Surely among the rarest and most desirable of ancient Chinese pottery horses are the large glazed equestrians from Shanxi province dating to the early Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 386 - 534). This is one such example...
This large and attractively-shaped pottery jar was made during the Warring States period (475 - 221 BC) or possibly during the Qin Dynasty (221 - 206 BC). It is "heavily-potted" and made from a relatively high-fired dense grey pottery. It is decorated with two wide bands of repeated impressions that surround the upper and lower shoulder...
This fine and rare painted pottery figure was made during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8), more specifically, the 2nd century BC. It is one of a variety of Han Dynasty "stick" figures. The vast majority of "stick" figures represent males; female figures are particularly rare. It is made from a dense fine-grained grey pottery that has been "cold painted" after firing...
This impressive pottery model of a warrior was made over 2,000 years ago during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8). It is made from a dense grey pottery and quite highly-fired. He stands alert with his right hand raised. The pack on his back, a container for arrows, shows that he is an archer. In the hands would originally have been placed a miniature wooden shield and weapon, now long since rotted away and lost...
This impressive fine pair of painted pottery jars, representing granaries, was made over two thousand years ago during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8). They are made from a fairly high-fired grey pottery. They have cylindrical bodies, each decorated with three surrounding bands of raised ridges, the tops of each jar representing tiled roofs. Each jar stands on three feet moulded into the form of a bear...
This attractive pottery jar (or hu) was made during the Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 220). Its form is probably the most well-known of Han Dynasty pottery and every museum collection of Chinese ancient pottery will have an example. It is "heavily-potted" and made from a reddish pottery. The body and neck are decorated with bands of grooves that encircle the body. On opposing sides at the waist are moulded taotie mask ring handles...
This rare and interesting large pottery figure was made during the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25 - 220) and has been excavated from Sichuan province. Various pottery entertainers, dancers and musicians have been found in Sichuan province of varying sizes. This example, an overweight grotesque figure usually described as a storyteller playing a hand-held drum is particularly rare...
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 on opposing sides at the shoulder. Across the base and up the sides is the mould casting line...
This pottery jar of rare form dates to the Ban Chiang period (c. 1500 BC - AD 300). It is heavily-potted with a rounded lower body and a wide flared mouth. The body has been decorated with incised geometric patterns. The surface colour of the pottery varies from a reddish-brown to black due to uneven conditions during firing.
Diameter at mouth 12.75 cm, height 9.5 cm...
This dish was made over 2,000 years ago during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8). It is made from a fine-grained grey pottery, quite "heavily-potted" and relatively highly-fired, having a distinct ring when tapped. Its flat base is fairly small compared to its overall diameter...
This attractively-shaped pottery jar was made during the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25 - 220) and comes from Shaanxi province in the northwest of China. It is made from a red pottery, quite heavily potted, has a wide body, narrow neck and trumpet-shaped mouth. Simple decorative incised lines surround the neck and shoulder. The outer surface and inner mouth have been coated in an amber-coloured glaze with green glaze added in places to f...