Q & A October 2005

Q. “What does the wax stamp that appears on some Chinese furniture mean? I was told that it means it is authentic but your pieces do not have the stamp”.

A. Thank you for this question. The fact is that this stamp comes from the Chinese relics department of the Chinese government. It means that the piece (furniture, porcelain, bronze etc.) has been approved for export by the Chinese government. THE STAMP IS NOT USED TO CERTIFY AGE OR AUTHENTICITY. When Asian Treasures puts together a container, the Chinese Relics Department goes to the warehouse and puts a seal on the entire container, not on each piece. However, often dealers of Chinese furniture do not import in ways that require this stamp and, again, it has no bearing on authenticity.

Asian Treasures has been doing business with the same Chinese dealer, in China for over 17 years. We provide certificates of authenticity and will always take back any piece we sell if the client has reason to question the information that we provide.

Q. I’ve seen the lovely wedding baskets that you sell but I’m confused as to why they are called “baskets” when they are actually more like wooden boxes and why they are all red. Also, can you tell me how they were used?

A. There is no translation from the Chinese characters that describe these pieces more accurately so we use the term “basket” but you are correct. They are more like boxes then what we think of as baskets. I have never heard another explanation for this term.

As far as the color, red is an auspicious color throughout SE Asia and is typically associated with weddings and Chinese New Year. In fact, a Chinese bride will often wear a red outfit for part of the traditional ceremony. I like to describe these wedding baskets as the Godiva chocolate gift boxes of 19^th C. China because they were typically filled with dried fruits, nuts and sweets and brought to the wedding for the bride and groom. Additionally, they were often used as gift boxes at Chinese New Year and brought to family gatherings.

If you have any questions about antique Chinese furniture, please let us know by e-mail: cbgoldstein8@comcast.net and we will try to answer them. Thank you.