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

Well-potted brushpot with a very carefully painted dragon and fish design in a deep sepia-toned enamel that is slightly raised on the biscuit-fired background. Like the exterior, the interior is also unglazed. The base is slightly recessed and marked with a spurious six-character Xuande mark. This piece most likely dates to the Guangxu period, 1875-1908. Very good condition with no damages or restorations. The painting is extremely well executed.

Height: 4 3/8 in.; Diameter: 3 in.

This milky glass bottle is applied with four colors of glass and carved in relief with the symbols of the eight Taoist immortals. The sides have carved bat handles in black glass and the interior is well-hollowed. The stopper is pale whitish jade with a small apple-green splash. It is in good condition. Acquired in Norfolk, VA in the mid 1980s.

Height: 2 5/8 in. with stopper, 2 5/16 in. without stopper, Width: 2 in.

This piece is in one of the eight prescribed peach bloom shapes that were designed for the scholar’s table. The base is marked with a properly written six character Kangxi mark in underglaze blue. This pot is well-potted in conformance with the shape of these vessels, rising from a slightly demarked foot visible on the outside as a light trimming line. The walls bulge outward and turn in at the shoulder which rounds to a depressed mouth opening. The glaze is largely of a mottled mushroom tone with areas of oxblood streaking. Small splashes of light green and dots of darker brilliant green break through the mushroom toned glaze in several areas. The base and outside are glazed in a clear glaze of pale greenish-blue tint. The base is slightly recessed and the delicately trimmed foot is unglazed exposing the smooth white porcelain body. The mark is written in a clear rich blue cobalt. Though this piece has no chips or repairs, there are two hairline cracks that extend across the top and down opposing sides. The cracks are not discolored, are not noticeable on the interior and not readily noticeable on the exterior unless the locations are known. There are a few tiny pin pricks in the clear glaze on the base, typical of those seen on eighteenth century porcelains. The presence of the crack is reflected in the pricing.

Height: 2 ¼ in.; Diameter: 3 3/8 in.

Originally used as a traditional folding fan, its creases are clearly visible as is also the wear and paper losses, particularly along the edges. The painting was removed from its bamboo supports many years ago and mounted on a scroll or screen. The mounting can be seen on the back and is also visible as a thin border along the front edges, and remnants of a mulberry paper backing are lightly attached to the back on top of the old scroll mounting paper. The scene is of two women in a garden. One holds a fan while the other is involved in writing with her calligraphy implements laid out on the stone in front of her. The colors – pinks, blues, reds, green and yellow, all pleasantly muted with age, are brushed onto an aged brownish yellow background.

Length: 17 ½ in., Height: 6 ¼ in.

Deep, translucent cobalt glass in good condition.

Diameter: 2 7/8 in. ext., 2 ¼ in. int.

Molded in the form of a sauce dish with an attached handle in the shape of a stylized dragon, this was an item of fairly high quality made for the Chinese market—not for export. It is covered with a thick imperial yellow glaze on the exterior and the interior is enameled in turquoise. It is raised on a tall foot of which the interior and base is clear glazed with a slight bluish tone. The footring is unglazed and the originally white porcelain now displays a brown tone from age and use. A small bit of kiln grit adheres to one side of the footring. The yellow enamel is painted over with pale green enamel decoration—very skillfully painted with a band of floral scrool work in the middle register with three red enamel open lotus flowers. The mouth is encircled with a dot and arch design in light green enamel and the foot has a green enamel panel design. The dragon handle is enameled red over which is a stylized gilded decoration. Worn traces of gilding remain on the mouth rim. There is wear to the interior and mouthrim. The overall condition is good with no damages. Remains of old tape and part of an old label are visible on the base. The stand is well-fitted and appears to be antique and carved specifically for this vessel. It is a blackish hardwood, possibly zitan.

Height: 2 7/8 in., with stand: 3 7/8 in.; Length: 5 ¼ in.

These tall, slender offering jars with lids are well-potted and molded with dignitaries, dragons and horses, and covered with a thin bluish-toned clear glaze. The bluish areas are apparent where the glaze has pooled around the molded figures. The lids are likewise glazed and finished with a simple stylized swirl of clay. The clay body is white and a bit sugary in texture. There are orange areas of staining from burial. Jars such as these were used as grain offering containers and were interred with the deceased for use in the afterlife. The mouthrim, the foot, and the base are unglazed. The jars are a matched pair and are in generally good condition. There is a small chip to the piecrust shaped decoration below the mouthrim of one jar. There is very minor chipping to the edge of the feet. There is a small piece on the edge of one lid that was broken and restuck.

Heights with lids: 17 ¾ in., 18 in.

This celadon jade cup has two handles, a slightly pronounced rim, and is set on a raised foot. The body is carved with three lines of raised knobs along the sides, with two straight, vertical handles on opposite sides. The stone is of a very light translucent celadon tone with a whitish patch that has a reddish-brown outline near the foot. The base of one handle has an indented and polished area, and a carved line under the overhang of the handle. The other handle has a more squared base, with no carved line under the overhang. A small dark inclusion can be seen on the interior well of the bowl. Overall, it is in good condition. Acquired from a Virginia estate around 1990.

Length across handles: 4 ¼ in., Diameter of bowl: 2 5/8 in., Height: 1 3/8 in.

This jar is well-potted pinkish-orange earthenware that is covered in a deep green glaze that has degraded in places and developed iridescence from burial. The base is unglazed, as is the interior, revealing the place orange earthenware clay body. There are three spur marks on the rim from stacking in the firing. There are no cracks or restorations.

Height: 5 7/8 in., Diameter: 6 ¼ in.

Glazed with turquoise, amber and green enamels, this laughing Buddha holds his large belly with one hand, and clasps a rosary in the other. The back is unglazed and a stabilized hairline extends from the foot to the top of the base. There is a collection inventory number incised on the rear base and there is a small chip to the foot. It is accompanied by a later carved wooden base.

Height: 11 in., Width: 6 ¾ in.

This shallow, square tray-shaped dish is covered in black lacquer and inlaid with delicate abalone mother of pearl work, with touches of red, brown and gold lacquer. A central landscape scene of rocks, plants and butterflies is set in a black cartouche thinly framed with mother of pearl. The rest of the background and interior sides are sprinkled with fine abalone shell dust which gives this dish a blue-green sparkle. Mother of pearl butterflies and flower blossoms fill the area outside the cartouche, and around the perimeter o the interior base is painted a key-fret border in gold lacquer. The sides flare outward with slight bad wing corners and are rimmed with silver. One corner appears to have some old restoration. There are some small pearl losses in places on several of the butterflies. The back is lacquered black and the base is raised on four very low feet. There are some old but stable age cracks visible on the back.

Diameter: 4 ¼ in. square, Height: ½ in.

This piece, probably made in southern China is glazed on the outside overall except the base and base with a lustrous translucent emerald green glaze. The glaze stops just short of the foot in a thickened curtain effect of gloss and deep green tone. The interior is unglazed though the flaring mouth rim and interior of the neck is covered with glaze that displays a subtle bluish mottling. This piece is potted from a pale buff stoneware clay now largely obscured by soiling from use and age. Very good condition overall having no damages or repairs. Some dark soiling remains on the glaze and base.

Height: 4 in.; Width: 4 ¼ in.

Glazed on the biscuit with green, yellow and brown enamels. On the base are three unglazed spots on which the piece was fired. Stopper in the form of bat, handle in form of stem and spout in the form of blossom. Very good condition with only minor construction flaws glazed over in the firing.

Width: 3 in.; Height: 2 7/8 in.

This bowl is very well-painted in overglaze enamels with the nine ripe peaches showing gradations of color from yellowish-green to deep rose-red on each. The peach leaves are enameled in two tones of green. Contrasting with this colorful pallet is the tree trunk which is well-rendered in tones of brownish grey. The bowl is covered overall in a clear glaze that stops evenly at the foot, exposing the fine white porcelain paste on the footring. There is a hairline crack that extends vertically from the lip down the side for about 2.5 inches. There are a number of very tine nicks on the rim, which was originally gilded but most of the gold has now worn off. The interior has a very small glaze pits from the firing. No repairs or restorations.

Diameter: 7 ¾ in., Height: 3 in.

The body is formed by a fairly thinly turned jade tube that is fitted with a turned hardwood plug for the base. The wooden bottom is visible on the interior base of the jade tube and it is turned to form a stand that compliments the simplicity of the jade form. The jade is slightly yellowish to pale celadon and has white veining on one side with brown inclusions on the other, creating patterns resembling clouds or a landscape. The stone is slightly translucent with a satiny luster that adds to the overall effect. Purchased in the mid 1980s from a collection in North Carolina.

Height: 5 1/8 in. with base; Diameter: 2 7/16 in.

This jade tube is a celadon green with lighter inclusions that create mountain landscape-like patterns throughout. It has a soft even polish overall, including the interior and it is slightly translucent when held to the light. There are a few small nicks and minor abrasions to the rims, but it is in generally good condition. The interior is cut slightly off-center.

Height: 3 ¾ in., Diameter: 2 1/8 in.

This bottle is covered overall in a thick, even oxblood glaze. The copper colorant has drained slightly down from the mouth leaving a narrow band of white glaze that continues into the mouth for a short distance; otherwise, the interior appears to be unglazed. The base has a yellowish iron oxide dressing and the footring is unglazed. Excess glaze that ran onto the foot was ground off after the firing. There is minor wear from age, but is in very good condition overall. Purchased in Essex, Massachusetts in 1992.

Height: 4 ¼ in.

This rare cylindrical vessel has visible rings on the exterior from the potting intended to imitate a section of bamboo. The rich, raspberry-toned glaze stops evenly just above the well-cut footring. The exposed paste is smooth and white with even wear from years of use. The base is glazed white; it is finely crackled and naturally stained from use and time. A line of pale orange re-oxidation encircles the interior and exterior of the footring where the glaze stops. There is a pale streak running through the glaze along with a pale splash on one side. The interior and rim are glazed white with a pale bluish tinge and the top of the rim is very slightly grooved, which is typical of early 18th Century porcelain brushpots. There are two cracks from the firing that are visible on the interior along with a small, shallow associated chip to the rim. The frosty appearance toward the bottom on the sides is due to reflections in the photography. From a private collection in Baltimore, MD.

Height: 4 5/8 in., Diameter: 2 ¾ in.