Jade Trickery

By: Bobbie Leigh

February 2003

Ancient Chinese people believed that jade plugs placed along key points of the body would preserve the spirit of the deceased. So strong was the belief in jade’s magical powers that royals often were buried in jade suits covering their entire bodies. In the past 20 years, as the excavation of burial tombs in China has increased, a few jade suits have turned up. “Unfortunately, most of them are fake,” says Dr. Frank Preusser, former associate director for the Getty Conservation Institute for Scientific Research, who authenticates antiquities, especially jade, in his California lab. “There are about 20 known jade suits made to cover the body head to toe. I have seen seven of those 20, and in my opinion, five are fake.” With so much new material being excavated, con artists are seizing the opportunity to dump fake jade “artifacts” on the market. In terms of authenticating jade, we are in what Preusser calls “frontier country.”

Dealer and collector Jem Hom agrees. “I was in China twice this year to investigate various jade pieces and saw some good fakes and some terrible ones,” he says. Hom warns prospective buyers that some fakes are so convincing that it’s necessary to go through a scientific process to authenticate them.

The Chinese have been working jade since roughly 6000 B.C. In ancient times, it was considered a sign of social class as well as a magical material imbued with healing powers. Almost all the jade worked by the Chinese until at least the 17th century was nephrite, a calcium and magnesium silicate that can be found in a range of colors. Some collectors favor the highly polished bright-green jade for its luster, but most cherish the rare Neolithic ritual objects found in burial tombs.

Because jade is so hard, as a rule it can’t be shaped by chipping or by chiseling. Contemporary jade workers use machinery with diamond-tipped burrs to grind out intricate designs. Before such modern stone-working tools existed, Chinese artisans used bamboo, bone and stone tools to work jade. To make the holes in a bi disc, one of the six standard ritual jade objects, workers used a bow drill, perhaps using quartz sand and crushed garnet as an abrasive. Particularly fine bi, symbolizing the sky or the heavens, are regarded as national or personal treasures and are handed down from generation to generation.

Recognizing the Real Thing

Along with the rising number of legitimate jade excavations, Dr. Elizabeth Childs-Johnson, who has devoted more than 20 years to the study of jade, agrees that fake jade also is becoming more commonplace. With their simple shapes and exquisite patina, jade objects unearthed at these ancient sites have great appeal for collectors, who relish the opportunity to own a 3,000-year-old, strikingly beautiful Chinese artifact. Currently, Neolithic jade prices are roughly in the $10,000 to $20,000 range. Before acquiring one of these ancient works, it’s advisable to rely on the experience of an art historian who specializes in antiquities from China and a professional who has what Childs-Johnson has dubbed “qualified eyes.” Spencer Throckmorton III, a well-known collector and dealer in ancient jade, is such an expert. He cites the following criteria for authenticating jade:

Tool signatures. A close inspection of a piece’s surface under a microscope will reveal if the object was hand- or machine-made. Marks from today’s high-speed carving, drilling and polishing tools are discernible under a microscope. Forgers also tend to leave telltale signs with multiple grits or modern abrasives.

Patination. Material that has been buried for centuries undergoes physical and chemical changes that produce a random, uneven patina that is virtually impossible to duplicate. Authentic patina is the result of prolonged exposure to the different types of soil found in the tomb. When a piece of jade has been buried for thousands of years, its physical changes are very consistent; under a microscope you can see the actual structure of the patina.

Chemical alterations. To create an authentic-looking aged surface, forgers go to extremes using an astounding number of techniques, including the use of pressure cookers, modern dyes, blowtorches to produce a black coloring and burying in a pit with soil mixed with urine and other caustic chemicals so the piece will corrode. Regardless of the forgers’ skill and sophistication, though, their techniques are still the equivalent of slapping makeup on a young face to make it look old. According to the experts, it is virtually impossible to duplicate a surface that has aged slowly over time.

Though fakes are almost ubiquitous now and forgers, some of whom actually run factories in China, are becoming more skilled in ingenious uses of lasers and chemicals, they do slip up. Forgers rarely are art historians. They might make mistakes with iconography, improper carving and forms that reveal their duplicity. And even when forgers manage to get the style right, they are faced with the enormous challenge of how to age the object. “Part of what I am doing to determine age is science,” Preusser says. “Maybe 95 percent is verifiable—you can put it into a database; but when it comes to jade, not everything that contributes to authenticity is quantifiable.”

Working with an experienced Sinologist art historian, a reliable, well-established dealer and a knowledgeable lab scientist can be a security net for the prospective collector who still can find authentic jades of rare beauty. Just keep in mind that research and expertise should back up any purchase.

For More Information
Asian Art Museum, Avery Brundage Collection of Chinese Jades, San Francisco, CA (415) 379-8800.
Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA (415) 581-3500.
Elizabeth Childs-Johnson, Sinologist, John P. Getty Fellow, Center for Advanced Study for the Visual Arts, The National Gallery of Art.
Frank Preusser & Associates Inc., West Hills, CA (818) 348-0481.
Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, DC (202) 357-4880.
Jem Hom, Richmond, VA. (804) 217-9811.
Robyn Turner Gallery, San Francisco, CA (415) 474-4342.
The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL (312) 443-3600.
Throckmorton Fine Art, New York, NY (212) 223-1059, www.throckmorton-nyc.com.
TK Oriental Antiques, Williamsburg, VA (757) 229-7720.