Late Qing Dynasty (1890-1911) Chinese soapstone brush rest carved on the front with 2 scholars in discussion by a hut among trees. Very nice feature - the back shows the natural skin of the soapstone boulder from which the object was carved. Strong simple carving, excellent scholarly simplicity to the piece, very pleasant feel of age, wonderful item for a scholar’s desk. Length 3.14 inches, height 1.83 inches.
A nice Chinese walnut snuff bottle with carvings of Lohans. Measuring about 2 inches high, it dates early 20th C.
For centuries, before there was electricity, throughout Asia, Puppetry Arts were a popular form of traveling entertainment...
A platform with a cloth screen, lit from the back by candlelight, provided the stage....
The shadow images were black against the white "background". Hence, the puppets had a minimum of color and only the necessary intricate cut outs for personality as they were sometimes presented to the audience with the "handlers" after a performance...
Charming mythical creature from Nepal..head is separate and rotates in fitted sleeve...intricate metal work with raised enamel drops giving the appearance of stones...crature stands roughly 4 inches high...
Late Meiji (1890s to 1912) Japanese pottery kogo (box for incense during tea ceremony) of circular shape, its top decorated in low relief with various blooming flowers surrounded by lotus petals. Earthenware body with slight glaze and different color enamels, the inside is gilded and has residue from incense use. Stamped on the bottom with potter’s seal. Great piece in Japanese taste, in beautiful vintage condition. Diameter 2 3/8 inches, height 1 1/4 inches.
Fukagawa 4 7/8 inch diameter ice cream bowl with everted rim. Iris decoration from Chuji Fukagawa's own 19th century design book. Blue underglaze and red, yellow and gold overglaze enamel decoration. Mt. Fuji mark in underglaze blue inside the foot ring. Late Meiji or early Taisho. Good condition. Priced for each bowl...
An attractive Arita dish made for export to Europe decorated with conventionalised panels of Hoo birds and Paulonia flowers and stylised Peony flowers inset within an underglaze blue brocade ground to the cavetto, and a central motif of Chrysanthemum. The presence of gilt outlined enamels and colloidal pink in the palette indicate that the plate is from the Kyoho period or slightly later.
The plate measures 21 cm or 8.25 inches in diameter and stand 3.3cm, or 1.25 inches high at the rim...
A slim early cylinder seal in fine-corned white marple, carved with a characteristic and significant design for the Period of Jemdet Nasr in Mesopotamia.
The Jemdet Nassr Period in seal manifacturing,3300-2900 BC, were spreading from Southern Mesopotamia, where a great number of administrative cuneiform tablets and seals came from. Such seals was used to impress pictures or descriptions into soft, prepared clay...
A larger serpentine stone stamp seal of the gable type, Ubaid period of Anatolia and Syria, c. 4th. millenium BC.
Recent research clearly indicates that highly advanced city cultures allready existed in the Ubaid period of Anatolia and Syria in the early 4th. millenium BC and perhaps even before that. This predates the Mesopotamian Uruk period, so it's a question who inspired who?.
Nice seal in hand engraved with a horned animal.
Size: 35 mm. long and 23 mm...
Carved from Rosewood, on one side, this Chinese toggle has a wooded scene with a horse and pair of deer. On the reverse side is the symbol for longevity. Toggle is 1.5 inches x 1.25 inches
A six sided Japanese porcelain Imari dish with a blue and green dragon design on the front, and a blue and white bat design on the back. The plate measures about 10 1/2" in diameter x 2" high, and dates to the early 19th Century. There is a makers' mark on the foot. The condition is excellent with surface and foot rim wear commensurate with age. The asking price includes shipping within the USA
Mexican Pre Columbian Tlatilco Terracotta bust. Rare fragment from an early culture c 1200bc-600bc. Tlatilco is noted in particular for its high quality pottery pieces, many featuring Olmec iconography. Tlatilco figures were known for their elaborate hair styles. This head has the classic eyes a large detailed headdress and earrings . Size 2." by 1.25"
Pre-Columbian, Peru, Chancay, ca. 800 to 1200 AD.
A white-slipped terracotta bowl with a rounded base, curved walls, a deep interior cavity, and a thin rim.
It features a nice geomethric decoration in a rich brown hue.
Size: 12,5 cm. in diameter and ca. 7-8 cm. tall.
Condition: Nice and intact, small pinhole in the wall and a blemmage in the bottom, perhaps oil or residue from former mounting?
Chinese Neolithic Qijia Culture Incised & Cord-Impressed Pottery Jar
This pottery jar was made some 4,000 years ago by peoples of the Neolithic Qijia Culture (c. 2050 - 1700 BC), in the north of China, what is now eastern Gansu province. They produced a variety of pottery vessels including cord-impressed pottery of many shapes and sizes...
A nice tanged bronze dagger from the Ancient Near East, Caspian Sea Area, Mid-late Bronze age, 2nd. mill. BC.
Slim blade with rounded shoulders and central midrib.
Length: c. 27 cm
Condition: A nice dagger with fine green patina with pots of red. Slight roughness to the edge.
Ex. Private Collection in Denmark.
Animal horns carved and shaped this way were used by herders and farmers to give a sick animal liquid medicine. This yak horn was bought in China but was probably made used the Tibetans. Judging from its size, this horn is from a mature (older) Yak...The tip is carved into a delicate animal head ...there are a few surface growth stress cracks on the under side which would be common for a large older animal. horn from tip to end is 11 inches and has good translucence
Ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern Faience and Glass beads, various sizes . Nice lot beautiful blue beads.
An old Japanese saki storage bottle in good condition except for some manufacturing flaws which only add to its character and charm. They include firing cracks on the rim, a spot where it touched another bottle in the kiln, and some loss at the base which may have also happened during firing. These type of saki bottles were used as everyday ware by Japanese people and were not made for export. Desired by collectors they also make excellent vases...