This "hare's fur" bowl still in its kiln saggar was made during the Song Dynasty (AD 960 - 1279) and has been excavated from a kiln site in Fujian province. Much of the glaze of the bowl is a deep glossy black with the "hare's fur" effect mostly around the rim. It appears the saggar shifted during firing causing the bowl to move inside its saggar and come into contact with the wall of the saggar resulting in the glaze of the bowl fusing to ...
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 wide-bodied porcelain ewer was made during the Song Dynasty (AD 960 - 1279). It is particularly "heavily-potted" for its type. It has a "kinked" spout, a wide loop handle and two decorative loops on opposite sides joined at the shoulder and neck. It is coated in a fairly thick greenish blue glaze that is crackled in places. The base remains unglazed revealing the creamy-white body.
Height 22.5 cm. Weight 1.325 kg. Despite being an i...
This blue and white porcelain bowl with flared rim was made during the late 15th - early 16th century (Hongzhi reign 1488 – 1505). The outer wall is decorated in underglaze blue with a honeycomb pattern. The central decoration is loosely based on a vajra (Buddhist sceptre) with various other decorations around the inner wall. It is coated in a finely-crackled glaze.
Diameter 14.5 cm. Condition is very good: there is a hairlin...
This sturdy ridge tile in the form of a seated lion-dog dates to the latter part of the Ming Dynasty (c. 1600 - 1644). It is coated in a thick and finely-crackled attractive turquoise glaze. The curved underneath of the tile remains unglazed and has the impressions of a finely-woven cloth on which it must have been placed during manufacture.
Height 22 cm. There is a chip to one ear and kiln scars on both sides of the animal's mout...
This fine and impressive pottery jar (hu) was made during the Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 220). It is made from a fairly high-fired reddish pottery and coated in a particularly attractive glossy thick streaky green and finely-crackled glaze, the colour of which varies according to its thickness. Interestingly, the drips of glaze to the mouth rim and the pooling of glaze to the flat base show that this jar was fired upsid...
This very rare pottery model of a bird, either a duck or a goose, was made during the Warring States period (475 - 221 BC). It is "heavily-potted" and made from quite a high-fired grey pottery. The duck stands with its neck and wings stretched, as if in the act of preparing to fly. Note the detail, especially to the wings, with the tiger heads. The style and decoration suggest this model was based on a bronze example. On the...
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 attractive porcelain dish, or shallow bowl, was made during the Southern Song Dynasty (AD 1127 - 1279). It is coated in a finely-crackled pale greenish translucent qingbai glaze, save for the rim and flat base that remain intentionally unglazed. To the small flat base is a Chinese character in fired-on black pigment that most likely represents a name.
The upper surface is decor...