.J. Mantzer, known as Manser.
4.Classic small gueridon with a central shaft in mahogany and a white marble top with ormolu gallery. The top can be raised and lowered by means of a ratchet. It bears the stamp of I.Moreau.
]]>
1. Classic half-moon commode with a grey Saint-Anne marble top. Veneered in Kingwood and tulipwood, inlaid with losenges, framed by ribbons and filets or fine bands.
2. A Classic half-moon commode whose simple lines contrast with its elegant decoration of ears of corn.
3. Another example of a classic half-moon commode.
4. Fine half-moon commode with two doors and three drawers. The quality of the chased ormolu mounts, which emphasise the shape of the piece and frame its floral inlays, adds to the commode’s value. It bears the stamp of C. Topino.
5. Classic half-moon commode. The tulipwood and amaranth veneer is inlaid with elegant rosettes on the sides and on the two drawers sans traverse. Sober ormolu mounting. It bears the stamp of J.P.Bertrand.
6. Classic half-moon commode with two doors, three drawers, two sans traverse, and a grey Saint-Anne marble top. The tulipwood and amaranth veneer is soberly mounted with ormolu. This commode bears the stamp of Schey.
7. Fine half-moon commode with two doors and three drawers, two sans traverse, and a grey Saint-Anne marble top. Losenge inlay with a central medallion showing landscapes.
8. Fine small half-moon commode with two doors and three drawers, two sans traverse, and a grey Saint-Anne marble top. The tulipwood veneer is entirely decorated with floral inlays. The commode has a decorative medallion across the two drawers sans traverse and original ormolu mounts.
]]>
1. Fine commode with three rows of drawers, two without beams and rich inlays on a tulip wood veneer surface. The top is Saint-Anne marble.
2. Classic Louis XVI commode with three rows of drawers, two without beams and a veined marble top, in tulipwood lozenge veneer, inlaid with rosemary and floral motifs, imprinted with the M. Ohneberg imprint.
3. Atypical commode with two drawers with visible beams, bevels and veined white marble. The coloured green fig and olive wood veneer has a lush floral inlay forming a medallion design. Avril's imprint on the commode.
4. Sophisticated commode with three rows of drawers, two beamless, round, channel corners and grey Saint-Anne marble top. The mahogany veneer gives a rambunctious feel, but the elegant shapes are accentuated by extensive, delicate brass fittings that are particularly noteworthy.
5. It is an important solid mahogany commode with three drawers, two beamless, beveled corners and a white marble top with Riesener's imprint. Bronze accessories are limited to handles and keyhole covers. This type of chest of drawers faithfully reproduces the pure, sober lines of the style, popular in France and less so in Italy. This is one of the few instances where an imprint adds value to a work, independent of its status as a work of art.
]]>
1. Refined Louis XVI commode, designed with three rows of drawers, two joined without crossbars, with white marble top. The mahogany veneer is extensively fitted with gilt bronze, enhancing the shape of the piece. The mahogany veneer on the furniture surface has a leaf-like effect, which is obtained by cutting the trunk at an oblique angle.
2. Exquisite commode with three rows of drawers, two beamless, bevelled and with white marble top. The veneer of tulip wood has a tightly grained pattern. This is because the wood is cut along the trunk rather than through it. The chest of drawers is decorated with numerous gilt bronze accessories.
3. Classic commode style with three rows of drawers, two without crossbars, rounded sides and top in white marble. The butterfly-shaped tulip wood veneer is adorned with elegant inlaid garlands and classic, sober gilt bronze accents.
4. A beautifully breakfront commode with three rows of drawers, two beamless, rounded corners and a marble top, inlaid with diamond-shaped tulipwood veneer. The chest of drawers is also extensively fitted with bronze accessories to accentuate the shape of the piece. The shape of the front is relatively delicate and is rarely seen in Louis XVI chests of drawers.
5. Beautiful small Louis XVI commode with three rows of drawers, two beamless, beveled, with white marble top. This chest of drawers has Landrin's stamp on it. The tulipwood and kingwood veneers are inlaid with flowers and vine leaves, and the medallion in the center represents the fisherman. A ribbon wraps around the inlay. The application of gilt bronze is kept to a minimum: handles, runners and sabots.
6. Exquisite commode, three rows of drawers, two beamless, beveled and white marble top. The tulip wood veneer is extensively fitted with gilt bronze. The chest of drawers is stamped with Ohneberg's stamp.
]]>The Table Bouillotte
It is a round table with a diameter of about 70 cm, consisting of a marble top surrounded by a metal rim, with two drawers and two sliding surfaces on the frieze. It is usually made of mahogany and has four legs. Its name comes from a card game called bouillotte, invented in the Louis XVI region. It usually has a removable dome, wrapped in leather on one side and covered in green cloth on the other, for playing card games.
The Commode Desserte and Console Desserte
The Dessert commode is a half-moon-shaped chest of drawers with three rows of drawers in the middle front, and the top frieze drawer is smaller than the lower two rows. Two raised side sections contain shelves that are flush with the drawers.
Sometimes the frieze of the Commode Desserte has only one row of drawers with two shelves below. In this case, it's better known by the more appropriate name "Console Desserte". It's much less in number than Commode Desserte, but Console Desserte with a single layer are common.
Sometimes this shape can be described in general terms as a "flat half-moon": the front central part is straight and only the side parts are concave or convex.
]]>First of all, in order to recover and stimulate the economy, during the epidemic, governments led by the United States have adopted quantitative easing policies to boost the economy by cutting interest rates. This approach is effective in the short term. However, its after-effects are also very obvious. That's the expanding economic bubble, soaring property prices, and inflation. In Australia alone, the average property price in 2021 has already risen by nearly 22 per cent, and in some parts of Sydney or Melbourne, it has risen by a staggering 30 per cent. In addition, the rise in the prices of various food and raw materials has also caused people to complain. Therefore, the first thing governments need to do in 2022 is to pop the bubble and control the economic crisis. Real estate, etc. will inevitably bear the brunt. As a downstream industry of the real estate industry, the furniture industry will inevitably be affected. As the enthusiasm for real estate fades, the demand for furniture and antique furniture will inevitably decline, which will also drive prices down.
Secondly, as far as NFT digital artwork is concerned, along with the roller coaster of the price of Bitcoin, people have become more and more aware of the nature of virtual currency. Because of this, the digital artworks that were very popular last year will inevitably follow the trend and gradually fade out of people's vision. Peace of mind is my best consolation for those who have already invested in digital art.
Lastly, since I am in Australia myself, I don't know much about the art market in mainland China, so I dare not speak rashly. But what I want to say is that as far as the Chinese art market in Australia is concerned, the enthusiasm has also been wiped out by more than half. Last year, due to the closure of borders, the lack of tourists and the continuous lockdown of the city, people's pockets were not as rich as before, and they continued to tighten. This also includes the main force of Australian Chinese art purchases – Australian Chinese. A lot of fine items can't sell at the prices they were 2 or 3 years ago. If you still have ample funds on hand, perhaps, now is the best time for you to enter.
To sum up, I don't think Australia's antique art market will be smooth in 2022, it will be more or less tortuous, and even a little pessimistic. Be greedy when others are fearful. Be fearful when others are greedy. Perhaps, now is the best time for you to come to Australia to find treasures.
]]>To better understand this return to the past, I will now list the decorative elements taken from antiquity and giving new life to Louis XVI furniture. Through carvings and inlays of different woods, they reveal the following elements: female heads, incense burners, pine cones, rosettes, garlands, trophies, acanthus leaves and rosettes intertwined with knots.
The use of finishes, inlays and varnishes is largely the same as for Louis XV furniture, but the interpretation of the style is completely different.
In floral inlays, there is a preference for small bouquets and vases in a stylized, restrained arrangement, which is quite different from the decoration of Louis XV furniture, which favors lush, disordered flowers whose rosettes also become rosebuds of Louis XVI. The decorative images of Louis XVI's mosaics depict idyllic scenes, echoing life close to nature, which can also be seen in the literature of the time.
The use of Chinese varnish and martin lacquer reflects the same style as Louis XV, but its scene depiction of oriental life unfolds on flat furniture surfaces.
Furnishings, especially the decoration of chests of drawers, often feature round or oval medallions with typical stylistic elements (female heads, floral inlays, musical instruments, children). Surrounded by rich inlays, it is another typical aspect of the Louis XVI style. Many pieces are inlaid with round, oval or rectangular tiles, and some have simple metal bases with some grooves in the legs and drawer beams.
Also, the convex shape disappeared and the straight line reappeared. But to avoid excessive rigidity, the cabinet maker use heavily rounded or beveled corners in their designs, avoiding right angles as much as possible. The half moon is formed in a typical Louis XVI form. This form was only occasionally seen in some rustic and transitional wall tables before.
]]>
The main body of the furniture made in Paris must be made of oak. Occasionally some masters will use rosewood, mahogany or solid maple to make drawers. The practice of making furniture out of different woods during the Regency era disappeared.
Louis XV Commode
Cork or fruit wood is only used to make French country furniture. In Paris, beech and walnut are used to make seats, while local wood is used elsewhere.
Louis XV Wingback Chair
The veneer is composed of precious exotic woods such as rosewood, tulip or rosewood. They are usually the raw materials for inlays used in furniture, and the patterns are biased towards flowers, diamond patterns and geometric patterns. In order to create a contrasting color difference and enhance the effect of the copper bracket, different woods are usually used in the veneer of a piece of furniture.
Louis XV Commode
The most common decorative elements in copper fittings or wood are rushes, various shells, scrolls, flower bouquets with stems, music and pastoral elements, symbols of love, doves, dolphins, etc.
In addition to fashionable veneer furniture, there was also a fashion trend of lacquered furniture with oriental elements in the 18th century.
For a long time, the lacquer panels that can be connected to the furniture needed to be imported directly from China. This situation continued until the Martin brothers in Paris developed a varnish to protect the painted surface. It was called "Vernis Martin" (Vernis Martin"). It made the brothers famous and was mistaken for the inventors of the perfect varnish. Some furniture is also coated with Coromandel lacquer, which is a kind of Lacquer specially applied to decorative patterns drawn by carving or bas-relief.
Louis XV Chinoiserie Screen
]]>The constant emergence of innovation mentioned in the last issue is not the only reason behind the development of furniture manufacturing. In addition, the beneficial influence of the golden generation of royal aristocrats on art also promoted the creativity of France throughout the 18th century.
There is no doubt that Louis XV is the iconic figure who best represents the era that put women at the center of the world. At that time, there was a saying in France that "what a woman wants is what God wants". I don't think it is accidental. The king’s most famous mistresses, Marquise de Pompadour and Dam Barry, are not "symbols" of sovereign states, but on the contrary (especially in the highly intelligent and sophisticated marquise of Pompadour). Under the influence of Mrs. Du), they are closely involved in the political and cultural life of the country. They pay close attention to every manifestation of fashion and are ready to use their prestige to encourage or inhibit any new development.
Louis XV(1715-1774)
Madame de Pompadour (1721-1764)
For example, when the Sevres porcelain factory encountered a serious business crisis, it attracted Madame Pompadour, who, with the king’s consent, organized a public sale of porcelain in the gardens of Versailles. Nobles and wealthy bourgeoisie were invited to participate in this event, and their purpose of doing so was not only because it was a social event, but also because they wanted to please the king and his mistress. This is a typical example of public relations in the 18th century. Its purpose is to save a porcelain factory while also inspiring artists or encouraging others to cultivate a love for beautiful things. The importance of women in the 18th century was so great that writers, painters and miniature painters would dedicate their works to outstanding women of the time to ensure their patronage and the support of the entire society.
Therefore, in this context, furniture is no longer a thing exclusively for men. It is no longer a proof of the social status of the owner of the house. Furniture has become a tool in the relationship between the sexes, aimed at winning the hearts of women in hedonistic and sophisticated society. Women want their furniture to be elegant, practical and valuable. Is there anything more feminine than a female body? This is why the furniture at that time imitated the female body structure. For example, chests of drawers, side tables and other furniture fronts usually suggest a female body, even if it is only symbolic.
Louis XV Commode
Louis XV Console
In the next blog, I will explain how to identify Louis XV style furniture.
]]>
The Louis XV style is famous for one of the king’s most famous mistresses, Madame Pompadour. The name Rocaille is also named for the imitation rock, one of its most commonly used decorative elements. In Italy, it is called Barochetto or Rococo. This style appeared in Paris around 1730, the undisputed fashion capital of the 18th century. Its appearance developed and perfected the shortcomings of the furniture in the Regency period and allowed for innovation. The Louis XV style is characterized by asymmetrical structure and decoration. The use of curves is more common, and curves tend to invade the overall shape of the work, thus breaking the traditions of the past.
Throughout the historical development of furniture manufacturing, we can say that from the Middle Ages to the 18th century, under the precepts of the Louis XV style, furniture got rid of all the influence from the architectural structure. So that it reached the pinnacle of technical and artistic achievement.
Throughout the slow development of furniture, the shape of furniture always depends on the architecture, such as the design of pillars, columns, railings, bollards, etc. The wooden structure of the furniture always shows their dependence on the form and decoration of the buildings at that time. But the furniture of Louis XV (1720-1770) created its own style. We can find that the furniture design of chest of drawers, desks, bookshelves, sofa chairs and armchairs at that time gradually changed in the vertical and horizontal directions and gradually formed convex or serpentine shapes. This is because the craftsmen could not find references in the buildings of that period. Indeed, given the limitations of building materials, buildings can only be given a serpentine shape on the horizontal plane. If it adopts a curved and convex shape in the vertical direction, the building will collapse.
The connection between Louis XV furniture and architecture can only be seen in some of the decorative elements they share, such as various types of shells, floral decorations, and head decorations of women and children. In addition, from a technical point of view, those craftsmen or artists at that time had the highest degree of mastery of art. Their experience and care allowed them to change a hundred different woods at will, free their imagination, and create geometric designs, flowers and other patterns, not to mention the kind of lacquer decoration they invented.
During the Louis XV period, the whole social taste at that time also strengthened this perfection and diversity of furniture design. The reason for having such a taste was formed by the stimulation of the renovation of the home environment at the time when people spared no expense.
The short regency period seems to have experienced some kind of architectural crisis, and only a few buildings with its own characteristics are left, and the Louis XV style seems to have been violently attacked by the "stone disease", and the whole of France has been against high-end buildings. A strong interest was generated. Many castles, taverns, squares and private residences have been built all over the country, which led to a substantial increase in furniture production and also reflected the importance of people on the family at that time. During the Louis XV period, people also invented many new furniture styles, such as cbiffonier (a tall and narrow cabinet with 5 to 6 drawers for storing accessories or fabrics), dressing tables and bedside tables. Some of them appeared briefly during the regency period.
Louis XV Cbiffonier(1710-1774)
Louis XV Dressing Table(1710-1774)
Louis XV Bedside Table(1710-1774)
In addition, there are various seat series. The Louis XV style witnessed the emergence of various sofa chairs, armrest chairs and many other types of chairs, and at the same time reflected their corresponding uses.
Louis XV Armchair(1710-1774)
Louis XV Wingback Chair(1710-1774)
In the next article, I will elaborate on the influence of the rich and powerful in the Louis XV period on furniture production at that time.
]]>
In terms of the craftsmanship of the seat, we can also find a gradual but very slow process. Essentially, or more precisely, in terms of structure, the chairs have not changed; it's just that their original design concepts have changed, which has led to changes in their styles.
With the advent of the Renaissance, the back of the Gothic high-back chair was significantly shortened, and the decorative elements were more derived from human design rather than religion. With the advent of the Baroque style, the seat gradually developed into a style that required a cushion, the legs of the chair were bent or turned into a column, and the back was slightly tilted back. Despite these, in fact, the design of the chairs did not give up their original structure, but still contained them in an imaginary cube.
Gothic Chair
Renaissance Chair
Baroque Chair
The reforms during the Regency changed traditional forms and decorations, and provided truly novel things, which were in violent conflict with the old things in the past. For a society that wants to sit comfortably but does not want to give up beauty, craftsmen and artists have created miracles. They smashed the cube and replaced it with a circle to harmonize function and beauty.
The curve reflects the human figure, and people bring ergonomics research into the design of the chair. Before the regency, the chair itself was a thing, and so was the body sitting on the chair. After the regency, people worked hard to adapt different types of chairs to the human body. From this point of view, the sofa chair is the most creative masterpiece of all the furniture in the transition period, which has opened the way for future development. The Regency did this through three important changes.
Louis XV Armchair
Regency Chair
The first change lies in the gradual liberation of shapes from structural patterns inspired by architecture. On the other hand, the concept of decoration related to the style of Louis XIV is almost completely changed. Louis XIV is rich in sculptural elements, and favors semi-precious stones and metal inlays, the best representative of which is the craftsmanship of Bühler. On the head of the lion in the Regency period, Louis XIV’s favourite pattern disappeared, as did the symbols of war (shield, helmet, arrow).
The second change is the use of curves instead of conservative styles and methods like Louis XIV. The Louis XIV period curves were limited to the legs or the round corners of the chest of drawers, but the Regency period allowed them to gradually invade the entire structure. Generally speaking, if this style does not meet the characteristics of the Louis XV style, then the difference between the Regency style is to open up a new aesthetic path for furniture design.
The third and final change, the logical result of the other two changes above, is to harmonize the shape of the fragments with their decoration, without letting the withered element dominate.
In practice, the Regency only succeeded in highlighting the new shape of its decoration, but the subsequent Louis XV style showed that the partially failed style in the Regency succeeded in that period.
In short, we should not forget that the Regency style marked the transformation of furniture from masculine to feminine. This transformation led to the removal of religious (Gothic), humanistic and cultural (Renaissance) or political (Baroque-Louis XIV) meanings in furniture design throughout the 18th century. Instead, the return of new and old decorative elements, the pursuit of the most perfect and elegant, and the change of style has accelerated at an unprecedented speed.
From the next article, I will begin to explain Louis XV furniture.
In fact, the style of works during the Regency has never changed. With the gradual transition to the Louis XV style, chests of drawers and chairs during the Regency gained more and more structural and decorative elements, which fully reflected the development of the style and the desire to go beyond its limitations. Therefore, it further confirms the basic characteristics of the transition period, these transition styles very vividly foretell the upcoming fashion. Therefore, we may have questions as to why it arouses people's great interest as a transitional style. The answer is obvious.
In the early days, the development of furniture experienced a great era. As they continue to develop, the unique elements formed after their development will gradually disappear with the passage of time. These missing elements are often reflected in the indispensable furniture made by humans. Therefore, it is certain that the styles of all periods will eventually disappear due to time.
When we transition from Gothic architecture to the Renaissance, and then from the Renaissance to the Baroque period, we sometimes feel that this transition does not seem to be clear, mainly because there are few surviving objects. On the other hand, because of the differences from previous eras, the regency style has left us with a lot of valuable legacy, so it is possible for future generations to conduct more precise and in-depth analysis.
One of the most typical and unfortunate works of the Regency period is the civil chest of drawers. The curve of the cabinet itself expands horizontally and vertically, which is one of the shape rules based on the Louis XV style, but its appearance lacks the elegance and lightness of the latter. This also means that although the Regency style is already one of the principles for determining the future style, it has not been determined how to use it to achieve the best harmonious effect.
Regency Commode
Louis XV Commode
The chest of drawers itself has a relatively bulky appearance, and such an appearance can undoubtedly be classified as a Regency style. This style seems to have chosen a tomb-like form to express itself, in order to imply that it stands out in two completely different worlds, the past and the upcoming.
Of course, it is impossible for us to use the most beautiful language in the world to describe such a piece of furniture that is huge, placed on such a short table leg, and at the same time inlaid with gilded copper accessories. We should admit that the civil chest of drawers has two advantages: the first is that it shows the practicality of this kind of furniture. The second is that this kind of furniture is very rare in the Louis XIV version, and it successfully liberated the symmetry and balance of the chest of drawers under the partial failure of the Italian Baroque influence. Like the long ugly but very cute actors that people like, this elegant piece of furniture was mass-produced, and it lasted for a long time during its own decline.
In contrast, this kind of chest of drawers with two rows of drawers and curved outlines, because we cannot identify some new styles with universal significance, or regard them as masterpieces of new art looking forward to the future. In comparison, these works are far from the past traditions, but still lack the elements that make them the style of Louis XV.
The wardrobe and bookcase also give us the same feeling. This is because any work in the transitional period is of no use other than reminding us of the style we created before or the trend in the future. An obvious example is the two different types of desks. The first is blackened pear wood with five drawers. It is a Louis XIV Mazarin desk with eight legs. The Regency desk has four legs removed from it, leaving four others. Only a leg, and a row of side drawers under the table top has been removed. It is very similar to the future Louis XV style in shape and interpretation.
Louis XIV Desk
Regency Desk
]]>Before the imperial period, craftsmen usually only covered the fittings with a layer of mercury and gold amalgam. As mentioned earlier, once the mercury evaporates at high temperatures, some parts of the copper fittings will lack bronzing, and then the craftsmen will make the necessary modifications. However, during the imperial period, due to Napoleon's character, he required that the imperial style must be shiny gold, so craftsmen could use up to three consecutive layers of amalgam on the copper brackets of the furniture. This process leads to the accumulation of the gold layer, which alternately displays the gold and polished parts or the dark parts left behind after gold plating, resulting in a huge visual difference. Therefore, some copper parts must be bronzed 2 to 3 times to reduce the color difference.
In addition, another reason why they are so shining is that they are less worn, because the gilding in the imperial era was much later than the gilding in the 17th and 18th centuries. Judging from the mass-produced items for the less affluent segments of society, bronzing consisting of only a layer of mercury and gold simply cannot withstand a century of wear and tear. In this way, it is easy to distinguish them from other more important and magnificent objects.
In the rooms of the famous CIGA chain hotel in Italy, there are different imperial period furniture. According to the hotel staff, the original copper brackets showed only a few traces of bronzing when they were purchased. Later, at the request of the person in charge of the hotel, all these brackets were gilded again, and they became like this.
As well as that, the most authoritative experts in the field of copper accessories insist that if the gold foil is replaced in the correct way and tinned with the specific ingredients and wax used in the first production, it is almost impossible to accurately distinguish them.
In the next blog, I will finally explain some knowledge about the Regency period furniture.
]]>As we mentioned the chandeliers, wall lamps, clocks, statues, etc. in the previous article, because of their use function, their bronzing is more susceptible to larger-scale wear and tear, so that they have to undergo more re- bronzing than any other decorative copper items. If the copper fittings installed on the furniture (handles, chutes) are replaced or some items are reworked, this by itself does not devalue the entire item. The value of a piece of furniture depends on its shape, the quality of panelling and the precious wood of the finish, rather than the few copper brackets for practical use. In other words, when the furniture has an aesthetic effect, it is not made of a large amount of decorative copper. Formed by accessories. Of course, when the work is enhanced by the installation of a wide range of copper accessories, everything will be completely changed, combining inlays, finishes and shapes to determine its beauty and value. In this case, the copper bracket should be at least 90% of the original, regardless of whether it is hot-stamped or not. If the parts were reworked in the 19th or 20th century, the value of the parts could drop by 20% to 40%.
After discussing the bronzing, we must also mention the artisans who repaired and rebuilt the copper stents, especially in Paris.
From Renotte, which can customize copper accessories of any shape for customers, to Couste, Lavigne and Moreira, it is obvious that if there is no such top bronze company, the copper is the most important part of French traditional decoration. The accessories will simply not be retained and passed on.
In the next article, I will focus on the peak period of French use of bronzing technology: the imperial period.
]]>If we now look back at the 19th century, it is not difficult to find that the French Revolution ended the old system. Because of this, it was difficult to find a reliable mercury bronzing workshop in the first half of the 20th century. However, according to the existing evidence that has been preserved (imperial furniture, chandeliers, wall lamps, central table parts, clocks, etc.), in France, as elsewhere in Europe, the craft of mercury bronzing is still used. We can also use the Bottin Diderot of 1863, which, together with dozens of electronic gilding workshops, gave the names and addresses of twelve artisans who were using the old style (that is, using mercury) for bronzing.
Today, there are still a large number of bronzing workshops working in Paris. These include Mahieu and Schmidt, which have been gilding since 1880. In addition, there is an old Poggiali company in Florence and the Rossi workshop operating in the center of Rome, just a step away from Piazza del Popolo. The windows of the workshop face the street, so we can observe the craftsmen patiently gilding the decorative bronze.
In addition, there are some large or small workshops producing copper accessories. However, their quantity is not enough to meet the needs of antique dealers, and antique dealers are usually more willing to pay higher prices for mercury bronzing in order to respect the tradition of restoring their original appearance according to the principles of craftsmanship.
At this point, we should not forget that some people have betrayed the unwritten rule of antique dealers by using electroplated gold or mercury nitrate on artifacts from the 18th century or the imperial period to save costs.
In the next topic, I will explain the effect of the quality of the bronzing process on the copper fittings on the value of the furniture itself.
]]>The best craftsman who used copper fittings during the time of Louis XIV was Andre-Charles Boulle. The accessories are either simply cast in bronze, or they are later added as bronzing. The most valuable technique is bronzing, which constituted the vast majority of 18th century copper accessories, and accounted for a large part of 19th century copper accessories.
There are different opinions on the origin of the bronzing process. Some can be traced back to the Middle Ages, or even to the ancient Roman era, some can be traced back to the 17th century, while others believe that this is a product of the Regency period.
As far as I concerned, I believe that this technology was widely known in the 17th century. However, regardless of its exact chronological order, bronzing technology was widely spread in the late 17th century, developed throughout the 18th century, and continued to be used throughout most of the 19th century. It is used alternately with electronic gilding, and until now we can all find its shadow in our lives.
We know that gold is the most malleable metal, and almost transparent gold foil can be obtained. The properties of gold require that it should be alloyed with other metals to obtain a consistency that can be processed. In mercury bronzing, amalgam must first be obtained. To do this, a certain amount of gold is poured into the heated mercury, and then the solution is poured on the bronze. The entire object is then heated to a temperature high enough to evaporate the mercury (about 430 degrees); so that the gold is fixed to the bronze and can be polished until shiny or matte.
Hot stamping is not the only known technique, but it is by far the best technique, especially the most durable technique. This technique keeps the color of gold unchanged because the metal (due to heating) penetrates into the fibers of the bronze and fixes it there. This process does not have the disadvantages of gold plating, which quickly becomes opaque and loses all effects.
From an artistic point of view, bronzing allows the copper fittings to remain golden, which is essential for furniture like Louis XV style. Louis XV style furniture often uses different wood and copper fittings. Contrasting colors to enhance its beauty.
Before using copper accessories, some furniture, such as chairs and mirrors, were gilded in whole or in parts. However, with the passage of time, the gold gilded on the wood will lose its luster, become opaque and dull. It has different degrees of resistance to atmospheric corrosion. In addition, slight vibration will cause the bronzing part to peel off, so the owner of the object must repair it. It is precisely because of these factors that have promoted the increase in the frequency of use of copper fittings, and this kind of fittings can also be easily re-gilded. When their bronzing darkens with age, they can be purified by easily restoring their original luster by putting them in an acid bath.
At the same time, one can also find many copper fittings that were hardly gilded in the 18th and 19th centuries. There are many reasons for this. First, too little gold is used for bronzing; second is the wear and tear caused by cleaning (using certain chemicals), and finally, the air has long corroded it.
In the next topic, I will explain the history of the bronzing technique.
]]>The quality of French country-style furniture usually depends on the materials used, and, with a few exceptions, these pieces cannot achieve the technical and appearance perfection of Parisian furniture. Now we will try to determine the basic difference between furniture made in Paris and furniture made in the country.
In Paris during the Regency period, the frame of a piece of furniture (including drawers) was usually made entirely of oak, or it could be made of oak frame and walnut drawers, or most of the body of the furniture could be made of cork, and the drawers It is made of oak. Then stick precious wood on the surface of the furniture body and decorate it with copper brackets.
However, the frames (including drawers) of furniture in rural areas are made of cork or fruit wood. The drawers occasionally use walnut. Even so, furniture made in rural areas may be of high quality, especially if it is veneered with precious wood. In this case, the craftsmen will not veneer those invisible parts, which means that the furniture will have a Parisian appearance rather than an interior. Because of these differences, a piece of Parisian furniture is still much more expensive than rural furniture.
French Regency Country Style Furniture
French Regency Country Style Furniture
French Regency Parisian Style Furniture
French Regency Parisian Style Furniture
Finally, I want to talk about the relatively simple furniture that is provided to ordinary people. This type of furniture is mostly made of solid walnut or other low-value local woods. These works all adopt the Regency style appearance, while the main decorations such as scallop shells, mouse leaves and female heads are carved in wood; copper handles and all other decorative copper seats are in most cases It is simply cast and polished rather than gilded. When making simple seats, craftsmen created curved contours. The uniqueness of this silhouette is emphasized by more or less enlarging or reducing the size of the scallop shell carved in the middle of the chair.
However, country-style furniture is often easier to see the shadow of Louis XIV and even Louis XV style in shape. This is because the influence of Parisian fashion spread very slowly among the provinces, leading to the fusion of various styles.
In the next topic, I will introduce some knowledge of the bronzing technique.
]]>In the Qing Dynasty, the first place for any officers who came to Beijing to bribe was Liulichang. Only through the owners of Liulichang, they would know what calligraphy and paintings are in the family of the officer they want to bribe. Then, they would entrust the owner of Liulichang to go to the officier’s house to spend a lot of money to purchase the painting. After that, the officer who wants to bribe only needs to take the painting as a gift to visit the him. After painting was seen by the officer, he will immediately realize what happened. In this way, the purpose of the official who wanted to bribe was achieved.
Today, the transaction volume of art market is usually very stable. Even in 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic, the art market transactions had not been affected at all. Because of this, there are many people who want to make money from it. In order to make a fortune from this market, they usually select the most promising students from various art schools and then buy out their works. Then in the next few years, through the cooperation of their own companies and auction houses, they continue to speculate, buy and sell themselves, and increase the popularity and prices of these artists, waiting for the time to come and make a lot of money. For example, the famous British artist Damien Hirst established his foothold in the art market in this way.
Having said that, then you must think that those who buy the work at last are the last leeks. The answer is of course not. In foreign countries, such as Australia, donating artworks can be used to deduct tax. By donating artworks, these people not only save a lot of taxes, but also get the title of a great philanthropist and improve their reputation. Help your own business. Yes, you read it right. Those who sell paintings can make money, dealers can draw commissions, and those who buy paintings can be tax deductible and become a great philanthropist. The painter gained both fame and fortune. In this transaction cycle, everyone is a winner. Sometimes it is true that the art market is an unsupervised financial trading market.
These stories sound incredible, but they all happened. For ordinary people like us, we can only "see the situation with a smile".
]]>Today, I will try to explain to everyone about the knowledge of NFT digital art in the simplest way.
NFT means non-fungible token. In fact, it is the use of blockchain technology to ensure its authenticity, legality and digital assets that guarantee its ownership. The reason why it can be used in the art industry is that this technology can ensure the uniqueness of the artwork. And this is the basic point of art trading.
This whole process is not complicated. First, you need to buy cryptocurrency. For example, Ethereum or Bitcoin. When buying, just follow the instructions step by step. Secondly, you can enter the NFT digital art trading market. For example, KnownOrigin, Rarible and OpenSea are all good choices. After entering the market, you can bid on the works of art that you are interested in through auctions, and the higher price will be awarded. In fact, what you can get is that a set of codes. For digital artists, they only need to log in to the market, and then upload their own work to participate in the sale. For some people, this is not a bad way of making money, so why not do it! Looking forward to the future, maybe in addition to the artwork attributes, the NFT may also be given financial attributes by the market, allowing it to apply for loans.
The most important thing is the impact of the incredible NFT transaction on the environment. Because it is driven by a computer, NFT blockchain transactions consume excessive amounts of electricity. Experts have calculated that the electricity consumed during an encrypted transaction process may exceed the average daily electricity consumption of an ordinary household. A NFT artist once estimated that the power consumption for creating 6 NFT works even exceeded the total power consumption of his studio for two years. It can be seen that the emergence of NFT will pose a challenge to the global power system if it is not dealt with properly. The second risk we need to face is the risk of its depreciation. After this wave of NFT digital art craze recedes, it is very likely that a large number of swimmers will become naked swimmers, and some will even die on the beach. But for those NFT loyalists, this can be ignored. Because they believe that the value of the NFT blockchain will continue to rise.
The above is my explanation of NFT digital art today. I would like to remind everyone that the NFT market is risky and you need to be cautious when entering the market.
]]>When Bitcoin was first launched in 2009, I believe that a large number of people looked at it with contempt. Everyone wonders how long the vitality of this new thing can last? Even some professional financial analysts criticized Bitcoin in public. But who would have thought that today, 12 years later, Bitcoin not only has not disappeared, but its value has risen like a rocket, surpassing US$60,000 each. And other virtual currencies that imitated Bitcoin have also sprung up, countless. Now with the continuous promotion and maturity of blockchain technology, more and more new things are appearing around it. In the art market, such a new category has also appeared, and everyone is used to calling it digital art.
The emergence of digital art has completely subverted our usual perception of ordinary art. It is not something we can reach, but a set of codes. This set of codes was created by a digital artist. After a market transaction, the digital artist will pass this set of codes to the buyer for the buyer to keep. The advantage of this artwork is that it gives the artwork its complete provenance through blockchain technology. Since the emergence of this new art category, a considerable number of creators have emerged. This market is also constantly growing, and has formed a certain scale.
For example, in the just-finished online auction at Christie’s in New York on March 11, 2021, digital artist Mike Winkelman from South Carolina, USA, created “Every Day: First 5000 Days” and achieved impressive results, the hammer price is around US$60 million and the final price including hammer is US$69,346,250.00 dollars.
The story started on May 1, 2007. This artist is now recognized as a world-renowned blockchain digital artist named Beeple. He spent 13 and a half years on creating and uploading the digit art each day. As of February 16, 2021, Beeple has combined such a batch of 5,000 independently created digital works into a giant digital collage, and put it on the Christie’s website for auction, with a starting price of US$100. A total of buyers from 7 countries participated in the bidding. After multiple rounds of bidding, it finally created a digital art milestone and greatly broke the auction record of NFT digital art. This auction also created two records in the history of world art. The first is that Christie's is the first auction company to provide irreplaceable digital art and to ensure its authenticity. The second is the first acceptance of cryptocurrency payments. (For example, this sale accept payment in Ether).
I believe that through this auction, more and more artists will participate in digital art creation in the future, and at the same time, the market scale will be further improved. Blockchain technology will be more and more accepted and respected by people. Maybe Bitcoin breaks through US$100,000.00 is no longer a fantasy.
Every time when a new thing appears, there will always be a voice of doubt. However, I think that we should have a tolerant heart to all new things. Now that digital art is in its infancy, I believe that we should firmly seize the opportunity. Maybe we have already missed Bitcoin, but this time we must not miss digital art again.
]]>As we all know, due to its unique geographical advantage, Australia has outperformed some other western developed countries in this new coronavirus prevention and control campaign. People returned to normal life early. Nevertheless, due to the impact of globalization, Australia's economy still has been hit a bit. This can be clearly felt from the performance of the low-end market. One of the most obvious is that more and more lots are appearing in low-end auctions, and more and more people wish that they could quickly realise their collections by selling their own collections, thereby alleviating their pressure in life. Unfortunately, due to the inherent defects in the quality of the collections, it is often difficult to achieve ideal auction results from such auctions. Similarly, many antique art dealers are unwilling to purchase such low-end collections, so as not to hold down the goods for too long and cause cash flow problems.
From the mid-market perspective, this situation is much better than the above. Due to the Australian government's continuous interest rate cuts, the Australian real estate market has become extremely hot, which has also ignited downstream companies in the real estate market such as furniture manufacturers, including some antique furniture dealers. Since the participants in this market are relatively in better conditions, they are also more able to afford some good antique furniture and even some antique works of art. In the same way, more collectors are willing to take over the collections flowing out of their hands, which also prospered the mid-range market.
From the perspective of the high-end market, I feel that there is no change at all, but there is a certain degree of improvement. It is obvious that every financial crisis is an opportunity for the rich to sublimate their wealth again. More currency circulation, low interest rates, people's anxiety, eagerness to sell fine collections and other opportunities, they will definitely not let it go. All of this can be felt from the recent strong transaction records of Sotheby's and Christie's.
In summary, I think that the art market in 2021 is worthy of expectations. Art collections in the mid-to-high-end market will remain strong, while there will be a wave of adjustments in the low-end market. To sum up, it means that good collections will never lack a market and are a powerful weapon against inflation. Instead of spending a few dollars or dozens of dollars on each different collection, it is better to spend a big amount to collect the fine pieces. By doing that, people’s wealth will rise geometrically over the time.
]]>
Regarding the tricks of the auction house, I believe there have been a lot of complaints on the Internet. Below, I will briefly clarify some of the "tricks" from the local Australian auction houses from my own experience.
In Australia, there are many auction houses. In each state, there is always a "flagship" auction house that is familiar with the local market and has a long-term business. Usually there are no less than 10 auctions per week, with an average of one per day which keeps the continuation of Australia's local collection market. Most of these local auction houses have a very restrict business rule and stick to the ethical business behaviour. However, just like there is always a black sheep in the group, in the industry, there are some “tricky” auction houses. Through some seemingly normal marketing methods, they can often achieve impressive auction results and are sought after by many people. Next, I will explain the tricks so that the collectors can be more vigilant.
Generally speaking, due to the high cost of labor and leasing fees, many Australian auction houses usually have their own venues, and each preview and auction will be carried out on their own venues. However, some auction houses work with the real estate agents to find venues in the upcoming properties in some wealthy areas. According to them, they are just in the name of helping real estate sellers to sell their discarded furniture. But in the actual fact, they just want to take advantage of people’s admiration on the rich people and get a bargain from the wealthy people’s collection to make their own sales. Usually they can obtain better auction results than other ordinary auctions.
Under normal circumstances, auction houses usually value the lot based on the value on the actual market. But, some auction companies will deliberately raise the estimate and exaggerate the description in the auction catalog, using words such as "museum quality" to confuse collectors, but they do not mention the age of the lot in the catalog. Therefore, I would like to remind collectors to distinguish the difference between antiques and handicrafts.
This situation has also appeared in the other overseas auction houses. It is that some auction houses use their own resources to collect pieces from various places, and then sell them in the form of auctions. The two points mentioned above in this article are also the main way they use when they try to sell their own goods.
Of course, from a business perspective, these practices of auction houses are understandable. These are just some commercial marketing methods. Moreover, if you consider the buyer's commission to be paid in the end, sometimes it is better to buy it directly from an antique shop. On the one hand, there are professionals to check for you, and on the other hand, you can bargain and bargain, unlike auction houses. Sometimes, the antique shop will do some restoration work for you. And these restoration works are additional benefits offered to the clients by the antique shop. So, back to the collection itself, I still like to remind everyone to pay attention when buying at the auctioning. Don't get too excited by those ways and it will be more safe.
]]>
There is such a situation in the antique industry now. It is the phenomenon that new beginners in the market generally do not accept the pieces in the poor condition. They just think that only the piece in good condition is worth collecting. But in the actual fact, I don’t really think so. If we only judge from the monetary value of the piece by itself, this may be correct. Generally speaking, the value of the piece in a poor condition is only one-tenth of the total value of the piece that is in excellent condition. But from the perspective of the cultural value behind the piece, it is not inferior to the piece at all. For example, I used to own a Blue and White 'Three Friends' Daoguang porcelain bowl which is definitely correct and of the period, and everything is good except for the hairline near the mouth rim. There were a lot of inquiries, but in the end, after understanding the condition of the bowl, they withdrew one after another. Later, the bowl was sold to a senior local collector in Australia. After confirming the price and condition, he immediately accepted it. A few years later, when I met him and asked about the bowl again, he made no secret of saying that it had changed hands, and the price was several times than that of the previous year. This case can be approved that the current market still has a certain room for those pieces in poor condition. There are many senior collectors who insist on such a creed, that is, "I'd rather collect fine piece with bad condition rather than collecting the general piece".
Now let’s examine the same situation in the Western cultures. As we all know, Australia is a multicultural country with the different immigrant from the different country. It is my fortunate to be able to live and work in such a country. Because of this, I also have the opportunity to get in touch with more Western collecting culture. For the Westerners, they don't particularly care about the condition of the piece. They think that after a collection has gone through the vicissitudes of history, it is very normal if it is slightly defective which just illustrates the historical value behind the piece. Just imagine, if the Venus sculpture still retains the original two arms, will she still be as "imaginative" as it is now? Many Westerners love to regard these broken pieces as Study Pieces, and they can also enjoy the fun of collecting while studying. This is the collecting method advocated by Westerners and it is a kind of sentiment.
In summary, I think that we should not treat the piece in poor condition with a repulsive attitude, and we should understand the historical and cultural value behind them. Sometimes, " I'd rather collect fine piece with bad condition rather than collecting the general piece " is also an alternative way for the antique collection.
]]>