Recognising a piece
Practical guidance.
One does not become an expert by reading a page. But one can learn to ask the right questions and to spot what should raise an alarm.
Six questions to ask
- Is the form coherent? Proportions, volumes, symmetries, details: does everything answer to a known style?
- Are the tool marks plausible? Overly regular surfaces or clean cuts may signal a modern tool.
- Does the patina have a logic? It should build up where one touches, and fade elsewhere.
- Is the wear credible? Homogeneous, uniform wear is more suspect than localised wear.
- Does the object have a legible function? Cavities, fixings, attachment points: does their presence answer to a use?
- Does the story hold up? Are the provenance accounts verifiable and consistent?
A few warning signs
- A uniformly blackened or waxed surface, with no variation.
- New elements mixed with old ones, without explanation.
- Smell of chemical product, varnish, recent wax.
- Documentation absent, late or contradictory.
- A price far below market, or a pressing sales pitch.
What cannot be done alone
Telling a very good copy from an original, finely comparing artists’ hands, assessing a restoration or dating a piece: these exercises require references, time and comparisons. That is the object of the practice’s method.
See also: authentication and the encyclopedia.
Frequently asked questions
Going further
Is a dark patina a sign of age?
No. A dark patina can be produced artificially (dye, polish, smoking). What matters is its consistency with form, use and areas of contact.
Is an object that looks too perfect suspect?
Not always, but a flawless state on a piece supposedly old and used deserves questions.
Can one authenticate oneself?
One can spot signals, not conclude. A formal opinion requires examination by a trained person and documented comparisons.
Next step
In doubt about a piece?
Describe your piece in a few lines and attach photographs: the reply is confidential.