Chinese porcelain of the period 1820 through 1920 has, to date, been the province of a minority of academic authors and a few adventurous dealers and collectors. This misunderstood but fascinating field of study is now brought within the reach of the average collector. Written with the interests of novice collectors and dealers in mind, superbly illustrated in colour throughout, each of the introductory chapters conclude with suggestions for further reading, and thus provide a fast but solid grounding for the primary focus of the book: dating of later Chinese porcelains. This book discusses marks, reign marks, footrims, glazes, bubbles, flaws and imperfections, and other indications of a date of manufacture, including the contentious subjects of hollow line and the reversed S; illustrating in close-up images many of the features used by the author to substantiate his assertions. Unashamedly provocative, Allen concludes with chapters on those subjects most earlier writers treated as taboo, including Modern Fakes and their Detection, Buying Trips in Asia, and Recommendations for Investment.