This fine-quality pair of highly decorative pottery tiles was made during the Ming Dynasty (AD 1368 - 1644). They are made from a grey pottery and the decoration in relief features a pair of deer in a landscape. Note the detail to the deer, the carved and incised decoration as well as the impressed flower blossoms to the deers' bodies...

This attractively-shaped pottery jar, or cup, was made around 4,000 years ago by peoples of the Neolithic Qijia Culture (c. 2050 - 1700 BC), from what is now eastern Gansu province, China. It is made from a fine-grained grey pottery that is fairly highly-fired. There are two "strap" handles joined at the waist and mouth edge. The surface has been burnished making it smooth to the touch...

This pottery horse was made during the early part of the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). It stands upright with its head turned very slightly to its left. It is made from a buff-coloured pottery and is particularly "heavily-potted". Looking inside the body shows it was made in a two-piece mould. It has been "cold painted" in a base coat of a creamy-white pigment with details picked out in red and black pigments...

This large and impressive pottery jar was made around the 13th / 14th century, during the Song Dynasty (AD 960 - 1279) or the Yuan Dynasty (AD 1279 - 1368). Until recent years, this type of jar was almost unknown in the west with some people initially attributing them to the Liao Dynasty (same general period but in the north of China). These jars are now known to have originated from Yunnan province in the south-west of China...

Many years ago we bought a small group of jars of this type. We were told they dated to the Song Dynasty (AD 960 - 1279) and had been in storage, having several years earlier been recovered from a shipwreck off Thailand. To the base of each jar is written an inventory number (we were told around 200 of these jars were excavated but how accurate this is, we do not know)...

Many years ago we bought a small group of jars of this type. We were told they dated to the Song Dynasty (AD 960 - 1279) and had been in storage, having several years earlier been recovered from a shipwreck off Thailand. To the base of each jar is written an inventory number (we were told around 200 of these jars were excavated but how accurate this is, we do not know)...

This wonderfully-shaped pottery jar was made during the early part of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8), or possibly the preceding Qin Dynasty (221 - 206 BC). This type of jar is usually referred to as a "cocoon jar" due to the shape of its body. Its original function was that of a grain storage jar. This particular example has a wide foot, neck and mouth compared to the size of its body...

This wonderfully-shaped pottery vessel, usually referred to as a "cocoon" jar was made over 2,000 years ago during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8)...

This wonderfully-shaped pottery vessel, usually referred to as a "cocoon" jar was made over 2,000 years ago during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8)...

This wonderfully-shaped pottery vessel, usually referred to as a "cocoon" jar was made over 2,000 years ago during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8)...

This pottery "cocoon" jar was made over 2,000 years ago during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8). It is made from a relatively highly-fired grey pottery and has been decorated by "cold painting" different coloured pigments in a design featuring cloud patterns within vertical bands...

This pottery "cocoon" jar was made over 2,000 years ago during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8). It is made from a relatively highly-fired grey pottery and has been decorated by "cold painting" different coloured pigments in a design featuring cloud patterns within vertical bands...

This rare pottery vessel was made during the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25 - 220). It is made from a relatively high-fired pottery that has been coated in two different colour glazes. The upper and lower body are coated in a dark greenish-brown glaze that is finely-crackled, the colour of which varies in places. Around the waist is a band of a more traditional Han green glaze that is particularly thin and that has degraded...

This rare pottery vessel was made during the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25 - 220). It is made from a relatively high-fired pottery that has been coated in two different colour glazes. The upper and lower body are coated in a dark greenish-brown glaze that is finely-crackled, the colour of which varies in places. Around the waist is a band of a more traditional Han green glaze that is particularly thin and that has degraded...

This unusual pottery tripod vessel, or "ding", was made during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8). It is made from a grey pottery, relatively highly-fired, both body and cover having a distinct ring when tapped. There are traces on the surface still remaining of its original "cold painted" pattern. The body has, on opposing sides, two square-cut handles. The raised circular band around the top of the cover allows ...

This sturdy storage jar dates to the 12th - 14th centuries. It is quite "heavily-potted" and has a rolled rim with four loo-handles speared equidistant around the shoulder. The streaky yellowish-brown glaze falls short of the unglazed base. Most likely it was made for export to south-east Asia.

Height 15.5 cm. There is an old crack to the mouth that has been stabilised; otherwise it is in good condition.

*** TO ORDER THIS ITEM PLEASE ...

This large stoneware jar, of the type often referred to as "proto-porcelain", dates to the latter part of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8). The upper body, and inner mouth, are coated with an attractive olive-green glaze that is very finely-crackled. The unglazed neck and lower body have fired to varying shades of reddish-brown. To the upper and lower neck are bands of impressed wavy lines. On opposing sides a...

This impressive pottery jar was made during the late Warring States period (475 - 221 BC) or possibly the early Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8). It is made from a relatively highly-fired fine-grained grey pottery and has a nice smooth surface. The body is decorated with two raised bands around the waist that have been impressed with geometric patterns. Around the shoulder there are two bands of impressed lines. Above the short...