Chinese bazaar copies

VANDOO · 2nd May 2009, 10:07 PM

MANY MUSEUMS THE WORLD OVER HAVE REPLICAS ON EXHIBIT, SOMETIMES THEY HAVE THE ORIGINAL IN STORAGE AND SOMETIMES NOT. DINOSAUR SKELETONS ARE A VERY GOOD EXAMPLE OF THIS. MANY ON DISPLAY ARE REPLICAS OF AN ORIGINAL WHICH MAY BE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. fOR DISPLAY PURPOSES THIS IS FINE IF THEY ARE GOOD ACCURATE REPLICAS THE VISITORS WILL NOT KNOW THE DIFFERENCE AND OFTEN THE REPLICA ELIMINATES THE MISSING PIECES AND FLAWS OF THE ORIGINAL AND MAKES A BETTER DISPLAY.
HIGH PRICED AND RARE STONE POINTS ARE OFTEN PLASTIC REPLICAS BUT TODAY LOOK SO GOOD YOU CAN'T TELL UNLESS YOU ACTUALY PICK THEM UP. MUSEUMS OFTEN DO THIS BECAUSE THE ITEMS ARE TOO EXPENSIVE TO GET AN ORIGINAL OR IT IS NOT POSSIBLE AS THERE ARE VERY FEW ORIGINALS IN EXHISTANCE.
THE ATTITUDE OF ANYONE WHO MAKES A REPLICA AND THEN SAYS IT IS REAL AND DEMANDS THE PRICE OF AN ORIGINAL IS ALWAYS" I DO NOTHING WRONG WHY PICK ON ME". A CHINESE COLLECTOR WHO IS VERY KNOWLEGABLE WILL NOT BUY SUCH ITEMS AND YOU CAN BE SURE HE WILL NOT SAY ITS ALL RIGHT AND AS GOOD AS AN ORIGINAL. WHAT HE WOULD SAY TO SUCH A SELLER TRYING TO SELL HIM A HIGH PRICED REPLICA AS ORIGINAL WOULD NO DOUBT MAKE YOUR EARS BURN.

fearn · 3rd May 2009, 02:17 AM

It's an interesting question, the one about how "genuine" a copy is.

To me, it seems similar to the debate about copyright and intellectual property that's going on right now. For copyright, of course, the issue is ownership of information, and the boundaries between legitimate and illegitimate use and copying of such information. Some people are pushing for some form of ultimate control, even though that's totally unattainable, while others are finding mechanisms, such as creative commons licenses, to cede control of some rights and keep others.

For objects, it's evident that there are a couple of ways to look at it. In "our" culture, ownership and control of an original is important, but there's no reason to assume that our attitude is the only one, or (dare I say it?) even the best one.

If the futurists are right, we're entering an era where the copying of real objects will become increasingly cheaper and more accurate, and it's not too far-fetched to start thinking about what will happen when a factory in China can cheaply produce something that's indistinguishable from a real antique without radiocarbon dating. Whose standards will be primary in this copying? Will originality matter, or not? I don't have any answers, but it's something worth thinking about.

F

Nathaniel · 3rd May 2009, 07:04 AM

Chinese weapons collectors are concerned with fakes...in fact on of the Chinese forums I know has a specific titled something like fake antique/ replicas, etc

I remember taking the Chinese art history class in Hong Kong...and one thing I remember the teacher saying with Chinese painting originality was not valued necessarily but how it compared a recognized masterpiece.

For museums, I can understand the use of replica's...as people highlight the use of the copy for dinosaur bones, but I do think it sad to see there is such a market for the knock offs...some know and they are find with this..but always it is buyer beware/ educated....the knock off our of china do seem to be getting better.

I know for even some of the modern Chinese smiths there are knock off's of their swords...like Zheng Wu Tang.

2nd May 2009, 10:07 PM	#1
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	MANY MUSEUMS THE WORLD OVER HAVE REPLICAS ON EXHIBIT, SOMETIMES THEY HAVE THE ORIGINAL IN STORAGE AND SOMETIMES NOT. DINOSAUR SKELETONS ARE A VERY GOOD EXAMPLE OF THIS. MANY ON DISPLAY ARE REPLICAS OF AN ORIGINAL WHICH MAY BE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. fOR DISPLAY PURPOSES THIS IS FINE IF THEY ARE GOOD ACCURATE REPLICAS THE VISITORS WILL NOT KNOW THE DIFFERENCE AND OFTEN THE REPLICA ELIMINATES THE MISSING PIECES AND FLAWS OF THE ORIGINAL AND MAKES A BETTER DISPLAY. HIGH PRICED AND RARE STONE POINTS ARE OFTEN PLASTIC REPLICAS BUT TODAY LOOK SO GOOD YOU CAN'T TELL UNLESS YOU ACTUALY PICK THEM UP. MUSEUMS OFTEN DO THIS BECAUSE THE ITEMS ARE TOO EXPENSIVE TO GET AN ORIGINAL OR IT IS NOT POSSIBLE AS THERE ARE VERY FEW ORIGINALS IN EXHISTANCE. THE ATTITUDE OF ANYONE WHO MAKES A REPLICA AND THEN SAYS IT IS REAL AND DEMANDS THE PRICE OF AN ORIGINAL IS ALWAYS" I DO NOTHING WRONG WHY PICK ON ME". A CHINESE COLLECTOR WHO IS VERY KNOWLEGABLE WILL NOT BUY SUCH ITEMS AND YOU CAN BE SURE HE WILL NOT SAY ITS ALL RIGHT AND AS GOOD AS AN ORIGINAL. WHAT HE WOULD SAY TO SUCH A SELLER TRYING TO SELL HIM A HIGH PRICED REPLICA AS ORIGINAL WOULD NO DOUBT MAKE YOUR EARS BURN.

3rd May 2009, 02:17 AM	#2
fearn Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,247	It's an interesting question, the one about how "genuine" a copy is. To me, it seems similar to the debate about copyright and intellectual property that's going on right now. For copyright, of course, the issue is ownership of information, and the boundaries between legitimate and illegitimate use and copying of such information. Some people are pushing for some form of ultimate control, even though that's totally unattainable, while others are finding mechanisms, such as creative commons licenses, to cede control of some rights and keep others. For objects, it's evident that there are a couple of ways to look at it. In "our" culture, ownership and control of an original is important, but there's no reason to assume that our attitude is the only one, or (dare I say it?) even the best one. If the futurists are right, we're entering an era where the copying of real objects will become increasingly cheaper and more accurate, and it's not too far-fetched to start thinking about what will happen when a factory in China can cheaply produce something that's indistinguishable from a real antique without radiocarbon dating. Whose standards will be primary in this copying? Will originality matter, or not? I don't have any answers, but it's something worth thinking about. F

3rd May 2009, 07:04 AM	#3
Nathaniel Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 865	Chinese weapons collectors are concerned with fakes...in fact on of the Chinese forums I know has a specific titled something like fake antique/ replicas, etc I remember taking the Chinese art history class in Hong Kong...and one thing I remember the teacher saying with Chinese painting originality was not valued necessarily but how it compared a recognized masterpiece. For museums, I can understand the use of replica's...as people highlight the use of the copy for dinosaur bones, but I do think it sad to see there is such a market for the knock offs...some know and they are find with this..but always it is buyer beware/ educated....the knock off our of china do seem to be getting better. I know for even some of the modern Chinese smiths there are knock off's of their swords...like Zheng Wu Tang.