Messages

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Set of 4 oriental 'paintings' - but no idea of origin, age or 'type'

« on: October 07, 2011, 05:27:39 am »

Yeah, I have to say I quite like them too, although can't exactly put my finger on why.  Guess that's the way with a lot of art!  Well, many thanks again for your help everyone

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Set of 4 oriental 'paintings' - but no idea of origin, age or 'type'

« on: October 05, 2011, 06:36:50 am »

Thanks, Mart....  Of course.....plaster!  Can't believe I didn't think of that, your comments and the bubbling definitely bears that out.  Ah well, guess they're not worth anything much then hehe

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Set of 4 oriental 'paintings' - but no idea of origin, age or 'type'

« on: October 05, 2011, 04:00:33 am »

Thanks so much for replying guys.  I've uploaded a few more close-in images.  Sorry they were too big before, Mart, I'm not sure if you mean in dimensions or filesize, but I've tried to optimise these a little more and make the dimensions smaller.

You'll note that they seem to be completely sealed into their wooden frames, so I've no way of knowing what the backing might actually be behind and trying to remove the frames would destroy them.  Maybe the wear and tear is just age?

Thanks for posting that helpful ivory ID link, talesofthesevenseas . I followed it up hoping that it might be ivory, but to be honest I think it might be just celluloid.  Also, if you look at the last image (and I didn't notice this when photographing, only when I was sharpening the image) there are two little 'bubble' type things on the character's neck.  Indicative of plastic or some other material? 

Hope these images might shed a bit more light, guys, and thanks for being so helpful thus far

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Antique Questions Forum / Set of 4 oriental 'paintings' - but no idea of origin, age or 'type'

« on: October 04, 2011, 10:19:09 am »

Hi there,

I'm really sorry that I can offer no insight at all into what these are/where they originated from/how old they are, but I was hoping that somebody else might have a clue to offer. I did contact an dealer in oriental antiques, but as yet have received no reply. 

I don't really know much about art, much less oriental art, but these are a set of four 'paintings' and appear to be possibly Japanese in origin. They do not fall under my typical taste in art, yet I find them strangely compelling, perhaps because they appear to be something that has been crafted rather than mass-produced (obviously I could be completely wrong there!)

Although I said they are paintings, part of them is kind of done in relief work, mainly the characters, rocks/some foliage and the roofs of the buildings.  I don't know what material was used for this part of them, some of it feels cold like stone, and other parts like the character's faces look almost like ivory.  There appear to be no markings denoting an artist or any other means of identification on either the pictures or the frames/back of the frames (and definitely not 'Made In Taiwan' - they feel and look like they could be quite old)

If anyone has any idea about what these might be, or what type of oriental art they are, so that I could better research them, I'd really appreciate it. 

I've linked to some photos below. 

Thanks very much for your time