Juseki is an abbreviation for landscape stone, which means a stone that is a scaled-down version of the natural scenery, a stone that resembles a certain shape, or an abstract stone that evokes intimacy and an elegant imagination that is difficult to describe...
This large and impressive pottery jar of exceptional form was made during the Five Dynasties period (AD 907 - 960) or possible the early part of the Song Dynasty (AD 960 - 1279). It is a wide-bodied jar with sturdy handles and quite a small flat base, an unusual form for this period...
This large pottery model of an ox, or bull, was made during the Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 220). It is made from a relatively high-fired grey pottery which has made it much more durable than lower-fired examples...
This very attractive pottery model of a horse was made during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). It is made from a buff-coloured pottery that has been "cold painted" in a reddish-brown pigment with black and white pigments to highlight the head, mane and tail. This horse is well-modelled and stands straight, alert, looking ahead.
Height 21 cm (8.25 inches)...
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). The shape, named after its similarity to the silkworm cocoon, evolved during the late Warring States period (475 - 221 BC) and then generally died out by the middle of the Western Han Dynasty. Cocoon jars were used for the storage of grain.
It is made from a relatively highly-fired grey ...
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). The shape, named after its similarity to the silkworm cocoon, evolved during the late Warring States period (475 - 221 BC) and then generally died out by the middle of the Western Han Dynasty. Cocoon jars were used for the storage of grain.
It is made from a relatively highly-fired grey ...
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). The shape, named after its similarity to the silkworm cocoon, evolved during the late Warring States period (475 - 221 BC) and then generally died out by the middle of the Western Han Dynasty. Cocoon jars were used for the storage of grain.
It is made from a relatively highly-fired ...
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. In places on the surface are the ancient remains of root/plant growths from its long burial.
Height 25.5 cm (10 inches), length of b...
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. What is unusual about this particular example is that it is has not been properly cleaned since having been excavated many years ago and...
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...