Second, from the artistic style of sculpture. For example, the Guanyin statue carved in the early Qing Dynasty has simple lines and the legacy of tooth carving in the Ming Dynasty. Because of the combination of deep and shallow knife techniques, it is round and straight, and the garment line is drooping and calm, giving people a sense of calm. Modern imitation Guanyin image has complex lines, weak three-dimensional sense and weak knife method.
Third, pay attention to old materials and new sculptures. The so-called "new carving from old materials" means carving old dental appliances into "ancient famous products", or transforming a part of old dental appliances into ancient dental carvings. In this regard, we can identify it from two aspects: material and technology.
Fourth, the discrimination of monetary knowledge. With regard to the identification of money, we should not only pay attention to the counterfeiting method of "adding money later", but also be wary of passing real money off as real money, especially for famous tooth carvings with inscriptions. For example, Yu Shuo, a master of micro-carving in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, his calligraphy is not only fresh and beautiful, but also coherent and coherent. At present, Yu Shuo's works have also been counterfeited, because they are very different from the original works because of their micro-engraving, oblique fonts, straight knives and consistent strokes.
shape
The shape of ivory may have been seen on TV, usually a slightly curved cone. About one-third of the area near the mouth is hollow, and the older the elephant is, the more hollow this area is. The solid part is suitable for carving and is the best part of dentin. The cross section of ivory is round, and obvious layers can be seen. Distinguishing the authenticity of ivory from its shape is only applicable to unprocessed ivory.
colour
Ivory with bright colors and broken lines is generally white or light yellow. After a certain period of playing, touching, or standing for a certain period of time, ivory will gradually turn pale yellow, dark yellow, and finally yellow-brown. The color of the same ivory product is often different. With the passage of time, under the influence of temperature and humidity, shallow cracks will appear on the surface of some ivory objects, like hair. These cracks are always horizontal, vertical and circular. Ivory lovers believe that this kind of crack is also a unique beauty, and it is also affectionately called "laugh line". The fake ivory looks dull, the cracks are unnatural and it has a strange smell.
Tooth type
The outer layer of ivory is enamel, the inner layer is hard protein and calcium phosphate, and many tubules made of hard protein radiate from the pulp to form a cross texture. Seen from the longitudinal section, these textures are similar to parallel ripples. This structure is unique to ivory, but counterfeit ivory does not have this feature. Ivory contains oil, so its luster is bright and smooth, and it feels delicate.
Carving style
There are many modern antique products, which should be judged from two aspects: material and style, that is, replacing ivory with other materials or pretending to be the works of ancient celebrities although ivory is real. The identification of fake ivory material is relatively simple, and the identification of impostor is more difficult. At this time, it is necessary to identify from the carving style. For example, the ivory Guanyin statue in the early Qing Dynasty has simple and clear lines, deep and deep knife skills and full three-dimensional sense. Modern counterfeits, however, are inherently complicated, weak in knife work and lacking in three-dimensional sense. This ivory product is obviously valuable now, but there is still a considerable gap compared with the ivory products handed down from ancient times.
Common counterfeiting methods of ivory carving
In the market, we often see some deliberately made old tooth carvings, the material itself is ivory, but the new ivory, in order to pretend to be the old tooth carvings, counterfeiters use various means to make the new ivory teeth yellow, so as to obtain rich profits by counterfeiting antiques. Commonly used forgery methods are as follows:
First, soak the new ivory in strong tea water and heat it, or soak it in coffee juice for weeks or months.
2. Soak the ivory products in turpentine and expose them to the sun for three or four days.
Thirdly, the new ivory is baked and frozen alternately in the oven and freezer, so that it expands with heat and contracts with cold to produce cracks, pretending to be the natural cracks of the old ivory.
4. Smoked in smoke to make the color of new ivory similar to that of old ivory. After smoking, some volatile tar-like substances are evenly attached to the surface of new ivory. However, if this method is used for counterfeiting, its color can be wiped off with a cloth stained with organic solvents such as gasoline or alcohol, and the new ivory will still retain its original natural color after being erased by the false color. Sometimes, pseudo color can be washed off with warm water and soap. Dyeing with dyes was popular in the Republic of China to achieve the purpose of aging. The overall color of dyed ivory is uniform, however, the color of ivory that naturally ages with age, the most exposed part, appears darker.
Therefore, when identifying the color of teeth, we can look at the bottom or inside of teeth to see whether the change degree of color aging is consistent with the surface. Generally, it is impossible to make the color of the surface of the artificially dyed ivory different from that of the deep inside, but the natural old ivory is different in this respect, which provides a sign for us to distinguish whether the ivory is naturally yellowed or artificially made.
Ivory is a very precious dental material, which can be made into various exquisite handicrafts. Ivory is white, delicate, moist and smooth. Since ancient times, it has been regarded as a rare treasure by emperors, generals and dignitaries. Owning ivory products is a symbol of status and status. Because of the preciousness of ivory, people's killing of elephants has led to the near extinction of elephants, so the international sale of ivory should be banned. Ivory is a precious treasure in the market, so few people see real ivory products. Because there are many ivory products handed down from ancient times, there are still some ivory products on the market now. Ivory products are very expensive and rare, so they are sought after by many collectors. In the process of buying, how to identify the authenticity of ivory has become a concern of many collectors.
Distinction between true and false
The main counterfeit ivory products are mostly found in bones, sea ivory and plastics. Osteoid products can be judged from the following points:
Tooth pattern: most of the cross sections of ivory have reticulate patterns and herringbone patterns, but bone products do not.
Color: ivory is fine in texture and smooth in surface, showing ivory white and light yellow. After a long time, the yellow color on the surface becomes deeper, accompanied by "sparrow silk". Bone products are rough in texture and mostly bleached. If you polish them flat, you will also see "bone eyes". Even after bleaching, ivory will appear oily white luster, while bone products will become dry after bleaching.
Handle: Because ivory is delicate in texture and slightly larger in specific gravity than bone products, it feels good and does not float.
Workmanship: The carving of bone products does not need much time, and it is generally simple and extensive. Most ivory carvings are complex and delicate.
Dental epidermis and core
Ivory has a layer of tooth skin on the outside. Although they are all ivory, the texture of leather material is much rougher than that of core material, and the texture of tooth core is delicate and smooth. The tooth skin turns yellow quickly in the process of finishing the plate.
Walrus ivory
The name of sea ivory in the field of antiques is "knot angle" This kind of tooth has a tooth skin and a tooth core, but there are no tooth lines, and the texture is not as smooth and delicate as ivory. The process of dyeing more and greener is unique in Qing dynasty. The products made include cigarette holders, tweezers, seals, gourd small mouth covers, eye masks, air holes and other small objects.
celluloid
To put it bluntly, it is plastic, and it is not difficult to distinguish regular and irregular textures.