Treasures unearthed in ancient China are becoming harder to find, with supply diminishing in response to increasing demand from collectors in the United States and Europe.
According to Oi Ling Chiang of Contes d'Orient and Gallery Oi Ling, the trend will soon result in an end to prices as we know them.
'Now is a good time to buy antiques,' says Ms Chiang, owner of Gallery Oi Ling on Hollywood Road, which sells excavated terracotta pieces, and Contes d'Orient on Lyndhurst Terrace, which sells antique Chinese furniture.
'Chinese antiques are still well below market value because the market in China is not well developed,' Ms Chiang says. 'People are becoming more educated, and also learning through the Internet. So prices are starting to catch up.'
She says that at recent auctions in New York and London the demand for Chinese antiques was strong despite the state of the economy.
'You can still get good pieces for a good price, but we do not know how long this will last. Supply is diminishing while demand is increasing.'
Ms Chiang said an 18th-century, solid-top altar table that would have cost a maximum dealer's price of $20,000 five years ago would cost a minimum of $60,000 today.
