How to Tell If Your Asian Antique Is Real: A Beginner's Guide to Authenticity

Collecting Asian antiques (especially Chinese porcelain) can be a fascinating and rewarding pursuit. However, with the increasing number of reproductions and counterfeits on the market, knowing how to tell if your Asian antique is real is more important than ever. Whether you're an avid collector or a curious owner, this guide will walk you through key steps to verify the authenticity of your piece.

1. Examine Craftsmanship and Signature Techniques

One of the first things to look at when assessing an antique is the quality of craftsmanship. Authentic Chinese porcelain, for example, features distinctive underglazes and glazes that reflect traditional techniques developed over centuries.

Underglaze blue is a common technique where cobalt blue designs are applied beneath the glaze layer, particularly in Ming and Qing Dynasty pieces.
Glaze application is usually even and smooth, without signs of modern spraying or artificial aging.

Look for details like brush strokes, hand-painted motifs, and symmetrical design patterns. These are all hallmarks of genuine craftsmanship.

2. Check for Period-Specific Materials and Techniques

Each dynasty in Chinese history had its own methods and materials for creating ceramics. One key period is the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), known for its high-quality porcelain.

Ming porcelain was typically made using kaolin (a fine white clay) and petuntse (a type of feldspar-rich rock also known as china stone).
The combination of these two materials results in a dense, translucent ceramic body that is both lightweight and durable.

Reproductions may attempt to mimic the look but often fall short in material composition and firing techniques. Authentic pieces also tend to have slight imperfections that show the human touch, something that factory-made pieces lack.

3. Verify Regional and Reign Markings

The base of genuine Chinese ceramics often includes reign marks (i.e. four to six Chinese characters that indicate the emperor and dynasty during which the piece was made).

For example, a piece from the Kangxi Emperor (1662–1722) would typically have a mark reading "大清康熙年制" (Made in the Kangxi Period of Great Qing).
However, it’s worth noting that some later pieces carried earlier reign marks as a tribute, so further analysis is often needed.

Still, the presence, style, and placement of these marks can provide important clues about authenticity and origin. Always inspect the bottom of your antique carefully.

4. Assess Natural Signs of Aging

True antiques show signs of natural aging that can be hard to replicate artificially. These include:

Crazing – fine web-like cracks in the glaze that occur over time due to temperature and humidity changes.
Patina – a soft surface wear or change in coloration from age and handling.
Kiln flaws – minor imperfections such as tiny bubbles or dark spots that formed during the original firing process.

These features should appear organically throughout the piece, not concentrated in one area or artificially applied.