This Hongshan Culture abstract Jade(Nephrite) is among the best of the 'cloud' pattern group from this culture.
From Works of Art ,one can analyse, the subtle layers of Art Appreciation.SEE,OBSERVE,PERCEIVE and finally IMMERSE.
Lets take this Jade as an example.
01.SEE: Casual look and then attracted to take a closer look.
02.OBSERVE:The Jade is green and translucent.The Jade is a flat plaque and looking closer see that it is not completely flat but concave slightly in. The design is imaginative and well executed.
03.PERCEIVE:This level is usually reached only after background info is provided or researched.The culture is 5000 years old.Do they have the aesthetics genes to create this design?Stainless steel knife cannot even scratch the Jade.How did they 'carved' it and it is also a flat piece.More difficult,as they have to slice or find a flat pebble to pare it thin.So many questions,but for illustration,just one more:Why do they bother to produce it!
04.IMMERSE:After the perplexing fascination,one is immerse in the art piece.Becoming ONE WITH THE WORKS OF ART. Appreciating the artist and the culture that create it!
To expand your knowledge on Jade,visit the Friends of Jade website given in the links.
Antique and Antique Collecting
Antiques have always lured those with a passion for the past and its cultural significance. Antique collecting though is a serious hobby which requires the hobbyist to posses a great deal of information on the history and other correlating facts if they are to land a reasonable purchase. Most often if not antiques make their way into the mainstream market via simple garage sales, auction houses etc. wherein the owner would have overlooked the significance of these precious collectables.
A reflection and testimony of the glorious past, Antiques are undoubtedly rare. Perhaps that is why Antiques have been collected and preserved for over thousands of years as a souvenir and tribute to what has been and gone. After all, those heard are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter!
Antique collecting has been in the books since the 16th century, gaining momentum through the 18th century to grow into what is now a healthy international business thats on par with the art industry. Some individuals prefer to collect antiques from a specific era, while most are into specific objects and aim at a timeline based collection such as vintage cars or clocks from the 1950s for example. The purchase of antiques is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the effort that goes into their maintenance. Most objects would be anywhere in the range of 50 to 100 years old. The biggest culprit to an antiques degradation is exposure to natural elements, even the air in most cases!
Over the years, antique collecting has taken another curious twist as certain home décor trends these days reflect on a retro feel. For this reason a lot of long lost furniture and clothing styles from half a century ago have found their way back into the current world with small changes that help them amalgamate into the 21st century. This trend of commercially viable antiques has had a negative impact on the market as replicas of famous antiques have been making the rounds and authenticity issues are far too common. Examples for the same would be pendulum clocks, bone china and the 1970 – 1979 contemporary modern furniture.
When it comes to venturing towards a purchase, its best for an individual to take assistance from the nearest antique dealer organization as it would guarantee both its authenticity as well as cover any legalities. Most often the replica market supplies the same antiques at a much lower price and the buyer could suffer serious repercussions on purchasing from such sources as these pieces are not officially accounted for. Antique collecting needs to be met with diligence and maturity in order to successfully sustain the past in the present.
