Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Chinese (180)

Jar or bottle vase has a low neck with a flaring mouth and a spherical body supported on a footring. The mouth’s edge is clear glazed, showing the buff-white body. Glazed with a russet-brown rust glaze suffused with silvery-black flecks, that depending on the light, can yield tones from a metallic red-brown to silvery-purple. The footring is unglazed revealing a warm, buff-white porcelain body. Good condition, with no damages. Small flaw in the trimming on the foot is visible on the inside of the footring.

Ceramic articles with glazes imitating other materials and various special effects, such as the well-known tea dust glaze were popular in the 1700s. Rust glaze monochromes fit in this category though perhaps not seen as often as tea dust glaze pieces.

Height: 4 ½ in.; Diameter: 4 3/8 in.

This two-part buckle is formed with a dragon head clasp on one piece, and the other is slotted for hooking under the dragon's head. Each has a central medallion cast in low relief of a double gourd “magic elixir” bottle. Both pieces are finished with a stylized bat motif. The underside of each has two attached pieces to receive the belt. Much gilding remains on the fronts, though worn. The reverse of each is ungilded and has old natural patina from use.

Clasped length: 3 ¾ in., Width: 7/8 in.

This figure is press-molded in the traditional manner of blanc de chine sculptures from late Ming times through the Nineteenth Century. It is well-modeled from highly refined, very white porcelain. The interior is unglazed revealing the fine white body. The figure has a glossy creamy white appearance from the fine, evenly-applied clear glaze. She sits with one knee slightly raised and hands concealed by the flowing robe. A beaded pendant adorns the chest. The facial features are very well modeled down to the subtle pupils of the eyes. The individual strands of hair are incised over the entire coiffure and topknot is covered by the loosely flowing hood. The figure sits in a meditative attitude with a pleasing beatific expression on her face. Several clay shrinkage cracks occur on the interior but do not extend to the exterior, which is characteristic of many blanc de chine wares. These cracks occur during the drying or firing processes and have no effect on the exterior appearance. There is a minute glaze crack on the hood that is not noticeable unless the location is known. There are a few small pinholes in the glaze also characteristic of old Dehua wares. Otherwise, very good condition with no restorations.

Height: 11 ½ in.; Width: 7 ¼ in.

This well and thinly carved classic chrysanthemum bowl is fashioned from highly transparent agate. Probably dating to the Qianlong period, it was perhaps intended for court use as a wine cup, judging from its high quality carving, and its small and delicate form. Tiny crevices to the interior and pale clouding are natural to the stone. It is in good condition with no chips or restorations. It is accompanied by a later, though still antique, hard wood stand.

Diameter: 2 ¼ in., Height: 1 1/8 in., Height with stand: 1 7/8 in.

Lid is suffused with brilliant apple-green that deepens to an emerald tone and the top is carved overall with an intricate stylized dragon design. Encircling the lower pedestal is a key fret incised carving. The insides of the box and lid are well-hollowed. This box was intended for cosmetics or possibly for seal paste. There is a small nick to the inner rim of the box but is in overall good condition, retaining its original lustrous polish.

Acquired from a prominent North Carolina estate in the 1980s.

Height: 1 13/16 in.; Diameter: 1 7/8 in.

The exterior of each bowl is decorated with nine butterflies in flight in brilliant funcai enamels. The lower portion of the bowls just above the footring is encircled by a band of lappet panels, and below the rim of each is a Greek key band all in the same enamel palette. The interiors are undecorated, and glazed with the same even, white glaze as the exteriors. The bowls rest on a raised footring. The bases are glazed and marked in overglaze iron-red enamel with six-character Guangxu marks. Both bowls are in excellent condition.

Diameter: 4 7/8 in., Height: 2 ¼ in.

This dish is painted in the “wu cai” manner with overglaze enamels combined with underglaze cobalt blue. The interior base has a design of flowers and rockwork surrounded by petal lappets around the well of the dish. Each petal contains an enameled flower decoration. The back of the dish is glazed white with no decoration but the petal lappets from the interior stand out in low relief on the back. The base is glazed, and the footring is unglazed, exposing the characteristic 18th century white paste. Overall, very good condition.

Diameter: 6 ½ in., Height: 1 ¼ in.

The exterior of this bowl is painted overall in famille verte enamel colors of predominantly greens, with some yellows, blue, aubergine, iron-red and black. Three cartouches of people in a landscape setting are surrounded by various flowers on a dotted background that is covered overall in a pale green transparent enamel glaze. The interior is glazed white. The footring is glazed white with the foot unglazed to expose the dense porcelain body. The base is recessed and glazed. There are a few pinholes and minor glaze flaws, and some small chips and rim fritting. There are no cracks.

Width: 9 1/8 in., Height: 3 ¾ in.

Probably made in the Longquan kilns, this bowl is of flaring conical form and has incised longitudinal lines on the exterior. The exterior is glazed in pale olive-green celadon and the glaze stops well above the foot. The foot and base are unglazed, exposing the light-gray porcelaneous body. The interior is glazed throughout. There is a small chip to the outer rim. Purchased in Kyoto, Japan around 1975.

Diameter: 6 3/8 in., Height: 2 ½ in.

This two-handles stoneware vase's body is covered in a creamy slip glaze which is carved through with a peony design to reveal the light brown clay body. The entire vase except for the foot is covered in a very thin clear glaze enriching the tone of both slip and body. The light brown clay body is exposed on the footring and base. A small amount of burial earth adheres to the foot and base. It is in good condition.

Height: 8 in., Diameter: 4 ¼ in.

This deep bowl is stoutly potted, being rather heavy toward the base, with the wall thinning gradually to the slightly flaring rim. It rests on a tall, thick footring, with a deep base that is glazed down to the dense, white porcelain paste that is exposed with some kiln grit adhering. The design in underglaze cobalt blue is of chrysanthemums, grasses and three stylized bats. The interior has a broad unglazed ring around the bottom to allow it to be stacked during firing. The center of the interior base is painted with a seal in a double square. There is an old hairline crack from the rim extending down approximately 1 ¾ inches and also a small chip to the interior rim. Among bowls of this type, this one is comparatively large. Acquired in Indonesia in the 1960s.

Diameter: 10 in., Height: 5 1/8 in.

Round box is very well-potted and very skillfully painted in underglaze cobalt blue with a design of a boy, or possibly an immortal, riding on the back of a crane flying among clouds. The brushwork is finely detailed—even picking out tiny feathers on the crane’s back. Encircling both the base and the lid are bands of mille-fleurs decoration executed in minute detail with skillful brushwork. Numerous types of flowers are depicted with leaves and buds filling the background. The box rests on a well-trimmed footring barely exposing a narrow line of fine, white porcelain paste, now obscured and darkened from use. The base is glazed and displays a well-written Qianlong seal mark, though written in a style that is usually thought to be late or after the actual period. The interior of the box is glazed and the unglazed rims are stained red from the seal paste.

Seal paste boxes were containers for the greasy red paste used in affixing a seal or chop to a painting and were essential painter’s or scholar’s articles.

Height: 1 1/8 in.; Diameter: 3 3/8 in.

Painted in famille verte enamels, one side showing a woman in a scholar’s studio, and the other side showing a child and a seated woman. On the long narrow sides are scenes of a woman gazing out a window into a garden. The scenes are bordered on the sides by a diamond lozenge pattern as if it were the brocade framing a hanging scroll. The smaller narrow sides have a pierced double coin design surrounded by flowering branches. One side has six small, round spurs on which the piece was fired. An old label from a Newport, RI shop remains. Very good condition.

Length: 5 ¾ in.; Height: 4 ¾ in.; Depth: 2 ¼ in.

This shallow dish is well-carved translucent green jade with bands of blackish coloring with speckles of gray and white. Two handles carved as butterflies extend from the rim. It is evenly carved inside and out with the base raised on a low footring, also very well-carved. The overall pattern in the jade suggests a landscape or cloud effect. A section of the well was broken and restuck in the past, and is reflected in the price. Except for the break, the condition is good. This dish was originally in the Ira and Nancy Koger collection and was acquire from one of the heirs.

Height: 1 in., Diameter: 6 3/8 in., Width across handles: 8 ½ in.

The fine porcelain paste, decorated in cobalt blue, depicts a garden scene with bird and flowers in the center of the dish, surrounded by stylized flowers in circular cartouches. The back is divided into six panels, each centered by a splashed dot. The footring is unglazed, revealing the fine white paste, and there is a bit of sand adhering from the firing. The base is glazed and chattermarks are visible from the trimming of the clay before firing. There are a few small areas of rim fritting that are characteristic of this ware. Otherwise, the condition is very good with no cracks or restoration. Purchased in Japan in the mid 1970s.

Diameter: 5 ¾ in., Height: 1 ¼ in.

This molded earthenware vase is glazed turquoise and amber over the upper portion, leaving the lower portion and base unglazed exposing the biscuit with auspicious symbols of animals and various other elements. The glaze stops at the mouth rim and the interior is unglazed. The turquoise glaze covers various floral designs while the one panel of amber glaze on the flaring upper body reveals a human form, probably a scholar official. There are some old chips from use around the foot and some small glaze flakes overall typical of age, but generally in good condition having no repairs or cracks.

Height: 8 ½ in., Width: 4 in.

This square form wine cup is lined with silver with a silver rim, now darkened from tarnish. The sides and foot are lacquered black and inlaid with abalone mother of pearl. The sides of the cup flare outward from the square foot and each displays a stylized scene of rocks, people and seascapes. There are some minor age cracks to the lacquer and a few pearl losses. The exterior base is unlacquered and appears to be metal – probably lead.

Height: 1 5/8 in., Width: 2 ¼ in. square.

This bowl is decorated overall in various colors of overglaze enamels both inside and out. The base shows the original blue-green clear glaze with only the footring exposed, revealing the white paste and having some sand adhering from the firing. Made for the Thai market, the bowl's exterior displays images of Thepanom and Norasingh against a black enamel ground with stylized flames. The bowl has damages as seen in the photos, with Japanese old gold lacquer restorations to breaks and a small rim chip. There is a chip to the interior of the footring and another short crack extending from the rim for about an inch and a half. The bowl shows considerable wear from age and use and is priced accordingly.

Height: 3 1/8 in., Diameter: 6 in.