By Glen Joffe

	A uniquely painted 18th C. wardrobe from Primitive's collection of antique Chinese furniture - maker unknown; PRIMITIVE I.D. #F1009-034

西方的“出处”概念可以描述为特定作品的生活故事：谁制作了它，制作的地方，制造的时间以及从那以后谁拥有它。这个概念的字典定义只是指出它是艺术和古董拥有的历史;但是，这个概念虽然可以用来评估西方古董的价值，但并不适用于中国帝国制造的家具。实际上，中国的概念是什么使或告知古董 -gu- 与西方想法不同。年龄，原产地，制造商或以前的所有者的名称根本没有决定因素。成功的古董可能是新的，不管谁拥有它或条件，旧的家具都可能不那么重要。简而言之，古董是一件“道德上的家具”，这个概念使纯粹的鉴赏家法院中的古董决定了什么。

原始收藏中的罕见的19日。

在追踪无数绊脚石的螺纹时，中国家具不断遇到。例如，家具制造商通常没有签署其创作。使制造商永生的西方想法对中国文化来说是陌生的，而工匠通常没有提高地位。如果有人将他们的名字固定在一件家具上，那可能是买家，因为他们拥有所有的金钱和身份。但是，家具上任何形式的名称或识别符号的外观极为罕见，因此“谁制作”和“谁拥有”的问题很少有回答。

	Crackle漆的细节说明了高度可收藏的古铜色，它扩大了该作品的价值，而不是先前的所有者或制造商的名称，即西方的出处概念的宗旨

In examining where a piece of furniture was made and its age, similar difficulties are encountered. For example, it is generally possible to identify regional characteristics; however, such characteristics do not necessarily indicate origin. A Shan Xi style cabinet may have been made in Shan Xi or virtually any other region of China. Once a style became popular it was copied throughout the country. Likewise, specific periods lean toward certain styles; however style does not determine age. Chinese furniture design evolved slowly and the same style furniture could be made for centuries.

The Chinese symbol for "Double Happiness" appears on the face of this wardrobe cabinet suggesting it was part of a dowry. It might enhance the value of the piece to know the names of the bride and groom; but we don't. We only know this is a meritorious bona fide authentic piece of antique Chinese furniture; detail of I.D. #F1009-034

To compound matters, the concept of provenance relative to Chinese furniture (and many other art forms including most handicrafts) became utterly confused during China’s Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). At that time the communist Red Guards attempted to rout out the class society, which had dominated ordinary Chinese for centuries. Their zeal resulted in the seizing of many art objects that were either destroyed or carted off to giant warehouses owned by the Peoples Liberation Army. Throughout the Cultural Revolution and the 1980’s this furniture was redistributed with no thought to the original owners. A piece of furniture from a nobleman’s house in the Ming Dynasty might have ended up on a farm sharing quarters with a goat. Such was the fate of a significant portion of important Chinese furniture.

	An Opium Bed from Fujian Province is made rarer by the inclusion of its original platform, superb condition, and Foo Dog and Lotus feet. We will never know who owned it or lay upon its rattan top, but it will still remain a valuable piece of antique Chinese furniture; I.D. #F0707-102

The western concept of provenance simply does not apply to Chinese antiques. When and where something was made and who made it are impossible to determine, and the most recent owners rarely have any connection to the original owners. The chain of ownership inevitably moved to the state, then to new owners or dealers. Finally, and perhaps ironically, as the warehouses have emptied and this furniture has hit Western shores, prices have been driven by the Chinese concept ofguinstead of the western concept of provenance and the most aesthetically pleasing pieces have become the most valuable.