Chinese Jars

[gl20]

Hi Peter,

Just registered onto this site having read some of the other forum threads. Your advice would be greatly appreciated.  We're considering buying these two Chinese jars from a local antique store but would be interested as to what age you think they are / where they'd have originated from.  They're approximately 50cm tall.

I'm also curious as to what purpose the hole in the top of the lid would have served

Many thanks

[peterp]

Image size of first, overall picture is fine.
It would be of advantage for evaluation if you could provide partial pictures of bottom, interior and some details of the decoration, with high resolution. Image file size 100kb or more (can be uploaded in multiple posts).
Preliminary judging the temple jars by these images alone I would think it is better to stay away. The octagonal size of such jars does exist, but is not common. The color of the blue is appears to be of a type often used in 20th century fakes, and the interior and bottom look as if they were subjected to age-faking.

(1) Please note that I did not mention the decoration yet, which is not clearly visible, but only that its blue color tint seems to be wrong.
(2) Further, why are there holes in the lids? This is highly questionable. Might it be that the jars were made specifically for us as lamp bases or other?
The lids of temple jars usually have a specific type of knob, which is firmly fit and fired together with the lid. It does not appear these were broken off, but the lids were made without.

These jars may not be antiques, in my view.

[gl20]

Peter,  Thanks for the feedback. If it is as you say, then so be it. But here are some extra photos when we returned to the shop today. Unfortunately, I didn't get the opportunity to photo the underside but hopefully the attached will be helpful.

[gl20]

More images

[gl20]

Last image (really struggled to get down to file size and leave as decent quality. Sorry!)

[peterp]

Thanks for the pictures. Unfortunately, they confirm what I suspected. This type of dirty look in unglazed areas is usually artificial. Even items that are hundreds of years old seldom look like this. The same is valid for the brown spots. There are just too many to not be a fake. I'm afraid.

[gl20]

Peter, Thanks for all your guidance on this. Much appreciated