Double Happiness Jars

[LotsaStuff]

I would like to know the difference in age between the first jar pictured and the second. I've seen some large asking prices for the jars lacking the clear lotus and peavine design and am baffled, as I always assumed they were not very old. Thank you for your help.

[heavenguy]

I'm not really sure but usually the bottom one is probably late Qing, but they are still making them so it depends on the foot rim and other factors. The bottom one is probably early 19 century and again it depends on other factors... but probably Peterp has a better answer.

oh and I think some people don't know much about antiques and since blue and white its today fashion in Home design, They really cannot tell the difference or they don't care much about if a piece is antique or not. They just want it for design purposes. And some pickers they don't know much about Oriental pieces that they assume if they look similar, and think, Mine is in better condition so it must be worth a lot more. So for most, its just another piece that can be sold for high prices even if it is a new piece.

[LotsaStuff]

Thank you heavenguy. I also thought the same thing.

[peterp]

You should "always" add a bottom picture. It tells as more than the decoration ever can. In some cases it can tell us that the original porcelain body is old, but the decoration was later added or modified.

[LotsaStuff]

I do not have the original jars, and this is the best that can be done. This is the bottom of the second jar.

[peterp]

You should apply ALL your knowledge. We all have seen this before, in modern times.
Please look at the image below; the orange part should be blue. It is actually a rectangle or square, but the orange areas were left uncolored because this was made with a stencil. These are not the only ones here, this is just an example.  The orange parts are bridging the exterior and the inner square, they hold the inner square in place.

The floral decoration outside the double happiness character are either done with a stencil too, or by transfer. I guess it might be stencil too, because transfer would not need those many intermittent white spaces in the decoration. And the edge of the blue color looks like stencil made too.
Everything that is blue are the holes in the stencil. Whether the color was brushed or sprayed on is the same.
So, this is likely a much later technique, 2nd half of 20th century, I suppose.

The top of the lower jar was also hand painted, do not let that confuse you. Hand-painting is still used today with some wares. We use the time an item was last worked on as the item age. Thus, in my view this is a few decades, perhaps, even if the pot itself would be antique.

Avoid items that show later painting or decoration processes on an old porcelain body. Such items have little collecting value, in my view.

[LotsaStuff]

Thank you very much Peter. Your help is appreciated.

[peterp]

Thanks for the additional picture. It confirms that this is not very old.
Please always keep in mind that many age signs can be artificially created, and they have use only in combination with other age factors.
The double ring mark is too small in diameter and has too thick lines.
The foot rim of most Qing dynasty items would be in a right angle to the base area, not connected with a radius (curved connection). The latter is usually a sign or later production.