Antiques - definition and age

Antiques - definition and age

Antiques - definition and age

Antiquity is the proverbial "subject matter-ruler", around which countless myths have already grown up, repentant for decades of mistakes and sometimes fierce disputes. Sometimes, the connoisseur will not consider a popular antique and of a damaged 19th century object, and a layman will boast having an "antique" cabinet from a plywood, purchased in the seventies in the some Furniture Store.
So what is the definition and age of antiques? What is an antique anymore, and what is an old object, commonly called "old age"? Contrary to appearances, a strict, mathematical limit cannot be set here (the law defines the age of antiquity as at least 100 years). The most sensible thing to do seems to be the assumption that an antique is no less than a few decades old, preserved in original state, an object of historical value (historical, artistic or scientific) and aesthetic and material.

Stylish and stylized objects

A common layman's dilemma and abuse field for unreliable sellers.

A stylish object is simply ... an original, created in a particular the era, style, artistic circle, etc. What's important is that maybe, but not necessarily he is an antique (e.g. 20 or 30 years old). Age is completely irrelevant here. Both the Romanesque crucifix (antique) will be a stylistic object, as well as this cabinet from 70's furniture store (not antique).

 A stylized object is a later one (usually completely contemporary) imitation of the original, i.e. a stylish object. Quality imitation is very different - from worthless trash, produced machine-tooled in the Far East from plastic or waste, up to high artistic class handmade in wood.

Replicas, copies, forgeries ...

 

For most people, these three terms are ...the same, meaning fraud.  Unfortunately, nothing more wrong.

 

A replica - is a re-made (usually by the author of the original or his studio) work, which is also sometimes a slightly modified and improved "version" of the original.

A copy is produced for teaching purposes, as a souvenir, exhibition or decorative, precise reproduction of the original, clearly and permanently marked as a copy (often with manufacturer's data). 

Falsification - is, on the other hand, a deliberate fraud, i.e. an imitation of the original, not marked as true as possible, produced solely for the purpose of mystification for financial gain.  Selling counterfeits and copies as originals is punishable.