Antique
As antiques (of Latin antiquitas , antiquity ' of batteries and antiquities ) refers to objects , usually artistic or handicraft kind that should be depending on the style at least 100 years old.
General
Antiques encompass all areas of human life from ancient times to modern times . However, these items do not necessarily have to have originally been intended as collectibles with the appropriate craftsmanship or material quality ( luxury goods , jewelry ); simple everyday objects , tools , agricultural implements , kitchen utensils, etc. can also change over time with corresponding rarity and age develop sought-after antiques.
Old books, writings, sheet music, newspapers and magazines are referred to as antiquarian . Art objects from antiquity are also called antiquities . The term antiquities refers more generally to evidence of cultural history (so-called monuments ) from antiquity .
In order to meet the requirement as an antique, the age of 100 years has been established for all objects in the antique trade, which comes from a DIN standard . According to DIN 68871 Section 4.2 (2016-06; "Furniture designations and their use"), antique furniture must be at least 100 years old and must not have been significantly changed afterwards through restoration . This ensures that their art historical value is preserved. These requirements can be applied to all objects of use.
For cultural goods , the " Council Regulation (EC) No. 116/2009 of December 18, 2008 on the export of cultural goods" also sets an age of 100 for archaeological objects and components of art and architectural monuments or religious monuments and books in Appendix 1 Years ahead. According to this, archives are antique if they are over 50 years old, means of transport from 75 years or others from 50 years (such as toys , carpets or watchmaking goods ). The reason for this classification is that the antiques mentioned are subject to an export ban and therefore require a state export permit .
Antique trade
history
Antiques were already traded in the early days and ancient times . The Romans, for example, liked to surround themselves with sculptures from Greece, the great demand also led to the making of copies. In the Middle Ages , priests, scholars and nobles primarily collected old and rare objects and exhibited them in natural history cabinets or chambers of curiosities . In addition to the actual collectors, the trade in antiques developed from the rag collectors to the modern antique trade, which today mostly specializes in certain subject areas. Flea markets and auctions as well as events such as coin exchanges or TV programs such as Bares für Rares or art and clutter are popular .
Performance
In the case of works of art (paintings, sculptures , etc.) there is a smooth transition between the old art and antiques trade. Antiques often achieve a high selling price at auctions , which increases with age, condition and rarity. In addition, the objects are often made of very high quality (mostly by hand) or are made of materials that are expensive today (e.g. solid precious woods for furniture).
Within certain limits, however, prices are also influenced by fashion, in that popular objects in particular achieve higher prices. Farm furniture was in great demand in the 1970s and 80s, but is now sold at significantly lower prices. In contrast, design classics were extremely popular in 2017 and are accordingly highly paid for. Practical aspects also play a role in pricing: objects that are difficult to accommodate in a normal apartment (e.g. unusually tall furniture) are more difficult to sell.
The best-known international auction houses include Sotheby’s and Christie's .
Trade restrictions
Depending on their origin, some antiques are not permitted for free trade (so-called res extra commercium ) if they are specially protected by applicable laws; This is especially true for objects from antiquity and those that come from excavation sites . In Germany, cultural goods are not generally withdrawn from trade. The export of cultural goods of national importance, however, requires a permit under the Cultural Property Protection Act , which may be refused. Objects that are made from materials from animal species that are now protected under the Washington Convention on the Protection of Species (e.g. tortoiseshell or ivory ) are also subject to certain trade restrictions, although trade can be permitted if it can be proven that the objects were made before 1947.
Fakes
Since the antiques become rarer with increasing age and thus the prices rise, there are always imitations and forgeries . The difference to the originals can often only be determined by experts. However, forgeries of high-quality pieces that appear deceptively real usually require a great deal of material and manual labor, so that even a price that would actually be appropriate to an original often does not make the forgery seem worthwhile. For this reason, falsifications are often encountered, in which original pieces are changed in order to simulate a higher age or in order to obtain objects that are in greater demand. Wardrobes that are found more often are converted into showcases that are actually rarer but particularly sought-after. Individual parts that are inherently old, which are put together to form a new object, are also common. In the simplest case, for example, an old secretary and the top of a top cupboard are connected to form a top-mounted secretary, which collectors aptly call "marriage". Cases are known in which old furniture parts (cabinet doors, drawers, moldings, fittings, etc.) were built using old wood (e.g. from demolished houses) on an industrial scale, some of which were also offered in department stores. In such practices, the line between legitimate restoration using old material is often blurred.
In addition, as early as the 19th century, at the time of historicism , such combinations were built from old parts, which today are even more difficult to recognize due to their age of more than 100 years, but on the other hand can themselves be considered antiques. The same applies, for example, to the ceramics that were newly produced in this time based on the old model , which can often only be determined by experts due to the largely similar type of craft and the material used.
The forging of antiques is not a separate offense in Germany, but is punished as fraud under Section 263 of the Criminal Code and possibly forgery of documents under Section 267 of the Criminal Code. The production of imitations as such (even with artificial signs of age) is therefore not punishable, but the fraudulent sale as an alleged original, possibly also with forged documents that are supposed to prove the age or the origin from a known collection. When buying in specialist shops, at antique fairs or reputable auction houses, it is usually possible to have the seller issue a certificate of authenticity and, in case of doubt, to request the return. When buying at flea markets or auctions , however, the principle "bought as seen" usually applies, which excludes return if a forgery is discovered.
Epochs and styles
The chronological assignment is often based on the art historical epochs. These relate to the respective language and cultural area and can therefore differ from one another. In the cultures of Africa, America and Asia different epoch names apply than in Europe. It should also be noted that the styles z. B. in furniture and accessories have not always developed at the same time as the architectural styles, but often later and sometimes under different names.
The following classification initially refers to the German-speaking area.
11th to 20th centuries
| 11-13 century | Romanesque |
| 12-16 century | Gothic |
| 15.-16. century | Renaissance |
| 16th Century | mannerism |
| 1600-1770 | Baroque |
| 1720-1770 | Rococo |
| 1760-1830 | classicism |
| 1790-1840 | romance |
| 1830-1870 | realism |
| 1850-1900 | historicism |
| 1860 to the beginning of the 20th century | impressionism |
| 1870–1890 ( early days ) | symbolism |
| 1890-1920 | Art Nouveau |
Modern
The following styles are relevant for modern times (approx. 1900 to 1950):
One can distinguish antiques by looking at the craftsmanship details, although the beginning and end of individual style periods cannot be clearly defined for a specific year. In some cases, details from the previous epoch were adopted, new developments were developed - often in contrast to the previous - and a style flourished. The year information for the beginning or the end of an epoch is only a kind of framework. Much of what had proven itself was carried on for a long time in the country, but in the city they were already looking for a change.
Even originally everyday items such as B. Kitchen appliances can be sought-after antiques with a corresponding age. Many antique dealers have specialized in a few styles or types of antiques (e.g. furniture, clocks, porcelain, etc.) over time. Art and antiques are increasingly being offered together. There is an overlap with the activities of museums , since on the one hand antiques are often in private collections, on the other hand they are also bought by the state. Often, museums also temporarily borrow items from private collections for exhibitions, or privately built collections end up permanently in museum possession through inheritance or purchase.
literature
- Walter Grasser: Antiques as an investment. Heyneverlag, Munich 1975, ISBN 3-453-41125-0 .
- Walter Grasser: Antiques as a hobby . Munich 1977, ISBN 3-453-41214-1 .
- Rudolf Majonica: Kitchen antiquities , Battenberg Verlag, Augsburg 1997, ISBN 3-89441-343-3 .
- Helmut Seling (ed.): Keyser's art and antiques book. 3 volumes. Keysersche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Heidelberg (later Munich) 1957, 1959, 1967.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Kunstlexikon BeyArs.com
- ↑ Antiquity . Duden online
- ↑ Antiquities . Duden online
- ↑ Augsburger Allgemeine . 2017.
- ↑ bfn.de ( Memento from April 23, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Miraculous Multiplication. In: Der Spiegel of September 27, 1982.
- ↑ https://www.hannover-online.de/news-lesen/art-fair-antiquitaeten-auf-der-kunstmesse-in-herrenhausen.html
- ↑ http://www.ostsee-zeitung.de/Vorpommern/Ribnitz-Damgarten/Barth/Im-Technikmuseum-iegen-die-Lichter-aus
- ↑ https://www.zeit.de/2008/02/Kunstmarkt_Warum_kauf_ein_Scheich
- ↑ https://www.wa.de/lokales/werne/museum-kauf-raetselhaft-zinndose-2455263.html
