This very rare stoneware jar was made during the Song Dynasty (AD 960 - 1279), at one of the kilns in northern China where Cizhou wares were produced during the 11th - 14th centuries. Its purpose was most likely to be used as a wine bottle. It is heavily-potted and of a very attractive form, an almost egg-shaped body, with a short neck, flared mouth and loop handles on either side of the neck (although one has been lost)...
This attractively-shaped pottery jar was made during the Warring States period (475 - 221 BC). It is made from a fine-grained grey pottery, relatively highly-fired, having a distinct ring to it when tapped. It has a flat base and the lower body has lightly incised lines around it. At the waist and above are several ridges and bands, within which are burnished lines forming geometric patterns...
This "hare's fur" bowl and kiln saggar were made during the Song Dynasty (AD 960 - 1279) and have been excavated from a kiln site in Fujian province. Presumably the temperature in the kiln during firing became too high, as the bowl is slightly misshapen and has become fused to the wall of the saggar by its glaze.
Diameter of saggar 14.5 cm, diameter of bowl 10 cm...
We have recently been lucky enough to have acquired a collection of very rare examples of burnished black pottery items made during the Yuan Dynasty (AD 1279 - 1368). Such items are relatively unknown and very little has been published about them. They are found in the northern provinces, particularly Gansu province in the north-west.
This vase, or bottle is of meiping form...
This interesting pottery vessel was made over 3,000 years ago during the Chinese Neolithic or early Bronze Age. The form is of a cooking vessel and the three wide udder-shaped legs allow it to be stood in a fire with as much heat as possible being transmitted to its contents. It is not always easy to determine exactly which culture such vessels come from as similar vessels were made by various Chinese cultures...
This tall cylindrical pottery jar in the form of a granary (grain store) was made during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8). It is made from a relatively highly-fired grey pottery (having a distinct ring to it when tapped) that has been "cold painted" in various coloured pigments, exceptionally good traces of which still remain. The painted decoration comprises elaborate scrolling cloud and geometric patterns...
This rare and unusual stoneware jar, complete with its original elaborate cover, was made during the Song Dynasty (AD 960 - 1279). Both cover and jar have architectural elements; they represent a granary with a tiled roof...
This impressive pottery tile was made during the Jin Dynasty (AD 1115 - 1234). It is made from a relatively high-fired grey pottery that has been cold-painted in various coloured pigments, traces of which still remain.
Theatre, the arts, music, performances were a very popular part of life during this period in Shanxi province, from where this tile has been excavated...
This impressive pottery tile was made during the Jin Dynasty (AD 1115 - 1234). It is made from a relatively high-fired grey pottery that has been cold-painted in various coloured pigments, traces of which still remain.
Theatre, the arts, music, performances were a very popular part of life during this period in Shanxi province, from where this tile has been excavated...
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 is "heavily-potted" and has a wide foot, neck and mouth compared to the size of its body...
This stoneware dish is an andon-zara (or abura-zara), an oil lamp dish. It was made in the early 19th (or possibly late 18th) century, during the Edo period (1615 - 1868). It is particularly heavily-potted and has a flat, slightly concave base. It is coated in a crackled glaze and decorated in underglaze iron-brown, the pattern featuring three stylised flowers above what may be a fence. To the top right is an area of green glaze...
Although many different Han Dynasty granary jars are known, this example is quite rare. It was made during the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25 - 220) from a relatively high-fired red pottery, quite "heavily-potted", that has been glazed in two different colours. Mostly it is coated in an attractive amber coloured glaze. The upper band of a different colour was originally coated in a green glaze that has, as a result of very long burial in da...
This impressive architectural ridge tile figure was made during the latter part of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), most likely in Shanxi province. It depicts an official figure or guardian / deity figure standing on top of swirling clouds. It is coated in thick green, turquoise, black and straw-coloured glazes.
Height 38 cm (15 inches). There are minor losses to the extremities, as should reasonably be expected for such an item, but ...
This attractively-shaped stoneware jar was made during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). It is made from a very pale, almost white, stoneware and quite "heavily-potted". The upper body and inside mouth have been coated in a very finely-crackled translucent pale greenish-yellow glaze, the colour of which varies a little in places according to the glaze's thickness.
A good size with a height of 29 cm. Overall condition is very good. There i...
This small and very attractive pottery model of a camel was made during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). It is made from a reddish pottery and has been "cold painted" in various coloured pigments, a base coat of white with yellow and reddish-brown pigments on top. Note the sculpted details on its humps and long neck.
Height 20.5 cm (8 inches). It is in very good condition (some restoration or repair should reasonably be expected but none is o...
This fine pottery figure of a kneeling musician in the act of playing a stringed instrument, probably a zither or similar, was made during the Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 220). It is quite "heavily-potted" and made from a fairly high-fired pottery that has been cold-painted in a thick white pigment on top of which are traces of red and black pigments used for highlighting the details of the clothing and facial features.
Interestingly, t...