We are occasionally asked if our pieces are 'genuine antiques.' The market is flooded with bogus antiques, and we have seen some of our pieces on-sold as 'genuine Tang Dynasty.' Yes, we have occasionally found some brilliant authentic pieces, but we have also been burned.
With the ban on exporting anything over 100 years old from China, it is nearly impossible to purchase genuine Chinese antiques from the source. However, there are many fabulous pieces that were taken out over the last several hundred years, so there are certainly authentic pieces available.
One antique item that is quite easily obtainable is the singing bowl. Area traders visit villages and towns and purchase or trade these and other items from the locals which they on-sell. Our bowls are sourced directly from Nepal, through a reputable dealer that we have worked with for many years. However, they do not come with any certificate of authenticity regarding their age.
Antique singing bowls generally have exceptional tonal quality, often quite different from contemporary bowls, due to the mixture of metals available at the time they were made. And many are simply one of a kind items, reflecting the wear and tear of generations of use - sometimes strictly as spiritual items, at others as a clean vessel to ferment yoghurt.
If you are considering the purchase of an antique singing bowl, we suggest you do so for its tone and beauty.
Other than the singing bowls, we do not specialise in antiques, though from time to time we may come across something that truly wows us and we are able to confirm its authenticity, in which case we will call it an antique. Otherwise, when an item is not new, we will simply describe it as 'old,' but do not call anything an antique unless we know for certain.
With the ban on exporting anything over 100 years old from China, it is nearly impossible to purchase genuine Chinese antiques from the source. However, there are many fabulous pieces that were taken out over the last several hundred years, so there are certainly authentic pieces available.
One antique item that is quite easily obtainable is the singing bowl. Area traders visit villages and towns and purchase or trade these and other items from the locals which they on-sell. Our bowls are sourced directly from Nepal, through a reputable dealer that we have worked with for many years. However, they do not come with any certificate of authenticity regarding their age.
Antique singing bowls generally have exceptional tonal quality, often quite different from contemporary bowls, due to the mixture of metals available at the time they were made. And many are simply one of a kind items, reflecting the wear and tear of generations of use - sometimes strictly as spiritual items, at others as a clean vessel to ferment yoghurt.
If you are considering the purchase of an antique singing bowl, we suggest you do so for its tone and beauty.
Other than the singing bowls, we do not specialise in antiques, though from time to time we may come across something that truly wows us and we are able to confirm its authenticity, in which case we will call it an antique. Otherwise, when an item is not new, we will simply describe it as 'old,' but do not call anything an antique unless we know for certain.
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