Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Chinese: Metalwork (35)

An extremely rare gilt bronze folding sundial-compass. Enamel dial, details in glass beads. The metal is finely chiselled with elegant volutes and gilded in the oven using the technique of gold-mercury amalgam. Very beautiful thick gilding that has withstood wear and tear well over the centuries. Chinese work from the qianlong period towards the end of the 18th century.This type of scientific instruments ordered by the qianlong emperor, were manufactured in the workshops of the imperial palace, inside the forbidden city.There are in the collections of the palace 2 identical instruments, but smaller, worn, incomplete, and of less good quality. The one presented here is in perfect condition and has part of its original box. Length 16,5cm.

An absolutely exceptional and unique object, a pagoda roof in cast bronze, very heavy, gilded and inlaid with glass paste. If there are some rare examples of Chinese gilded bronzes inlaid with hard stones and some even rarer inlaid with transparent glass, to my knowledge we do not know of any other inlaid with glass paste. Here the glass imitates perfectly the white jade, the lapis lazuli, the ruby, the green jadeite emerald. The use of glass paste in 18th century China is not a depreciative element, on the contrary, at that time it was easier and less expensive to cut stones. The gilding is with hot mercury. It is very thick of excellent quality, certainly many layers.The interior laquered in red gilded with gold powder. It is certainly an imperial order and the base is probably marked on the front, Kien-Long. The goal is to try to reunite the three elements that history has dispersed. Either by selling the roof or by buying the base and the column. Height: 12cm Diameter 14,5cm

Exceptionally rare cast iron bathtub. China 18° or before. The body is supported by four feet representing Buddhist lion heads. 4 large mobile rings fixed laterally allowed to move the object. The sides are decorated with large flowering plants in 3 cartouches, in the 4th there is nothing. I think there must have been a lacquer pattern in high relief, which has ,today,disappeared. In the past I have seen a cast iron stove with identical feet that had large lacquer "Bonji"characters, I attach a photo. There are modern fakes of identical shape and size, one of them has exactly the same decoration, which makes me think that there must be in China, somewhere, an identical model that served as an example,I attach the photo of the 2. These fakes are sold as being large temple censers? But the mine present has an evacuation at the bottom on the side that would logically be an outlet. A part of this outlet is broken, perhaps it was the head of an animal, Lion or dragon? The hypothesis that it is a child's bathtub is reinforced by the fact that bathtubs of these dimensions were used in China. I enclose a picture from the movie "The Last Emperor" where we can see the eunuchs giving the bath to the young emperor Pu-Yi (Xuan Tong) in a bathtub of identical shape and size.Look photo. State of conservation: The lacquer decoration of a cartouche missing. One ring replaced. The drain tap broken. Length 90cm. Weight about 60 to 80 kg to be checked.

Small cast bronze tripod incense burner. Beautiful finish. The two handles are in the shape of Buddhist lions heads. Qing Chinese. The bottom of the feet slightly flared would rather suggest a Japanese Edo creation but without certainty. Dirty. Width 65mm

Cast and turned bronze vase. Decor of bamboo, rocks and Greek friezes incised and inlaid with silver wires. The bronze has a beautiful original patina. It lacks inlays that have come off over time. Probably china or vietnam 19th centurie. Height about 16cm. No restaure.

Cast bronze vase decorated with three handles in the form of masks of mythological creatures, carrying a trunk and large ears probably inspired by an elephant. The cast work is beautiful and the finish is neat. On the lower and upper edges, two very elegant Greek friezes are discreetly and finely incised in silver. The edge of the vase is slightly split, but you can still put water in it. A nice original patina confirms the age of the object, probably 19th century or earlier. China or Japan. Height about 16cm.

Small Buddhist lion in almost solid cast bronze. The object is heavy. Beautiful active and fierce expression. Details meticulously chiselled with precision. It is probably work from Vietnam or South China. A very beautiful bronze patina announces a 19th century period or before. Underneath there is no fastening mark, so it was not the grip button of a lid. Not a weight either because part of the underside is hollow. Hight: 6cm. Fine condition.

Kapala lid in embossed copper and gilded with mercury technic.Dimension: 96x103x35mm Good condition, slightly worn gilding on the reliefs. Beautiful old patina. Tibet 19th century or before.

Guanyin in cast bronze. The deity is represented standing, wearing a long dress, she holds a bottle in her hand. The bronze is very worn but has a superb old patina. Northern China Tang dynasty. 7th-9th century.It was soldered late with tin on a square bronze base so that it could stand upright. Height: 135mm

The vase is in yellow bronze. It appears to have been taken down with a hammer because it has thin walls, however it may have been cast. It is a very simple design object but of excellent quality, the proportions are perfect, the finishes are very careful. Artisans capable of producing a bronze of this fine quality would have been entirely capable of producing such a fine casting. This elegant simplicity makes us think of this very old vase, probably dating from the 17th century, or before, a magnificent old patina confirms this dating. The wide opening makes us think that it may be an incense burner. Height: 135x135mm.

Pair of cast bronze cranes. The birds are fixed on rectangular bases, they carry a vase on their back and a ball in their beak. Sometimes these birds hold in their beak a flowering stem which ends in a candle holder, but here, examination with a magnifying glass reveals neither fracture nor grinding, it would seem that they are simply balls.Is this related to the funerary practice of placing a ball in the mouth of the deceased? A scholar must surely know what it is. Similarly, the vases are not hollowed out, which prevents the possibility of inserting incense sticks into them; they only have a decorative function. The cranes have an unusually fierce expression, the workmanship is rustic, the casting of the bronze has imperfections, and the chasing is weak. The patina is old. The bases are filled with lead to weight the birds and make them more stable. On the base you can see ferrous oxide stains because the inside of the legs is reinforced with iron rods, this is not a restoration but originally designed for the strength of the legs. Despite the rusticity (or thanks to it) there emerges a peaceful force from these 2 small statuettes. The vases were separated and resoldered with tin. Probably Chinese work from the Qing period or much earlier. Height: 17cm.

Bronze pagoda cast in 3 parts. The bronze is very old, it has an excellent patina which makes me think it is from the Ming period or earlier. The casting is rustic, it has some defects. Probably a very old provincial work.The 4 sides of the pagoda are open with 4 doors with 2 bronze panels, opening and closing as needed. This makes a total of 8 panels for the 4 doors. 2 doors lead to 2 staircases with balusters. The whole being made in a very simple way, one can guess the work of twisting and modelling the hand-twisted waxes which served as a model before the casting. There is still a chain hanging from one corner, there must have been four corners, supporting as many bells now lost. No restoration, no hidden defects. The base was once riveted and reattached with 4 screws. Inside, there is still some cast refractory cement. All visible on photos. H: 31 cm. Weight 1760g

Cast bronze incense burner, supported by three feet, on the sides, two Buddhist lions form the handles. The object was not cast in one go, indeed the handles and the feet were cast separately and welded, which for the feet is unusual. This seems to announce a lack of technique due to modest provincial craftsmen working in isolated regions. The bronze has casting defects, holes and burrs and the finishes are sketchy. However, despite its rusticity, the object is interesting, this is due to the power of the lions and a beautiful patina of old oxidation. Difficult to date and locate. Probably Chinese work, but could it be Vietnamese? Undoubtedly old at least from the 18th century but probably well before. Wide: 190mm High: 95mm

A cast bronze censer representing a mandarin duck. Beautiful cast and excellent neat finish. Missing the cover and a broken leg lost and replaced. The bronze is covered with a beautiful old patina certifying the object 19th or before. Qing or Edo period. Long 17cm.

Pair of cast bronze incense holders. The lower part is a tripod composed of 3 dragon heads. The upper part is a lotus leaf and 3 buds. In the center of the sheet is welded a hollow rod that can contain an incense stick. The cast bronze has defects. A beautiful old patina attests to a great age of several centuries. A broken foot is reattached. A label bears the number 37 without any other reference, but we do not know which collection it is. Height:29cm. 17th century or earlier. Probably Chinese.

The vase is cast in one piece. Inspired by archaic Chinese bronze ritual vessels, it bears a Taotie mask decoration. This decoration is reduced to two narrow bands instead of occupying more space as usually on the bronzes of the Ming period, this more austere character, the slender shape and the patina with a much more antique aspect allows us to think so. older, probably from the Song period or earlier. The base split on one side as shown in the photos. No welding, no hammering, no restoration. Below an antique verdigris patina. Height:26cm.

Cast bronze incense burner. Rectangular shape, 4 feet, decoration of sacred pearls framed by stylized dragons, Greek friezes. Each of the feet comes out of the mouth of a Buddhist lion. The walls are very thick, the object is heavy. Lost wax casting has defects. The carving is not of high quality. No mark. However, this incense burner is powerful and has a very beautiful old patina, which makes it a venerable object with a strong presence. Probably Chinese work. Period 18th century or earlier. Height: 29cm. No restaure.

An amusing and very rare lantern in cast bronze, decorated in light relief with stylized cicada in the archaic style. The rear part cut out by crosses the front part open for the use of candles or oil lamp. The cast iron is of good quality and the finish is neat. The patina is very beautiful and guarantees the age of the object. I think it's a Chinese work but I have a doubt, it could be Japanese. If it's Japanese it is much rarer although less fashionable than Chinese. The simplicity, the powerful shape and the beautiful patina remind me of the Chinese Ming period which would correspond to the Japanese Muromachi-Momoyama period. 16-17th century. 155 x 85 mm. Weigth: 450g Fine condition.

Cast bronze mirror holder representing a Ki-Lin. The fabulous Chinese animal is surrounded by sparks, it carries a cloud on its back which is used to hold a removable mirror, which has now disappeared. The unusually small dimension leads one to assume that this is a travel mirror holder? The animal is lying down and the sculptor has modeled an exaggeratedly wide hindquarters to give good stability to the whole. The way of treating the creature's face is unusual, it does not correspond to the Chinese style of the Ming or Qing dynasties. It could be a bronze from the Yuan period with Mongolian influence. The superb centuries-old patina of the bronze would confirm this earlier period. Some small accidents. 102x60mm ​

Shell mounted on a silver base. Chinese work made for export? From memory I seem to recall that a pair of identical cups were presented at the V&A in the 90s. The shell is held by silver nuts in the shape of a butterfly, it rests on a grove of 3 silver bamboos. The whole rests on a finely worked wooden base. The other nuts are in the shape of clover. The whole is finely worked and chiselled. Beautiful finish. Extremely rare object. Very certainly end of the 18th century. Good condition, 1 of the 6 bamboo branches is missing as can be seen on the pictures. The bamboo branches are removable. Height about 22cm. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

Thick cast bronze censer depicting a goose spreading its wings. I believe it is cast in two parts separately, the goose and the vessel then brazed together. Interesting subject, very nice finish and chasing. Old patina. No gilding, no restoration. Width the largest 14,5cm.

A cast bronze vase. Finely executed. The finish is nice, made with a lathe and a scraper. Very elegant decoration of chains and tassels inlaid in gold and silver. At the neck a frieze of stylized dragons. Beautiful old patina, good condition, no restoration. No mark. High: 30cm.

Pewter and bronze tea box imitating a drum. Decor incised with a chisel representing peony flowers on the sides, a symbol of longevity. Two handle in lion head.Bronze nails are arranged all around imitating a drum.The excellent quality of the workmanship, unusual for pewter, as well as the style suggests that this is an object dating from the very beginning of the Qing period. Good condition, no restoration or welding. One bronze nail is missing. No shock. Normal wear and tear for a centuries-old object, but the decor remains clean and precise. Inside we can see a mark of 4 Chinese characters. Very rare object. Height about 18cm.

Lost wax cast bronze incense burner. It is formed by a large peach opening by a lid, the fruit is represented with its branch, its leaves and other smaller peaches. In total there are 8 peaches but on closer examination, it appears that in one place a little surface of the bronze was not well scraped and finished like everywhere else, which would indicate that there was an additional peach, today now broken and disappeared and that the presence of this one had prevented the tool of the craftsman to maneuver under this fruit.There are also 2 bats All the fruits rest on a very old base which seems to be from the same period as the bronze and which is carved in a pretty hard wood with a fine grain which seems to me to be from Huang-Huali. It is very rare that this type of object still has its base. Beautiful patinas of bronze and wood. Good condition except that a small peach and a piece of the wood base are missing. All this is visible in the photos. Chine 18th century or earlier. Length: 23cm Height: 16cm

4 elements of a dragon in embossed copper or bronze and hot-gilded with mercury. 2 or 3 elements must be missing. The dragon's legs have 4 claws which would seem to exclude imperial affiliation, however the monumental size of more than 5 to 6 meters long would indicate an order for a temple or for the palace of an important person. You have to imagine the golden dragon writhing on an immense panel of dark wood carved with flames and clouds. We had thought that the dragon could be partly hidden by the clouds, as in certain paintings, but the fact that 2 of the 4 elements join end to end seems to exclude this hypothesis. The metal sheet is thick, the embossed work is of good quality and the details are finely executed. The eyes are made of copper alloy with a black patina. In certain places, small openings are made in the metal to accommodate small decorative elements, such as the mustaches which have now disappeared. The gilding is worn as shown in the photos. Some details are riveted. Beautiful old patina, oxidation on the reverse. This is an absolutely unique set. We do not know of any other example. Head dimensions: 820x500x65mm. The other elements have approximately the same size. It is difficult to give a precise date. Certainly during a prosperous period in China, we would say before 1850 probably 18th century.

Cast bronze vase of square shape. Beautiful casting and fine detailed chasing. Taotie mask decoration. The handles in the shape of birds'heads Fine finish. Archaic style but Qing period. Good condition. Nice old patina. Height: 41cm Weight: 7,5kg

Very red cast bronze censer,rich copper alloy. Partially gilded with mercury.The body is very thick,the object is heavy.The carving of the details is deep and it seems that the decor is entirely sculpted without prior molding which is quite unusual. Honestly I hesitate as to the construction technique.At first I thought it was a repoussé work but the metal is much too thick and the examination of the interior leads us to think that it was rather casted and ciseled. The handles are made apart and welded.The decor is drawn with energy,the dragons are powerful.The patina is natural and antique which guarantees an old object and not a recent fake. The mark of Xuande is incised below the base but it is certainly aprocryphal, because it would imply that it is an imperial censer but the 5 dragons represented all have only 4 claws. It is consistent to date it from the end of the Ming to the beginning of the Qing, 17th century. Some deformations, wear and dents due to the malleability of the copper metal but easy to straighten. Gilding normally worn with use. Original patina. No restorations. Width 23cm.

Cast bronze "soliflore"vase.The neck is engraved in the archaic Chinese style of stylized cicadas and Greeks, it ends by flaring and closing to create a bulb in the shape of a head of garlic, hence the English term "Garlic" to name this style, the body is modeled in a slice of melon.Small vase, simple but very elegant.. Chinese work early Qing Dynasty.The beautiful old patina of this bronze confirms it as being centuries old.18th century or earlier. H:17cm.

Rare cane in silver and precious wood. It is a real walking cane (and not a thin umbrella handle reemployed) as evidenced by the large ball knob that we have well in hand. The cast silver pommel is chiseled with two dragons fighting and scenes of daily life, fishermen, plowman, warrior? On the top of the pommel a Chinese character protrudes, it is finely chiseled with broken lines in the style of "ice crack" (frosted cracks) which here certainly have a meaning which unfortunately escapes us. The barrel is interesting because it is cut in a beautiful orange wood which seems to us to be the precious Huang-Hualy of the Chinese. The grain of the wood is very fine, the fibers dense and the color is natural, moreover it seems to be covered with a thin layer of transparent lacquer like all the best quality Chinese wooden furniture. The tip is in steel set with bronze, simple but also of good quality, it is certainly original tip. The whole is harmonious and very elegant. Good general condition, normal wear. Chinese or Vietnamese work from the end of the 19th century. Total length: 900mm Pommel diameter: 49mm

Small cast bronze incense burner. Ding (tripod) shape. Beautiful casting and neat finish. The sobriety of the decor and the perfection of the volumes giving this small creation a powerful yet elegant appearance suggest that it is a very old censer, probably from the Song period. An excellent very old patina stained with verdigris in places would be compatible with this earlier period. Height 82mm. Fine condition.

part of a lance? of a chariot? in bronze inlaid with gold and silver.Lacquer traces. Part of highly oxidized iron. Beautiful natural antique patina on the bronze. Nice work in fair condition. 102x23mm

This form of jug called a monk's cap is of Tibetan origin. The model was adopted in China from the beginning of the 15th century and very appreciated. Monks' cap jugs were made of porcelain. They are always of good quality. The example presented here is made of thick bronze (yellow copper alloy). I don't think it's cast but rather hammered bronze.The border of the top in strong relief would indicate a cast bronze. But it is not certain. The body seems casted and the handle and the foot seem hammered. Under the foot we can see traces of turning tools. Which does not help us much because the beautiful finish of a circular bronze was sometimes done on the lathe, whether the part was cast or hammered. The object is very old 18 ° or before. The handle was repaired with a bronze sleeve but that was a very long time ago because a strong old patina also covers the sleeve. I am not an expert in Tibetan art but I think that the craftsmen of Tibet like rather used copper,for jugs plates or vases, much easier to hammer. Ming period China or Tibet? H: 17cm. Usual wear and small accidents of centuries use

Cast bronze censer. Thick and heavy. It rests on 4 feet. The simply twisted handles seem to be part of the one and the same casting which would be a technical feat because I don't see any traces or rivets or welds. A frieze of stylized flowers surrounds the upper body. On the front part, the prestigious mark of Emperor Xuande cast in high relief is probably apocryphal. The exterior of the censer must have been regularly cleaned because the metal bears no patina except in the hollows of the patterns which are inaccessible to the cleaning cloth, on the other hand the interior shows us a beautiful very old patina. Despite the simplicity of the decor, this censer is very elegant and of good quality. Probably Chinese work from the 17th century. High: 128mm Weight: 750g Bon état,pas de restauration.

Cast bronze censer gilded with mercury. Decor of Greek friezes and incised precious objects. The gilding is largely worn, we still see some in the places most protected from wear and tear. It is thick and of good quality, it is a hot-pasted mercury gilding technique. The handles are attached to the body they were cast with it, they are not added, riveted or welded, they represent dragon heads. On the base foot we can see a vertical dark trace of solding that is probably an old restauration. Difficult to certified the antiquity of this bronze ,because cleaned intensively and the old patina missing, but the beautifull and correct gilding traces is encouraging. China Qing 18th centurie? Wide with the handles : 15cm. Weight 550g

Buddha in bronze cast with lost wax and gilded with mercury. The walls are very thick, the statuette is heavy. The gilding is original, certainly baked several times to obtain a nice thickness. The reverse of the dress is chiseled with stylized flowers. The base is closed by an incised copper plate of Vajra. The base does not appear to have been opened. The two arm bracelets were originally to have stone beads, today replaced by a colored coating. In the palm of the hand, we can see a hole left by the loss of the vase. Gilding slightly worn in rare places visible in photos. Otherwise good condition. No welding or restoration. The bronze has not been cleaned. Height 187mm.