Our Chinese Art Consultation and Appraisal Specialties
Chinese Art General
Chinese Fine Art (Paintings and Prints)
Textiles (Embroideries and Kesi Tapestries)
Tibetan Art Objects
Ming /Qing Furniture and Ceramics
Wood/Ivory Carvings
Decorative Arts
Why Commission an Art Appraisal
Selling a fine work of art without commissioning an appraisal is a lot more difficult than selling real estate when you have no knowledge of the local real estate market. To begin with, inspiring works of Chinese art have an aesthetic quality and a history that are difficult even for Ph.D.’s to appreciate and explain. In addition, the art market is quite unlike the real estate market, in that it is mysterious, difficult to learn about, and subject to significant fluctuation. You can’t just look up the previous sales records for the object you wish to sell (or buy). These important pieces of knowledge, however, are provided in a professional art appraisal.
A professional art appraisal report usually provides you with the crucial information about your art work you need to know in working with an auction house or dealer. Many owners are overwhelmed by dealers who do not take the time to explain unfamiliar terminology from the worlds of Chinese aesthetics and modern art sales. A knowledgeable owner, educated about the object as well as how objects like it have fared on the market in the recent past, stands a much better chance of profit when negotiating from a position of strength.
An expert art appraisal not only prepares you to deal with professional buyers, but also opens new opportunities. Many people assume that an auction house will always offer the best value for their object, but that is often not true. You need to consider (and understand) an adjusted value estimate, the calculation of insurance costs, fees for catalog illustrations, buy-back reserve fees, and other extra charges and conditions typically subtracted from the hammer price of an auction sale. A professional art appraisal alerts you to these possible charges in clear language and also helps you think creatively about other options, including museum donation, gift to charity, and other measures that can help reduce your tax burden.
Have you received a letter from an auction house that is vague or more complicated than you expected? Don’t panic! --The art appraisal report prepared by our Chinese art specialists will provide all the information you need to sell your Chinese art successfully.
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