Beware the risk in buying art overseas

[Photo/artron.net]

Sharpen eyes when buying art in Japan

As Chinese relics lost overseas are of many varieties having gone through many years, it's hard to distinguish real treasures from fake ones. Inexperienced collectors need to sharpen their eyes before buying.

It is revealed that some Japanese auction houses are actually run by Chinese, and the items may not from local, but transported from the Chinese mainland, with fake and real items mingling together. Items bought by earlier Japanese could be fake too.

The law on the authentication of relics is not quite complete in Japan, and auction houses are not legally responsible for the authenticity of their goods. Therefore, experts warn that it's better to entrust a specialized agency to make an authentication when buying high price arts.

Though it's becoming a trend for Chinese art collectors to turn to the Japanese market, there is still risk in buying art overseas.