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

Made for use as a ceremonial offering dish. The glaze has an overall bumpy texture. There are a few minute iron spots. Generally good condition and no damage. Acquired in Hong Kong in the 1960s.

Height: 3 7/8 in.; Diameter: 8 3/8 in.

Used as a container for red cinnabar seal paste, intended for use on a scholar's table. There are a few minor firing flaws. The lid fits rather loosely. Overall good condition with some remnants of red seal paste. Acquired in Hong Kong in the 1960s.

Height: 1 ½ in.; Length: 4 ½ in.

This circular box is lacquered in brownish black with mother of pearl inlay encircling the lid which is well-fitted to the bottom box. The top is painted in slightly-raised gilt lacquer with two characters: “fu” and “shou,” for happiness and longevity. There is light wear to the edges of the lid, inner rims and to the base, as would be expected, and also a few minor touch-ups. Overall, considering the age and use, the box is in good condition with the mother of pearl all intact.

Diameter: 8 3/8 in., Height: 2 ½ 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 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 cylindrical seal is fashioned from a very pale yellowish-green soapstone and incised on one end with archaistic characters encircled by a shallow incised ring. Otherwise, the seal is undecorated and has a pleasant, satiny sheen from age and use. There are numerous old small chips and wear to the edges of the carved end but not on the characters. This piece has the mellow appearance of an object that was used over a long period of time. The stone is lightly veined and mottled and shows a bit of red streaking on the carved face. There is also a faint remnant of red seal paste in the incising.

Height: 3 15/16 in.; Diameter: 1 ¾ in. carved end, 1 5/8 in. top end

Water pot of squat, ovoid form with a narrow foot and slight depression of a base. The even lavender-blue tone of the glass is translucent in strong light and is well-polished on the interior as well as the exterior. Such items as this were essential for the scholar's desk and are more often seen in ceramics than in Beijing glass. There are a few areas of abrasion and scratches from use and some light wear to the foot area. Otherwise, good condition.

Diameter: 4 ½ in., Height: 2 ¾ in.

The black enameled background provides a striking contrast with the colorful flowers in brilliant shaded enamels. Lilies, chrysanthemums, peonies, iris, and other blossoms cover the entire exterior of the bowl, even the entire exterior of the foot down to the footring. The interior is glazed white and left undecorated, further enhancing the contrasting effect of the exterior and interior. The base is glazed white and displays a four-character Qianlong mark in iron-red overglaze enamel. Good condition, no repairs or restorations.

Height: 2 ½ in.; Diameter: 6 ¼ in.

Both finely potted bowls are covered with a lustrous clear glaze, then painted in a broad palette of overglaze enamels. The thousand flowers design, known in Chinese as jiacai (mingles colors), covers the entire exterior of each bowl from the foot to the rim. The flowers include lotus, peony, hydrangea, chrysanthemum and more. The small spaces between the leaves and blossoms are filled with gold enamel. The interior of each bowl is decorated with five bats (wufu) surrounding a shou medallion, all in iron-red and gold enamel. The footring is unglazed, exposing the fine white paste and the base is glazed and marked with the six-character Guangxu mark in regular script in iron-red. Both bowls are in good condition with only some minor wear to the gilt enamel on the mouth rims.

Height: 2 3/8 in.; Diameter: 4 ¾ in.

Interior of dish is decorated with multi-colored overglaze enamels in a pattern known as “thousand flowers” in the West. Most of the various blossoms are painted in thick white enamel which is then shaded with different colors of enamel glaze. Space between the flowers is filled with gold enamel. The reverse is enameled with a design of three flower sprays. A six-character Guangxu mark is painted on the base in red enamel. The plate is raised on a low, inward tapering footring and that glazed base is slightly recessed. There are a few glaze pinholes and a bit of fine kiln grit on the footring as a result of the firing process. No damages, repairs or restorations.

Height: 1 1/8 in.; Diameter: 8 5/8 in.

This Tang-style camel is glazed overall in a transparent turquoise and stands on a rectangular base, the bottom of which is unglazed, showing the terracotta clay body. The right ear is mostly missing. The neck has a clean break about midway and has been restuck. There is a glaze flake on the left nostril, and an old glaze chip to the base beneath the left rear foot. There are remnants of burial clay, particularly in the hollow interior of the camel's body.

Height: 3 7/8 in., Length: 3 3/8 in., Width: 1 ½ in. over the saddle

This unusually long necklace is composed of graduated undyed pink coral beads of slightly compressed spherical form, ranging in tone from light pink to a deeper salmon color. The clasp is an egg-shaped reticulated bronze with a wedge-shaped catch that have both been gilded. Good condition overall with a soft wear and polish to the beads.

Length: 51 in. Bead Size: 1/8 in. to 1/4 in.

This box is molded to resemble lacquered basketry—the cartouches on the sides representing finely woven panels separated by what would have been lacquer work. The top of the lid is molded with a design of a crane in flight among stylized clouds. The box is glazed overall, including the interior and the base, with an even-toned white glaze with a faint bluish tint. The glaze has a silky, flat sheen, almost having the appearance of marble. This piece was likely recovered from an underwater shipwreck site in the southern Philippines. Being many years underwater has contributed to the glaze texture and also to the preservation. Completely intact and in good condition. Purchased twenty years ago from a California collection.

Height: 2 ¾ in.; Width: 4 ¾ in.

Gently flaring bowl with lid, both very well-painted with fruiting vines, bamboo and butterflies probably after a pattern from the Qianlong period. The enamel colors are clear and delicate in the case of the aqua blue and pale green; the fruits are subtly shaded with red and green over white enamel. The bowl is raised on an unglazed footring revealing the white porcelain paste. Four character Guangxu marks are on the lid and the base of the bowl in red enamel. On the base is a collection sticker that reads "Vermeer and Griggs collection #209" that partially obscures the mark. Both the bowl and lid are in excellent condition—no damages or repairs.

Purchased at an auction in Los Angeles, CA in the early 1990s.

Height of bowl with lid: 3 1/8 in.
Bowl, Height: 2 ½ in.; Diameter: 4 1/8 in.
Lid, Height: 1 3/8 in.; Diameter: 3 ¾ in.

Having a single bail handle, the reticulated lid fits snugly and is very well cut with a design of geometric and floral patterns. The patina is of a warm, silvery tone showing the expected evidence of use and wear.

Diameter: 7 in., Height: 4 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.

Even, whitish celadon tone, intricately pierced and carved on both sides with a scene of a daoist immortal rowing his log craft over the waves. A crane flies overhead symbolizing wishes for longevity. The raft terminates in a pine tree. The pine tree along with a flower basket in the center, are symbols of one of the eight immortals, Lan Caihe. This plaque was original intended to be used as a pendant ornament. There are two small holes in both the top and bottom edges to permit a fine silk cord to be inserted for suspension. One side of the carving retains an old collector’s inventory label. The plaque was fitted at a later date with a carved hardwood display stand permitting it to be used as a miniature table screen.

Stone height: 2 3/8 in.; width: 3 in. Height with stand: 3 ½ 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.