All Items : Archives : Regional Art : Asian : Chinese : Pre 1910 item #1289816
Large Chinese late Qing Guangxu period cylindrical form censer decorated in underglaze blue against a white porcelain ground with a faint blue-green tint with a pair of four-clawed dragons chasing a flaming pearl above waves. The interior is glazed while the base is unglazed. 7 1/2" high x 8" diameter. Late 19th to early 20th century. Very good overall condition with no chips, cracks, or repairs. There is a small amount of staining to the interior.
All Items : Archives : Regional Art : Asian : Chinese : Pre 1900 item #1414174
Nice large size, this bronze urn measures 12 1/4" across to looped handles, is 9 1/4" high, and the top lip is 10 1/4" in diameter. Nice heavy weight, it has the remnants of a signature on the base, only a square now visible. The body of the urn is ringed with a series of scenes on a diamond textured background, and there is also a decorative band in the narrow area, depicting phoenix birds or pheasants next to foliate and landscape elements. The swing handles are affixed to a large button s...
All Items : Archives : Regional Art : Asian : Chinese : Pre 1492 item #1470690 (stock #MB952)
Rare Chinese Song Dynasty Cizhou Stoneware Jar / Bottle

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)...

All Items : Archives : Regional Art : Asian : Chinese : Pre AD 1000 item #1436891 (stock #MA270)
Fine Large Chinese Warring States Pottery Jar (475 - 221 BC)

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...

All Items : Archives : Regional Art : Asian : Chinese : Pre 1492 item #1479205 (stock #MC171)
Chinese Song Dynasty Hare's Fur Bowl in Kiln Saggar (Ex. Grahame Clarke Collection)

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...

All Items : Archives : Regional Art : Asian : Chinese : Pre 1492 item #1437020 (stock #MB478)
Rare Chinese Yuan Dynasty Burnished Black Pottery Meiping

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...

All Items : Archives : Regional Art : Asian : Chinese : Pre AD 1000 item #1486244 (stock #MC340)
Rare Chinese Neolithic Pottery Tripod

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...

All Items : Archives : Regional Art : Asian : Chinese : Pre AD 1000 item #1471190 (stock #MB980)
Fine Tall Chinese Han Dynasty Painted Pottery Granary Jar

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...

All Items : Archives : Regional Art : Asian : Chinese : Pre 1492 item #1468131 (stock #MB895)
Rare Large Chinese Song Dynasty Stoneware Granary Jar & Cover (AD 960 -1279)

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...

All Items : Archives : Regional Art : Asian : Chinese : Pre 1492 item #1464357 (stock #MB676)
Fine & Rare Chinese Jin Dynasty Painted Pottery Tile - Musician

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...

All Items : Archives : Regional Art : Asian : Chinese : Pre 1492 item #1464358 (stock #MB675)
Fine & Rare Chinese Jin Dynasty Painted Pottery Tile - Entertainer

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...

All Items : Archives : Regional Art : Asian : Chinese : Pre AD 1000 item #1476006 (stock #MC069)
Chinese Western Han Dynasty Incised & Burnished Pottery Cocoon Jar

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...

All Items : Archives : Regional Art : Asian : Chinese : Pre 1837 VR item #1468415 (stock #MB897)
Japanese Oribe Seto Ware Andon-Zara Dish - Edo Period

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...

All Items : Archives : Regional Art : Asian : Chinese : Pre AD 1000 item #1488004 (stock #MB959)
Chinese Eastern Han Dynasty Glazed Granary Jar with Cover

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...

All Items : Archives : Regional Art : Asian : Chinese : Pre 1700 item #1462649 (stock #MB556)
Tall Chinese Ming Dynasty Stoneware Roof Tile Figure

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 ...

All Items : Archives : Regional Art : Asian : Chinese : Pre AD 1000 item #1446309 (stock #MB507)
Large Chinese Tang Dynasty Glazed Stoneware Jar

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...

All Items : Archives : Regional Art : Asian : Chinese : Pre AD 1000 item #1448522 (stock #MB430)
Chinese Tang Dynasty Painted Pottery Camel

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...

All Items : Archives : Regional Art : Asian : Chinese : Pre AD 1000 item #1471250 (stock #MB984)
Chinese Han Dynasty Painted Pottery Musician (Zither)

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...