Quote:
Originally Posted by josh stout
Yes, that is also a new sword. The yellow orange ray skin is a give away, but also everything else.
Do you see that line running lengthwise? That is a fake forging error. It is supposed to mark where the sanmai edge and body meet. A cold shut, or other similar forging error is the kind of thing that you should look for in an antique, but that one is huge and ugly. It is there to convince the unwary that the blade is sanmai, but is actually a sign saying "stay away".
Take some time to acquaint yourself with antiques in general. Unfortunately Chinese antiques are one of the worst places to start. Almost every Chinese antique you see will be a recent reproduction, and that includes swords. Reproductions from the 1990s are starting to acquire a little age, but they are still reproductions.
To see pictures of actual antiques, you need to go to the websites of reputable dealers who specialize in Chinese swords. You can also look at pictures posted in these discussion groups, if the community opinion supports the posted example as an original.
If you look elsewhere for examples of reproductions listed as antiques, you will find them.
To see a good variety of reproductions, simply look up "antique Chinese sword" on eBay, and look at full length jian with complete fittings.
Every single one is less than forty years old.
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Exactly this, there are a number of excellent collections available online from museums like the MET as Philip I believe has already mentioned in this thread, which are a much better starting point. Unfortunately even large auction houses which maybe have realized high prices are not even a good indicator of authenticity.