China

Chinese aesthetic trends organize artistic creations according to a hierarchy that is profoundly different from that of the West: they take into account their more or less direct connection to the spirit.

Benefiting from its numerous mineral and clay deposits, China is the cradle of multiple technical and artistic innovations, producing everyday or ornamental objects of exceptional quality since ancient times.

The oldest pottery remnants discovered to date, over 20,000 years old, were found in a cave located in Jiangxi province. These ceramics evolved over the centuries, with the first porcelains appearing during the Eastern Han dynasty, at the beginning of our era. At the same time, Chinese artists excelled in sculpting jade figurines, a stone reserved for the imperial family.

Similarly, the Chinese quickly mastered bronze working, producing true masterpieces as early as the second millennium BCE. Vases with varied shapes and designs were originally associated with funeral rites, reflecting the social status of the deceased.

They also developed lacquer techniques, initially intended to protect wood in coffins, which later became enriched with mother-of-pearl inlays and gold powder, or were finely carved.

China is also the birthplace of silk, already produced around the mid-3rd millennium BCE, and of cellulose fiber paper, also known as rice paper, which would become the ideal medium for calligraphy in East Asia. Asia, particularly China, fascinated European courts during the Renaissance, leading to the importation and imitation of numerous objects by local artists and artisans. It became fashionable to own screens, furniture, porcelain services, silks, cloisonnés, and fans.

Chinese antiques remain reliable assets and can fetch significant sums at auction. It is always advisable to entrust the appraisal of artworks and furniture to a specialist in Far Eastern art. This expert can accurately determine the origin and age of the items offered, providing a precise estimate of the Chinese antiquities.