Mr. Lark Mason Jr., AAA Certified

USPAP compliant through:

04/05/2026

Specialization(s)

Chinese Fine Art; Generalist

Member Type

Certified Member

Service(s)

Charitable Donation; Estate Tax Liability; Equitable Distribution; Insurance

Appraiser's Statement

Lark E. Mason is an expert in Chinese art, known for his appearances on the PBS series, the Antiques Roadshow. During his 24 years at Sotheby's, he began his career as a General Appraiser of American and European fine and decorative arts prior to becoming a specialist in Chinese art. Today his practice includes appraisals for insurance, charitable donation, estate, equitable distribution, and other purposes. He is uniquely qualified to provide guidance over a variety of specialized subjects. As a generalist, he regularly works with American and European furniture, silver, ceramics, glass, metalwork, paintings, ethnographic and ancient works of art, and other Western and Asian fine and decorative arts. As an expert in Chinese art, he is qualified in the areas of Chinese ceramics, jade and hardstone carvings, metalwork, furniture, and Chinese and other Asian export works of art. His expertise in Chinese furniture is well-known and he has written or collaborated on numerous articles, catalogs, and exhibitions. He regularly works with private clients and museums.

Lark Mason Art Advisory assists clients with formal appraisal reports, as well as advice concerning conservation and restoration issues, brokerage and sale, and art marketability. Our Marketability and Risk Management reports provide expert evaluation of individual items and collections of works of art meeting local and international regulatory standards, in addition to museum and commercial policies regarding sale or donation. These reports enable a collector to identify current and potential areas of risk which might comprise the value of a collection or objects in a collection. 

Lark E. Mason is the past President of the Board of the Appraiser’s Association of America, serving 2019-2021, he has chaired and sat on various boards and committees including Asia Week New York, The Preservation Society of Newport County, Metropolitan Historic Structures Association, Winter Antique Show, International Antique Show, and TEFAF. He has taught courses on fine art expertise and the art market with New York University, Parsons School of Design, New York School of Interior Design, and Appraiser’s Association of America. Lark E. Mason’s most notable publications include; author of Asian Art, published by Antique Collectors Club, Boston, 2002 and translator for Connoisseurship of Chinese Furniture, Wang Shixiang, Art Media Resources, Joint Publishing, Hong Kong, 1990. He is the founder of Lark Mason Associates, a full service auction house, as well as iGavel Auctions, an online auction platform. 

Areas of Expertise Covered by Lark Mason Art Advisory: Chinese and Asian Fine and Decorative Works of Art; European and American Fine and Decorative Works of Art; Export Paintings and Works of Art; Colonial Fine and Decorative Works of Art; Contemporary Fine and Decorative Works of Art; Rare Books, Manuscripts and Printed Material; Arms ,Armor and Militaria; Ethnographic Works of Art; Jewelry; Watches and Clocks; Ancient Works of Art; Collectibles