Shameful collectors for not knowing

 Two weeks ago there was an art and cultural exhibition with talk by experts in Chinese paintings, Chinese tea and Chinese Antiques. My friend and I missed the talk and by the time we came to know it was about to end and one lady asked about ta hong pau tea and one expert mention about Van Goth paintings are worth collecting and the ending ceremony came so fast that what I actually wanted to ask was cut off . So I asked one art dealer about Van Goth painting is that why Jho Low sold his painting at a loss and this was heard by many people and at the refreshment table a China trained local part time antique dealer openly said that for sale value which is commercial value you will lose money but for admiration it the value has no limit so in other words there are two kinds of values to every antiques most of the items “lau hua” are not with them. I realized that many collectors are just making use of antiques collecting by fooling around and not by proper studies. The problems are all with the collectors because they want to be respected which makes lesser antique dealers in Malaysia but increasing number of dealers for collectibles.

At the authentication session, my friend and I stayed until the end and I noticed that none of the collectors who are owners of the artefacts knows what the items are in their collection which makes them to bring the items for authentication. One man brought a clay teapot which was polished by shoe wax and was not told how to remove the shoe wax which is a very simple way to remove. This person is of the proud type so why bother to share for the unexplained genuineness or unexplained fakes with him.  Another is the marking that is only known by the Chinese potters and experts in People’s Republic of China and not known to collectors outside People’s Republic of China when not told. My interest is to keep good Chinese Antiques with the knowledge for an explained genuineness whereas most of the collectors only buy and keep thinking that what they had kept are important pieces.

Rich people want to show off that they are powerful with their words but to me they are nothing unless what they say is educational in logical and sensible ways. They like to throw their weight around by saying this are fakes or copies or that dealer is selling fakes or copies and many people believe them but they did not talk about Bandung copies or fakes in the 60’s making of call it what you like “Peranakan ware, Nyonya ware,  Pua Nguar  ware, Straits Chinese Porcelain ware’” and others and now about Jing dezhen copies or fakes but nothing comes out what are genuine leaving all items with collectors are fakes or copies unless and until proven genuine. To be honorable or respectable collector is very easy and it is by way you show your knowledge to prove your items are genuine and not Bandung or Jing dezhen copies or fakes and not by pointing fingers at this and that. One arrogant collector even confront by telling me that one Datuk doesn’t know how to authenticate antiques, I told him let them shit in their own bed and after all these problems are not mine and I don’t know why tell me about this.

Every collector has a right to be proud of their collections but they must show their worth in Chinese Antiques collecting field otherwise they will embarrass themselves for not having proper knowledge in collecting. A number of collectors have brought their items for authentication thinking that they can have a good show of their collection which ended that they put themselves into shame for being no good.

I took years to search for good antiques and also made my research to know what are good antiques and the interesting part is to learn to know what is genuine and fakes and not by way of thinking.  I made my statement that most dealings are based on rumor buy, rumor sell” and manufacturers do not keep every piece they make and I would like to be proven wrong .Manufacturers need not know “lau hua” in porcelain because for the antiques that they have and also to show their arrogance now that it hits back at them.    

ALL CHINESE ANTIQUES ARE FAKES OR COPIES UNLESS AND UNTIL PROVEN GENUINE.

A visitor from Duncan, South Carolina searching for “antique chinese jars Malacca” which I do not know what kind of jars, he or she is referring to and maybe jars that was referred have been sold making it difficult for me to know what are the items which was being referred.

Recently there were few auction places which came up in Kuala Lumpur with a number of interesting artefacts. It needs the items to tell the visitors to know in order to be interesting and not the ones with certificates. It has been a long time that business rivals run each other down by spreading that which dealer is selling fakes and not willing to tell what is genuine. This was joined by collectors and experts and due to this motive I discover that experts collectors and dealers are no good telling what are good antiques and also that fakes, copies or imitations can be easily produced making stupid collector to pay high prices for artefacts which can be available from factories.

It is of no use owning a piece of genuine items without knowing the characteristics for the item or items. There were cases where good genuine items were thrown away and also cases of bad accusations against dealers which I had experienced and also found some confusing results in scientific tests.

Kuala Peranakan Porcelain Shop

A visitor from Singapore searching for “kuala peranakan porcelain shop” which is easy to find. First look for the place then the shop. Road directory instrument like GPS will be helpful. Keep on searching and do not give up.

 I found events in collecting Chinese Antique Porcelain more amusing but because we do not have the same horizon but we live under the same sky makes the jokes shared in small area.

I have been told that sometime in June 2016, the experts cum buyers from the People’s Republic of China are coming over to Malaysia to look for Chinese antique porcelain and these are the learned people  was here last year and they are unlike the most of collectors whom I have met.

 During the recent days before the weekend I was told to go to an auction preview and I called up my friends and the whole group of us had enjoyable hours because the items for auction were genuine. I hope that in future there will be more events like this to keep up the interest for collectors.

I noticed that most of the Nyonya porcelain wares can be bought in Bandung and Jingdezhen whereas good items like blue and white and others need to be sourced and in the chance of a lifetime you may get it or may not get it. It is said and known that Chinese Antique Porcelain can be easily imitated in Bandung and was joined by Jing dezhen later. Learn to tell what is and what is not the imitations made in these two places and also write down the discovery for your follower or followers. Proving is most important in authentication and many collectors based it on reign marks by saying that the reign marks tells the time of manufacture but these collectors don’t want to admit to the fact that new made items with reign marks can be produced in Jing dezhen today. There is a way to tell and to test whether the artefacts are old or new but many collectors are not willing to listen and understand. A friend told me that you talk based on facts but the other chap talks based on the way to confuse people. This chap is a collector with many pieces highly valued. 

USELESS PERANAKAN WARE COLLECTORS

One visitor from New Zealand searching for “peranakan porcelain for sale” and another from Singapore searching for “kl peranakan porcelain” after visiting titled “unwanted and cheap nyonya ware. We live in different countries and even if we live in the same country we may be able find the items in this place but not at another place. Peranakan porcelain has been mentioned too many times in the different title and different time in this blogspot but visitors choose to ask this about this search and it is like playing the same old record. Peranakan wares can be found in many places where there are importers. Many were made in Bandung and Jing dezhen. Since there are no importers in New Zealand you won’t be able to find peranakan wares in New Zealand. You can order from Jing dezhen, People’s Republic of China and for kl peranakan porcelain there are difficulties to find importers due to currency exchange and even importers find it is difficult to find buyers because of price hike.  

 There are many collectors who do not know whether the items with them are antiques and yet want to tell others that theirs are antiques. These are the best antique collectors. So far I have met up with bogus collectors but not genuine collectors and some of them are just blind supporters who are useless and worthless in antique field. A case I encountered is an old man who was claimed a scholar by others claimed there is no nyonya ware in the 60’s but Pua Nguar is called considered himself as very good at antiques field. When he walked into my shop at Amcorp Mall and claim my Yuan plate a fake, I demand to know how he tell that the Yuan plate a fake and he warn me not to pressurized people and because of that I learn from this old man who thinks that he is a respectable and senior who tells the truth but taught me not to pressurized collectors but to let the collectors to pressurized collectors themselves to tell the genuineness to family members and friends so that treasure will not turn rubbish.

A few days ago I met a retired Chinese Newspaper reporter whom we had known each other for a long time at the market and on the spot we shared knowledge about antiques. The ladies around began to understand Chinese antiques. The fun in knowing can be carried out everywhere.

The failure to become good collectors was set up by experts and collectors themselves. When Mr. Ng Ting Kau sells his antiques, he did not just sell the piece by just telling that a Ming dynasty piece which ignorant collectors have to accept the item as Ming dynasty. He will give the details on the result that it is a Ming dynasty piece and was accused for selling fakes or copies. Bad dealers, bad collectors and bad experts are made by arrogant and ignorant people themselves. This set up was internationally known because everybody wants to have a say in this field but now bad days are after them and they should know what to do to improve their situation.

Talks on Chinese Antiques

A very educational weekend with three days of exhibition on Chinese Antiques by The People’s Republic of China and with talk about Chinese porcelain, jade and paintings. I have to spend time to attend to learn during these sessions.

The expert mentioned that the value of antiques dropped after it changed hands many times due to historical links which means that any artefacts must have a historical record from the family will only fetch high value. I then told him that I am looking for the record or records for the items that Mao Zedong government which took from the families of the rich and the high ranking officials (Kuoming Tang or Manchurian) to sell and raise funds to fight the Korean War. The reason for me looking for the record is to have the historical link to the good items sold by Mao Zedong government that is not export ware (wai siau for in mandarin) and not to turn treasure into rubbish. This record is a requirement by experts but not by me for the reason I had helped my late father to handle these items and as I had earlier in my blog I treat case to case in authentication and not rumour.  I have high respect for one English expert who also puts his experience in writing taught me to follow some of his footsteps and that has put me very firm in knowing and able to stand up to challenges when necessary.

At the exhibition, I read the mind of the people. There were people who had collected and then bring their artefacts for authentication with the hope that it can be auction off at a high price. Auctions are actually deals which the buyers are willing to pay for the price. The people who bring items for authentication may not be fakes or copies just because they are cheaply bought from the roadside. I do authentication to protect my own collection and I hate to comment on others’ collection. I was told not to go near the table where the authentication is done because the owner of the artefacts has to pay a fee for authentication. I am not offended by her telling me. After the owner remove the packing material I just past and from the distant I could not find the characteristic (lau hua in mandarin) on the items on the items. It is so easy to be a collector but it is difficult to be a knowledgeable collector.

I also met a couple who told me that copies can be so good which I am prepared to treat this studies as garbage and I told him to throw this studies away in the museum and further I cited Madame Lopez “Nyonya  ware” plate can be made in Bandung and further selling fake antiques is as bad as selling drugs in the market. She objected by saying that it is not that bad. I then said it is bad because it made collectors bankrupt. I also advise some of the visitors not to become a collector (you will be a fool if you do not take note and become a collector.) Many are just gas bags talk one thing and do another and some of them are frogs under the nut shell and some monkey see, monkey do.

There were many that claim that items from the sunken junks are good old antiques. There are some fine items among those salvage. Most of these sunken vessels are Chinese merchant junks that were overloaded and could not take the strong sea current during the storm. I have come across a record of 244,000pieces recovered from 300,000pieces from a sunken vessel and most of these items were also put up for auction.

There are two visitors to this blog 1) From Ampang, Selangor searching “nyonya ware sale in Melaka” which I am unable to see what is available and cannot comment. Make up your own judgement and if the items are correct to your satisfaction and the price is to your satisfaction, buy up the whole lot.

2) Visitor from K.L. searching for “antique shop in Medan Tuanku” . This antique called “Asia Antiques” is owned by an Englishman named Peter Clague and his address is Loke House, Medan Tuanku, Kuala Lumpur. He is a licenced dealer in antiques under Antiques Act 168 of 1976, The Law of Malaysia. I have too many things to do that many things I do not have the time to follow after my wife passed away making me having time for one thing but no time for other thing.  

Misbehaved Dealers

A very good Sunday afternoon to know more about antiques and a dealer, the three of us with the two of them had known each other before me. One of them an antique collector cum dealer, he told the both of us that a group of Chinese came to buy some items from him but did not mentioned the when and the number of them. Recently one of these men came back wanted to buy some more and this collector cum dealer refused to sell any items to him (one dealer) for the reason that the earlier deal had made the buyers rich and also asked for discount by them until this local dealer got fed up.

My protest against his action was that when the Chinese dealers bought the antiques from him, they have to put up capital and risk. I told this local dealer that you were hoping that Chinese buyers with the items bought from you to take back to China and not able to sell and go bankrupt. This dealer who came back is a successful dealer whereas the rest of them has not been so successful and this successful dealer has found that the antiques with this local dealer as important and the only thing is to increase the price and make better profits and do not sell if the price is not to your satisfaction instead of rejecting him. This local dealer has regretted selling his antiques at a low price at the previous deal and jealous of this successful dealer making profits from his pieces.

Later this local dealer asked me to get some buyers for him whom I have to turn him away for not sensible way in dealing and his arrogance. There are a lot of people that I have to distant myself where there is a waste of time. Many collectors, dealers and experts are jealous of my father running his antique business then and now the burden is with collectors with the ability to prove genuineness for their private owned artefacts.

I remembered reading an article in the local newspaper featuring a famous Chinese antique furniture collector holding a rare piece of antique bench in his hand in a photograph. The bench is a rare piece of furniture but meant for Chinese ancestor.

 Most of the collectors by now must have known what are genuine antiques and not on guessing basis after I had mentioned so many famous experts for consulting or sharing.   

Many Wicked Collectors Came By

On the1st, April this year a friend who works for a Chinese Newspaper company and a collector in Chinese antique porcelain items brought two items, one is a Ming dynasty Blue and white cover jar and the other is a Ching dynasty polychrome enamel jar. At the time he contacted me, I was at my niece’s coffee shop having my lunch. I then told him to come over to the coffee shop and at the coffee shop, my niece, mee stall operators and customers pick up some knowledge about antiques and a day of fun for my friend and others. Before my friend left the place, he told me that nobody has told him what I had told him about the characteristics from the old pieces.

Collectors with knowledge will only have fun in collecting Chinese Antiques. Dealers will want to profit from sales but for me I had already in my blog that “Do not become a collector if you have not started to be one” and to be a good collector must be able to let any man understand how to tell the items are old or new. Collectors will only want to insist that the items that they have collected are genuine and loudly claimed that they are “antiques” but I claim that all antiques need to be proven to be genuine in order to be “precious” or of high value.

Malaysia has been a difficult place to carry out antique business so it would be better carry out this business in another country. No local collectors want to see my things and when I have no business, I have to look for a good way to make my livelihood. I recall a call off deal and this incident involves three parties one is my father, the second is a couple who has been a long time customer and the third is a busy body who like to check at this couple buying. This couple was not happy with this man’s action and to protect customer’s relationship we had to do was that based on trust to send a Ching dynasty Yung Cheng period (A.D. 1723- A.D. 1735) Clair-de-lune big mei ping jar with embossed flower to this couple’s house before this man sees the item and later the husband of this couple came with a friend took another same jar with other flower. These two mei ping jar was left with the couple for a while and the wife told me to take back two jars, the husband asked me why am I in a hurry to take back the two jars and my reply is that your wife told me to take back the jars (husband wants the two jars and the wife do not want the jars) and that when I am free things need to be done I will do. The wife called up to negotiate the price for the jars which is priced at Rm16,000 she got angry and throw force at my father to take back the two jars and saying that the two are only few thousand ringgit worth. I remembered very well that this happened that while I was busy accompanied my mother doing some shopping and when my father told her that Ronnie will only be available in about an hour time and she replied saying that the two jars are taking up the spaces where painting job and my father was forced or compelled to send my younger brother to take back the two jars. Later I found out that experts told this couple that many things that are for sale at my father’s place were fakes. After my father’s passed on this couple discovered the truth and contacted me to buy Chinese antiques but prices have changed which made them difficult to buy.

The two jars which are not for sale and with other things beautify my house very much and also it teaches me not to share knowledge with others. Recently I came to know an uncommon musical instrument tuner in Malaysia who died without teaching anyone how to tune and this person has also taught me “not to teach others children to be clever” is a Chinese proverb. All along there are no good collectors in Chinese antique porcelain and many are bogus experts and collectors. The largest part of fun is to know and see collectors and experts embarrass themselves. 

Private Antique Collectors in Singapore

There is a visitor from Singapore searching for “private chinese antics collectors in Singapore” and my only answer is that I have not heard of any. South East Asian Ceramic Society was founded by some people in Singapore and Malaysia then.  However I would treat case to case by trying to search for collectors in this not only in Singapore, Malaysia but elsewhere like Hong Kong and China. The saying goes “among the blind, the one with the one eye is the king” with so far no good knowledgeable collector has been found. Another two visitors from Kuala Lumpur with one searching for “nyonya ware prices” and the other searching for “antique Malaysia”. Nyonya ware prices depends on Bandung nyonya ware or Jing dezhen nyonya ware and also the items like saucer, spoons to tell the price and not just guessing. It is easy to give a price without looking at the items anything below Rm5/-. Antique Malaysia may have been there for a long time but no longer existing, failure due to collectors’ attitude. Many claimed to be mighty but doesn’t know how to authenticate their own items and wanted to claim that dealer is selling Bandung copies or fakes which is commonly spread around.

Many collectors have claimed to be good and when question on the judgement in authenticity most of them fail. I do not want to share this kind of action and I have mentioned in my earlier blog about knowledgeable collectors which means any persons who can give good answer or answers to the judgement in genuine or fake artefacts.

Being a dealer is a problem because if you tell customers that this is of this age and straight away got a shout at as bullshit which makes dealers do not know what collectors wanted. The sale condition “Take Notice Goods Sold are not returnable but returnable on the condition that the Goods Mentioned above are proved that they are modern copies. The proofs must be sufficient and must have written remarks from experts.” is to protect the buyers/collectors and dealers from being cheated and also to help collectors to be more knowledgeable in authentication by writing down the characteristics on the artefacts or keeping journals for their items but was totally ignored. Collectors prefer to buy with “rumour buy, rumour sell. The balls are all in the collectors’ court. Antique dealers find this business difficult because profits to cover overheads made it very difficult to sustain. At present collectors from the People’s Republic of China has been searching for reliable dealers and many has been visiting Malaysia with the view to buy good Chinese antique porcelain which was sold out once upon a time to be taken back to China.

 Many years ago I tried to get rid of the genuine and fake problems but was looked down by local collectors and experts. With the long existing problems bringing me down I would not want to burden myself with wanted things anymore. At the food court in Taman Desa, I met a man call Johnny who also sells antiques and I invited him to join me for tea and I told him how to authenticate porcelain and why are old porcelain items worth collecting, he was so happy that in return let me know that somebody told him that I am a proud and arrogant chap, I then told him that why are we talking for hours if I have been arrogant type, he smiled and after all the truth has prevail and I am not interested who that liar is after all I have met up with many liars including collectors and experts who are liars in authenticating Chinese Antique Porcelain. Experts who cannot tell genuineness can only say “imitations can be made exactly the same as originals” which means they are condemning the items in the museum. The word “Ming” character in Chinese was said to be wrongly written in http://www.taimantis.com/chinese/fakes.html#UPD and the wrongly written Chinese character was found in one Ming dynasty piece belonged to Mrs. Alfred Clark and also a piece in a museum in Paris which I do not know whether is the same piece that is ex- Mrs. Alfred Clark. I am yet to find out whether the piece is genuine or fakes because I have my ways to find out instead to jump in wrong conclusion. Artists can paint beautiful motives but may not be good at writing beautiful Chinese characters. This was shown in a book that finely written Chinese characters in reign marks was also copied later or by Japanese potters. 

Expert Datuk Suzuki

I have been a member of the South East Asian Ceramic Society (West Malaysian Chapter) in the early 80’s and my name is listed in one of the back pages of the book “Celadons and other related wares”.  I left the society because I will be listed as a trouble maker who wants to find out more about porcelain which is a wide field but once you know how to handle problems it is no longer a wide field.

Being the second eldest in the family and a total of nine family members, I helped to build this antique shop. The badwill was the attack on my father’s reputation that he is selling fakes. From then on I continue to study further in Chinese Antique Porcelain like Genuine ones, Bandung copies or fakes, Jing dezhen copies or fakes, Genuine Nyonya ware and its fakes, Genuine Peranakan ware and its fakes and leaving unsolved Pua Nguar ware (told by one scholar Mr. Goh at Amcorp Mall that there was no Nyonya ware in the 60’s) and its fakes.

In the earlier years there were many experts and most of the gatherings are held at homes of the members and I know that it would be a waste of time to attend such gatherings because when I raise any questions and the speaker could not answer will leaving me and the speaker disappointed.

One of the important expert that I left out in my earlier posting for this blog is Datuk Suzuki and he was recommended to my father’s place by Puan Sri Eileen Kuok, a close friend of Toh Puan Bunny Suffian and Puan Sri Eileen Kuok is the wife of Tan Sri Philip Kuok a former ambassador to Netherland and later to West Germany. Datin Suzuki has accused my father for selling a fake Yuan dynasty item as genuine and when my father asked for proof, Datin Suzuki claimed that Datuk Suzuki is an expert and I am also very happy that there are grand masters around to help to authenticate so that society will not fail from success.

Recently I visited some of the web sites and discovered that tour studies trips were organized and if the answers were not given to genuine and fakes, the trips will be just an ordinary tour. I also came to know that some of the Chinese experts in Chinese porcelain do not understand very much in authentication.

One friend of mine called Robert told me that one of his friend wanted to buy a tester to confirm antiquity. I then asked him the origin of the machine he replied he doesn’t know and how reliable is this machine he also said he do not know. He wants the convenience to use the machine to confirm the antiquity of the item. He told me that there will be a group of Chinese experts from People’s Republic of China who are ready buyers coming in June 2016 and he will be inviting them to see his collection. These experts had been invited to a friend’s house in Taman Desa, Kuala Lumpur during their earlier visit.   

 Another Chinese friend told me that he wants to go to Borobudur, Indonesia to check on two Buddha heads and I was curious to find out how the Buddha heads look like and told him to e-mail to me the photos and after he did and one month later I call him to come over to have a look at a temple near my house to see whether the material used to make the dragons and phoenixes are the same and he confirms it is the same because I cannot confirm the materials using the photos.

Toh Puan Bunny Suffian

There are three visitors, two from Singapore and one from Narrabeen, New South Wales, Australia. The two visitors from Singapore with one searching for “peranakan porcelain ware Melaka” and the other searching for “antique for sales in Singapore”. The third visitor from Australia searching for “penang Furnishing antique store”. Peranakan porcelain ware are found in shops in Jonker Street and Heeren Street. Many years ago there were antique sales organized by dealers in Singapore and what happen today I cannot tell because I am only interested to know what are good Chinese antique porcelain and to carry on accumulating my knowledge and not to fail during any challenge (remember wealth never pass one generation if collectors bought the wrong items or if a genuine item in hand is sold off as a copy). I have not heard of penang furnishing antique store because time changes and most of the old furniture are sold by families and it is exhausted leaving those in the families which are not for sale.

I have been collecting items that I love it and study into it. During this Chinese New Year I went to Pasar Seni and bought one set of Parker 75 pen set. This set is one fountain pen and one ball pen and the casing is American sterling silver was sold to me for Rm100/-.  This set of pen needs to be polish because silver to Chinese is the second most expensive metal tarnishes easily. After I recondition them, the next day I was already using them. The fountain can be sold for Rm350/- and the ball pen can be sold for Rm300/-. To know the value, collectors must also know how to recondition items that needs to be reconditioned. Old items always have faults and needs repair or recondition.

 Many years ago, Toh Puan Bunny Suffian , the wife of Tun Mohammed Suffian , the retired Lord President bought a number of antique furniture items from my father and she even design a red and gold stool to match her red and gold dressing table and her furniture was featured in magazines and I kept these magazines as history. These magazines were given to me by Tun Suffian after Toh Puan Bunny Suffian passed on.

I came across a computer site and it offers tips for buying Chinese antiques and in this article it tells us to beware of fakes which are the most important. To make the purchase safe, collectors must consult professionals but this writer has not named any professionals. I do not know whether this writer and collectors will agree with the professional that I have name here 1)Mr.William Young Willetts (Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia). 2)Peter Clague, Malaysia.(Owner of Asia Antiques at Loke House, Medan Tuanku, Kuala Lumpur). 3)Che Mokhtar Bin Che Ali (Ex-Magistrate). 4)Mr. Mohammed (an antique dealer). 5)Ku Tong Wong (Ipoh). 6)Cheong Hon Mun (a dealer in Penang). 7)Mr.Lu Yaw(National University of Singapore).8)Roxanna Brown (Thailand). 9)Clarence F. Shangraw  (United States of America). 10)Mr. Peter Lam (Chinese University of Hong Kong Art Museum, Hong Kong) and also not to trust grandfathers and grandmothers stories like the item comes from shipwrecks, burial grounds. Another tip is you must ensure that you get your dollars worth is something very difficult follow and because of this tip I would advise not to become a collector for the reason everything has its beauty and everything has it’s price and how to based on it’s dollar worth which must be studied due to items are without fixed market price. I only know what is worth buying that fit to go into my museum with the characteristics that I can teach my children, grandchildren and friends that these are treasure and not rubbish.

 Many collectors are too greedy wanted to be on the top by using others’ knowledge but when they find an expert whom they think they can trust but this expert who turned out to be unworthy ones then problem lies ahead for the future. The purpose in collecting antiques is to share your knowledge with others and not to tell others that “no genuine, no fake” thus making yourself unimportant. Another greed is to pretend as collectors to buy and sell and if the deal to sell is not successful then blame the seller as a crook for selling fakes or copies which my father has experienced. At present there are not many good dealers because a lot of copies or fakes were produced and also a lot of grandfather and grandmother stories are also produced and that was the reason for me to become a taxi driver. I am happy that I know how to prove the items with me are good and without selling are of no worry to me because “treasure are treasure and rubbish are rubbish”. I believe that some of the visitors to this blog may have seen me asking questions and the answers has put the collectors into risk.

Nyonya Ware Not Known to Collectors

This Chinese New Year 2016 has brought some new knowledge and new experience to me. A visit to Pasar Seni (Central Market) with an Indian friend brought me to know about others knowledge. There was a heritage office, I then enquired about where my foreign friends can get Nyonya ware, the person there was confused. I then said Nyonya porcelain ware, he is still confused. I then said Peranakan porcelain ware, he understood what I wanted. He then replied to look for such items in Malacca and Penang, a friend of his came in to join the conversation. I told them if there are so many names to create confusion. I told them to look for this word “Peranakan “ and then check with Wikipedia to know this word better which only came into use in the 60’s.

 I then told my Indian friend that I learnt how to treat chili come to contact with human eyes from my Nyonya Grandmother(mother’s mother) and told him of an incident which happened to a boy who helps his mother running a food stall opposite Pearl Point at Old Klang Road. At that time I had ordered a bowl of noodles from this boy’s mother and this boy was then cutting chilies for his mother and came to sit beside me suffering with the chili burning eyes. I then laugh and this boy and the people at the coffee shop was thinking I was making fun and told him my Nyonya  grandmother taught her kitchen helpers to solve such problem and he took up the way to treat and he came back happy. I know that Baba Nyonya families have ways of doing many things like preparing kueh (cakes) and many ways cooking delicious food. I am happy to have a Nyonya grandmother and mother who are good at handicraft as well.

I don’t know what Peranakan families can offer and Peranakan is well known but not Nyonya that was why I was told that in the 60’s there was no Nyonya but Pua Nguar families claimed by one Mr. Goh openly in front of others which make me to understand that Nyonya ware are not important but Peranakan and Pua Nguar families are.

I have been flying the flag of NGTING KAU ANTIQUE SHOP alone and for a long time with the help from my sons and there was a Chinese man who is an antique dealer and was said to have studied about Chinese antique porcelain in Peoples’ Republic of China wants to buy this NG TING KAU ANTIQUE SHOP name when I told him I wanted to shift to another country. I also told him NG TING KAU ANTIQUE SHOP name will not be sold because it carry the name of my father who spent his lifetime study and taught me to know treasure. NG TING KAU was said to have been selling fakes or copies in Chinese antique porcelain items and those collectors must have been well known to have proofs that the items in their collections are genuine. These collectors whether under the nutshell or not, I don’t know but when I talk about scientific tests about carbon 14, carbon 12 tests and thermoluminescence test (TL ) they do not know what they are all about and these are the phony collectors.

I agree with the earlier mentioned website quote “there is a sucker born every minute” and this word “sucker” was changed to customer. This shows that customers are actually confirmed “suckers” by this writer. In any part of the world nobody can find good collector or customer when there are too many “suckers” around.

Knowing Treasure

There are a few visitors to this blog who are frogs under the nuts shells 1) From New Delhi searching for “where to buy peranakan ware in Melaka”. 2) From Singapore searching for “where does one buy peranakan porcelain in Kuala Lumpur. 3) From Birmingham searching for “antique Nyonya ware”. 4) From Milan, Umbria searching for “antique shops in Malacca, Malaesia”. Visitors like them should take the trouble to search for the places they had known. The third visitor searching for “antique Nyonya ware” should look for “Nyonya’s settlement” which is not too difficult to find. Nobody would want to share the Ali Baba treasure cave with you, so you have to look for the treasure yourself instead of being the frog. In Malaysia there are not many good collectors and I can’t tell about other countries unless I test them. There were a few proud and arrogant collectors that were brought down making them a fool on the spot. It is difficult for Chinese Antique dealers to run the business when arrogant collectors want to be good at spreading rumors at dealer/dealers for selling fake antiques and not treating case to case.

A friend of mine bought a Yi-Hsing teapot from People’s Republic of China and the seller told him that a good teapot is when you stand on top of it will not break which means that the teapot is too hard. When I told him that a good teapot must be porous and how to know a Yi-Hsing teapot is porous and good 1)When you keep water in a good and porous teapot it leaks slowly. 2) When you pour hot water into the teapot, there will be tea taste because the taste comes from the cavities of the teapot wall. These are the sensible and logical characteristics in authentication which can be experienced.

A Indian friend of mine who knows this doctor and when my friend mention my name Ronnie Ng, he told my friend that out of five items, two are correctly authenticated and three are wrong, this shows that this doctor is a knowledgeable collector because he knows the characteristics to authenticate Chinese antiques better than me so that he is able to tell my faults and this has make way for me to withdraw from authentication after all I am no match with him in authentication. Everybody has to prove his worth and not by mouth say.

Many years ago, I tried to use Chinese paper media to tell collectors to be careful of fake Chinese antiques and how to tell whether the items are genuine or not. The reporter came with this friend of mine who is a part time writer with the press but the materials were taken and not publish. The press may think that collecting antiques are mere rubbish and unimportant. Chinese educated collectors do not know much about Chinese antiques because many children of the rich families smoke opium in China in the earlier years and doesn’t pay good attention to the values of Chinese antiques which makes poor education in collecting Chinese Antiques. Till today when I question the Chinese Educated experts not many can give me proper answers and I have not met with English or of Western educated experts in Chinese Antiques.

There was a visitor to this blog e-mail me searching for pens and watches and these two items are my passions and easily kept without taking much storage space. I then told him that my late father’s shop was not far from a shop that sells pens and when I am free, I will go there to see the good items to collect and most of the pens I bought are new pens old stock. For pen collectors will know Parker Vaccumatic fountain pens which is very costly and high demand before World War Two and it was phased out and replaced by Parker 51 and Parker 21 after World War Two because American army generals used Parker 51 to sign peace treaties and for those who could not afford to own Parker 51 can buy Parker 21 which is the cheaper model and have a similar look. This shop sold to me some good quality Japanese pens of the 60’s at a very cheap price and what makes these fountain pens difficult to sell was because there was no demand for Japanese goods in the 60’s no matter how good the quality is. An Indian fountain pen collector brought some of his pen collection of 1910’s and 1920’s as sample that he is searching for. I told him to go back to India to look for such pens because importer in Malaya at that time will not be able to sell fountain pens because very few user and Chinese use Chinese brush to write and even if fountain pens were to be given to them, they will not know how to use.

Most of my father’s customers has bad behavior, they wanted something that they can sell to make profits and when their sale fail then they complain that the items are fakes or copies which means that they are profit motivated and not wanting to be  proper collectors with the intention not to keep the treasure for the next generation and further waging war against him in this antique business that he has to go to police station to settle matters which is actually a laughing matter because to inconvenienced him and furthermore police do not know how authentication is done and later I have to join him to go to court to fight a case for four years the cruel part was that they spy on what are the items my father has in stock and start to talk around that this fake and that fake. When my father died, someone known to my family was sent to celebrate his death, now that I discover the actions by collectors is only water off the ducks  back and leaving  the problems for collectors which is actually a laughter and one of the world best medicine for me.  A check with http://www.taimantis.com/chinese/fakes.html#UPD tells me, I quote “there is a sucker born every minute” and later this word sucker was replaced by the word “customer” so the answer to the truth. This war has been going on for a long time which is actually bad for collectors, not for me and it will not affect knowledgeable collectors whom I have not met.

 I am very happy with what I am keeping and spending happy hours in knowing treasures.  

New Delhi Peranakan Expert

One visitor from New Delhi, Delhi India searching for “Fake Peranakan Ceramics wareat the alley beside the museum”. Congratulations to this visitor because he has known this place and was able to confirm the “Peranakan Ceramics ware” were fakes. There was no mention which museum was having the “Fake Peranakan Ceramics ware at the alley” as such I cannot comment or check on your words to agree or not to agree with you without knowing the truth.

 Many years ago, a Professor from Jing dezhen, China who specialized in making porcelain items and he gave a talk in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and during his talk, he showed some of the call it what you like Peranakan, Nyonya, Pua Nguar, or Straits Chinese Porcelain ware items recently made at that time and also there was a recently made vase with a old bottom or base from a broken vase and the top is new which means “new vase with old bottom or base”.  During this talk a good piece of advice is that do not throw away any bottom or base of old items which may fall into wrong hands for making fakes, copies or imitations.

After this talk I have a good laugh, the specialist in Jing dezhen, China has to look for old bottom or bases of items to make fakes, copies or imitations call it whatever you like, but the specialist in Bandung was able to make fakes, copies or imitations call it whatever you like without having to search and make use of old base or bottom which shows that the skill in Jing dezhen is poor and that is why “Bandung fakes, Bandung copies or Bandung imitations” are well known from the late 60’s.There are many frogs under the nutshell and recently I met a chap who read my blogs and claimed that the expert’ name that I mentioned has died, does it mean that all the students that followed the these experts in studies or research has all died leaving no collectors, students and researchers in this field.

Recently there was a warning to art buyers which I saw at a vertical digital board at Old Klang Road telling to be careful. This advice should be issued some 30 years ago so that many will not want to be collectors to follow their friends who have a few items to show off which will not be “monkey see, monkey do”. I have to advise not to become a collector wherever and whenever possible.  

Arguments

There are five visitors 1) from Jakarta, Jakarta Raya searching for “fake antiques Indonesia”. 2) From  NewZealand searching for “nyonya home wares Singapore cheap sales. 3) From Singapore searching for “vase collectors dealers Singapore”. 4) From Round lake Illinois, U.S.A. searching for “nyonya porcelain ware”.  5) From Mentakab, Pahang searching for “chinese porcelain vase shop in cheras”.  Find out for yourselves is the best solution and no use being a frog under the nutshell.

All authentication must have details in the findings so that to minimize errors or mistakes. Collectors who wants to bulldoze their way by saying “yours are fakes, mine are genuine” will not be successful. I am sure that collectors should know GENUINES, BANDUNG COPIES OR FAKES AND JINGDEZHEN COPIES OR FAKES and not just pluck the facts or details from the air to confirm genuineness.

My friend and I were at the museum and there was an authentication session and two men brought one item each for authentication. One is a Blue and white Mei ping vase and the other is a Blue and white pear vase and from far I was able to tell that the two items were copies and my judgement was same as the experts from Peoples’ Republic of China. When the expert told them the items were copies, the two men raise their voices against the Chinese expert and the expert’s student started taking photos of the items. I then told my friend that there is no need for them to raise their voices. If I were to be the expert, I would ask them to lay down the characteristics of genuineness. There was no characteristic on the two items to tell that is genuine. It was then when we were at the museum canteen that I came to know about the argument through the expert’s student. The expert’s student told us that they claim that the items are from their grandparents. I then cracked a joke by saying that the items was from the Yuan dynasty grandparents time or which generation. The expert’s student who was then seated at the same table having his lunch felt more relax by my joke and I further added that such grandfather and grandmother stories don’t work and I told him I could easily furnish him with the characteristics on the genuine piece and expert’s student then told us that the two men tells stories but the two items tells different stories and the three of us had a lot of fun. I then told my friend that there is no need to raise voices as to genuine or fakes.

I realized that my slogan “ALL ARTEFACTS ARE FAKES UNLESS AND UNTIL PROVEN GENUINE” work well.

By now year 2015 has ended and most of the characteristics on genuine one are known so that Bandung copies and Jing dezhen copies will not be sold as genuine.

      

Mr Bulldozer

A visitor from Kuala Lumpur searching for “where to buy antique original ceramic in Malaysia”. The answer is I don’t know. It has been all along that I have been trying to throw away rubbish in collecting Antique Chinese call it whatever you like “ porcelain or ceramic “  due to genuine or fakes. Collectors may have kept something good but when they meet the expert/s who tell them that they are fakes that is the problem. A Chinese newspaper claimed that experts wrongly broke thirty items out of the three hundred items that were produced for authentication due to wrong judgement. I have been telling people not to become a collector and this was mentioned in my blog. Most of them trusted the experts who are makers from the present factories. Many would want to base on scientific tests. This case that happened in Seattle was about a Chinese antique dealer has some items scientifically tested in Hong Kong to be genuine before they were sent over to Seattle for sale and scientific tests done in Seattle were fakes. I then took the trouble to find out more about scientific tests. If ten different machines made in ten different countries with ten different calibration then which country made machine is the most reliable. I made my round and I got the facts which answered to what I wanted to know. Museums are institutions for studies and I felt very bored because no one can produce or give me answers to the authenticity on ANTIQUE CHINESE CERAMIC. I was at a museum one weekend and a group of three was there for the same event, one of whom knows me is an arrogant man and he had even visited my place when large portion of my collection was in Malaysia. I then made my rounds and came up. Right in front two of his friends and myself, he uses words and not facts to bulldoze through and I then asked why do you want to collect antique Chinese Porcelain. The three of them stared, after my explanation I also brought up Chinese Teapot and further explain, two of his friends quickly introduced themselves by giving me their name cards and on the spot I told him and his friends that he has no brains but only want to bulldoze his way because he is somebody known in Malaysia now known as “Mr. Bulldozer”. When I meet such problem with collectors, I will just hint and walk away laughing.

The way I see is that Malaysia is not a good place for selling antiques and there are not many knowledgeable collectors and at the same time collectors wants to bulldoze  their way to authenticate their items by guessing and not facts. The way they authenticate is 1)well stained 2)well corroded which you take a stone from the roadside back to the house looks better. I had in fact stated that porcelain items are more important to the users than the makers because makers can produce porcelain items to any size and shape. Users in earlier years have to use porcelain items with care and the rich people can afford them. Call them what you like Pua Nguar(told by one Mr. Goh that there is no Nyonya ware in the 60’s and a known scholar in Malaysia), Nyonya ware, Straits Chinese Porcelain are one good example in a way studies in Chinese Porcelain. Why are Baba and Nyonya families keeping porcelain crockery wares and not the makers because they can produce the quantity they wanted. Pua Nguar or Nyonya ware, or Straits Chinese Porcelain became important because of its beauty and later Bandung copies (well known for copies started from the late 60’s) and Jing dezhen continued production. There is a lady who tells me the difference between the old and new nyonya ware but not on “Bandung copies”

Collectors should know better because any artefacts told by them to be old are always with them and they have the chance to study and by bringing to expert will only allow short time for studies and also that the expert may not have come across such artefacts. Experts may say what they like including imitations can be made exactly the same as originals which I have recorded from a talk by an internationally recognized expert. When such cheating cases can be easily made up then why be a collector or expert.  Being a collector is no body important but only a fool and being laugh at by others. Such practices have caused a lot of laughter and when I try sharing with them the facts, they tend to disagree because RONNIE NG IS THE SON OF NG TING KAU, THE OLD CROOK THAT SELLS FAKE ANTIQUES AT OLD KLANG ROAD and now I am happy for them to blacklist me and they are aware the danger in collection lies with the owner.

  

International Symposium

A good start at the for studies about antique porcelain of the “Blue and White Porcelain In Late Yuan and Early Ming Dynasties Maritime Tour Exhibition”.  I was looking for someone who can help me to know what is old and what is new and I was turned down. I then asked around and there was a International Symposium and I was told to sit at a corner by one of the person in charge and later a lady ushered me to a place for conference and the person seated beside me was Mr. Mah, a Chinese national who after he got Ng Ting Kau Antique Shop name card, he showed me the items from his collection hand phone photo clip.

At the talk which I like to research in, it was all about artefacts  excavated  found in China and also discoveries found in Philippines and Indonesia.

I have been and am living in two worlds about Chinese artefacts, one world is about artefacts excavated and another world is how to know that it is genuine of that time which till now no one has given me answer which make a problem.

At the symposium there was a suggestion for scan to authenticate artefacts which I do not know how reliable it will be because scientific tests has caused an antique dealer to pay a fine of US$350,000 and also to crease business in Seattle.

 I met a collector whom I don’t know but he has some artefacts on show and when I introduce myself, he said he has heard about Ng Ting Kau. I told him that most of the collectors collect based on rumour buy, rumour sell and if they collect the wrong artefacts which mean fake or imitation, it can cause wealth never pass one generation or loss of coffin capital (in Cantonese) .

There is a vast difference in interest which I have discovered and that is not so much in authentication but the support by status. If you have the status having the piece then you can be comfortable and to pull string with someone of international figure but if he is there then you can be somebody and if he is no longer there then you are no body.

 I got to know a number of experts while having lunch and we shared our knowledge and I brought five items from my personal collection to share and not for anyone to authenticate otherwise it is too boring and they asked me to take photo to e-mail which is a problem because I have items in another country and at the same I want to keep them for my generations to come. The next problem is I am English educated and a there is a communication problem. It is not because you have a lot of money and you can own them. Knowledge on the artefacts owned by collectors is important.

I am semi-retired after many years as a dealer and looking forward to full retirement to see the market “rumour buy, rumour sell”, to declare “all artefacts are fake or copies unless and until proven genuine” and to advise “do not become a collector if you have not started to be one”. Further reading in these blogs will tell you history and stories and not grandfather and grandmothers’ stories in antiques like most collectors do.

Funny Experts

This week has been a real fun for me.  I met these people who want to be smart and one of them is a collector of willow pattern porcelain items and he wanted to lay a claim that one piece in his collection is special by having a few more birds drawn in flying in the sky on that piece and that he has checked in the internet about willow pattern to make comparison which resulted in his piece having more birds. To me is that what make the more birds important or special needs an answer.  I have a food warmer with willow pattern which I did not count the number of birds but I know it is a special piece which cannot be seen any for sale in the streets and furthermore I can tell it is genuine and I have no worry not selling it but has high value keeping it for pleasure or education purpose. To authenticate a piece with the extra birds is dangerous because to makers of imitations the few strokes are very simple from makers of “Bandung” or “Jing dezhen”.

One collector who also repair houses makes comparison with ceramic tiles and he told a group of us that new ceramic is very sharp and old porcelain are not sharp, I then asked him whether did he break up his pieces to authenticate and the whole group laugh at him.

 One antique dealer overheard my explanation to another antique dealer about old Chinese Teapots should leak and when this antique dealer saw me he was trying to hint me that what I said was wrong to a customer. This antique dealer has some teapots on display on his table and there was one which was fine crafted. There are confusions by collectors old teapots are valued by age and new teapots are valued by the beauty. Last year a maker has a piece priced at Rm.128,000 which is the highest and the rest range from Rm.98,000 to Rm. 1,500. I saw those teapots at a tea exhibition.      

One visitor to this blog from Singapore searching “antique authentication singapore”. I had already given the names of experts earlier in this blog. Saya tak tahu apa nak buat lagi kerana Bahasa Inggeris buruk. 

Uncomfortable Meetings

An invitation by a close friend to a one night stay at an island has brought about a good experience for me. When we first arrived at the jetty there was a restaurant, I saw a vase and was within my reach to feel the glaze and the owner brought down the vase for me to see if it is genuine. I was really surprised that there are so many collectors who are interested to collect old porcelain and also there is a shop that sells old coins and other collectable items. The first question was is this vase old? And my reply is that why do you want to collect old porcelain items and also my interest is to know what is old and what is new in porcelain. He then said that imitations from China can be made exactly the same as the old. My reply is that all old items can be ordered from the factories in China then why keep the old ones, might as well take the a stone from the road side to the house which is the world oldest and further conversation that I am looking for teapots that leaks and they seem more friendlier.

The shop owner of the antique shop was very proud at first and after I told him why we look for old porcelain items and Chinese teapots, he then said that those must be worth a lot and I said that only to those who knows. At his shop, he sells very few types of coins and most of the coins I have in my collection like Straits Settlement coins Queen Victoria, King Edward VII, King George V and Malaya and North Borneo King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II and others.

In order to get better collectors must get knowledge and exchange what genuine is like and fake is like and not shouting at the person for selling fakes. I am getting a new batch of collectors who will be able to tell the fakes and not, whereas the old batch knows just to shout and avoid Ng Ting Kau Antique Shop for selling fakes.  The experts that I mentioned will be able to help to bring better understanding in authentication.

In my lifetime experiences, many collectors will be at my place with my father trying to buy antiques and once the items are said to be fakes or copies by expert or experts, my father is thrown aside and they even send someone to celebrate his death. Many have known to point fingers at him for selling fakes or copies has the ability to tell the importance of old Chinese porcelain. I am yet to learn from collectors what are Bandung fakes or copies, Jingdezhen copies or fakes and genuine ones and not on wishy-washy basis because I have been thrown aside as well. There was a Chinese tea dealer who defaced my name card in front of me and after many years, he wanted to talk to me and his friend wanted me to help him check his items from hand phone photo clip which I turned down. I felt very uncomfortable talking to the people which were the reason for me to leave immediately after any talks or meeting with them at coffee places.  

Chinese Tea Collectors

A visitor from Petaling Jaya, Selangor searching for “any chinese tea collectors in kuala lumpur”. Yes, there are collectors. There are collectors for many things like Porcelain, jade, rocks, jewellery, furniture, paintings, watches pens, snuff bottles cigarette boxes, match boxes, cigarettes lighters (petrol and gas), coins, stamps, old notes, bicycles, motorcycles, classic cars, vintage cars, toys, glass wares, brass wares, clocks, netsuke, locks, liquor and many other things. One friend of mine showed me a photo clip of a wrapped up Chinese tea with the tea company which he was able to trace to Ching Dynasty Kuang Hsu period A.D. 1874 – A.D. 1907 by the label attached. The problem now is that it needs to be open up to check the content which will damage the packing. How to tell the difference between the old tea and young tea requires the skill. I attended a tea promotion session and old tea was brewed and served for testing and my skill in telling the difference was no good because only old tea was served but not new tea. At the coffee shop I mentioned in my blog earlier, there was the kind of Chinese tea served in porcelain teapot which difference can be felt. I only bring my own teapot and the hot water and Chinese tea is supplied by the coffee shop. I usually share with an elderly couple who is the owners of the food stall and other friends and they keep telling me that they like to drink the tea from my teapot because it keeps them alert. I have been keeping this to myself.

Another visitor from Singapore searching for “buy vintage bowls singapore”. Since he cannot find vintage bowls in Singapore means there are not many importers in Singapore. In my earlier blog I had advised collectors to keep good contacts with shops that sell antiques, antiques dealers and freelance antique dealers so that they will let you know when they have the vintage bowls in stock otherwise the chance in your lifetime will be gone.

There are two visitors, one from Singapore searching for “Ipoh Antique Shop” and another from Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang searching for “Ipoh antique dealer”. These two visitors are searching for antiques suppliers. I do not know or heard of antique shops or antique dealers in Ipoh. I only know “Ku Tong Wong” (King in Antiques) in Ipoh was when a friend of mine introduced a friend to buy a Yuan dynasty A.D. 1279 to A. D. 1368 item and the buyer showed it to Ku Tong Wong and claimed to be a fake or copy and this piece was brought to Singapore for authentication by Mr. Lu Yaw and whatever happened, I don’t know and the matter has gone silent. At first strong aim of wanting to return this item but my sale condition require written remarks from experts which is to show whether experts are reliable or not and there was no way for me to tell collectors(local or foreign) these problems and the way they behave is to throw anger at my father and myself. After all I don’t know what antique shops and antique dealers in Ipoh sell and it is difficult for me say anything. In this blog in the earlier page, I had advised that you have to be your own judge, study, understand then buy and not buy and regret later. In this blog, I had created awareness that do not become a collector if you are not. I felt that many that have read this blogs do not understand my ENGLISH.

Another visitor from Beranang, Selangor searching for “baba nyonya antic plate”. The answer is inside my blog and I do not want to repeat what is stated.

Another from Kuala Lumpur searching for “danasty furniture petaling jaya”. I do not know furniture dealers because I had given up furniture business after Toh Puan Bunny Suffian passed on, she collects and introduced friends to collect antique furniture. I remembered she used to say “we had an enjoyable time” during the time she was collecting. Toh Puan Bunny Suffian collects baba nyonya furniture, Venetian mirrors with beveled edge, baba nyonya and Kelantan silver ware like betel nut boxes, mosquito net hooks, pillow and bolster ends, kerosang (brooch) and many silver ware that needs repair.     

Experts Needed

There is a visitor from La Jolla, California searching for “oriental arts and antiques penang malaysia” which is very easy after all visitors know Penang Malaysia and the next thing to do is to look for dealers, freelance dealers or shops that sells only antiques. The best way is to keep the contacts with dealers, freelance dealers or shops that sell only antiques to update what they have in stock and this is the way it should work out or stay there for sometime to source what you want for yourself. A quote from Julius Ceasar “I came, I saw, I conquered” and this quote applies to “I came, I saw, I bought”.

 At present there are not many dealers who want to stock many items because of 1) fakes or reproduction. 2) holding business capital up for too long and difficult to sell. Example there are so many reproduction of nyonya ware and to my surprise that an from a prominent family is said to be Bandung copy and made it easier to throw it away than to sell it and being accused of selling fakes.

The bitterness and sufferings dealing in antiques was that collectors do not want to learn what is genuine of fakes or reproduction and even condition like money back guaranteed is not workable and was said to be illegal and against public policy in civilian law. (extracted from Civil Action 5934 0f 1978 in the Magistrate Court, Kuala Lumpur) making sufferings are mine and comforts are yours.

The people who can really authenticate antiques are 1) William Young Willetts, 2)Peter Clague Malaysia, 3) Mr. Mohammad,  an Indonesian  staying in Malaysia, 4) Mr. Che Mokhtar Bin Che Ali Malaysia and former Magistrate, 5) Mr. Lu Yaw, Singapore, 6) Roxanna Brown, Thailand, 7) Mr. Peter Lam, Hong Kong,  8) Ku Tong Wong, Ipoh, Malaysia and Professor Peacock, Australia and these are the experts who will  help so that everybody will understand what antiques are.

Always remember that all artefacts are imitations unless and until proven genuine and I notice that the older post in this blog which is informative and is not on display. 

Pen Collectors

There are three very LUCKY VISITORS visited my blog and shared their searches. Visitor 1) from San Jose California searching “nyonya tea cup shop in kl.” has succeeded in getting nyonya tea cup in kl and not in Bandung or Jing dezhen.  Visitor 2)  from Puchong  Selangor searching “vintage watches sale K.L. my has succeeded  to find the place that sells what he wanted. I have been searching for such and could not find but I still kept my collection and apart from what I stated I have a Audemars Piguet watch which is selling for Rm.150,000 and it has increase in price. When watch collectors saw this watch, many are interested but they do not have the money to own it. Visitor 3) from Seremban , Negeri Sembilan found the place “cheap fountain pen seremban” which I cannot assess the prices without checking on the conditions of the fountain pens. I bought my Mont Blanc 149 for Rm209.60, Platinum made in Japan gold plated over solid silver which is one model, the other is wrapped with leather and the third is solid silver which I paid for Rm80. Swan safety lever pens by Marbie todd co. for Rm.80 and these pens are new pens old stock. Many other pens are bought in lot. I have about 400 pens some of which are used pens like Parker Vacuumatic, Parker 51,21,45, Duofold , Sheaaffer’s pfm , valiant, crest, connoisseur, Targa models of the slim and thick. There are so many like Conway Stewart, Watermans, Dunhill, Dupont , Cartier, Caran d Ache. The name list goes on and on because I bought up the old stock from one of the old pen shop. There is one pen in my collection which I paid for Rm. 300 and showed it to a pen shop owner and he told me that to sell this pen in Malaysia for between Rm. 500 to Rm.700 would be a problem because local collectors complain too expensive but in England it would fetch Stg. Pounds 1,000 which shows different price, different market.  A man sold me a pen for Rm. 250 and he wanted to buy it back and I quoted for Rm.600, he offered me Rm. 380 and I am still keeping this pen because I know it is difficult in getting beautiful pens for that I can afford.  Some of the collectors may not know the beauty in Sheaffers’ snokel pocket pen and for a thick pen like pfm it has inlaid nibs. This Sheaffer’s pfm pens are pens that I have been using every day.

 I am glad there are collectors who are not dependent on others to find the way to source for them 

A Wrong Place Hunter

One visitor from Bandar, Selangor searching for “antique shop vintage wrist watch malaysia”. In the early 80’s, one freelance dealer sold a lot of watches to a Hongkie and in the 90’s, one Japanese working in Malaysia, staying in Brickfields bought old watches and his old watches was sent to my friend’s shop for repair. These watches are all taken out of Malaysia and will not come back. My late father deals in watches but at that time there were not many customers made him to give up watches trade and having to service the watches and by the time customer looking for it the mechanism jammed. In my younger days, I kept a few which deemed it special to me brands like Roskopf, Election and Lancaster are found in my collections and to find antique shop vintage wrist watch Malaysia is difficult.

The next visitor from Indonesia searching for famous “bali antique collector” which I do not know about bali antiques thus making values not accessable.

The third visitor from Indonesia from Indonesia searching for “peranakan  antiq shop Indonesia” which I do not know much about peranakan items or whether there are any peranakan settlements in Indonesia because with the settlements, you will be able to find the deposits of antiq.

The fourth visitor from Singapore searching for “reproduction nyonya plate in penang”. What makes reproduction nyonya plate in Penang so important is not known to me. This year “2015” a shop in Petaling Jaya has few sizes of nyonya ware kamcheng and also in my blog, the Star newspaper had shown the availability of nyonya ware in Kuala Lumpur  and whether genuine or not is none of my business and I did my part to answer when people ask.  The best place to get reproduction nyonya ware is Bandung and Jing dezhen. The word “reproduction “ shows  the best and well known place to buy and also not only the importance can be found in Penang.

One visitor from Puchong Selangor searching” how to detect fake antique chinese porcelain”. To detect fake or genuine is easy for me and the only way for you is to have the time with the genuine and the fake together. You will not understand when I am giving short lecture with bare hands but will only confuse you further. I brought some items to a food court and the coffee shop that I mentioned to share my knowledge with my friends and had to stay back because the lecture was longer and it is rude and unfriendly to cut people off for those who want to know. A museum expert in the 20’s which I quoted that it need authenticated specimen to assist in studies. You can visit Asian Art Museum at the Universiti Malaya because this museum has authenticated specimen which is good for education and not many collectors know about this place.

A good collector is one able to bring out his pieces to show that the items in their collection are fit to go into the museum and not ones who goes on guess work.        

Collectors from Hong Kong

There is a visitor from United Kingdom searching for “Malaysia antique shop” which has already been answered, if you have missed it or was it due to my mistake or error for the omission, you can e-mail to me to tell me or ask me the part that I had not covered. The second visitor from Shikane ,Tokyo searching for “antique shop IPOH”  has been answered.

 The third visitor from Sydney, Nova Scotia searching for “best way to sell my antique signed imari plate”. The best way to sell any item is to advertise and popularize to educate and tell the importance of the item you have. I have not heard of signed imari item but for Japanese Netsuke some of them are signed and some are not. The makers’ signatures are not known to collectors whether they are famous or not.

This visitor from Sheung Wan, Hong Kong searching for “ngtingkauantiqueshopblogspot.com” and another from the same place which he or she are from the same place searching forronniengpohheong@hotmail.com. I do not know how to answer because these visitors’ searches are from ngtingkauantiqueshopblogspot.com to get my e-mail address ronniengpohheong@hotmail.com. Unless an e-mail letter is sent to me, something can be done. Blog is used to tell my experiences over the years and e-mail is meant for correspondence and there are no deposits of answers for your questions.   

Congratulations

Congratulation to this visitor: from Sydney, Nova Scotia searching for “image of imari plate dragon like blue plumes”.  I have not come across any imari items with dragon and this is something special in japanese ceramic. Chinese ceramics has dragons because it depicts the emperors.

 One visitor from kuala lumpur searching “to tell a real nyonya pocelaine from a fake”. This search was answered in my earlier blog.

 Next visitor: from Melaka searching for “sell antiques for cash in malaysia” which is not a difficult way to answer. 1) What are the items that are for sale? 2) Are such wares known to collectors? 3) Are the prices affordable by collectors? I find that there are not many good collectors in Malaysia when I ask simple questions like 1) “why do you want to collect old porcelain items and where road side you can find banner selling antique porcelain which such items are so easy to find?” and the next paragraph shows that they want to look for antique shops. 2) Why must Yi Hsing teapot leak in order to be good? Local collectors can only collect but not knowing that teapot should leak to be good and also the antiques collected by them are good or bad. I find it difficult to sell good antiques in Malaysia because collectors want their own theory and not based on any sense.

These visitors: 1) from Ipoh, Perak searching for “penang antique shop”. 2) Kajang, Selangor searching for “kajang antique shop”.  3) Singapore searching for “antique shop penang”. 4) Seria, Brunei searching for “peranakan antique shop singapore”.  All shops are open for businesses and it is advisable to look for their advertisement.

Visitors from 1) Singapore searching for “where to buy peranakan ware in penang”. 2) San Jose, California searching for “nyonya antique dealer. 3) Singapore searching for “shop selling nyonya plates in Singapore”. It is so difficult to find antique shops or dealer because there are no good antiques for them to sell. Visitors has to wait for vendors to open their shops once they accumulate stock to sell and it is of no use to open a shop today and close down tomorrow due to stock shortage.

In the 80’s there were many good collectors accusing my father of selling fakes or copies and this was mentioned in my earlier blog. A Chinese expert who visited Malaysia and confirmed my father’s customer’s items are good. Later my father asked a friend to write to him in Chinese and this old fox asked one of his student to come and demanded a letter of authority to sell our antiques and when we asked him that in case our customer walk in and wanted to buy something, do we have the freedom to deal direct with this customer or do we have to call you to attend to this customers’ need. When his request was turn down, he and others started to spread by telling that what we are selling are copies or fakes. One customer who is a boss of a company who visits China frequently was told my father at a earlier stage to pay this elderly expert a visit and he was told that the items that he bought from my father are fakes or copies and instead of returning or disposing off the items, he prefer to leave it at his business place and tell people that he bought the piece and got cheated.

This same China antique expert with a friend wanted to start an antique exhibition using 2,500 pieces of our antiques and I demanded for cash and due to that failure my father was hated and I was the UNLUCKY  PERSON who help in this business for selling fakes or copies.

 After my father’s death, I have been confronting experts on stage because it will make collectors more knowledgeable. One part time dealer met me at a Sunday flea market and he greeted me with bad intention when I say that I am looking for genuine items and he replied by saying that collectors wanted fakes and my reply was “that is their bloody business” and this reply was thrown at in front of his friends who are collectors as well.

Experts who are not knowledgeable collectors are not respecting or worth talking to. “Knowledgeable collectors” means anyone who is able to confirm what they said. Example a Ming dynasty item and how to know and come to conclusion that it is of the Ming Dynasty and not a fake or copy is important?

 Many crooks who want this business without knowledge and putting out capital want to high profit from it has made it an international failure and try to rob my father’s business by running him down and now I am openly running down this business by “rumour buy, rumour sell”.

 The answer to searching for antique shop and nyonya ware is that the shops and dealers do not have stocks for display and sell at their shops. Collectors are searching for antique shops and antiques that you wanted and can carry on searching to see his chance in a lifetime to come. If you are lucky you will get what you wanted and if not after collectors kick the bucket will also not get it. Opportunity never waits for you.

GOOD LUCK AND HAVE A HAPPY SEARCHING BEFORE KICKING THE BUCKET.

Looking for Good Collectors

There are a few visitors to this blog and searching for various things. First three visitors with one from Singapore searching for “peranakan antiques”, another from Semarang Jawa searching for “peranakan antiq shop Indonesia”, the third visitor from kubang kerian kelantan searching for ”peranakan furniture malaysia”.The answer is in this blog already for some time and I do not know why some searchers want to waste time asking this same question over and over again. I do not know whether there are any peranakan settlements in Indonesia, if there are peranakan settlements in Indonesia then there will be peranakan antiq shop in Indonesia, the same goes to the visitor from Singapore and Kelantan.

There is one visitor from Klang searching for “antique furniture for sale malaysia”. You may find antique furniture for sale in malaysia from newspaper classified advertisement for sale or you can advertise in the newspaper classified advertisement as an interested buyer for antique furniture in Malaysia.

This visitor from San Jose California is searching for “chinese antiques penang” should advertise in newspaper, so that buyers will have a lead to contact the seller and the seller will have a lead to contact the buyer. My late father made many advertisements in the newspaper until the newspaper refused to accept this phase “guaranteed authenticate” which simply mean that there are assurance that the items for sale are genuine by my late father and the guaranteed condition is found in this blog . There are many customers who showed the items sold by my late father to the museums’ cleaner and claimed them to be high class experts and give no answers to how conclusion is arrived. I openly claim that such bad education must be thrown away because if no answers are given then it is a matter of guess work.

 The next visitor from Mill Valley California searching for “nyonya ware and kitchen ching for sale “which is so easy to find and the two places are Bandung and Jing dezhen which make imitations exactly the same as originals with the aging by chemicals claimed by experts and the nyonya piece once owned by Madame Lopez was also said to be fakeable, copyable,duplicable, makeable, and manufactureable. This will answer your question.

The last visitor from Europe Union searching for “collectors of antiques malaysia” which I must say that I don’t know because from my investigation tells methat many collectors based on rumour buy, rumour sell and they do not know how to answer to the question on genuineness which means among the group of blind the one with the one eye is the king which I am still looking for the king.   

Saerching For Ng Ting Kau

There is a visitor from United Kingdom searching for “recommend furniture antique repair kuala lumpur”. My late father used to repair and sell antique furniture in Kuala Lumpur. There was a workshop at Campbell Road, Kuala Lumpur, I do not know where it is shifted. The high operation cost has put a stop to antique furniture repair in Kuala Lumpur.

Another three visitors from Singapore with one searching for “peranakan porcelain wares in Singapore” and the other searching for “antique nyonya ware” and the third visitor searching for “ANTIQUE NYONYA WARE SALE” which is difficult for me to tell because I see the items in front of me and as I turn my back it sold, I don’t know what to say. Maybe to say the right thing is that you may buy the right nyonya piece at the right place and at the right time. The place to order nyonya porcelain ware is Jing dezhen or Bandung and this was earlier mentioned in this blog. I saw two beautiful nyonya ware kamcheng at a shopping complex at my recent Saturday outing.

Next two visitors from Petaling jaya searching for “ng ting kau” which I had stated he died and his death is found in this blog because one visitor has search for him and not to let the visitor chasing after rainbow, I answered to this visitors ‘ search. I took over his business and started a shop at a shopping complex but collectors fail to see the true antiques and the risk in collecting antique porcelain ware to all collectors are told to beware of ‘Bandung copies or Jingdezhen copies”. I am now a freelance dealer and very busy with my lunch is my hour for rest at Sing Kee coffee shop owned by my niece opposite Pearl Point International Hotel at Old Klang Road, Kuala Lumpur. Visitors can call to this place because I met one knowledgeable man in Chinese history and we shared knowledge over lunch. There are not many good collectors in Chinese antiques I heard of which can provide knowledge to others, maybe Mr. William Willetts, Mr. Peter Clague(Malaysia), Mr. Lu Yaw and the learned magistrate, Mr. Che Mokhtar Bin Ali. Their help will not make collectors failure.

Three visitors from Easton Pennsylvannia searching for “che mokhtar binche ali Chinese ceramics malaysia e-mail”, the second searching for “lu yaw Chinese ceramics Singapore e-mail. You can advertise in the newspaper at the respective countries for their contacts. The e-mail addresses are of no importance to me because many distant themselves from me. My importance is to check and learn to tell whether the items are genuine or copies or fakes with a good conclusion.

Singaporean Collectors

This two visitors from Singapore with one searching for “peranakan porcelain genuine” another searching for “antiqueperanakanporcelien” are trying to make a fool out of me.

The Origin of Peranakan in Straits Settlement dated Wednesday 24 July 2013 states that the use of the word Peranakan appeared in the 1960’s when the then Straits Chinese British Association and later Peranakan Association Singapore on 23 February 1966. Peranakan porcelain ware among the other wares which is found to be bandung copies because of the demand of antique porcelain. Until now I do not know which is the best namely Pua nguar, nyonya ware or Peranakan ware?

Many years ago my late father was famous for sending away customers or visitors from Singapore concerning antiques and this was well known in Singapore. The trouble starts with these trouble makers who browse around and accuse him of selling fake antiques and his reply was to throw them out by saying “Don’t come here and get yourself cheated” and just ignored them making themselves to go off. None of them including other collectors refused to hear his explanation.  Arrogant collectors have thought that they are the best collectors and need not hear what others have to say. Now that collectors have turned experts are the best people to find out how to decide with details that the specimen is a fake or genuine.

 The best way is to look for an expert to advise you on genuineness and also where to buy so that purchases will not be wrong.

Looking for Nyonya Ware

Thank you to this visitor from Greenfield, Massachusetts searching for “arrogant antique collectors”. Some of the names of the arrogant collectors can be found at the back pages of the book titled “Celadon and other related wares”. In Malaysia, my late father and I had bad experiences with arrogant antique collectors and some may have passed away leaving the said to be good items to the next generation. The remaining ones are quiet now.

Visitors searching antique shops will not find it because antique shop owners do not know the items that arrogant antique collectors want so might as well do not keep stock to sell. My late father did not retire from this business but his son has to look for other business and put the antique business aside.  Antique business was put down by arrogant antique collectors by claiming that any new porcelain can be aged with acid and did not tell dealers how the ones that are aged looked like and the ones that are not aged.

The freelance Hong Kong dealer mentioned in this blog earlier who claims to be good at authenticating antiques does not ring a bell to me and if he wants to claim that he is good maybe he has to go on stage to answer questions. Interest in collecting antique Chinese porcelain will carry on from one generation to another. For example when I hold up one piece of genuine Nyonya ware or Tang Dynasty horse or Yuan dynasty blue and white item to confirm it as genuine, I am able to tell my sons and my grandchildren to know that it is genuine. 

One visitor e-mail one image of a square polychrome plate and ask whether I sell such plate, I don’t like to sell something that will create argument on the part of genuineness.

 Another visitor e-mail asking whether there is anyone in the government sector to authenticate antique porcelain and as far as I can say I don’t know in the government sector but I can suggest to look for these people, they are Mr. Lu Yaw in Singapore, the rest in Malaysia are Che Mokhtar Bin Che Ali, Mr. Mohammad, Mr. William Willetts and Mr. Peter Clague. These are the famous experts and arrogant antique collectors are nobody because they do not know how to authenticate and are only big bluff.

 Last visitor from Thailand searching for “peranakan ceramic factory in malaka” which I have not heard of any porcelain factory but maybe it might have started not long ago.

Ng Ting Kau Antique Shop is in Kuala Lumpur and not at any other places with the business registration. There are another three visitors, one from United Kingdom searching for “peranakan antiques” did not mention the items that was searching for. The next is from Singapore searching for “nyonya ware kamcheng and the following is from San Jose, California searching for “nyonya nyonya ware porcelain” and I am happy to say that many nyonya ware porcelain items passed my late father’s and my hand while we were staying at 4^1/2 Mile Klang Road and many owners who bought nyonya ware from us will be asked from whom you get it from. Experts who get the reply that they are from Mr. NgTing Kau will be claimed modern copies or fakes. I have checked with some of his customers who has thrown away the items sold by my late father and what is left that is not thrown away is for you to find out because I am not interested any more.

A Case for Genuineness

There is a case which involves me and an expert of a world famous museum because a customer bought a Sung dynasty item from my late father and this expert confirm it as Ching Dynasty Chien Lung copy and at that time this customer distant themselves from my father and myself. This customer came back asking me to glue a broken Tang Dynasty horse’s leg after a few unsuccessful attempts. I then told him that I have the Sung Dynasty items as well as the Chien Lung copy item of the same ware. I would like to see this expert with the aim to  bite hard that the Chien Lung  copy as genuine Sung dynasty and see what the expert is going to tell me. This customer got frightened and said that you do not have much of such stock left so don’t create trouble.

 One visitor from Kuala lumpur searching for “antique shop in kuala lumpur” and another visitor from Australia searching for “penang antiques” which I suggest by saying keep on searching and don’t give up because you may not find it today but you may find it tomorrow. A visitor from Bandar Seri Begawan searching for “how do I know whether the nyonya ware is authentic” which is simple if you have seen the authentic specimen, Bandung copies and present Jing dezhen copies and at the same time ask the vendor or vendors to give you information about genuineness which is the best effective way with the specimen in front of the vendor and you. The next visitor from Kuala Lumpur searching for “vintage plate shop in Malaysia” which I have not heard of any but there is a company that sells vintage plate salvaged from the Straits of Malacca and a few years ago, the company held a sale at KLCC business convention centre and I met Dr. Ivan Polanin, a cancer specialist working in Malaya in 1948 and he has been collecting porcelain and I shared my experience with him. I am unable to tell where this company is after I have partly retired from antique business while driving taxi.

Rival to Gold

It has been many years that historic Chinese porcelain has been claimed to be “RIVAL TO GOLD” and its subtitle is “Historic Chinese ceramics may be good bet to invest”, Hong Kong news found in The Malay Mail dated October 12^th 1979 and this article also tell us that it is impossible to make copies otherwise how can it be rival to gold.

I have not found any good collectors in antique Chinese porcelain because experts like William Willetts, Peter Clague, His Honour the Learned Magistrate Che Mokhtar Bin Che Ali, Mr. Mohammad, an Indonesian dealer, Hong Kong freelance dealer, a Chinese dealer at a shopping complex in Kuala Lumpur wants a piece of cake from the late Mr. Ng Ting Kau. I instigated my late father to fight on and now I am instigating collectors to fight with vendors or sellers if the items are not right or properly explained to satisfy doubts. This instigation was made up by experts and at that time when the experts told the collectors that their items are genuine are also problems to the collectors because they did not get the way how the experts got the conclusions. His Honour Che Mokhtar Bin Che Ali was a good expert in this field when he wrote the grounds of judgement.  The rest are dealers who want to make themselves popular by pointing their fingers at Ng Ting Kau for selling fake antiques and ended that they were brought down at public places.

There are two men I met recently one at a coffee shop and another at a society. 1) The one I met at the society is a Chinese calligrapher who wants to start an event at the society and seated beside him was a friend who said that you need to grind the Chinese ink, I then said that if the ink is viscous, it will be difficult to drag the brush and if it is too thin it will smear which made them staring at this English educated man. I then told them that I have two sets of Sung dynasty 960A.D. to 1279A.D. calligraphy set which I kept for my family. They were so excited and wanted to see, I told them to get the ink stick and we will make use of it. 2) The one I met at the coffee shop is a manager of a company and he reads Chinese and English, I show him some of my pieces and he is a knowledgeable person in Chinese culture. He told me that the group of artists who boarded the missing plane was at the gallery for seminar near the coffee shop that we met. We have enjoyable moment sharing knowledge because I can produce the piece and he was able to shed some light like I brought a painting, he then told me that the silk for clothes are different from for Chinese paintings.

There are two visitors. 1) Visitor from Malaysia searching for cost of antique nyonya “chai” in Penang. What is the item or items are not stated. Pricing can only be done with the items in front of you and not by just guessing. 2) Visitor from Singapore searching for “antique store in kuala lumpur” will have a good time searching for it. All the best and look for safe deals. There is an e-mail asking what I sell, I used to sell a lot of antiques like furniture , old embroidery, old Kelantan silver ware, coins, pocket watches, Dutch cast iron hanging kerosene lamps, old copper batik chops, porcelain wares of different dynasties, cut glass ware and whatever I come across that is of interest to customers. In my private collection, I have antique Chinese porcelain of different dynasties, old fountain pens which I bought at a clearance sale and there are not many collectors at that time and an old cut glass tantalus.

There is a Chinese lady who knows my late father and also known to many people, she was angry with me for criticizing William Willetts and from then on she has been fishing for information on antique Chinese porcelain. There was an exhibition and most of the items are from sunken vessel, she brought two items to show to a man who took part in the salvage of the sunken vessel. She said that it is from her ancestors, I then seek her permission to take a look at the base of one of the item which is a blue and white mei ping vase drawn with a stork. I then said it is a common drawing of the Yuan dynasty but did not say whether it is genuine or fake and she said it is older than that, I then said that it is Tang dynasty which I am making a fool out of her. I know that she is a student of William Willetts and she is a spy for Willetts and criticizing my late father and now she has distance herself from me. I felt it is much better instead of wasting time.

Another case was at the Chinese tea exhibition last year, one man  and his son operate a stall knows my friend, this man has always ignored me and in front of his stall with his friends, I brought out tea pots problems and further said wealth never passed one generation if we buy the wrong thing. One of his friends brought out his hand phone from his bag and asked me to look at the items that he has. I told him that I do not authenticate for collectors because genuine or fake are none of my business.

I have been playing the fool with foreign speakers and I enjoyed it because the fact that they handle artefacts less than me. I challenge them by my experience and they are out. I look forward to challenge experts otherwise antique business is a sunset business. Chinese educated experts are not worth trusting.