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.

This miniature vase has a whitish / buff stoneware body that is covered in a clear glaze that has areas of discoloration from pale gray to an attractive yellowish tone, likely a result from long-term burial. Three comma-shaped decorations were swiftly brushed onto the shoulder. The bottom third of the vase remains unglazed, exposing the strong stoneware body. The footring and base are likewise unglazed, and an old sticker from the early 20th Century remains attached to the base. There is a small chip to the underside of the mouthrim. Purchased in 1985 from the estate of a Chapel Hill, NC university professor.

Height: 3 3/8 in., Diameter: 1 7/8 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.

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.

This small jar is decorated with auspicious symbols hastily painted in underglaze cobalt blue and covered with a thick transparent glaze of whitish tone. The base is recessed with the clear glaze partially covering it. There are two small chips on the mouthrim, some glaze crawling and loss to the shoulder as a result of the firing. A small lump of unglazed material can be seen on one side below the shoulder which is the result of another jarlet adhering to it during the firing.

Height: 3 5/8 in., Diameter: 3 1/8 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 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.

This slightly-waisted bottle vase is of a rich lavender red tone infused with overall speckling of deep red. The red glaze drains to a buff colored ring around the lip and continues into the interior for an inch or two. The glaze stops very evenly just above the neatly trimmed footring. A four-character seal mark in underglaze colbalt blue is centered within a circle of clear glaze that is bordered with two incised concentric rings. The rest of the base is unglazed , showing the fine, white porcelain paste. Excellent condition.

Height: 8 3/4 in., Diameter: 4 1/8 in.

This dish is decorated in underglaze cobalt blue with a design of three men playing a game of “go.” It was recovered from a shipwreck site in the Southern Philippines off the coast of Mindanao. There is a slight pitting to the glaze overall from years of submersion. There is also a tiny rim chip and very small areas of rim fritting. The glazed base displays a hastily drawn seal mark expressing luck or good wishes. The footring is unglazed exposing the white paste.

Diameter: 5 3/8 in., Height: 1 3/8 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 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 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.

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 pair of soft paste porcelain ovoid jars are decorated in underglaze cobalt blue of a strong sapphire tone. Both jars are decoarted with identical designs of foo lions at play with various stylized cloud elements filling in the background. Surround the neck is a thin line design that forms a six-pointed star when viewing straight down from the top. The necks of both jars are unglazed and originally would have had dome-shaped lids. The bases of both jars display well-written horizontal six-character Kangxi marks surrounded by double circles. The jars are covered in a clear glaze with a very fine crackle that has darkened with age, and over the buff colored body yields a pleasant creamy tone against the blue. The interiors are also fully glazed. Overall, both jars are in very good condition without cracks or restorations. There is a tiny glaze bumb from the firing on one. The footrings are unglazed and have darkened from age and use. Some staining on the necks is present from use. Purchased in Kyoto in the mid 1970s.

Height: 5 ¼ in., Diameter: 4 1/8 in. (both)

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.