The Flood of Forgeries in China

Image Courtesy of the New York Times

In previous Museum Musing posts, I have written about the devastating prevalence of clandestine excavation around the world, as well as the ways in which this looting affects the preservation of our cultural heritage. I have also asserted the necessity for and responsibility of modern museums to maintain a set of ethical standards when acquiring new objects, in order to prevent their indirectly contributing to the worldwide destruction of cultural sites. I had yet to truly grasp, however, the extent to which the dark underbelly associated with the black market sale of art truly affects and adulterates the art market and auction houses in major countries all over the world.

A recent article in the New York Times fully exposes the widespread presence of forgery and the countless other issues concerning authenticity that are currently taking place in the Chinese art market. The article “A Culture of Bidding: Forging an Art Market in China,” examines the major causes behind the influx of forgeries in that country, and what is being done to assuage this growing problem. In the United States, the art of the old masters, as well as that of more contemporary and modern artists, represents many popular purchases in auction houses and the items acquired by museums. In China, however, the art market reflects traditional Chinese tastes and is thus inundated with the demand for almost exclusively ancient Chinese art. This incredible and incessant appetite for the art of the 15th century masters, and that of the 20th century artists that imitate the masters, has created an increasingly overwhelming pervasiveness of forgeries being sold in Chinese auction houses. Unfortunately, this means that the market is flooded with mass-produced forgeries in order to keep up with the high demand for this specific type of art. 

The international art market is no stranger to fraud, but the market in China "is particularly vulnerable because, like many industries in China, it has expanded too fast for regulators to keep pace." Contemporary Chinese artists are trained to imitate the old Chinese masters and are capable of producing extremely high-quality copies of ancient works. These copies are so realistic that they are very commonly sold or advertised as authentic, often for hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars. In addition, China has fewer restrictions than the United States and other nations regulating the need for solid provenance before pieces are sold. As a result, China has an increasingly high default rate, with most buyers ultimately refusing to pay for their auction purchases after accusations and questions concerning authenticity are made. 

With a significant increase of newly rich individuals in the country, the Chinese art market has absolutely exploded, with art becoming “a kind of currency,” even being used to bribe government officials. With alarming rapidity, collectors are attempting to possess traditional Chinese art of the 15th century masters as well as the art of 20th century artists who copy old traditions and work in that ancient style. It is this fanatical appreciation and reverence for ancient Chinese culture that is ironically fueling the escalation in forgeries in the art market. Sadly, this desire to promote Chinese culture is, in reality, proving to be just as detrimental as the looting of cultural heritage sites. Ultimately, as I have asserted time and again in my previous blog posts, the need for stringent regulations concerning the provenance of items is of the utmost importance in the fight to preserve our cultural heritage. 

Check out this link that helped inspire this entry in Museum Musings!

New York Times Article