Antiques & Antiquities
May 25th 2020
It’s curious to say that if you were to survey a substantial number of people asking what they would consider antique, you would get a vast array of responses. Here at Jacksons Antique, it’s commonly known that this can be interpreted in many, many different ways, but we wanted to give an insight into what is commonly accepted in the trade as ‘antique’.
Antique Persian water carrying vessel with archaic decoration, available to purchase at Jacksons Antique
So, let’s begin with what age makes an object antique. Would you consider a Roman object to be antique? I think it’s fair to say universally, across the board, the answer is yes. Now, let’s move ahead several thousand years and ask if you would consider the early 20th century to be antique; that’s where things get a little blurrier. To answer that, let’s start with the definition of the word antique. Put together in so many words, an antique can be described as an item, whether it be an object, piece of furniture or work of art, that is over a certain age (general rule of thumb 100 years old), without major restoration works, typically show a degree of craftsmanship and have a collectability factor. Some people may add that the item is required to be of historical value or of a certain quality, but I believe this is misleading as some modern items may bear historical importance and be of good quality, but this does not make them antique; however, combined with age, this may do. In the same measure, an item that is 1000 years old, in very poor condition, and has no historical value would be considered antique.
I’m going to go ahead and confuse matters with one exception to the rule. Motor cars are often considered antiques when they reach 25 years old. To complicate matters further, the words antique and antiquities are often mixed up. To hopefully clarify slightly, antiquities are considered to be ancient artefacts or objects that are several hundred or thousands of years old that are more than often found through archaeology digs or recovered as opposed to something of an age over 100 years, which may have been given through generations, bought/sold at auction or donated thus given the name antique. On a more light hearted note, think of the Indiana Jones films for a simpler understanding. The main character, Doctor Henry Walton “Indiana” Jones Junior, is a fictional professor of archaeology who ends up rescuing multiple antiquities throughout the franchise, which are portrayed as objects of great age, historical importance and value. They are not referred to as ‘antiques’ but ‘antiquities’ due to the fact they are dug up or recovered as opposed to being sold as an object of virtue, an antique.
Antique and heavily rusted parked motor car
Clear as mud right..!
Hopefully, this snippet will help in the future, and if nothing more, maybe a pub quiz question you now have a decent answer for! It’s always interesting to see everyone’s different points of view on history, especially when it comes to being a critical part of your business and for us at Jacksons Antique, it’s what really gives us purpose and enthusiasm to continue. Having so many different opinions can provide such joy or sadness in every piece, and after all, every single antique, artefact and piece of history has a story, and with that in mind, we will sign off.
Owner at Jacksons Antique
I am an antique dealer and owner of Jacksons Antique, specialising in fine antiques with a particular focus on Japanese art and European decorative objects. With over a decade of experience in the antiques trade, I source and curate pieces for collectors across the UK, the United States, and the international market.
Working primarily online alongside select exhibitions, I am part of a newer generation of dealers helping to modernise the way antiques are researched, presented, and acquired. My approach is built on careful attribution, transparent descriptions, and historically grounded research so clients can buy with confidence.
Through Jacksons Antique, I aim to make important historic objects accessible to both established collectors and those developing their collections.
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