Posted by: floorkasp Post Reply
10/09/2011, 06:45:57
Back at home, sorting through my pictures from my trip to China.
I took a great number of pictures on the Panjiayuan market in Beijing. I wrote a bit about it a year ago when I visited it for the first time. It is a massive market of antiques, collectibles, jade, and miscellaneous junk and fakes.
It is quite a busy market, and attracts a range of different types of visitors, buyers and sellers. Very popular is jade, varying from huge boulders with little bits exposed to show the beauty of the stone, to cheap stone bangles. Second popular and unexpected item are walnuts. Men pick out the most special walnuts, with a specific shape. They try to match a perfect pair, and some people will spend hours going through them.
Generally what struck me about this market, just like last time, is the detail a lot of people look for in natural materials. Searching out the most perfect lines in a agate bead, the shape of a strand of beads from seeds or pods, or the exact matching colour on a piece of jade. Even with cheap items, people could spend a lot of timing picking exactly the right beads out of a huge pile. When it comes to glass beads, pretty much everything you see here is fake. It is mass produced, and made to look old in different ways. It was very educational for me to walk around all the different stalls selling the same beads, all reproductions. One seller would have them by the strand, making it pretty clear they were not original Warring State beads, others would keep them in a small glass container, in between so called precious antiques. As I said, I have taken many pictures, and will be showing quite a few. It gives a good insight to at least some of the current market in reproductions. Apart from some agate, cheap stone and some buddhist wood and seed beads, I did not buy anything at the market. I know little to nothing about original antique and ancient Chinese beads, let alone that I would be able to tell the difference between the real thing and a fake. I had a great time though, looking at all the different and colourful displays. The first pictures five you a general idea of what the market looks like.
Modified by floorkasp at Sun, Oct 09, 2011, 06:57:37
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Posted by: floorkasp Post Reply
10/09/2011, 06:51:45
First one shows a cart, just outside the market. A lot of the activities goes on on around the terrain of the market, with some sellers with a cart full of jade, and others just selling a single (antique or not) piece of pottery, standing in front of them on a hankerchief. Second pictures shows the abundance of stone bangles. Specific patterns and colours of jade bangles are very popular and expensive. They can cost several thousands of dollars or even more. The ones in the pictures would go for anything from a dollar upwards.
Modified by floorkasp at Sun, Oct 09, 2011, 06:52:04
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Posted by: floorkasp Post Reply
10/09/2011, 06:53:03
Double picture, sorry
Modified by floorkasp at Sun, Oct 09, 2011, 06:53:24
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Posted by: floorkasp Post Reply
10/09/2011, 06:54:14
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10/09/2011, 06:56:11
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Posted by: Austin Cooper Post Reply
10/09/2011, 06:59:26
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Posted by: floorkasp Post Reply
10/09/2011, 07:00:22
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Posted by: floorkasp Post Reply
10/09/2011, 07:03:34
First picture shows a huge bag of dyed stone beads. Second shows a stall with small carved stone (jade-ish)beads and pendants. Especially the second stall was very busy with people gathering exactly what they needed. Some spent over an hour there. I managed to get a set of interesting pendants together in about 15 minutes of digging, which was lots of fun.
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Posted by: floorkasp Post Reply
10/09/2011, 07:06:29
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Posted by: judy Post Reply
10/09/2011, 08:41:49
there are agate beads that come out of Africa. Specifically Mali and Nigeria. I was wondering what type of ivory is in this picture, it looks brand new. It's a real treat to see these pictures thank you so much for posting them.
Modified by judy at Sun, Oct 09, 2011, 14:16:12
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Posted by: floorkasp Post Reply
10/09/2011, 08:48:36
There were actually a handful of sellers who also had beads from Africa. Both beads made in Africa, and beads made in Europe and sold to Africa.
I have no expertise when it comes to ivory. I have seen similar types of these beads on a few stalls. Below is a closeup.
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Posted by: floorkasp Post Reply
10/09/2011, 07:07:52
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Posted by: floorkasp Post Reply
10/09/2011, 07:11:15
These beads are completely new, but when covered in dirt, don't they look genuinely old?
;-) They are made as if they are freshly dug up, so you can feel like an archelogist yourself, going through them. I wonder if this trickery pays off, and who would be foolish enough to fall for it. Obviously some people do, because I saw several sellers using this method.
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Posted by: floorkasp Post Reply
10/09/2011, 07:12:53
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Posted by: Rosanna Post Reply
10/09/2011, 08:22:39
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10/09/2011, 08:37:03
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Posted by: Rosanna Post Reply
10/10/2011, 04:37:28
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Posted by: floorkasp Post Reply
10/09/2011, 07:14:23
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Posted by: floorkasp Post Reply
10/09/2011, 07:16:30
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Posted by: floorkasp Post Reply
10/09/2011, 07:19:04
But my guess is.....all new.
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Posted by: floorkasp Post Reply
10/09/2011, 07:20:31
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Posted by: tasmania_gal Post Reply
10/12/2011, 03:41:51
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Posted by: Floorkasp Post Reply
10/12/2011, 06:56:49
I have not inspected all of them closely, but I am fairly sure they are all New Chinese production, of the type that first turned up in 2008 in Tucson.
There was one seller with original trade beads, and Venetian millefioris, but not in these pictures.
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Posted by: floorkasp Post Reply
10/09/2011, 07:23:51
The first were apparantly special enough to get their own box. The second pictures shows actually rather an interesting type of the cheap millefiori glass beads that have been coming from China for some time now.
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Posted by: floorkasp Post Reply
10/09/2011, 07:26:11
the seller would be a very rich man!
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Posted by: floorkasp Post Reply
10/09/2011, 07:28:20
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Posted by: floorkasp Post Reply
10/09/2011, 07:29:42
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Posted by: floorkasp Post Reply
10/09/2011, 07:32:50
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Posted by: floorkasp Post Reply
10/09/2011, 07:35:26
I came across these beads quite a bit. Small glass beads in different colours, with little drop beads in the middle. I presume they are also replicas, but replicas of what?
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Posted by: Joyce Post Reply
10/09/2011, 16:15:59
They are trying to replicate the look of the antique German annulars and the Czech "Mali Wedding" bulb shape, both from the African trade.
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Posted by: Floorkasp Post Reply
10/09/2011, 22:42:57
I thought about that, but I'm not sure. Considering how well other beads are copied, these would be a poor match. The beads are a lot smaller, the small rings are only about 6/7 mm. The colours are different, and the wedding beads were not usually made of transparant glass.
Perhaps they are more a copy of Chinese old beads?
And perhaps it is just a one time experimental batch that was spread around the market.....
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Posted by: floorkasp Post Reply
10/09/2011, 07:41:01
Sold as roman and or islamic glass bracelet fragments/beads found in Afghanistan, I was surprised to find them here. They have been discussed here before. Seeing them on this market (in at least five stalls) makes me wonder again.....are they really pices of glass found in Afghanistan from a long bygone era, made into beads? Or are they yet another ingeniously crafted set of fakes. Or....are the beads shown here Chinese copies of the actual old glass fragments?
Comments are very welcome.
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Posted by: floorkasp Post Reply
10/09/2011, 07:45:26
A great place for retail pearl buying is pearl market in Beijing. Some pictures: the first one a shop overflowing with stone beads, the second a rather contented seller who I just bought quite a few tiny pearl strands from.
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Posted by: floorkasp Post Reply
10/09/2011, 07:49:24
A shop in a shopping center,selling mostly bracelets made of stone beads, which are very popular.
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Posted by: floorkasp Post Reply
10/09/2011, 07:56:09
Just some general pictures of Beijing
Modified by floorkasp at Sun, Oct 09, 2011, 07:56:22
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10/09/2011, 07:56:56
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Posted by: floorkasp Post Reply
10/09/2011, 07:58:12
A gate, seen through a gate...and the sunset over a very smoggy Beijing.
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Posted by: karavanserai Post Reply
10/09/2011, 15:32:09
martine
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10/10/2011, 17:48:20
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Posted by: dreamfeat Post Reply
10/12/2011, 00:02:39
Amazing photos, thank you for sharing! ~Anne
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Posted by: Fred Fred Chavez Post Reply
10/09/2011, 08:02:31
Have shopped this market hundreds of times.Thanks for the memories.
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Posted by: floorkasp Post Reply
10/09/2011, 08:37:59
You're welcome. It is a fascinating place to be. Has it changed much over the years?
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Posted by: Fred Post Reply
10/09/2011, 16:08:01
Over the last twelve years, I have spent about fifty weeks all together shopping large Chinese east coast cities, on about thirty trips. —We have direct flights to Hong Kong, Taiwan, Shanghai and Beijing from San Francisco.— And it has changed much: The bicyclists can afford cars; the smog is ghastly. The Chinese collectors can afford (good for them) to compete for the "antiques;" and flow of old stuff has dwindled to a trickle and is more expensive. The only thing that remains the same is that the Chinese tend to smoke, spit and eat with their mouths open; not to mention the common restrooms. But I still love the people, the food, culture and especially their art.
Modified by Fred at Sun, Oct 09, 2011, 20:06:16
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Posted by: Dog Bone Crazy Post Reply
10/09/2011, 12:50:38
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10/09/2011, 21:00:41
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10/09/2011, 23:12:05
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Posted by: Logan Post Reply
10/10/2011, 02:52:27
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Posted by: Fred Fred Chavez, Fred Chavez Post Reply
10/10/2011, 22:25:35
Hi Floor, You certainly captured the essence of what was originally called "The Dirt Market." I first started going to this market in 1999. Today it is better known as The Panjiayuan Market. But only ten years ago it had a dirt floor and streets of dank, ramshackle shops. The vendors would cluster around me, pulling on my clothes, begging me to look at things they would pull out of their pockets—like they do in Haiti. Very frightening. Today, the sellers are blasé, unimpressed. The "Dirt Market" is now beautifully paved with elegant shopping arcades -not shown in your photos- with nearly authentic but stylized architecture. It is also possible to have an Upper Class Chinese experience elsewhere, of course, by restricting yourself to the huge selection of five star restaurants, hotels and posh shopping malls. Many of the employees of these big city venues are illegal immigrants from the villages. The cities limit the number of outsiders from the mainland. Chinese often ignore these quotas-as in America- in order to get cheap subservient labor. They often employ villagers from distant places at ten dollars for a twelve hour workday, seven days a week. Thus, these middle class businessmen can well afford to pay well when they go shopping. And the large selection while shopping is one of the best advantages in China today. Those of us who are not familiar with bargaining in China, can actually get better prices on Chinese merchandise in Tucson, the Gem and Mineral Shows, Gift Shows, and Antique shows in America! To replace their antiques, Chinese are overwhelming the American auction houses today. China is changing quickly like America did in the fifties. And I have a great deal of respect for the Chinese. You may enjoy viewing this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPeXpGrO8wE
Modified by Fred at Tue, Oct 11, 2011, 03:06:42
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Posted by: freedomgood Post Reply
10/11/2011, 06:49:34
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Posted by: uwe Post Reply
10/11/2011, 10:46:35
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