| Original Message: Please don't shoot the messenger, but... |
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Hi Rachel and Floor, I'm sure I've spent at least ninety days shopping for antique and ancient beads in China. And I bought a number of these. And I trusted that they were probably Warring States, or at least antique copies. However, my doubts have increased for a number of reasons... Years ago at Bead Expo in Santa Fe, a prominent Chinese magazine publisher and expert said "The large number of beads like these -which I had been pouring over in a well respected dealer's booth- were fake." I've never regretted walking away from these and this type. Whenever looking at Chinese "antiques," it is advised to be suspicious from the beginning. But buying the piece provides good study material for comparison; this is the tuition you must pay in order to begin looking for clues. Notice the even patination and "calcification" in the gunky whitish areas. Even the famous Summerfield Warring States horned eye bead has come into question. Sleuthing is part of the fun. Good luck in China, All rights reserved by Bead Collector Network and its users |
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