Antique Guides & Articles

I bought this bowl for £40, catalogued as Chinese famille rose. Royal Worcester’s records proved it was Japanese. What followed led me towards Miyagawa Kōzan, the Makuzu workshop and one of the most experimental periods in Meiji ceramics.

Google Lens has changed how antiques are identified, valued, bought and sold. Learning from my own experiences, I look at its impact and how dealers can adapt.

After more than three years as a full-time antiques dealer, I finally tried my first proper antiques fair. Three days, one very unreliable van, around £3,000 in sales and a fairly steep lesson in how different selling face to face really is.

Learn how to tell cloisonné from champlevé enamel on Chinese and Japanese metalwork by looking at wire, recessed metal, surface, weight and construction.

A practical guide to antique Tiffany & Co homewares, including bronze tazzas, clocks, silver, desk pieces and decorative objects, with marks, quality and value explained.

Learn how to identify Japanese Satsuma pottery, understand marks and age, avoid common mistakes, and see what makes some Meiji pieces far more valuable than ordinary export ware.

A dealer’s look at Bitossi Rimini Blu, Aldo Londi’s blue ceramic animals, and the European potteries that took the idea in their own direction.

A look at why antique dealers still matter, how value is created, and why profit in the antiques trade is not the same as exploitation.

Are charity shops too expensive now, or are the best finds still out there? A dealer tests it with real examples, pricing insight, and practical advice.

A collector’s guide to the five West German pottery makers achieving the highest prices today, based on real eBay sold results. Learn how to recognise the factories, shapes and glazes that serious collectors are willing to pay hundreds for and how to spot them before everyone else does.

See how an antiques dealer actually makes a living in 2026. Weekly dealer vlog, members-only videos, one free valuation a month and 10% off.

Think you can ID an antique just by counting a dragon's claws? You might be misidentifying your collection. Discover why some of China’s most valuable imperial treasures feature only three claws, and why the "golden rule" of Asian art is actually a myth.

An essential guide for collectors to distinguish high-value Bedouin metalwork from common marketplace reproductions.

A practical, honest guide for antiques lovers curious about authentic netsuke, modern carvings worth owning, and how to tell quality

From the "Silver Scrap Crisis" to the Great Repatriation - here is where the smart money is moving to preserve history and build a recession-proof collection.

A Republic period famille rose vase sells for £18,726 on eBay, revealing both the strength of the object and the hidden mechanics that shape price, fees, and perception on online platforms.

A former UK auction-house employee has shared a detailed account of practices they say undermine trust, fairness and transparency in the industry. This article examines those allegations, explains why they matter, and asks whether a system with no dedicated regulation can protect buyers, sellers or heritage.

The antiques trade is seeing fewer buyers, shrinking shops and rising costs, yet auction houses are expanding and achieving stronger results than ever. This article looks at why auctions are growing while the rest of the trade contracts, how the model works, and what that shift means for fairness and the future of the market.

A clear guide to recognising authentic Dhokra, understanding how it is made, and learning how to judge age and value with confidence.

Learn how to recognise real Islamic metalware, understand the major styles and techniques, and avoid the mistakes new buyers make. A clear, practical starting point for anyone collecting these pieces.

A look at the rare whale oil lamp clocks that let households measure time by the slow fall of oil. A forgotten piece of European lighting and horological history.

Bateba sculptures of the Lobi people of Burkina Faso, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire are carved as spiritual guardians rather than decoration. These striking figures act as intermediaries with the spirit world, each posture or form serving a specific protective role. This article explores their meaning, history and the example of a rare polychrome rooster carving.

A rare 蛍手 (Hotarude) bowl by Meiji-era potter 棣華堂 樋口製 (Teikado Higuchi), found at auction for £20. Once praised at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, 樋口治実’s elusive 含珠焼 (Ganju ware) survives today only in Japanese museums - and now, unexpectedly, in private hands.

Often mistaken as a Song dynasty relic, Qingbai porcelain saw a bold revival during the late Ming period. This article explores how private kilns reimagined ancient forms with sculptural depth, applied dragons, and celadon glaze, offering collectors and scholars a guide to recognising these overlooked masterpieces.

After shutting my antique shop and welcoming a new baby, I returned to a business in chaos. This blog follows the full story of how I started again, reorganised everything, and built a more focused future for Taliesin Antiques.

An original 19th century cast iron stick stand found at a boot sale turns out to be a registered Aesthetic Movement design from 1889, likely designed by Thomas Jeckyll.

It was nearly missed. Found loose in a box at the end of a boot sale, this 1700s Chinese sauce boat has a story as remarkable as its survival.

The story of one Chinese porcelain tea bowl, and what it means now that Taliesin Antiques ships worldwide

Inuit art offers a rare look into life in one of the harshest environments on Earth - through carvings and prints that are anything but cold. This guide covers the meaning, materials, and how to identify and value real Inuit works.

No more eBay, Vinted or Etsy first, taliesinantiques.com is the place to see our new items first!

Selling antiques in Cardiff, Caerphilly, or South Wales? Learn why online searches can be unreliable and why speaking to a trusted local dealer like Kieran Hughes-Jones at Taliesin Antiques is the best way to get a fair price for your items.

A clear beginner guide to Chinese and Japanese cloisonne, from Ming and Meiji masterpieces to the mid twentieth century pieces you actually find, with practical tips on age, fakes and real world values.

Exploring new selling strategies with Vinted Pro, my website, and refining my retail shop while continuing to sell on eBay.

Navigating the Ever-Changing Antiques Market: Examples from My Own Business

How my antiques journey turned into videos sharing stories and rare finds.