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

Decorated in a wu cai palette of overglaze enamels. There is some wear to the enamels from long use, but overall in good condition. The stand and lid are from the late 19th Century / early 20th Century. Purchased in Japan in the 1970s, where it had been used for the tea ceremony as a container for powdered green tea.

Diameter: 3 ¼ in., Height: 3 7/8 in., Height with stand and lid: 5 in.

This melon-form biscuit porcelain pot is mostly covered in rich yellow enamel glaze with green enamel used to pick out the leaves and stem. A low foot with dark enamel glaze supports the melon on its side, and an opening is carved in the top to receive the water and brush. There is an old hairline crack that runs from the opening down the side for about an inch and there is a small chip on the side of the opening, but it is still completely usable as a brush washer.

Height: 2 in., Length: 2 5/8 in.,Width: 2 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.

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.

The stone is a creamy tone with pale russet flecking mainly seen on the back. A darker brown veining can be seen on the lower leg. It is carved overall, including the underneath showing one leg folded under. The polish is an even soft gloss like that produced from years of handling. Good condition, with no chips or restorations.

Length: 1 ¾ in., Width: 1 3/8 in., Height: ¾ in.

This white and pale beige jade is carved to skillfully utilize the two tones of the stone – the beige for the clothing and the white for the face and exposed shoulder. Very good condition. Acquired in North Carolina from an estate that was involved in the tobacco trade in China.

Length: 2 ¼ in., Width: 1 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.

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.

These two vases were mostly part of an altar set that included an incense burner and circular box, all in cast bronze and having similar Koranic inscriptions. The vases are heavily cast as are most of these types of inscribed utensils. The calligraphy is raised from the background and is framed by a lobed cartouche surrounding a ring-punched background that helps to accentuate the inscription. The punched background was probably lacquered a dark brown or black originally and some traces appear to remain. The vases are well-cast and finely finished with concentric bands enhancing both the mouth rims and foot rims. A key-fret band is incised around the upper necks below the mouth rims. The exteriors exhibit a brownish, blackish patina and light patches of verdigris. Bronzes with Arabic inscriptions such as these vases were probably not made for export, but rather to serve the needs of the Muslim community in China. Both vases are in very good condition.

Height: 5 7/8 in.; Width: 3 3/8 in.

This baluster-shaped vase is well-potted and rather stout and heavy. Two elephant head handles, in imitation of a bronze form, adorn the sides of the neck. The exterior is covered overall in a puce colored glaze over which a bird, flower, and landscape scene is very finely painted in raised enamels in various colors. Enamel shading is employed throughout the scene and is particularly effective on the flowers. The interior is fully glazed white, as is also the base. A well-written Qianlong mark in overglaze iron-red enamel is painted on the base. The footring is unglazed exposing the porcelain paste. Overall very good condition. No restorations.

Height: 16 1/8 in., Width: 8 in.

This vase is decorated in overglaze enamels over an imperial yellow enamel ground. The base has an apocryphal six-character Kangxi mark in underglaze blue. Two stylized handles glazed in coral enamel decorate the neck. The base and interior are glazed white. The footring is unglazed. It is in good condition. Acquired from the collection of Evangeline Johnson of the Robert Wood Johnson family.

Height: 14 ½ in., Width: 11 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.

This tripod censer is raised on three animal-masked feet that support its large, rounded body. The rim is decorated with a key fret design, and the body has ten lappets composed of stylized mask and key fret designs all in low relief. It retains its original brown patina overall with a deep greenish gray interior from use. Good condition.

Diameter: 12 in., Height: 8 ½ 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.

This tea pot is inscribed with Chinese characters on one side, and has a bamboo motif incised on the opposite side. The handle and spout are sculpted to represent knotty tree limbs, and the lid is carved with leaves and stems. The maker's seal is impressed on the interior of the lid. It is in good condition and was acquired from my grandmother's antique shop in the mid 1960s.

Across spout and handle: 7 ¾ in., Height: 4 ¾ in.

This figure of a guardian foo dog is of a natural rich brown unglazed ceramic with white glazed eyes, eyebrows, teeth, claws, and a line of spots on the spine. It is very well-modeled by hand with a highly expressive face and jaws. The chocolate-colored body is also offset by a black glazed mane and tail. The modeling represents an anatomically correct male. There is a loss to the tip of one ear, as well as the tip of the tail. The left foreleg has a clean break and has been restruck. Acquired from a dealer in California in the early 1980s.

Height: 9 ¼ in., Length 7 in., Width: 4 in.

Gong-shaped brush washer for use on scholar’s table. Covered overall in a glossy, clear glaze and decorated only with two concentric rings of cobalt blue encircling the mouth. The clear glaze reveals the fine white porcelain body. There are a few characteristic pinholes in the glaze on both the exterior and interior surfaces. The narrow, well-carved footring is unglazed, showing the dense white porcelain paste. There is a Kangxi mark in underglaze blue on the base. The mark is well-written in the typical standard six-character script usually seen on this type of brush washer. Very small, almost invisible hairline on the lip, otherwise very good condition.

Diameter: 4 ½ in.; Height: 1 ¼ in.; Footring: 3 ½ in. diameter

This tubular shaped holder is partially hollowed on one end in order to receive a peacock feather decoration. The jade is a white tone with white mottling and a very slight hint of green when held to the light. It has a soft polish and even wear from use. Good condition.

Length: 2 ½ in., Diameter: ¾ in.