Antique Porcelain
Rare, historically significant porcelain from before the mid-19th century
Antique porcelain refers to pieces created before the era of serial industrial production (approximately before the 1850s). Such items are valued for their handcrafted mastery, historical context, and unique firing and painting techniques. For example, "antique Sèvres" with royal marks, found only at court, commands incredibly high prices at auctions.
A common misconception: a new collector once sold a typical 18th-century dish to a consignment shop for a pittance, thinking "old equals cheap"—and later kicked themselves upon seeing it at Sotheby’s for thousands of euros. Distinguishing antique porcelain is not easy—the mark, the quality of the paste, and the surface gloss are important. If you come across porcelain with clear signs of hand modeling, exquisite colors, and complex shapes, it is worth a closer look; it might be genuine museum-quality antique.