This attractive and quite rare three-footed censer was made during the 14th / 15th century most likely at the Longquan kilns, Zhejiang province. The wide body stands on three short integral feet. Incised bands encircle the mouth and base. It is coated in a finely-crackled celadon glaze of good colour save for areas on the inner surface and base where the unglazed pale brown porcelaneous body is revealed.
Diameter 12 cm...
This large and unusual pottery vessel in the form of a recumbent ram was made during the Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 220). It has a thick cylindrical neck on its back quite a wide opening. Possible this vessel was used as base for the pole of a banner or screen support. Traces of the original "cold painted" coloured pigments can be seen.
Length 41 cm (16 inches), height 18.5 cm (7.25 inches)...
This very rare pottery figure was made during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). It is made from a fairly highly-fired creamy-white pottery with features picked out in cold-painted red and black pigments. The figure is prostrate with knees and elbows on the ground possibly paying obeisance to a dignitary or emperor. Note especially the details of the facial features...
This vase of meiping form was made in the 12th century during the Jin Dynasty (AD 1115 - 1234) at one of the Cizhou kilns in the northern provinces. It is "heavily-potted", made from a cream-coloured stoneware, the upper two-thirds of the body coated in a white slip, decorated with a floral pattern in thick dark brown/black underglaze pigment, then coated in a finely-crackled transparent glaze...
This round stoneware jar was made in the 10th Century, either during the Five Dynasties period (AD 906 - 960) or during the early part of the Song Dynasty (AD 960 - 1279). The wall is decorated with an incised repeating petal design. It is coated in a pale greenish glaze that is very finely-crackled and that falls of short of the base revealing the pale grey body.
Height 9cm, diameter 12cm...
This domestic bronze cooking vessel was made during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8) or possibly earlier. The bottom half is semi-spherical, designed to sit in a fire; indeed there are still remains of carbon deposits to the base. It has two handles that are of differing sizes. It is puzzling that it would have been made with different sized handles, although there is no obvious sign that either have been added later...
This porcelain dish was made during the 12th - 13th Century at the celebrated Longquan kilns in Zhejiang province. The cavetto is decorated with a carved pattern and it is coated in a celadon glaze save for the foot edge where the pale grey porcelain body is exposed...
This fine quality blue & white porcelain covered box was made during the Kangxi reign (1662 - 1722) of the Qing Dynasty. Both cover and box are attractively decorated with floral patterns in underglaze blue of good colour.
It is large example of its type with a diameter of 10.25 cm (4 inches). This box has been excavated from a shipwreck. It was sold at Christie's auction house, London, in February 2000...
This rare and unusual 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. It is made from a gritty reddish pottery...
This rare stoneware bowl was made during the 14th century. It has a foliated rim and the whole of the inner surface is decorated with a moulded pattern comprising two bands of multiple parallel lines radiating out from the centre of the bowl in the form of thin flower petals. The pale yellowish-green glaze is finely-crackled. To the glaze on the inner surface are "spur marks" left by kiln spacers.
Diameter 16.5 cm (6.5 in...
This fine and attractive deep porcelain bowl was made in the Southern Song Dynasty (AD 1127 - 1279). The inner surface is decorated with an unusual moulded floral pattern whilst the underside is decorated with a repeating carved leaf pattern. It is unusual for both upper and lower surfaces of a qingbai bowl to be decorated. It is coated in a delicate and finely-crackled pale green qingbai glaze, save for...
This rare small jar was made during the 13th / 14th century at the Longquan kilns, Zhejiang province. It is coated in a thick celadon glaze and has a particularly attractive and crisp moulded floral pattern including lotus blossoms. There are two small loop handles at the shoulder. The unglazed base is slightly concave.
Diameter 6.5 cm (2.5 inches). No repair or restoration; a lovely example in ...
This rare pear-shaped vase or bottle was made during the Yuan Dynasty (AD 1279 - 1368) by one of the kilns at Yuxi county in Yunnan province, one of the first places in the world where blue & white ware was produced. It is "heavily-potted" and decorated in underglaze cobalt blue with floral and leaf designs. It is coated with a clear glaze that falls short of the heavy irregularly cut foot. Similar wares were first unearthed in 1973 in Lufe...
This porcelain jar with cover was made during the 13th - 14th century (Song Dynasty AD 960 - 1279, Yuan Dynasty AD 1279 - 1368) and represents a granary. Both the jar and the cover have been made in a mould with the jar featuring the wall and door of the granary, the cover in the form of a tiled roof. They have been coated in a finely-crackled blueish-green qingbai glaze. Various similar examples are known although this is an unusuall...