Unfriendly collectors

There are many boastful, arrogant and unfriendly collectors in Chinese antiques that I met will be well remembered in my lifetime.

One who was introduced by my younger sister who wanted some items which at that time I did not have stock of his interest. I told him to be careful of imitations and my experience in the court case and certificates wanted by collectors to prove authenticity.

Later my father, Mr. Ng Ting Kau died, he came to celebrate his death because the famous crook who sells fake antiques has died but to me I had lost my father and a good teacher in authenticating Chinese antiques. It is good for every one without this crook so that there won’t be much Bandung copies in the market because some collectors will fall into his cheat. I met this man later at a seminar on sunken vessel and he was not friendly at all. When I came to know of this, I can celebrate for collectors and glorify them for having antiques without certificates and also Bandung copies being treated as genuine. I am very happy that my father’s knowledge was transferred to my boys.

Another who has seen two wall clocks and was told that one belongs to a Dato and cannot be sold because he sent it over for safe keeping and the other is for sale. This customer paid a deposit for the clock which is for sale and later phone up to say that he wanted Dato’s clock and I can only say that you can only take for the item that you had pay the deposit for. He did not turn up to collect the clocks. Later when we met we were like enemies.

One accused my late father of using black magic to make customers buy antiques from him and he is somebody known in society because he wants to protect his collection. Now that he has use the non- black to teach his successor how his collection are genuine.

Three years ago I met this Indonesian antique dealer who runs his business in a hotel in Kuala Lumpur. I was with my friend seated at this food and coffee place and he and his friend looking for a place to sit. This place has long tables which can be shared by customers. Since there were empty places, I then invited them to sit. They sat and I asked him whether he is still running his shop at the hotel and his reply was “no’ I then asked him whether is he doing freelance and his reply was that “Yes, my things you sell your car yet you cannot buy up.” I then said that I am looking for celadons with six fishes and another with two figurines, he then change his subject by accusing me of disturbing at talks. I then told him and his group of friends who was seated around me dealing in semi-precious stones and old watches that I asked the speakers “can imitations be made exactly the same as originals” and the speakers said can and now that you claim that I was there to disturb then you can tell us how your good and old because your friends around here wants to learn from you and not from the “kurang ajar” (a word hated by malays which means lack of education.) person. He was at the loss of words and before I left, I went over to shake his hand telling everybody that I want knowledge on items that are claimed to be antiques and if you are not happy, we can continue next week or some other time. I notice that his friends have distant themselves.

 Due to attacks on antique business has made it difficult to survive and even you have good knowledge it won’t help to bring up good reputation. From then till now these attacks has also been directed at collectors.

Recently I was accused of being egoistic and this was spread to my boys. I would say thank you for high lighting because I have been a looser and there was no match for me against the high level of ego found in the rich, famous and powerful collectors. A common problem which is collectors are fond of is that after they kick the bucket they do not know and understand what are antiques.  

There is a visitor from Kirkland, Washington who asked whether my Kutani ware are genuine, after all the items are not for sale and to share further is that potters do not fire one or two items which is costly. Secondly who would want to make fakes and sell to small number of collectors. There are not many collector in Japanese porcelain but my late father bought them with other items and knowing what it is, there was no worry in keeping them.

A local collector used his handphone to show me the photo of his collection and in his collection there were “Swatow Ware and kitchen Ching “. There was a piece of unpainted Swatow ware which is of late Ming dynasty and he dated it as Sung. When I said that it is Ming and the other item as kitchen Ching , he wasn’t too happy. Kitchen Ching are fired in pile and Ming Swatow has fine and rough ware.

There many visitors searching for shops selling antiques which I am unable to tell them because what they are selling is not known to me like Bandung copies being sold as genuine will bring me a bad name for getting visitors to get cheated. At present my father’s name is already bad and I do not know how to repair but I will be organizing exhibition based on part of his collection and knowledge. Watch out for the dates and venue.