The 4 C’s of Ancient Art Item Number: 100056 $0.00

DescriptionWhen judging the value of a diamond, we are all taught to use the 4 c’s – Cut, Color, Carat, Clarity. With each “C” there has been a universally agreed upon grading system such that one can compare one diamond against another with some degree of reliability and consistency. We need that in ancient art!

Just yesterday we were asked to help a client of ours intervene in a transaction gone awry because an item was received in a condition not as represented. The piece was sold and papered as “perfect” when in fact there was a large degree of restoration. To me, and our client, perfect meant without blemish or flaw; to the seller, it seemed to mean looking like it did when it was originally manufactured – regardless of the steps it took in recent years to get it looking that way.

If we were to establish such a grading system for ancient art, what might it look like?

• Color. On a scale of 1 to 10, how close is the color to looking like it was intended when manufactured in ancient times. We have all seen misfired ceramics that came out of the kiln looking nothing like it was supposed to look like had the firing been properly executed. With bronzes, stone and glass, perhaps the scale could be based on what an “expert” panel deems close to visual perfection. Highly iridescent glass to me represents one type of perfection, as does a deep green, red or blue patina on bronze. With stone, deep honey-colored patina on marble is perhaps the most preferred while other stones age and develop patinas that are entirely different. Staining on any object reduces the score…
• Content. On a 100 point scale, how much of the object is original and how much is replacement? Simple enough. If an object is 100% original, it gets a 100. If it has been restored and is approximately 70% old clay and 30% new, it gets a 70. The degree of repaint/reweaving (in the case of textiles) has to be determined and judged accordingly as well.
• Condition. Again, let’s use a 10 point scale that awards 10 points if an item is intact and has no visual flaws, and awards 1 point if an object is broken, poorly repaired, shows gaps and glue and the surface is beat to a pulp. We have all seen 10’s and have probably all seen 1’s… just hopefully not in your collection!
• Caliber. This is the all-encompassing importance of a piece. It can be a representation of an object’s size, rarity, shape, finesse, form, function and all around appeal. I like this one in a scale of 1 to 100 – but it is purely subjective with 100 virtually impossible to achieve. I would put the Guennol Lioness at a 95, and the Winged Victory of Samothrace at perhaps a 97.