A set of Mandarin squares, comprising a front and a back, dating around 1900. Insignia for a court official's wife, with appliqued silver pheasant bird, denoting the fifth rank. Gold and silver metallic threads couched on violetta silk, lined with blue silk. Condition: traces of age, little faded, back badge with short tear (please see photo # 10), lining little stained. Dimension: 25.5 cm x 28.2 cm.

Rare Chinese Song Dynasty Zoomorphic Water Pot with Dragon Handle

This very rare vessel, a water pot, was made during the Northern Song Dynasty (AD 960 - 1127). The vessel is zoomorphic being in the form of a recumbent animal with four legs/feet tucked under its body. Where an animal's head would be is a wide circular pouring spout. The applied handle is in the form of a dragon...

Fine Large Chinese Qianlong 18th Century Imari Porcelain Dish

This fine-quality porcelain dish with attractive floral pattern in underglaze blue, red enamel and gilding, was made during the 18th century, most likely during the Qianlong reign (1736 - 1795). There is a brown iron wash around the rim edge to prevent "fritting" of the glaze during firing. There is no restoration or repair, no cracks and the dish has a good ring when tapped; it is in fine condition...

Large Chinese Qianlong 18th Century Blue & White Porcelain Dish / Charger

This fine-quality porcelain dish was made during the 18th century, most likely during the Qianlong reign (1736 - 1795). It has a particularly attractive underglaze blue pattern featuring a pagoda upon a hill overlooking a river on which sail four boats, together with hills, mountains, rocks, trees and flower blossoms. The wide border is decorated with an elaborate floral and geometric pattern...

Fine Large Chinese Qianlong Blue & White Porcelain Dish / Charger

This dish was made in the 18th century, during the Qianlong reign (1735 - 1796) of the Qing Dynasty. The underglaze blue decoration features a delicately drawn garden scene featuring bamboo, blossoms and a bird in flight. An elaborate floral pattern surrounds the border. Iron-brown has been painted around the rim edge to prevent fritting of the glaze.

Diameter 39 cm (15.25)...

Chinese Jin Dynasty Painted Pottery Filial Piety Tile - Aunt of Lu

This fine moulded pottery tile was made during the Jin Dynasty (AD 1115 - 1234) and was most likely excavated from Shanxi province. It is made from a relatively highly-fried grey pottery. Note the detail of the figures and the horse, even the banners and flag held by the rider...

Chinese Jin Dynasty Pottery Filial Piety Tile - Wang Wuzi

This moulded pottery tile was made during the Jin Dynasty (AD 1115 - 1234) and was most likely excavated from Shanxi province. It is made from a relatively highly-fried grey pottery. Filial piety was, and still is, an important part of Chinese culture. This tile depicts a scene from one of the twenty-four paragons of filial piety, that of Wang Wuzi:

Wang Wuzi lived in the Tang dynasty...

Chinese Tang Dynasty Pottery Guardian Figure on Bull

This attractive pottery figure was made during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). It is made from a creamy-white pottery and depicts a guardian figure standing on top of a recumbent ox or bull. The figure is wearing elaborate armoured clothing and a helmet.

It is quite a large figure with a height of 30.5 cm (12 inches)...

Tall Chinese Tang Dynasty Painted Pottery Warrior

This interesting pottery figure of a warrior or soldier was made during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). It is made from a pale grey pottery that has been cold-painted in various coloured pigments. Note the detail of the armoured clothing and the facial features.

It is quite an imposing figure with a height of 35.5 cm (14 inches)...

Rare Chinese Western Han Dynasty Bronze Cauldron / Jar

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...

Rare Chinese Western Han Dynasty Small Bronze Ding

This bronze tripod vessel (ding) was made during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8). The vessel stands on three simple short legs and has two sturdy handles on opposing sides. The vessel is holed in places and has fairly heavy corrosion, mostly azurite (blue), but also malachite (green) and cuprite (brown). Across the base is the mould casting line. Diameter 13.25 cm...

Rare Large Chinese Tang Dynasty Bronze Bowl

This large bronze bowl was made during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). It is quite thin, made by the spinning technique as opposed to having been cast (see below for more information). It has a convex base. Around the inner surface there are several double bands of incised lines. There are also bands of lightly incised lines to the outer surface below the rim although this mostly obscured by the corrosion. There is malachite corrosion to the surf...

Chinese Han Dynasty Glazed Pottery Bowl with Dragon Handle

This rare and unusual pottery vessel was made during the Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 220). It is made from a buff-coloured pottery, relatively highly-fired, having a distinct ring to it when tapped. The outer surface of the bowl is decorated with a surrounding groove below the rim, but its most interesting feature is its handle in the form of the head of a dragon. It is coated in a green glaze that has degraded over time and has in plac...

Chinese Han Dynasty Glazed Pottery Hill Jar (repaired)

This pottery vessel was made during the Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 220). It is made from a reddish pottery and, of course, gets its name from its cover that depicts seventeen peaks, interspersed with floral and small circular patterns. The vessel stands on three sturdy legs, each in the form of a bear. Its outer wall is further decorated with a pair of taotie mask handles and bands of surrounding grooves. Both the inner and outer surfaces ...

A breathtaking pair of 19th century (Meiji period) sake cups decorated with hawks stored in silk pouches and enclosed in a red lacquered period wood box. In the basin two hawks, one perched in a pine accented with inlayed mother of pearl, the other soaring high overhead, are depicted in minute detail in raised gold designs. Opposite waves crash over rocks speckled with solid gold lichen. The cups are 10.5 cm (4-1/4 inches) diameter and in excellent condition.

An accordion album featuring calligraphy and paintings by various well known Zen priests of the first half of the 20th century. Including the opening there are 30 pages. The book is 22 x 31 cm and in overall fine condition. The opening pages are by Kutsu Deiryu (Izawa Kanshu 1895-1954, head priest of Kaiseiji), the famous protégé of Nakahara Nantenbo. It is followed by;
1. Daruma by Goto Zuigan, 1878-1965, Myoshinji, Daitokuji
2. Mineo Daikyu, 1860-1954, (head priest of Myoshi...

Chinese Song / Yuan Dynasty Buddhist Pottery Zodiac Animal - Horse

This unusual pottery model of a horse, one of the twelve animals of the Chinese calendrical cycle, was made in the 12th - 13th century, during either the Song Dynasty (AD 960 - 1279) or the Yuan Dynasty (AD 1279 - 1368). It is made from a relatively highly-fired grey pottery with the details having been individually sculpted as opposed to having been formed by a mould. It has been excavated from a Buddhist site in Yunnan prov...

Rare Chinese Five Dynasties / Early Song Dynasty Incised Jar / Water Pot

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. It is in fine condition a...