Featured Antique Chinese Nephrite Jade Figurines OLD or MODERN??

Part of a larger collection of chinese nephrite jade figurines. I know some are old and some are new, but im trying to get help anyway i can in authenticating or appraising the collection.

 

Should have specified.... when i say "new"....i mean probably 100 years old or so.....others could be 1000+ years old....

 

more jade pieces....

 

Welcome. I'm sure someone helpful will be along in a minute!. I've got no idea I'm afraid but I love the bird at the bottom right. He looks very proud of himself!.
Stunning collection.

 

Bi disks.....any suggestions?

 

Thanks. yea, This stuff is so rare and unique, i might have to take it to a specialist but i figured putting it online to see if someone can point me in a direction.

 

There are many people on here that have amazed me with their outstanding knowledge. Hopefully someone can help!

 

WELCOME Scott ... FABULOUS collection !!! .. Joy.

 

I like the blowfish in the second posting bottom right hand corner!

 

Looks like a tadpole,not a fish.

 

mud skipper.....possibly...

 

A mud skipper only has 2 front fins/legs ,not 4 like the carving.

 

Quite a collection, Scott, but don't get your hopes up.

Sadly it is not. Genuine archaic jades are rare, but thousands of copies have been made, and from what I can see on these photos these are all either copies or made in the style of.
There is such a huge demand for these 'archaic' jades. And when there is a demand, the Chinese will supply. You will also find that some of these jades are not jade at all, and some have been dyed to look old. Archaic jades are never dyed.

Just one example, of the famous Hongshan culture C-dragon only one intact example was found (you have two ), which is why it has the honourable title "The First Dragon of China".
It is in the National Museum of China, this is it:


http://en.chnmuseum.cn/Default.aspx?TabId=549&AntiqueLanguageID=2326&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

All I can say is, enjoy them, they give an insight into some unique cultures.

 

I can agree that some may be modern copies (some may be older) but the story of where the gentleman got them matches up to how some people got a hold of them. He was fishing them off ebay 20 years ago when people didnt even know what they were. Theres a book out there, (ill have to get the author) how he got his collection off ebay. The pieces he showed me that he got off ebay for a couple of dollars were insane. He had paperwork with some.....jade congs, ruby buddha heads, they were beautiful.... i think some of mine, may be really old and dont want to believe theyre all fake.

 

I have been collecting Asian antiques for over 40 yrs, and I can assure you, 20 yrs ago they were already sold on ebay in great numbers, some with 'paperwork'. They were repro then, just like they are now. Some people knew what they were, but in those first years many were fooled and thought they were the real deal. The gentleman you got yours from was probably part of the latter group.
I hope you didn't pay too much.

Some could be old, but they are swamped by all the repros. Remember that you can't say those are antique or archaic should you ever want to sell them. You could get into a lot of trouble and really don't want the legal hassle.
Carvings don't have to be old and rare to be enjoyed, so just enjoy them for what they are.

 

Scott, could you take more photos the bottom two, and the little black Bi in the top row, centre? Individually is best, all sides please.


And of the turtle, bottom left:


The little tiger, top row right too please.

 

Its fine if you want to be skeptical, but putting a blanket statement that they are all fake is not explaining the details why you came to that conclusion? Chinese have been copying things for 1000s of years...not just to rip people off. They could still be 100 of years old. When i get back home i can post more detailed photos of some of the pieces in question. Also, i did not break the bank, even though i took a risk.

 

Scott, be fair, I already explained some of the details in your other thread, in which I also quoted something I wrote here. I also gave you advice on how to go about studying archaic jades and provided links:
https://www.antiquers.com/threads/ancient-chinese-artifact.36564/
I really can't keep quoting between one thread and another, and don't see why anyone would expect me to.

I know, if you read some of the 'Chinese' threads on the forum you'll see I often say that. However, the Hongshan styles you show here were not made by later generations in appreciation of history, after all the Hongshan culture was only discovered in 1935, and the C-dragon was found in 1971. Hongshan style objects were made to meet recent demand for archaic jades, which is mainly a Western demand.

I am glad you didn't break the bank, and it can pay off to take risks sometimes.
Looking forward to the photos.

 

Quite a fine collection.