Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Chinese (196)

Chinese dignitary cast in stoneware, enamelled with Sancaî type colors (three colors), here in fact there are 4, a manganese, a yellow ocher, a green and a beautiful celestial blue. The colors were particularly well fired and are bright. The character is grimacing. This type of sandstone was widely used in China for creating tiles and large statues. The famous tower pagoda of Nanking, destroyed in the 19th century, was partly covered by plates of this type of Sancaï enameled stoneware. China Ming dynasty, 17th century or earlier. Good condition, no repairs. H:177mm

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.

Silver dish, incised central decoration of tree peony flowers and a bird.With a différent technic the border is decorated of flowering branches in the rembossed metal technique. The metal of the plate has been rolled or hammered by hand, creating imperfections, as seen in the photo below, an unusual technique that indicates a creation date prior to the late 19th century when silver plates were rolled mechanically. To be distinguished from the large quantity of Chinese or Vietnamese goldsmith's objects from the 1900s whose stereotyped decorations lack elegance and poetry. The construction technique and the elegance of the decoration allow us to date this dish to the beginning of the 19th century or earlier. Which makes it a very interesting chinese goldsmith object. Good condition. No restoration or welding. Usual wear. Length about 22cm.

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

Porcelain vase in the shape of a gourd with Imari decor. The vase is mounted on a lathe. It is decorated in the Imari style in blue, red and gold with flowers on a background with stylized geometric cracks in cobalt blue inspired by frost. The base is without glassure. The collar seems a little short but it is not cut because the edge is covered with enamel. Height 22cm. There is a small chip and a slight 1cm crack that can be seen in the enlarged photo. The vase is old but we are unable to locate it. Chinese or Japanese work?

Lohan in Chinese porcelain covered with "famille verte" enamels.The deity is represented standing holding a flowers basket in his hand, it is probably Lan Caihe, one of the 8 Taoist immortals otherwise known as the 8 Baxian. The dress is decorated with flowers, butterflies and clouds in green, yellow and manganese enamels on a cream background. Hairs and details in black enamel. Good condition except a very little chip. No repair or gluing. China Qing dynasty 19th century. Height:32cm In set with the preceding lot n° 447

Jar with pouring spout serving as an important ewer for tea, wine or water. Decor of a dragon energetically painted in underglaze cobalt blue, its eagle claws widely deployed. 4 sturdy handles allow you to hang the ewer. This type of hanging container is made of bronze and was used on boats, hence its name "sampan teapot". The pouring spout was formerly restored. All the rest of the object is in good condition.China 17th century or before.

Cast bronze tripod, representing three dragon heads that hold their feet in their mouths. In the center a small container. It could be a censer. Maybe a candlestick. The style of the dragons with these long ears and the unicorn seem to us from the Yuan period or the beginning of the Ming. The excellent multi-centenary old patina would confirm such an ancient time. I don't think anything is missing in the center, because there are no signs of wear. Good condition.Large:21cm

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.

Deity probably Taoist in soapstone. The god is standing, brandishing the Ying and the Yang. It must refer to a specific character and a story or legend. The work is finely executed and the style of the carving is unusual, cartoonish. In addition, the artist allowed himself to cheat by abnormally moving the left ear too close to the eye so that, seen from the front, the face is balanced. Like the columns of Greek temples which are bent to compensate for the optical effect or like certain porches of Renaissance palaces which are also twisted to appear straight. This kind of detail proves that special care has been taken in this sculpture and that it is not one of the low quality ones made in large numbers at the end of the 19th century. Damaged. Head cutted and glued, little missing at dress, impact on Ying & Yang symbol. Look the photos. Sure it's very old but précise datation difficult, seem to me ealier than 18°th but I don't know. Hight about 20cm.

Soapstone pot. Sculpted decoration of a landscape animated by characters. In certain places, openwork crosses the walls. The cylindrical pot rests on three feet carved from the mass, it is covered with an openwork wooden lid, topped by a soapstone grip representing lotuses. It is possible that it is an incense burner, which would explain the presence of the Openworks for the evacuation of smoke and good ventilation, put into operation it has a very nice effect. It can also be a brush pot that we would have covered late. It is difficult to date it exactly, however there is, incised, a mark of 2 Chinese characters and a stamp in red which must indicate the name of the artist. A specialist should be able to find out who it is. Qing dynasty 17th-19th century or before. High 26cm. Good condition. Very worn. No repair. No gluing.

Lacquered wooden box. Decor of a painted landscape, colors and details powdered with gold. Chinese work from the end of the Ming dynasty, 17th century. The lacquer has withstood the centuries well, it bears the beautiful wrinkles of the retraction of the wood, typical of this period. Worn decor, broken wooden base, glued. No restored parts or hidden defects. The condition is visible on photos. Inside 2 Chinese characters painted in cinnabar red lacquer. Length: 415mm

Chinese hard porcelain dish. Decor, in reserves, of fruits, flowers and Buddhist emblems painted in underglaze cobalt blue. Late 16th century Chinese work executed during the reign of Emperor Wanly of the Ming Dynasty. The porcelain is of thin thickness which is unusual for the period, and the decoration is carefully executed whereas this style of porcelain is usually crudely executed. In one place, the lack of glaze reveals raw clay whose color has turned orange, which is due to the action of fire on the ferruginous impurities of the clay, a typical feature of this period. A crack that can be seen in the photos. Diameter: 205mm

Very rare pendant in cast bronze representing a fabulous animal. It could be a bird because on the back there seems to be stylized feathers and the mouth seems to be garnished with a beak, but it could also be the fangs of a dragon? The animal surrounds a cartouche which contains archaic Chinese characters. The object is certainly very old and the style would indicate a very high Shang or Zhou period but the patina is not archaic. However, the patina is very beautiful and indicates a bronze from the Ming period or earlier but it's only my opinion, it's perhaps archaîc. The translation of the characters would tell us more.Normally worn, no restoration or fake patina. Sound object.In my collection since the 70's Height: 80 mm

Probably Tibet. Miniature Buddha in cast bronze gilded with the mercury technique. Under the base curiously we can see a Vajra cast in relief. The sculpture is simple rustic, the details are little or not chiseled, however the gilding is of the best quality, very thick and tends to flake.Traces of pigment on hairs and eyes. The style of the base with elephant and Buddhist Lions in front and crosses at the back, makes me think of the 15th century style. No restaurations. Very nice patina really old. Height: 6,6cm

Cast pewter dropper in the shape of a doe. The animal is lying down, it is hollow and its mouth is pierced with a hole letting the water flow drop by drop. A leg is broken but is easily repairable, we can do this free of charge on request. The pewter seems covered in places with a thin layer of lacquer, or is it an old deposit of smoke, dust and oxides due to age. Probably Chinese work, of undetermined period with precision, but most certainly old. Qing period. A bit worn, normally for an old pewter. Leg to glue. No welding or restoration. Length: 10cm. It is very rare to find an animal-shaped dropper pewter. Put on a black marble european base.

The bronze is cast with lost wax and is hollow but very thick. Beautiful casting and good sculpting finish. No traces of gilding or pigment. The figure is in a very dynamic position, with unusual gestures difficult to model. The artist has given the hands a beautiful elegance by bending the fingers excessively. The bronze has a beautiful antique patina which dates back to the 18th century or earlier. No restoration, good condition. However it seems that something is missing on the head, perhaps a bun? Hardwood chinese base, probably not from the same period, but old. Dimensions without the base: 13x8 cm.

Porcelain dish decorated in cobalt blue representing Buddhai and children. In the background we can see a fireworks rocket.Below a mark of 4 characters. The enamelled edge of brown enamel. Traces of pernettes. Diameter: 295mm (11,6 inches) Good condition,normal wear for old porcelain.