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Certificates of Authenticity -
12-26-2008, 10:24 PM
I have collected game-used sports memorabilia for over 15 years and started collecting antique Chinese arms a year and a half ago. One thing I found lacking with the purchase of most Chinese arms and I think should come with any antique Chinese arm(s) sold is a certificate of authenticity.
In my opinion the certificate should include a photo of the item, description of the dimensions and other parts or characteristics of the arm, estimated time period of manufacturer and the opinion of the appraiser explaining his findings. The name, address etc. and the signature of the appraiser should also be on the certificate.
I think each of the points must be part of any good certificate, because for example without a photo and description of the arm the certificate could be switched with a different weapon or even modern fake. I am basing the above on my many years of experience in reading and writing certificates of authenticity for game-used sports memorabilia.
When I first started collecting game-used items I made it a point to go to auctions and read the certificates that went with the items to be auctioned. I learned a great deal about the format of the certificates and key points that distinguished say a real Babe Ruth bat as opposed to one made after his death. As with game-used equipment these key points are important with Chinese arms.
With the advent of digital photography, editing programs and printers it is very easy to add a photo of the item(s) to the certificate, whereas before a photo was attached to the certificate instead of being an integral part of it.
The appraisers of Japanese arms have what is known as, ORIGAMI - Appraisal certificate, and I think Chinese arms should have the same. Authentic certificates help to boost the understanding of our field of collecting and helps to legitimize it. Granted certificates are only as good as the person(s) doing the appraisals, but if a panel of experts could be gathered where they give their opinion and write appraisals for Chinese arms this will help the dating and understanding of Chinese arms and help to weed out the fakes we often see on Ebay and the such.
For Japanese arms there are two main organizations that periodically write letters of appraisal for Japanese weapons. They are N.T.H.K.. - Nihon Token Hozon Kai (sword appraisal group) and N.B.T.H.K. - Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kai (sword preservation group). Previously, origami could only be obtained by sending the Japanese arms to Japan, but now there are branches of these organizations in the US and they come to certain shows throughout the US to issue origami for the many Japanese arms that are in the US. Of course there is a fee for this, but in my opinion it is a small price to pay to know that one’s arm(s) is not a fake or to know when it was made.
Unlike Japanese arms, where the period of the piece is estimated based upon the quality of the workmanship and perhaps a name, date or other inscription on the piece, I have learned that in collecting Chinese arms it is not sufficient to base the timeframe of manufacturer solely upon the design of the weapon. With many Chinese antiques, later artisans copied styles of previous dynasties and as such patina has a great deal to do in determining the age of the weapon or if the weapon was excavated from a site where carbon dating can be used to determine the age of those artifacts that can be carbon date, which metals and jades cannot. This is how the dating of Japanese and Chinese arms differs.
I have attached a certificate of authenticity for a Chinese dao (Saber) that Peter Dekker, Mandarin Mansion (Business name), The Netherlands, sent me. I think it is very comprehensive and right on in terms of what I expected to see in a similar certificate of game-used equipment. I attached this to show the quality of what can be achieved in a certificate of authenticity. However, I cannot attest to the validity of what is written, because I don’t have enough experience in the field of authenticating Chinese arms yet. Yet, but someday soon…
I hope that some day those dealers, collectors and restorers of Chinese arms with the experience to write certificates of authenticity will come together in a group to provide this service for collectors at an affordable price. In the meantime I hope that they will read my post and strive to issue the comprehensive style of certificate that Mr. Dekker wrote. I welcome any comments you may have and I hope that if you know a person(s) with the experience to authenticate Chinese arms that you forward this to him and ask him to participate in helping to organize a panel of experts for the purpose of authenticating Chinese arms.
Thanks!
Last edited by T.Lee; 12-26-2008 at 10:27 PM..
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