Counterfeit industry may crash antiques trade, experts warn

Panjiayuan market is a must-visit to many tourists. CFP Photo

National chain

Many people throughout the industry chain are enjoying an easy life with the income they make by their contributions to counterfeiting.

At a family courtyard in Shenhou County, the birthplace of Jun porcelain in Henan Province, countless porcelain sculptures occupy the whole yard. Ma Jukui, who works at the Porcelain Research Center in Henan Province, described these homes as counterfeit museums.

“Henan is a province where many ancient cultural artifacts are unearthed. Many villages have embraced the production of fakes as a new and profitable business. In fact, in many villges it is the pillar industry,” he said.The phenomenon is also widespread in Shanxi and Liaoning provinces. “In most cases, the place where the real artifacts are unearthedis the place where imitated ones are made, partly because of the inherited crafts and partly because of the abundance of raw materials,” said Li Yanjun.In keeping pace with modern technology, counterfeiting techniques have been improved to an astonishing level. Making an artifact look ancient is the most crucial step.

“A common method Shenhou Countypeople use is to bury the new porcelain for two or three years so it can absorb mud. They then dip it into a mixture of hydrochloric acid and ethyl alcohol, causing the mud to stick,” he said.Counterfeiters are even developing new techniques designed to beat current detection. Today, most artifacts are dated using a thermoluminescent dating technique.

“But it is easy to quickly ‘age’ the porcelain by putting it on an aircraft,” saivendor who refused to give his name. “The porcelain must go through an X-ray check at the airport, which makes the surface ‘age’ 200 years per second,” he said.