Guide to Recognising the Age of Antiques
An antique tells its own story through wear, surface, materials and the way it was made. No single sign proves age, but together they build a convincing picture. This guide explains what collectors look for, so you can judge a piece with more confidence, whether you buy from us or elsewhere.
A note of honesty first: certainty usually needs an expert or scientific testing. What follows helps you tell a piece that has genuinely lived from one made to look old.
Wear in the right places
Genuine wear follows use. Ask yourself how the object was handled, carried, worn or stood on, then look for wear in exactly those places.
Masks: smoothing and darkening around the edges and inside, where they touched the face and were held. Look for worn or enlarged fixing holes.
Figures and Buddhas: rubbed high points such as the nose, knees and hands, especially where devotees touched them. The base often shows scuffing from being moved.
Stools, bowls and tools: dips worn into seats, rounded handles, and softened rims.
Textiles: thinning along folds and edges rather than evenly across the cloth.
Wear should be gradual. Soft transitions between worn and unworn areas suggest decades of handling. Sharp, uniform or random scratches suggest something quicker.
Patina and surface
Patina is the surface an object builds up over years of handling, light, smoke, oils and air. It is one of the hardest things to fake convincingly.
Depth: real patina has layers. Colour varies across the surface and settles deeper into crevices and carved recesses.
Logic: exposed areas are often lighter or polished from touch; protected areas keep more grime and old residue.
Feel: aged wood often feels smooth and slightly waxy, not sticky or chalky.
Underneath: check the base, interior and back. These hidden areas often show the true age, as they are less likely to have been treated.
Ritual pieces may carry deposits such as soot, oils or pigments built up over years of use. These usually sit unevenly and follow the object's form.
Wood: what to look for
Most of our tribal and religious carvings are wood, which ages in recognisable ways.
Tool marks: hand-carved pieces show adze, knife or chisel marks of uneven depth. Perfectly regular marks, or none at all, can point to machine work.
Shrinkage: wood shrinks across the grain as it dries over many years. Round pieces may become slightly oval, and joints may loosen.
Cracks: age cracks run along the grain and have darkened edges. Fresh cracks look pale and sharp inside.
Insect damage: old worm holes are often worn at the edges, and channels may be exposed on the surface. Clean, crisp holes with fine dust suggest recent activity.
Old repairs: native repairs with metal staples, wire or plant fibre were common, and many collectors see them as a good sign of a piece kept in use.
Metal: what to look for
Brass, bronze and iron pieces have their own signs of age.
Casting: traditional lost-wax casting gives each piece small irregularities, and no two are exactly alike. Sharp, identical detail across several pieces suggests modern moulds.
Corrosion: genuine verdigris and oxidation build slowly and sit in recesses. Bright green powder that wipes off easily, or colour sitting evenly on top, may have been applied.
Wear: raised areas are often polished bright by handling while hollows stay dark. This contrast develops over many years.
Weight: old bronze and brass usually feel heavy for their size; lighter alloys can indicate later production.
Signs of artificial ageing
Many pieces are made in traditional styles for the decorative market, which is perfectly honest when sold as such. Problems arise only when new work is presented as old. Watch for:
Wear in places that would never be touched, or the same wear on every surface.
Dark stain or shoe polish sitting on top of the wood, sometimes rubbing off on your fingers.
A smell of fresh stain, polish or smoke.
Cracks or damage that look pale and fresh inside, despite a dark surface.
Mud, ash or "encrustation" that brushes off easily and sits evenly.
A clean, untouched base or interior on a piece that looks heavily aged elsewhere.
One of these alone isn't proof. Several together are a strong warning.
Provenance and paperwork
Provenance is an object's ownership history. A documented history, such as an old collection label or auction record, adds confidence and often value.
In practice, most tribal art and antiques have no paperwork. Pieces have passed through families, collectors, dealers and markets for decades without records being kept. A missing paper trail does not mean a piece is new; it simply means the object's physical evidence matters more.
Where a piece was bought abroad, export law also plays a part. Many countries strictly control the export of cultural objects, and in several, items over 100 years old are classed as antiquities that cannot legally leave the country. So a piece bought legitimately overseas will often be under 100 years old, even if it shows real use and age. Older pieces in the UK market have usually arrived through collections and auctions over many decades.
When buying, ask where a piece came from and how long the seller has had it. An honest answer, even "from a private collection, no documents", is worth more than a vague story.
How we describe age at Naturally Crafted
We describe each piece honestly by what we can see: its wear, patina, construction and condition. We avoid firm dates unless we are confident in them.
To find out where our pieces come from, including those bought abroad, see our About Our Antiques page in the footer. If you have questions about any item, please get in touch.
