Chinese Soapstone Ornament Vase (Flowers, Plants, Bird)

Hi everybody!,

Could anyone tell me more about the age of this piece?

-Origin: Chinese.
-Age: ???
-Material: Soapstone.
-Pictured: Flowers/Plants/Bird.

*Height: 34,7 cm/ 13,66 inch.
*Width: 17,6 cm/ 6,92 inch.
*Depth: 12 cm/ 4,72 inch.
*Weight: 4 KG.

Thank you very much!!

 

Chinese, yes. They've been made for centuries - I don't think yours has much age. It looks relatively mass carved.

 

Vintage to only just antique.
These decorative vases were usually made in pairs, and they are not rare. The exact age is hard to determine, but given the fragility of the material, most of them are vintage rather than antique.
The value is in artistry and condition, and a pair is worth more than 2x1. Yours, although pretty, is not at the top of the range, and it has lost its companion.
To get an idea:
https://www.ebth.com/items/5533095-chinese-carved-soapstone-vase
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pair-of-Vin...gn-China-Pr-/371931253587?hash=item5698d48b53

 

My mom has one just like it and it was purchased in a mall in an Asian store in the mid to late 1970's.

 

I really expected it to be much older.
Are there any things I should pay attention to next time I pay a soapstone piece?

 

This is Qingtian stone from Zhejiang province. I think it dates to the period of the Chinese Republic, say 1920s or 30s or 40s.

Basically a nice piece in terms of carving, but the particular range of stone used is not very interesting. Some Qingtian stones have colors and patterns that are very attractive. So when buying Qingtian carvings, look for eye-catching stone, not something dull. It really is the particular stone that gives value. (Of course, beware of stones may have been dyed and repaired, especially on newer pieces.)

Like cloisonné, these are generally regarded as mass-produced crafts and don't attract too much collector interest, and there are lot of them out there. So prices tend not to be too good unless the piece is exceptional.

 

That makes perfect sense Thank you very much!

 

khl, how do you date these? I find it quite tricky to distinguish between the Republic ones and some more modern.

 

Look at the stone itself; different types were mined at different times.The particular types of stone used in the 1930s are now mined out.

Look at the condition; the original wax polish slowly degrades over time.

Look at the carving; certain styles were more popular at different times. As well, in the Republic era Qingtian carvings were largely marketed at Westerners while in more recent times Chinese are the major customers. The OP's piece is Western in style and that's a very strong indication this dates to before 1949.

Look at a museum collection, like the one near Qingtian.

 

Thank you very much indeed, that's really useful and is going in my long term memory.

 

Hi I wonder if you had any idea on this little soapstone teapot? I know it came from my great Aunty who was a Victorian collector

 

On the one hand, yours has nicer stone than the OP's, with some color, a pattern, and a bit of translucency.

On the other hand, it doesn't seem all that well made; even the lid doesn't match. Looks a bit mass-produced.

It's hard to be too certain, but my impression is yours dates somewhat later than the OP's, and could even date to around the 1980s. That greenish stone in the rear section was very common then.

(I'll add that if you search for "Qingtian carving" on Google Images you can compare the results with these two examples; Qingtian stone has become scarcer in recent years, and most modern carvings are fairly elaborate and fairly expensive.)

 

I saw somebody in my neighbourhood put this next piece online today.
I think it's some kind of incense burner. Would you also consider this a dull piece, since the stone's basically just one color?

 

I wouldn't buy it, but I generally steer away from soapstone. I'd rather buy jade or another hardstone. I sometimes make an exception for a nice piece of Shoushan stone.
And yes, the coulour and quality of carving are not overly appealing.

 

I already expected that. But if you didn't tell me that earlier I would thought it was something special I guess.

Just today I was (half-)watching an online auction with many shoushan and jade pieces. It was an live auction, where you could just see 1 picture of the item, with a title, without description.

Of course the description existed, but therefore you had to click every item and load in a new lot-page, while the auction was going on. So I didn't really learn much.

I just saw price go up & down, not really knowing why one piece was so special and the other, to me as a beginner, which colors looked quite the same wasn't.

 

I agree, it isn't that well carved, I know nothing about soapstone, everything in that cabinet came from her, as to the date, I expect it's the same age as all the rest of the stuff, late 19c, she died in the 70's. I have looked online and there are many of the same type (not expensive ) thanks for the info

 

It is a collector's market, so knowing what collectors actually look for is the clue to understanding the market. Watching what items make at auction is one way.
Good quality stone and good quality carving is important. Preferably highly detailed.
Attractive subjects like beautifully dressed elegant young ladies do better than toothless old men.
Sometimes it is difficult to understand what is attractive, for instance an exquisitely carved Chinese jade cabbage will often sell for more than a beautifully carved flower. Probably because cabbage is a symbol of wealth, part of the Chinese word for cabbage sounds the same as the word for money. They also were a favourite of the empress dowager Cixi.

If you are interested in Qingtian stone objects, here is a site with info and some beautiful quality carvings:
http://chinacoolart.com/2015/02/26/qingtian-stone-sculpture/

 

@Any Jewelry : Thank you very much for the information. I'm going to check out the website immediately