Chinese daggers - more colourful as christmas trees

[mahratt]

These are souvenirs made in the 20th century.

[mariusgmioc]

Originally Posted by mahratt

These are souvenirs made in the 20th century.

Exactly!

Souvenirs for tourists. Some of them are even marked with the famous "MADE IN CHINA" logo.

[Gonzoadler]

Thanks for the first answers.
I don´t think that these daggers are modern souvenirs, but of course it is possible that they are old ones. Most auction houses date them around 1900. Also they are really rare, completely handmade, well made and not cheap:

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item...se-mounted-dag

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item...ger-with-stand

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item...jeweled-dagger

Not one of them is marked with "made in China". Also only precious materials were used. Actually the German auction house Thies sells a bigger similar piece:

(edited: links to live auctions is strictly forbidden on our forums)

Of course there are some modern souvenirs in the same style, but they are often only silver plated and the quality is not really comparable:

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item...oise-medallion

Of course my daggers are looking a little bit kitschy, but this is not uncommon for Chinese antiques. I hope it is OK that I linked some auctions.
Maybe more opinions regarding my two pieces?

Regards

[mahratt]

Originally Posted by Gonzoadler

Thanks for the first answers.
I don´t think that these daggers are modern souvenirs, but of course it is possible that they are old ones. Most auction houses date them around 1900. Also they are really rare, completely handmade, well made and not cheap:

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item...se-mounted-dag

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item...ger-with-stand

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item...jeweled-dagger

Not one of them is marked with "made in China". Also only precious materials were used. Actually the German auction house Thies sells a bigger similar piece:

(LINKS TO LIVE AUCTIONS PROHIBITED)

Of course there are some modern souvenirs in the same style, but they are often only silver plated and the quality is not really comparable:

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item...oise-medallion

Of course my daggers are looking a little bit kitschy, but this is not uncommon for Chinese antiques. I hope it is OK that I linked some auctions.
Maybe more opinions regarding my two pieces?

Regards

1. The task of the auction house is to sell the item
2. Not all auction houses have good specialists ...

I'm sorry, but these are not antiques. Vintage at best ...

[Gonzoadler]

But the last one from Thiele auctions is with provenance.
Of course I can state that they lie, but I don't think so.
Who should buy such a souvenir an who should sell it?
It's laborous and expensive to produce.
Please, show me pictures of sale advertisements or from a modern market with these daggers, any evidence.
Or explain your answere, why you think so?
"It's new, period." is not really convincing.

[mariusgmioc]

Everybody is entitled to his/her own opinion and we all believe what we want to believe.

I have owned a couple of such daggers and I am pretty sure they are all 20th century decorative pieces. And yes, some of them are well made and decorated with semi-precious stones that have been used as gifts/presents. In fact, that is their main purpose: to be used as gifts, presents, souvenirs.

Regarding the description from the auction houses, please note that almost all auction houses, in their terms and conditions of sales, have disclaimers that absolve them of any discrepancies/errors/misinterpretations in the descriptions of the lots sold. So they basically can describe any lot as they please, without bearing any responsibility for the accuracy of description... and they describe their lots to fetch higher prices.

Prince Tommaso di Savoia died in 1931 so if one dagger comes from his collection, it doesn't mean it is 19th century.

In conclusion, I fully agree with Mahratt.

PS: Here is the one it was in my possesion, then sold it a long time ago. It was solid silver with semi-precious stones and exceptional workmanhip... and marked "MADE IN CHINA"...

[Jim McDougall]

Robin, I agree, these are very 'Christmasey' , astutely noted (wouldn't mind having one under my tree!).
Your questions are well placed.

I agree with Mahratt, the use of the word vintage is likely the best description, and these do seem to have been a style and character around for quite some time, probably embellished versions of much earlier examples.

I have seen these in antique stores, often, if not typically, listed as 'Tibetan'. I have been under the impression these may have been votive pieces in Tibetan temples, and dramatic symbolism is key in Tantric Buddhism and Bon religions. Precious stones and symbolic values of them is well established in the ritual and presence in these temples. I think of the spiritual 'phurbu' daggers, which are of course smaller but often ornately appointed.

It seems many of these I mention from antique stores were indeed 'vintage' having some age to them, extremely well made, and we may presume China, however remember China's suzerainty in Tibet. Tibetan artisans in border regions often produced weaponry for China as a kind of periodic tribute expectancy. These may have been among that circumstance, and perhaps copied from the votive type weapons I noted.

I agree most auctioneers have a degree of latitude in thier offerings, however most of the more well known ones are somewhat guarded in descriptions as their clientele is usually notably knowledgeable, and reputation is important in the higher strata of collecting. While certainly commercial entities have tried to capitalize on these kinds of 'vintage' examples in more modern times, there are still good numbers of them out there which are/were genuinely intended as either votives or occasionally diplomatic gifts possibly in the manner of the 'tribute' circumstance.

Obviously a number of possibilities, but regardless, these examples shown seem of outstandng quality, the use of precious stones and metalwork not withstanding. I would think these out of the usual lesser qualityof tourist souvenirs.

As noted, everyone is entitled to opinion, and this is mine.
Thank you for sharing these, gave me a Christmas smile!

[Philip]

Originally Posted by mariusgmioc

. In fact, that is their main purpose: to be used as gifts, presents, souvenirs.

Regarding the description from the auction houses, please note that almost all auction houses, in their terms and conditions of sales, have disclaimers that absolve them of any discrepancies/errors/misinterpretations in the descriptions of the lots sold. So they basically can describe any lot as they please, without bearing any responsibility for the accuracy of description... and they describe their lots to fetch higher prices.

Prince Tommaso di Savoia died in 1931 so if one dagger comes from his collection, it doesn't mean it is 19th century.

Agreed. These daggers come in a wide variety of configurations, some short swords actually (even with cut-down old Chinese and Japanese blades with clumsily reshaped tips and even pseudo Manchu or Mongolian-ish inscriptions in koftgari). Decorative, for the tourist trade is the common denominator.

Provenance is something that auctioneers and retail dealers are pretty cavalier about. About a decade ago, at the Las Vegas Antique Arms Show, I saw a very nicely made example of this genre, a jian (double edged sword), with the lavish silver and hardstone deco befitting something sold at Vegas, with a "provenance " document linking it to the estate of a US military officer who served in the Far East, including China, in the early 1930s. It was merely a typrwritten letter from someone in the family, dated some years before I saw the sword, attesting to the fact. Together with some old new clipping about the owner, but not mentioning the sword. I rather doubted whether it was even the original typed document that it claimed to be. . The sword may well have been early 20th cent. it was a fine example of the type for someone who really liked this stuff, but the unsubstantiated war story really didn't do a thing for it.

But buyers are funny. Someone else might buy the story and think the piece is truly important because of this.

" Men tend to believe in those things which they wish to be true." --Julius Caesar.

[Gonzoadler]

Originally Posted by mariusgmioc

PS: Here is the one it was in my possesion, then sold it a long time ago. It was solid silver with semi-precious stones and exceptional workmanhip... and marked "MADE IN CHINA"...

That is a good point, but you can´t really make a dating with that inscription. For example in England, foreign products are marked in that way since the end of the 19th century (since 1891 in many other countries). That is also the origin for the designation "made in Germany". That was be thought as warning before inferior German products, but the quality of German products was good and it became a seal of approval. It only shows that your dagger was made for the export, most likely after 1891.

Regards

[mahratt]

Originally Posted by Gonzoadler

But the last one from Thiele auctions is with provenance.
Of course I can state that they lie, but I don't think so.
Who should buy such a souvenir an who should sell it?
It's laborous and expensive to produce.
Please, show me pictures of sale advertisements or from a modern market with these daggers, any evidence.
Or explain your answere, why you think so?
"It's new, period." is not really convincing.

Everything has already been written by colleagues on the forum

[Gonzoadler]

Originally Posted by mahratt

Everything has already been written by colleagues on the forum

No, not really
I can only read speculations and no real knowledge. I can also begin to speculate, but I prefer to use some facts and not only accusations against auction houses: Between 1898 and 1914 Kiautschou Bay was a German leased territory in China. Many officials and soldiers brought their souvenirs to the German Empire after they came back home. In other countries with chinese colonies it was did in the same way.
These pieces were often stereotypically Chinese decorated, because this was what the European market wanted. Exotic decorations were "in fashion". Also the colonists often had much more money than the local Chinese people and were able to buy such things for higher prices in higher quantities.
As examples I added pictures of some teapots, vases and daggers which were such antique souvenirs in my opinion. They are all made of good quality and would be far to expensive for a modern souvenir. Also many of this pieces have authentic signs of age.
I think my thesis is much more realistic than the others here. If somebody can show me facts, not speculations, that can refute my words in a proper way, please do that.
If I search for "chinese silver daggers" on liveaustioneers, I can find a lot of touristic pieces. But also there are some much older pieces of good quality, which are recognizable because of the much higher price results.

Regards

pictures:

[David]

Originally Posted by Gonzoadler

I hope it is OK that I linked some auctions.
Maybe more opinions regarding my two pieces?

Just to clarify your question about links to auctions. From my viewing most of these auctions seemed to be already over. But one of them was still active until December 12th and i deleted that link since posting live auctions does indeed violate the rules of these forums.
As for the remaining links, i will leave them for the Ethno Mods to decide. The one thing i will say about posting such links is that they will become absolutely useless to future discussion is just a short period of time because the online auction house will delete them soon and the links will then become dead ends. Therefore we always encourage people to post example images directly to these pages so that they will remain in our archives. (Of course, you still should not upload images here if the auctions you take them from are still active. )