Antique Chinese art appraisal, online
That porcelain vase or ink scroll passed down through the family could be a fine period piece or a later studio copy, and the gap between the two is enormous. Our team researches your Chinese art and returns a clear value report within three days.
Structured research, reviewed for clarity
We begin by setting your piece against comparable sales, the prices similar Chinese works actually realized at auction, not asking prices. From there our team weighs the likely dynasty and workshop, the condition and originality of the material, and any reign marks, artist seals, or colophons present. You receive a plain-English report with an estimated value range and the reasoning behind it, reviewed by our team before it reaches you.
What affects the value of antique Chinese art
Value in Chinese art seldom rests on one feature. A piece can look imperial and be a 20th century copy, or look plain and prove to be an early period work. Our team weighs several factors together rather than judging by first impression.
Dynasty, period and maker
A credible attribution to a dynasty or reign, and where possible a known kiln, workshop, or painter, is usually the largest single driver of value. A Qianlong-period porcelain and a Republic-period piece in the same taste can sit worlds apart in price.
Material, condition and originality
Porcelain, jade, bronze, lacquer, and silk each age and fail in their own way. Hairline cracks, regrinding, restoration, repainting, or replaced fittings all bear on value, and an untouched original almost always outranks a repaired example.
Comparable sales
We anchor every estimate to records of what comparable Chinese works have actually sold for, not to hopeful asking prices or old insurance figures, so the range reflects the real market.
Reign marks, seals and later copies
Chinese art is among the most widely copied fields in the whole antiques world, and the marks rarely settle the question on their own. For centuries Chinese potters respectfully inscribed an earlier emperor's reign mark on new wares, an homage rather than a forgery, so a Qianlong mark on the base does not mean a Qianlong date. Paintings carry artist seals and collector colophons that can be genuine, added later, or wholly invented. What actually matters is whether the body, glaze, carving, brushwork, and natural wear agree with the period claimed. Reading those signals reliably is precisely the work our team does for you, so you are not left guessing whether a mark is period, apocryphal, or modern.
Inherited a Chinese art collection?
Estates often surface a mixed group: a few porcelain vases and bowls, a hanging scroll or two, perhaps a jade toggle or a small bronze, with no paperwork and no sense of which pieces matter. You do not need to sort it yourself. Tell us what you have, share clear photographs of each item including bases, marks, and seals, and our team will research the pieces and return value ranges for each, so you know where to focus before you decide to keep, insure, or sell. You can start by submitting your items for a researched value report.
A few reports we've delivered
Illustrative: Republic-period famille rose porcelain bowl with an apocryphal Qianlong reign mark
$600 - $2,500
Illustrative: late Qing hanging scroll, ink landscape on paper, with artist seal and colophon
$500 - $2,000
Illustrative: Qing-period carved white jade pendant of a recumbent beast
$400 - $1,800
Illustrative: 19th century archaic-style bronze tripod censer with two handles
$700 - $2,600Estimated ranges shown to guide research — not official appraisals for insurance, tax, or legal use. Illustrative examples.
Questions, answered honestly
How old does something have to be to be an antique?
As a rule of thumb, an antique is generally at least 100 years old. Items roughly 20–99 years old are usually called “vintage,” and the line shifts by category — but age alone never sets value. A 60-year-old designer piece can be worth far more than a century-old everyday object.
What affects the value of my item?
Value comes from a combination of factors: who made it, its age and rarity, condition, originality, provenance (its documented history), and — most of all — what comparable pieces have actually sold for recently. Our research weighs each of these to produce an estimated range.
I’ve inherited a collection — what do I do?
Start with the pieces you’re most curious about, or the ones you suspect are most valuable. Submit them individually, or for more than ten items use our white-glove service and we’ll research the whole batch together at a tailored rate.
Is this an official appraisal?
No. Every report is a thorough, researched estimate to guide your research — not an official appraisal for insurance, tax, or legal purposes. For those uses you’ll want a certified appraiser, and our report is a great, fast first step before that.
How accurate is a researched value report?
Our research is based on real comparable sales and a structured assessment of condition, era, and maker. It’s designed to give you a credible, well-researched estimate quickly. Like any estimate it isn’t a guarantee of sale price, which is why we always give a range rather than a single number.
“I had a vase from my grandmother and no idea where to start. The report was detailed, fast, and honest about the range.”
“Three days, a fair price, and a genuinely useful breakdown of comparable sales. Far better than waiting weeks.”
“Loved that it was upfront about being an estimate. It gave me exactly what I needed before talking to an auction house.”
Illustrative examples shown during launch — verified customer reviews will replace these as reports are delivered.
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