In 2010, a woman named Gene Johnson was sorting through her late sister’s possessions when she chanced upon an antique Chinese vase. She took the vase to Bainbridges Auction House, where it was revealed to be an exceptionally rare 18th century Qing Dynasty artefact. Later, this piece would sell for £25 Million.
While the likelihood of finding such a rare object is low, it does still present a tantalising possibility.
So, how can you tell if old vases are valuable?
Knowing how to tell if a vase is a genuine antique or a modern reproduction is an important skill for collectors. It may just be possible to find a valuable piece in a charity shop, car boot sale, or on an online auction site, and pay almost nothing for it.
When determining a vase’s age, it can help to look for idiosyncrasies and imperfections consistent with the object being made by hand, as opposed to by machines or via modern manufacturing methods. Look for air bubbles in glass, asymmetry, irregularities in shape, or colour, and so on. For glass vases, polished edges are often a sign that the piece was hand made (potentially – though not universally – an indicator of its age).
It is also important to locate and identify a maker’s mark. A maker’s mark is a symbol, name, or logo, sometimes accompanied by numbers. These will usually be found on the underside, or near the bottom of the vessel. Many of these marks can be looked up online, offering a very clear idea of who made the piece, as well as how long ago. Cheaper pieces may not have a maker’s mark, which may (but not necessarily will) mean that they are not particularly valuable pieces.
‘Overmarks’ occur when a fresh mark has been stamped atop an original mark, usually by importers or retailers. This practice was common between 1880 and 1930, so finding an overmark can really help to determine the age of the piece.
It will also help to familiarise yourself with various styles of vase, as well as the respective time periods such styles are associated with. Each style has an average value that can serve as a baseline valuation until an expert can be consulted. Art nouveau style vases, for example, are closely associated with the 1920s, and usually fetch prices of £75 – £300.
Finally, an old vase will look ‘old’. Nothing gets through the years entirely unscathed. Discolourations, scratches, chips, and general wear-and-tear can all be indicators of a vase’s age.
Valuing Chinese vases is a slightly different skill, although many of the techniques described above can (and should) still be employed. It is important that design aspects such as shape, style, glaze, and maker’s/reign mark all belong to the same era. A vase that mixes disparate styles, techniques, and design elements is more than likely a reproduction.
‘Blotchy’ blue paint (caused by imported cobalt clumping together) could indicate Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644). More uniform colouration, by contrast, may show that the vase was created during the later Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911).
Examining the foot rim (on the underside of the vase) can also be very informative. Foot rims are highly specific to the era of production, to the extent that, if your vase’s foot rim does not match any reference photos you find, it is almost certainly a forgery.
There are also distinct styles, patterns and creative techniques that are emblematic of (and often specific to) a particular era of Chinese history. Recognising and identifying these will bring you much closer to identifying the true age and value of your vase.
There is, of course, more than one way to determine an object’s true value.
Monetary value is simply a reflection of what somebody is willing to pay for something. Perhaps a better indicator (and certainly a more personal one) is an object’s sentimental value. A childhood possession, an object connected to a happy memory, or something inherited from a departed loved one may have more value to its owner than a piece determined to be worth millions.
Most material things have little intrinsic value in and of themselves. They are only worth the value we assign to them. If your vases (or, indeed, any other possession) have ever brightened your home, or inspired a smile on a dark day, then that, first and foremost, should determine their true value.