This very rare and fascinating pottery jar was made around the 13th - 14th century during the Song Dynasty (AD 960 - 1279) or possibly the Yuan Dynasty (AD 1279 - 1368) and has been excavated from a Buddhist site in Yunnan province, at the time a particularly isolated part of China. It is made from a relatively highly-fired grey pottery the surface colour varying in places from pale to dark grey although much of t...
This rare and impressive stoneware jar was made during the Song Dynasty (AD 960 -1279). It is quite "heavily-potted" with the outer body and inner mouth coated in an attractive chocolate-brown glaze, that has an almost "silvery" sheen to it. The applied decoration around the shoulder features a dragon chasing a pearl. The pearl represents wisdom, prosperity, power, immortality and the moon, and is also used as ...
This rare and attractively-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 sturdy foot. Similar wares were first unearthed in 1973 in Lufeng ...
This oversized vessel, in the form of a "cocoon jar", was made during the Qin Dynasty (221 - 206 BC) or possibly a little earlier during the Warring States period (475 - 221 BC), but even then by the Qin state. It is made from a fairly high-fired fine-grained grey pottery. The whole of the outer surface of the body is decorated with repeated cord or woven impressions with vertical bands then being made aro...
This rare blue & white porcelain jar of hexagonal form was made during the 16th Century. It is quite "heavily-potted" and attractively decorated in underglaze blue of good colour. Each of the six sides features a chrysanthemum blossom (the emblem of friendship and representing a life of ease). Around the shoulder is what is possibly a cloud collar (representing long life). As can be seen, on the edges of the sides there is "frit...
This attractive pottery jar of "hu" form was made some 2,000 years ago during the Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 220). It is quite "heavily-potted" and made from a reddish pottery, coated in a finely-cracked green glaze that varies in thickness. In places it has acquired a silvery iridescence, a result of exposure to moisture during its long burial. There are lightly incised decorative bands surrounding the body in places. To the flat base are the typ...
This fine "kraak" porcelain dish was made in the late 16th century, during the Wanli reign (1573 - 1620) of the Ming Dynasty, or possibly slightly later. The dish has a moulded lobed cavetto and is decorated in underglaze blue of good colour. The rare and unusual pattern features a singing bird sitting in a blossoming tree (no such dish with this pattern appears in the "bible" of kraak porcelain, "Kraak Porcelain" by Maura Ri...
This fine, impressive and very rare pair of pottery vases was made during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8) or possibly a little earlier. They are of a particularly pleasing and elegant form, the wide bodies rising up from the flat bases, then constricting into long slender necks and finally opening up into fairly wide mouths. They are quite "heavily-potted" and made from a dense fine-grained dark grey pottery, the surface o...
This attractive small porcelain jar, a brush washer, was made during the Hongzhi reign (1488 - 1505) of the Ming Dynasty. It is relatively heavily-potted and decorated in underglaze blue of good colour in a pattern featuring scrolling lotus blossoms. Both inner and outer surfaces are coated in a finely-crackled glaze. The foot and recessed flat base remain unglazed.
Diameter 6.75 cm. It is in very good condi...
This attractive porcelain dish was made during the Wanli reign (1573 - 1620) of the Ming Dynasty. This particular type of ware is referred to as "Zhangzhou" or "Swatow" ware and it was commonly exported around south-east Asia. The underglaze blue decoration is of very good colour. The pattern features a chilong (qilong) dragon in a landscape with three further dragons around the cavetto interspersed with p...
This attractive small round porcelain box of rare and unusual form was made during the Wanli reign (1573 - 1620) of the Ming Dynasty. The underglaze blue decoration is of a particularly good colour. The decoration to the conical cover comprises two chilong dragons. The lower section is decoration with a floral pattern.
Diameter 5.5 cm. It is in fine condition with no repair or restoration, altho...
This large and impressive pottery jar was made over 4,000 years ago during the Machang Phase (c. 2300 - 2000 BC) of the Majiayao culture, also known as the Gansu-Yangshao culture, from present day Gansu or Qinghai province. The surface colour of the pottery varies in places, a result of uneven conditions during firing. It has a short neck with flared mouth, and two sturdy loop handles on opposing sides at the waist. The outside of the jar a...