Porcelain authentication sounds mystical but has a path. Five anchors, in order, filter most questions before a professional ever needs to see the piece.
1. Body: the skeleton of its age
The body is the hardest part to fake. Read its fineness, firing density (tap it: crisp or dull) and finishing marks — seam lines, turning marks, foot treatment. Imperial bodies differ clearly from folk wares.
2. Glaze: unctuous versus flashy
Old glaze glows from within; new copies flash. Read whether crackle is natural, whether pooling and tear-marks sit where the period's craft would put them.
3. Brushwork: the hand cannot lie
Each period has its hand — early Ming boldness, Chenghua delicacy, Kangxi-Qianlong discipline. Copies copy shapes, not hands. Under magnification, stroke starts and endings betray most fakes.
4. Marks: the six-character lesson
Imperial marks follow models: structure, stroke order, tonal depth. One rule: a good mark does not prove authenticity, but a poor one virtually disproves it.
5. Foot: the most honest part
The foot carries the most information: iron-rust spotting, knife chatter, glaze gaps, stacking scars — fingerprints of kiln and period. Turning a piece over first is trade basics.
After your own first pass, send six or more photos at original resolution via Consign for a written assessment; browse comparable pieces on the Porcelain page.
