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

These vases of tapering square form are decorated overall in famille rose and noir enamels, each having four cartouches depicting courting scenes, surrounded by geometric and floral designs. There are four smaller cartouches on the necks with scenes of scholars and young men. The rims are thinly glazed, and the bases are unglazed. There is professional restoration to the base of the neck on one vase, and a small chip to the base of the other that was also professionally restored. Otherwise, except for minor wear to the enamels, which would be expected, the condition is good. Acquired from a family collection in Asheville, NC.

Height: 11 ½ in., Width: 3 ¾ in.

This tall baluster vase is glazed in deep oxblood red that is suffused all around with patches of pale blue ranging to lavender and purple. The overall effect is somewhat reminiscent of a landscape painting. As a lamp, it retains its original brass fittings, but one socket is an old replacement. The wiring is intact and the lamp still functions. The condition of the porcelain overall is very good, though the base was drilled in the lamp-making process.

Height of vase: 16 in., Diameter: 7 ¾ in.

The slightly tapering form is sturdily potted and is enameled in grisaille with a bird perched on a wisteria branch amid roses toward the base. The scene, repeated on the broad sides, is reserved in a ground of yellow enamel. The narrow ends show two wisteria branches. This composition is known on other porcelains, all of which were commissioned for the Empress Dowager. The interior as well as the base are glazed white and a scrolling design in thin red enamel is painted on the four sides of the rim. The edge of the rim is gilded, but it has mostly rubbed to a pinkish tint. A key fret design in two tones of blue enamel surrounds the rim and base. The foot is unglazed and it was fired upon four tiny stilts, the remnants of which show neatly on the base. It is undamaged and in overall very good condition.

Length: 8 5/8 in., Width: 6 in., Height: 6 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.

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 jar is incised all around the body with a bird and floral scene. A vine design encircles the shoulder, bordered by double incised lines. There is a small flower sprig on two sides of the neck with a single incised line encircling just below the mouth. The jar is covered inside and out with a pale blue-green clear glaze, stopping just above the footring. The interior glaze stops about one half inch below the mouth rim leaving the pure smooth white paste exposed, though now somewhat soiled from age and use. The base is glazed and the footring is neatly trimmed inside and out, leaving the dense white porcelain paste exposed. There is a small white drip from the kiln on the neck as seen in the photo. Some tool marks show up on the body as small divots under the glaze. A few pinpricks are also present from the firing. A very tiny nick on the rim appears to be a firing flaw rather than a chip. There are no cracks or restorations.

Height: 5 ¾ in., Diameter: 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.

This vase is glazed white overall with a subtle fine crackle and has two horizontal luting lines very slightly raised on the body. The base is glazed white and the very white paste of the footring is exposed. The interior is fully glazed white. Two small iron specks are present below the shoulder. Unfortunately, there is a crack on one side that has not been restored, but is restorable. However, even though there is a crack, this vase remains a classic example of Jiajing style and appears to be in good condition when displayed on a shelf. It was probably an excavated piece and has some loss to the gloss of the glaze on the cracked side, having a slightly matte finish. This piece was purchased in Hong Kong in the 1960s and acquired by me directly from the original collector.

Height: 10 in., Diameter: 5 ½ 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.

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.

The lid is decorated in underglaze cobalt blue with a depiction of Liu Bing, the founder of the Han Dynasty, attacking a snake, which was considered to be an omen predicting the founding of the Han Dynasty. This particular scene, probably from a woodblock printed book illustration, is seen from time to time on Shunzhi Period – early Kangxi transitional wares. The base is glazed and displays the classic six-character Kangxi mark. The paste is exposed on the footring and is textured of buff-colored China clay, consistent of soft paste porcelain. The clear glaze has an overall crackle, also consistent with soft paste porcelain wares. Very good condition with moderate wear and no damage.

Diameter: 3 ½ in., Height: 1 3/8 in.

This round, lidded container is very-well painted on the top of the lid in “fen sai” enamels with a scene of a religious figure surrounded by four children in an open landscape. The side of the lid as well as the side of the bottom half of the box are enameled with floral designs. The container sits on a slightly raised footring revealing the very white porcelain paste. The base is glazed white. An old faded black ink mark remains on the interior rim of the lid where it is unglazed. Overall very good condition.

Diameter: 3 ½ in., Height: 1 ½ 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.

Painted in thick blue enamels surrounding an overall floral pattern in pale green and turquoise. A cartouche with a design of a bird among flowers is painted in famille rose pallet on the two large sides. A hanging tassel design is on the two narrow sides. The lid rests on top of the mouth and is painted with a single open flower. The base is unglazed. There are two glaze chips on the shoulder and a crack to the interior collar of the lid. Otherwise good condition.

Width: 3 ¾ in.; Height: 4 7/8 in.; Depth: 2 3/8 in.

This shallow form bowl is decorated in a famille rose palette with vibrant overglaze enamels in the standard pattern known in the West as pseudo tobacco leaf. The form and paste of the dish is that of the Qianlong Period. There are some small nicks to the rim from use and a tiny rim nick infill. A small oval glaze crack shows on the front rim with a tiny associated restored chip. Otherwise, it is in good condition with only minor wear to the enamels. Acquired from an heir of the Ira and Nancy Koger collection.

Diameter: 8 ¾ in., Height: 1 ½ in.

Glazed overall with a blue-tinged clear glaze with underglaze iron oxide coloring the peach and portions of the monkey. The base is unglazed. Molded with a large opening for brushes and two smaller apertures for holding flower stems. Very good condition, minor wear but no damage or repairs.

Height: 2 3/4 in.; Width: 3 in.

This water pot is in the shape of drum which doubles as a paperweight for painting and calligraphy. It is decorated with underglaze cobalt blue and iron oxide in a rather cursive depiction of flowers and butterflies. The side has two sections of calligraphy covered with a thick, translucent glaze, somewhat obscuring the brushwork. The base is not glazed and shows considerable wear and soiling from use. There is a line of tiny raised dots surrounding the top and bottom of the piece which are intended to represent the nail heads that would be seen on a drum. There are some glaze skips on the side and some minor nicks on the top edge and visible wear – all consistent with a scholar's item that has seen a great deal of use.

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

This model of a granary, molded in two parts, has a removable lid that represents the thatched roof over the cup-like base. It is covered overall in a clear greenish glaze with areas of fine crackle and evidence of burial. The interior is unglazed, and the underside of the lid is also unglazed. This piece was used as an item of internment as an offering to the deceased for use in the afterlife. It is in very good condition overall, having small areas of red staining from burial. Acquired in Kyoto, Japan in 1974.

Height: 3 ½ in., Diameter: 3 ½ in.; Body Height: 2 ¾ in., Diameter: 2 7/8 in.