By Anne Gilbert    Kimonos have come a long way from Geisha girl gowns to 21st century fashion statements. They were also made for men and still are.    When you can find them, not only antique but early 20th century Japanese kimonos are framed or considered wearable art. The best examples can be costly. When I recently scanned them I found […]

By Anne Gilbert    Confusion reigns for the many beginning collectors of ceramic items. Much of my reader mail calls everything “china.” Actually they may be referring to one of the three major categories: earthenware, stoneware or porcelain. Each of these in turn break down into various techniques. For instance porcelain can be bone china, English soft past or Chinese hard […]

By Anne Gilbert    Old inkwells and inkstands may not be used these days for their original purpose but have been rediscovered as decorative and collectible. While common, utilitarian pieces can be had for one hundred dollars or less, unique examples are pricey. A good example is an art Nouveaus, patinated bronze, 1905 Tiffany Studios inkwell cast as a crab. The […]

By Anne Gilbert    The first thing that catches your eye are the vivid colors. Next, that even though the object appears to be porcelain it is entirely something else. A tap of your finger tells you it is metal with a painted enamel glaze. You are looking at an example of Chinese painted enamels. Back in the 1970s, 80s it […]

By Anne Gilbert    When you see hundreds of items in the same category coming to auction you know something funny is going on. A case in point are Chinese porcelain objects, some supposedly antiquities. Many labeled as “vintage.”    For the last three years the Chinese porcelain market was “hot.” The Chinese were spending big Yen, buying back old porcelains. American […]