Chinese Gate 1995 (1 Viewer)

[Pierre]

I had the good fortune to have purchased what I believe to be a Chinese Gate (in papier maché) that K&C produced in, I think, 1995.

The seller (that I consider as a friend) assured me that this is a K&C product and I have absolutely no reasons to not believe him (after all, it is not our first transaction and the previous ones were at the total satisfaction of both of us).

You will then think that there is no problems but I want to be absolutely (that word again! Can't work without certitudes today ) sure that this is a genuine (I am not using the word true because I do not want to hurt the sensitiveness of anyone ) item produced in the mid-nineties by K&C.

The reasons that make me doubt are that despite the fact that the building himself is as identical as the one showed in the brochure of Spring 1995, the garnishments are not the same: no ideograms and the posters on the building are differents.

Also, the Gate was not boxed in a K&C original box (but was very, very well packed by the seller. The item is in mint condition!) and there is no indication that it was made by K&C: no marks, no stamps... nothing.

But, most of all, what is bothering me the most is the big poster with the date 1930 on it. 1930! and the SOHK range is depicting the life in the colony by the end of the XIXth century!

So, I am asking for the opinion of our experts, Louis as the most complete one (I think) for K&C in general and Steven as the most competent (I think and without taking anything off to Louis ) for the specific line of the SOHK.

I attached five photos. 1-2-3-4 = the Gate that I bought and 5 = the Gate showed in the brochure.

Thanks.

Pierre.

 

[Louis Badolato]

That is definitely the genuine article. These gates were each unique works of art, with different posters, chinese writings, etc. on each. Yours is an excellent example, and the seller has definitely done right by you. Unless Andy or Gordon pipes up and says differently, I think you have nothing to worry about.

 

[Steven Chong]

Dear Pierre,

Congratulations!!! You do have a K&C SOHK "Small Village Gate." The 1930's poster is typical of the artwork that was applied to the various SOHK paper mache buildings. I got one similar to the one pictured in your brochure when it was still available, and found one for Louis after he spent years looking for it. Please understand that these paper mache pieces were handmade, and there is a lot of variation in the posters applied to the building and whether the Chinese characters were handpainted onto the sign over the gate entrance. The K&C paper mache buildings were also not packaged in what you would recognize as a K&C original box. In those days, they were packaged in plain cardboard boxes, sometimes with the round K&C gold embossed sticker and sometimes with the red SOHK sticker, though I have a few boxes with no stickers.

Hope this helps.

 

[jazzeum]

Pierre,

I saw one like this recently and I seemed to think it had the artwork. Here's a picture but it doesn't show the artwork. However, in all respects it's the same and since you have two experts telling you, I'd be comfortable.

 

[jazzeum]

By the way, the quality of the posters is similar to what I've seen on the Arnhem backlot buildings, which are also made of paper mache and date from around the same period, 1995. Very nice buildings and glad I own them.

Congratulations!

 

[Pierre]

Hey guys,

Thanks to both of you. The history behind that product is fantastic!

Hope to find more soon.

If anyone has any to sell, I am a buyer (I know, not from Louis or Steven )

Thanks again.

Amitiés,
Pierre.

 

[Pierre]

Pierre,

I saw one like this recently and I seemed to think it had the artwork. Here's a picture but it doesn't show the artwork. However, in all respects it's the same and since you have two experts telling you, I'd be comfortable.

Thanks for the picture Brad. What a masterpiece. Where did you saw it?

You surely have to be proud of your Arnhem buildings. They are pieces of art.

I hope that K&C will produce some facades this year for the SOHK line. I am definitely hooked to that range

Amitiés,
Pierre.

 

[Steven Chong]

Pierre,

I saw one like this recently and I seemed to think it had the artwork. Here's a picture but it doesn't show the artwork. However, in all respects it's the same and since you have two experts telling you, I'd be comfortable.

Wow ... after having only seen three examples of the gate the last 10 years, to see two others on the same day. The Chinese characters on the gate in Brad's picture differs from the characters on my gate -- mine has simple black characters.

 

[Steven Chong]

Hey guys,

Thanks to both of you. The history behind that product is fantastic!

Hope to find more soon.

If anyone has any to sell, I am a buyer (I know, not from Louis or Steven )

Thanks again.

Amitiés,
Pierre.

Dear Pierre,

Since you are still looking, you should know that unopened K&C SOHK paper mache buildings are first wrapped in plastic wrap, then wrapped in a Hong Kong newspaper, then surrounded in the box with odd pieces of yellow foam and styrofoam secured with rubber bands.

 

[jazzeum]

There was a dealer/collector who was trying to sell this to a friend, who then send me pictures asking about prices. I will try to see if I can find the other photos tonight. Anyway, this particular building was at the recent NJ show and I believe Larry Lo may have purchased it.

 

[Pierre]

Wow ... after having only seen three examples of the gate the last 10 years, to see two others on the same day. The Chinese characters on the gate in Brad's picture differs from the characters on my gate -- mine has simple black characters.

Mine has no Chinese characters. No ones painted on the walls, no ones on the pediment; but I love it.

Do you know what was the retail price at the time? (I assumed, for the purpose of my offer to my friend, that it was 75,00$US - the retail price, not the offer).

Also, do you have any idea of how many of them were made? (example: less 100, less 500... don't need the exact number ).

Amitiés,
Pierre.

 

[jazzeum]

Unfortunately, I couldn't even the other photos. They seem to have disappeared into hyperspace.

 

[Steven Chong]

Mine has no Chinese characters. No ones painted on the walls, no ones on the pediment; but I love it.

Do you know what was the retail price at the time? (I assumed, for the purpose of my offer to my friend, that it was 75,00$US - the retail price, not the offer).

Also, do you have any idea of how many of them were made? (example: less 100, less 500... don't need the exact number ).

Amitiés,
Pierre.

The original retail price was US$63. I have no idea how many were made but would guess less than 200 -- Louis might have a better idea about the production number.

 

[Louis Badolato]

I would have to check the book to be 100% sure, but from memory I would say less than 200 is correct. Those old wood and papier mache buildings are wonderful, and at $63, are a real savings when you consider similar construction with somewhat better (but not remarkably so) detailing on buildings in Gordon's recent dioramas commands prices in the thousands.