Apart from the question of imltations and fakes pieces, the buyer of curios hag to be on his guard against mended pieces, oF those which have defect hidden by the skill of some master craftsman, Tt is said that in. Peiping it is possible to throw a porcelain vase on the ground and ave the fragments put together 30 that itis almost impossible to tell hat It had been broken.
"This 1s particularly so in the case of monochromes of single colour vases in whic not only breakages concealed by the application Of paste and colouring matter, bait flgo missing parts can be substituted that It is almost impossible to detect them, Nothing of any value should be bought unless it as been carefully examined through " powerful glass, while the Chinese never fail to ving a piece that comes into their hands asserting that they can {ell by the sound whether it has been mended or nol.
There are also super-craftsmen in the mending and repairing of bronzes, anda skilful application of patina Will hide all signs of their handiwork and cover up blemishes that exist One thing that should not be forgot ten is that no curious should be examined at night, as with artifeial Tight it ig dimicutt Haws which have been covered over or any repairs thet may have been ade, Three Classes of Customers There is another difficulty, however, which the dealers of "mination and fake curios have to surmount, no matter how muck skill or ingenully they may put Into the manufaelure of their goods, and that is to find purchasers for' them. Their custom or shall we say vieitims, may be placed under three headings, the first of which comprises. those who know little or nothin about curios, but "who fall a prey to the cunning schemes of the sellers, and who are persuaded to buy something about which they are entirely Ignorant The second class are those who know a certain amount about curios and who, full of their own conceit, Fefuse 10 ask the advice of others. This class supplies most of the victims of rascally dealers, who are debts at flattery, and who know well how to play upon the weaknesses such people.
The last classes are the experts: and here the diffquities of the mer-chauis are considerably increased, for among the first things to be remembered is that the experienced collector must not only be satisfied bout the genuines of the article, but he also wishes to know its histery and the place and conditions under which It was found. He also
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.