Before You Buy Japanese Antiques

Because antiques and vintage pieces differ in age, material, method of making and past use, their surfaces may show varying degrees of natural aging and wear.

Common signs include:

These conditions vary from piece to piece, and not every piece will show them.

For antiques, some of these marks are the natural character a piece gains over time, and one of the biggest differences between vintage pieces and modern new goods.

If you are looking for a piece in new condition, with no scratches, color variation or signs of use, antiques and vintage pieces may not suit your needs.

We understand that "natural signs of age" and "noticeable damage" are not the same thing.

If, on inspection, a piece shows noticeable:

we will do our best to disclose its known condition through the description, photos or other means, so you fully understand it before buying.

Because antiques and vintage pieces are old, and some marks are very fine or in hidden places, there may still be details that were not fully noticed on visual inspection or are hard to capture fully in photos.

If the condition of a particular piece matters a great deal to you, please contact us before buying, and we can help check the details.

Most vintage pieces sold by DASING Japan Art Warehouse are one of a kind.

We photograph each piece in its actual condition as far as possible, so the photos show its form, color, pattern and state of preservation.

However, because of lighting, setting, camera settings and differences in how phone and computer screens display color, there may still be slight color differences between the piece and its photos.

The sheen, gilt, glaze color, metal patina and wood tone of an antique may also look different depending on viewing angle and light.

The actual piece is the final reference for color and detail.

All dimensions shown on item pages are measured by hand.

As antiques and vintage pieces may be handmade, irregular in shape or not fully symmetrical, measurements taken at different points may differ slightly.

Dimensions are mainly a guide for collecting and planning your space. If you need precise dimensions for a display case, cabinet, tokonoma alcove or other placement, we suggest checking with us before buying.

Many old Japanese ceramics, folk-craft objects, wood carvings, lacquerware and handcrafts naturally carry varying degrees of handmade marks from the making process.

For example:

Some features come from the materials, techniques or firing process of the time, and cannot be judged simply by the quality standards of modern mass-produced goods.

These subtle differences are also a key reason why each handmade vintage piece has its own character.

Some vintage pieces were originally made for practical use, such as:

However, after many years in storage, even a piece that looks intact may not function like a new one.

This is especially true for pieces involving electricity, lighting, load-bearing, holding food, direct contact with drinking water, heating or other safety-related uses; we recommend treating these mainly as pieces for collecting, display and decoration.

If a piece has been function-tested, we will note this in the description as appropriate; if nothing is stated, it does not mean all function and safety checks have been done.

Some vintage Japanese pieces come with:

These accessories are old themselves, so they may show yellowing, stains, wood shrinkage, cracks, insect damage, faded inscriptions or aged packaging.

If an item page states "with wooden box", "with original box" or other accessories, these will, as a rule, be supplied as shown in the photos.

An antique's period, origin, kiln, maker, school and use can sometimes be identified from its mark, box inscription, form, pattern, technique or provenance, but for some very old pieces full documentation or history may not be available.

We therefore describe each piece based on the information available and its identifiable features.

Where information cannot be fully confirmed, we will describe it as cautiously as possible and will not present assumptions as established fact.

Antiques come in many materials, and ceramics, glass, lacquerware, woodwork and some decorative crafts are relatively fragile. We pack each piece carefully according to its nature before shipping.

When your parcel arrives, we recommend recording a video of the entire unboxing and checking the condition of the piece right away.

If you find a clear problem caused in transit, or the contents do not match your order, please keep:

Please do not throw away any packaging before the issue is confirmed, so it can be properly looked into.

What matters most in collecting antiques is not simply buying an object, but finding a piece you truly love and whose age and condition you can accept.

If you are particularly concerned about:

please contact us before buying.

We are happy to help you check further based on the piece's current condition.