Catalog (27)

From our Chinese Polychrome Collection, a magnificent eight-panel gilt lacquer export screen, 19th century, exquisitely painted in finely detailed gilding on a black lacquer ground, depicting a wide array of festive scenes with figures in elaborate garden pavilions and riverside pagodas, with rolling mountains and hills in the distance, all set inside a floral and key-fret scroll border. The scenes portrayed exhibit a wonderful range from courtship scenes to musical ensembles to riverboat rides...

From our Chinese Polychrome Collection, a magnificent eight-panel gilt lacquer export screen, 19th century, exquisitely painted in finely detailed gilding on a black lacquer ground, depicting a wide array of festive scenes with figures in elaborate garden pavilions and riverside pagodas, with rolling mountains and hills in the distance, all set inside a floral and key-fret scroll border. The scenes portrayed exhibit a wonderful range from courtship scenes to musical ensembles to riverboat rides,...

These are photos of the last two panels comprising this magnificent eight-panel gilt lacquer export screen. These are panels number seven and eight that would continue off to the right of the six panels already photographed. The full item description is reproduced below, and the twenty-four photos of the first six panels can be seen under items # 1178526 and 1178359.

From our Chinese Polychrome Collection, a magnificent eight-panel gilt lacquer export screen, 19th century, exquisitel...

From our Early Chinese Collection, a fine and large Ming Dynasty lead-glazed pottery ridge (roof) tile, 15th-16th century, Hongzhi through Jiajing Period (1488-1566), depicting a guardian-demon ferociously modeled with bulging eyes, protruding fangs, pointed horns, thick musculature, and standing in defensive posture astride a cloud-swirl with fists clenched around what would have been a weapon made of wood or iron, now since rotted away and lost to time. This cloud-swirl between the demon and t...

From our Chinese Polychrome Collection, a very fine Qing Dynasty barber's bowl, Yongzheng Period (1723-1735), beautifully painted in soft famille rose enamels, depicting two elegant ladies in a fenced garden setting alongside a flowering tree with birds overhead. Floral sprays are on the outer rim and on the reverse. Batavia brown / iron oxide dressing to the rim edges.

Overall, this is an especially fine and decorative example, much better painted than most such pieces typically enco...

From our Chinese Polychrome Collection, a very fine Peking carpet, North China circa 1900-1920. This fine example features a mustard yellow main field decorated with floral sprays, flying birds, flower vases and Buddhist emblems, all well-executed in varying shades of blue, purple, light green, gray and beige. For a smaller but otherwise very comparable carpet in style and quality recently sold at Christies, see Christies Sale 3001, April 2012, Lot 351, sold for 2,478 US Dollars / 1,875 Euros...

From our Chinese Polychrome Collection, a very fine Peking carpet, North China circa 1890-1920. This particular example features a large open golden orange field, which varies wonderfully in intensity of color throughout the pile. It's sparsely but elegantly decorated in restrained Chinese taste, using only leafy vines set against the open field, and bordered with a rich and still quite vibrant inky blue / navy blue outer border.

Size and Condition: A large example approximately 11 1/2 ...

From our Chinese Polychrome Collection, a good Kangxi Period (1662-1722) flower basket plate executed in soft famille verte enamels. The flower basket motif is generally associated with symbolizing longevity and abundance, but sometimes its association with one of the most enigmatic and eccentric of the Eight Immortals, Lan Caihe, is overlooked. Lan Caihe was actually the patron saint of florists whose distinguishing attribute is the flower basket. But since so many of the legends and fables ...

From our Chinese Polychrome Collection, a very charming Rose Medallion tea ensemble for one, late 19th century, Guangxu Period (1875-1908), consisting of a teacup and saucer, an uncommon bell-shaped small teapot, and an attractive deep tray with canted corners, all executed in typical Rose Medallion palette of green, orange, rose pink, blue and gold. These items were not originally produced as a set per se, but rather, they are individual pieces that have found themselves matched to each other o...

From our Chinese Polychrome Collection, a very good Qianlong Period (1736-1795) Famille Rose porcelain dish, depicting a domestic scene of a husband, wife, and child sitting upon a bench, while their servant plays fetch with the family dog, all well-painted and better than average for typical export ware. The skill of the painter is evidenced here by amongst other things, the skillful use of shading in the blue, green, and pink enamels of the folds of the clothing to create depth and texture. Th...

From our Chinese Polychrome Collection, a high quality Rose Medallion plate, 19th century either Tongzhi Period (1862-1874) or Guangxu Period (1875-1908). Executed in the typical palette of pinks, blues, greens, yellows, whites and gilt with four individual cartouches: Two contain various figures usually representing scenes from either The Romance of the Western Chamber or The Dream of Red Mansions, the other two contain birds and foliage. All are set against a ground of flowering tendrils and g...

From our Chinese Polychrome Collection, a good pair of hand-colored steel engravings circa 1843, drawn by Thomas Allom and engraved by W. Wetherhead and W.H. Capone. The first engraving is titled "Sowing Rice at Soo-Chow-Foo," and the second piece is titled "Temple of Buddha, Canton" both of which hail from the famous four volume 1840's series called "China Illustrated."

Thomas Allom (1804-1872) was a notable architect and topographical illustrator active during the mid-19th century, ...

From our Chinese Polychrome Collection, a very fine and large pair of Rose Medallion vases, mid-late 19th century, most likely late Daoguang to Tongzhi Period circa 1845-1874, certainly no later than Guangxu Period (1875-1908), executed in the typical palette of pinks, blues, greens, yellows, whites, and gilt, depicting four well-painted panels of figures alternating top to bottom with four other well-painted panels of birds, butterflies, and foliage, separated by a band of foliage with four car...

From our Chinese Polychrome Collection, a very fine Rose Medallion punch bowl, mid-late 19th century, most likely late Daoguang to Tongzhi Period circa 1845-1874, and certainly no later than Guangxu Period (1875-1908). Executed in the typical palette of pinks, blues, greens, yellows, whites, and gilt, depicting a large and well-painted panel of figures in the center well that seems to represent some scene of officialdom, along with three trapezoidal panels of figures on the bowl's interior separ...

From our Chinese Polychrome Collection, a very rare and seldom seen Peranakan Chai Hup or ceremonial vegetable box, 19th century, used for food offerings to Tiangong, the God of Heaven, during traditional Baba Weddings.

The terms "Peranakan" or "Baba Nyonya" or "Straits Chinese" are often used interchangeably to describe the descendants of Ming Dynasty Chinese immigrants who settled along the Malay Peninsula, which encompasses parts of Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore. But the ethnograp...

An excellent pictorial reference book covering the Koger Collection which features Chinese wares spanning the Neolithic Period through the Qing Dynasty. There are about 155 color photos with editorial by John Ayers. The photos here are really quite excellent. In our candid opinion, it's not enough of a reason to purchase an antique merely for the sake of a free book, but any client already seriously contemplating a purchase can enjoy this as a free extra.

Many collectors, especially b...

A very good reference book that covers various Chinese export wares, but which is especially useful for Chinese Rose Medallion collectors. While the book is somewhat lacking in that most of the photos are black and white and not in color, the book is still very important as an encyclopedic guide to all the myriad of shapes and forms within the Rose Medallion genre. From standard vases and bowls to the more obscure shapes like marmites, sponge dishes, and bulb trays, this book has virtually ever...

Ex Bonhams: From our Chinese Polychrome Collection, a large gilt copper alloy and lacquered repousse figure of Vajrapani, 18th century, standing pratyalidhasana with a ferocious expression on a repousse and chased lotus throne, left hand in tarjani mudra and his right hand raised above his five-leaf crowned head. The figure is clothed in flowing robes open at the chest to reveal ornamental body jewelry and jeweled necklaces. Vajrapani's face retains a lot of cold-painted flesh colored lacquer, ...

From our Chinese Polychrome Collection, a fine Famille Verte porcelain dish, Kangxi Period (1662-1722), well-painted with a figural scene of three people, two of which occupy an outdoor pavilion while a third looks on from the inside. Floral sprays, butterflies, and twin-fish are represented in the cavetto, while the border is executed in classic piecrust form.

While Kangxi era plates of this style and shape are by no means uncommon, this particular example was selected for the excell...

From our Chinese Polychrome Collection, a charming and unpretentious Famille Rose teacup and saucer, Qianlong Period (1736-1795), most likely late Qianlong 1760-1785, decorated in a delicate floral pattern in Famille Rose palette, with a Batavian Brown (iron oxide) dressing on the reverse.

Size and Condition: The saucer is 5 inches in diameter, the teacup 2 7/8 inches across, 1 1/2 inches tall. Small inconsequential nick to footrim of teacup essentially perfect.

From our Chinese Polychrome Collection, a high quality Rose Medallion plate, 19th century either Tongzhi Period (1862-1874) or Guangxu Period (1875-1908). Executed in the typical palette of pinks, blues, greens, yellows, whites and gilt with four individual cartouches: Two contain various figures usually representing scenes from either The Romance of the Western Chamber or The Dream of Red Mansions, the other two contain birds and foliage. All are set against a ground of flowering tendrils and g...

From our Chinese Polychrome Collection, a high quality Rose Medallion plate, 19th century either Tongzhi Period (1862-1874) or Guangxu Period (1875-1908). Executed in the typical palette of pinks, blues, greens, yellows, whites and gilt with four individual cartouches: Two contain various figures usually representing scenes from either The Romance of the Western Chamber or The Dream of Red Mansions, the other two contain birds and foliage. All are set against a ground of flowering tendrils and ...

From our Chinese Polychrome Collection, a truly superb example of Qianlong Period (1736-1795) Famille Rose porcelain, depicting a lady receiving what is either wine or tea, while her female servant attends to her with a fan. The outer border is decorated with eight individual reserves executed alternatively in either puce or black, with each puce reserve so well-executed that they are essentially miniature paintings in their own right. The inner border is decorated with smaller puce cartouches ...

From our Chinese Polychrome Collection, a beautiful pair of pith paintings, circa 1840-1860, each representing a lady of high stature, possibly royalty, being attended to by her servant. One is reclining upon an opium bed with a large screen while her servant lights her pipe; the second sits upon a throne in a dragon embossed robe, also backed by a large and well-painted screen, and is being presented a ruyi scepter by her servant. Both pieces are extremely well-painted and represent very fine e...

From our Chinese Polychrome Collection, a stunning and large Chinese lacquered jumu cabinet, mid to late 19th century, featuring exquisitely painted birds and floral motifs on a rockwork base, executed in gilt and subtle polychromes that are contrasted against a rich red lacquer ground. The outer frame features medallions of split tail sea dragons, auspicious symbols, and textile motifs, while the sides feature depictions of stylized floral motifs. The interior has 2 levels along with a hidden...

From our Chinese Polychrome Collection, a fine Rose-Verte porcelain dish, Yongzheng Period (1723-1735), well-painted in the center depicting an elegant lady, a young boy, and a deer carrying peaches on its back signifying longevity. Bordered on the cavetto with floral sprays, and dressed on the rim with iron oxide.

Rose-Verte is a less commonly encountered version of the Famille Rose and Famille Verte palettes. It is often loosely grouped into the Famille Rose category, but is actu...

From our Chinese Polychrome Collection, a good famille rose barber's bowl, Yongzheng Period (1723-1735), nicely executed in floral sprig pattern using lively and well-preserved famille rose enamels in rose, blue, aubergine, yellow, green, orange, and opaque white. Dressed on the rim edge with Batavia Brown / iron oxide finish typical for the period. The reverse shows two purpose driven holes in the footrim not made in modern times, but actually made during the 18th century, as these barber's bow...