Is this £5 Car Boot Buy a CHINESE MING DYNASTY BRONZE?

[@stevenbrown8857]

That is a beautiful object. With a sympathetic stand to display it, I would prefer it to a perfect example. What a thing.

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

I know what you mean… me too!

[@anthonycutting5776]

Great Find at the Carboot and well done to giving the Young up and coming dealer some of your time Sir Bravo! (also good luck at the auction.

[@PatrickFrawley-h7f]

I have been back and forth to China well over 50 times over the years and I cant get enough of the real delicious Chinese cuisine. Thats what I miss when I am back in the UK. Goose on my favorite street venue or deep fried big prawns and many more of my favorites in the many restaurants I know.

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

I think we need a few more trips to improve our taste buds!

[@christianh351]

Brilliant vid and a brilliant find, well done that buyer. You’re in the best of company with David. I‘ve been fortunate to work with David and cannot recommend him highly enough! Wishing you all the luck in the world.

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Thank you Christian

[@Ronansd1]

Great video. Thank you again David for the help and the auctioneers too! I’m looking forward to seeing what it fetches :) -Ronan

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Cheers Ronan

[@stephanieknuppel7428]

Incredible find, you really can tell it has age cause of the patina , looking forward to hearing the results at the auction, so many treasures to find still out there !

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

They are…if you get up early!

[@user-vx2tt9cu9y]

Great video, we love Summersgills Auctioneers, Tim is a hoot!

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Absolutely right…and more to come from Summersgills soon!

[@pauldaviesantiques1556]

What a fantastic find. Well done him for grabbing it for a fiver.

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Brilliant isn’t it

[@valerierennison7616]

So Interesting, and an amazing find.

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Thank you

[@full_time_motorhome]

Please do a quick video on the sale value. Love the expert insight of this piece.

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Thanks, will do

[@dougleandmaize16]

@@DavidHarperAntiques yes please, am keen to see what it sells for.

[@spacelord1913]

Sounds like a bargain for something so old, good luck to the guy in the auction. It would look lovely on a custom carved piece of wood.

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

@@spacelord1913 I’ll be there filming it…I’m looking forward to it!

[@pooooornopigeon]

Fantastic.

[@Mingbaakmei]

If this piece is made by a 'lost wax' process with a single mould, which is destroyed after manufacture, then it is indeed unique, BUT having made the Original by that process it is then possible for the Original to form the basis for a 'piece mouid' to be made out of clay. As the name suggests the mould is made of pieces which can be separated, reassembled and re-used. The mould when reassembled and is lined with liquid wax which is allowed to set. Then a sand/clay mixture is poured into the mould, with vents to ensure no trapped air, the bronze it then poured into the wax filled part of the mould, where again the wax is replaced. Once cooled the mould is opened, the bronze item removed and its interior filling likewise discarded. This means an item is not unique and can be reproduced for as long as the piece mould can last and again if the original has been retained then a new, or several new, piece moulds can be made. The item is very nicely crafted, however I do not think it to be so finely sculpted that it is likely to be unique, I think it much more likely to be a product of 'piece mould' manufacture.

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Good and interesting information, thank you.

[@ronmellor5951]

Great video, I have no qualms about buying real antiques with damage, it shows the item has had a life. They can usually can be had for song. I really like antique porcelain with period staple repairs, not only is the porcelain nice with a period repair but you get to the added bonus of an antique repair. I have also generally found that real antiques with a period repair were expensive items when new to warrant a proper repair.

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Couldn't agree more…I always recommend people buy damaged pieces, especially to learn from

[@leeliu5182]

It's a very interesting piece but a few things strange - on the draping sleeve of statue there appears a spot the lacquer has peeled off and reveals a silvery metal beneath. it seems that the statue itself is silver color and that the whole thing is enameled over. If statue originally a silver colored piece it would rhen be made of silver, which would make it super important piece, if it is an antique piece. Other metals they what's my understanding are bronze copper gold. They use tin and antimony but it can't really used for fine sculpture, but not sure. since I don't think i. So if it were made of silver it means it would also like to be likely to be gilded. Also im not aware older examples that are completely painted over including the face and body parts. For example if you're looking ceramics the painted figures in earlier examples the faces are either covered in whhite slip and clear glaze white or left to the biscuit. And at least how late is from my understanding that in 20th century that they started painting the faces to different colors including light flesh tones. Lastly the stand is kind of weird it might have been added on later, but if it were a part of the statue originally it doent seem to have Chinese or asian vibe to me. it almost looks italian rococco. If base original thenn there's a very very small chance it could be from the 18th century as an export but not very likely, imo. It could be also 19th c japanese but doubtful

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Thanks you for your very interesting observations and time in studying the piece…love it and appreciate it. It’s definitely bronze, lost wax process, has been enamel painted, gilded too. The results video will be published tonight. D

[@mfranssens]

I think it’s later. Just my opinion and I haven’t handled it. I saw some pieces with similar deterioration in China. So hard to tell online. They bury them, water them, leave them in acidic baths. All to try and build up a surface of corrosion, but it’s often too much. Trouble is funerary items are also buried. Go look at the greenish metal food & wine vessels purporting to be archaic.

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

True, there are some clever fakes around…I’m happy with this one though. Take a look inside the base…it’s definitely ‘lost wax process’ so makes sense to be the age we think it is

[@7thHanuman]

Thank you for your great videos. My humble opinion of the bronze...it is not genuine Ming period. This bronze took a beating, but the 'forehead' is pristine condition. I believe the wear on this bronze was intentional.

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Interesting, thank you. We shall see what the bidders think in auction. It’s selling tomorrow (link in video description) If you’re right, it won’t sell. If I’m right (I know I am) it will sell for the estimate or more!

[@7thHanuman]

@DavidHarperAntiques I have no control if the bronze sell or not. I wanted to share my humble opinion of the bronze based on my observation from your video. :-)

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

@@7thHanuman No, but dealers and collectors will decide

[@SteelDriving]

"If it wasn't broken or damaged, you might think it's a fake." You gentleman were SO close! I look forward to auction results, but I have doubts about this piece.

[@SteelDriving]

I'm curious if anyone has ever seen a bronze figure with this type of damage, or if anyone has any plausible theories as to how this damage came to be.

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

I’ve seen many bronze figures similar to this from this period. I think I did say in the film that these things are not as rare as people imagine

[@FrederickBowdler]

I think the word I am searching for is "distressed"

[@w.urlitzer1869]

It's a presse-papier for Post Its

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

our low budget film productions sometimes show!

[@philmulrooney7020]

Vietnam and hated the food? I’m stunned, the best food on the planet

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

He’s prefers Yorkshire Fayre!

[@Walt_G]

Whenever I see these car-boot bargains on you-tube I can't help but feel a little sorry for the seller if they ever watch the video themselves

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

I know what you mean, but it’s just what happens in life!

[@Walt_G]

@@DavidHarperAntiques absolutely, I'm not saying anyone is doing anything wrong, I just feel a bit sorry for them when they realise their error..

[@williamwindfield4820]

Looking bronze lacquer, yes They use lacquer , but condition is not perfect , could be from Ming dynasty .Estimate 200 - 300 pounds

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

We value it at £200 to £300

[@Neil2022]

My guess is a brolly. Maybe a golf brolly. Ping?

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

That would make it very unique!

[@dougl945]

My feeling is a clever fake. Damage is often faked to fool people.

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

No point in faking something like

[@FrederickBowdler]

I can't see a brolly . I see a scroll.

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Yes, a scroll would make sense too

[@theacefacejames]

Honestly I am amazed that 'an expert' would suggest restoring it or 'cutting it down' 😅. As if you would mess with something like that if it was ming. Bomb damage 😅 child stuck a firework up it😂 medal detectorist put a spade through it😅 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

You’ll notice that with all my videos, they’re unscripted, just a conversation as it happens…throwing ideas around is how you come to conclusions

[@theacefacejames]

@DavidHarperAntiques sorry David I'd had a few beers when I watched this so was feeling sprightly. I understand. What I meant was, I'd hoped the days of 'cutting things down', to make them more symmetrical/to hide their flaws, had died out with stripping back and refinishing the tops of fine brown furniture. Apologies

[@milsub59]

This cost a fiver....so it was carrying a £200 reserve ...why? Rhetoric.

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

You need to watch more videos on my channel about antiques and auctions…it’ll all make sense!

[@frankvelez691]

Gruesome previous conversation, please do not that again

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Which previous conversation was gruesome?…I think you’re commenting on the wrong channel!

[@frankvelez691]

@ The one about poultry predilections, no one cares, I was about to skip it, but the statue was exceedingly pretty, so I decided to put up with your cockney wankerish rigmarole.