Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Chinese (203)

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.

Pair of parakeets resting on a rock. White hard porcelain, yellow enameled spouts and legs, black enamel details. The body of the birds is covered with a transparent glaze, however the unglazed rock which is covered with a layer of brown lacquer. I don't know of any other other same parakeet listed so it is difficult to date them with certainty.Probably Chinese work from the Qing period. Good condition, lacquer worn in places. Height:123mm Technically the bird is molded in 2 parts assembled with porcelain-paste (barbotine). It is interesting to note that the 2 parakeets have slightly different attitudes and therefore did not come out of the same mould.

Small Chinese porcelain dish. Email of the "Famille Rose" representing a bird and peonies. Excellent quality rarely found on export porcelain, it's of the same quality as on Imperial porcelain. Good condition, a very minute chip. Diameter: 115mm (4,5 inches)

Green glazed red brown terracotta pot perhaps an funerary urn.There must have been a conical lid that was lost.The pot is probably decorated in molds with scenes of mythological animals, dragons, tigers, chilong. Three small bear-shaped feet support the whole. The body is in pinkish-brown terracotta covered with a thick lead-green glaze which has run down in places in drops, mainly on the upper edge where they can be seen curiously rising, which is normal because these ceramics were fired upside down, head down. Han period (-200 to +200). Damaged, old major restoration on the edge, visible on photos. Diameter: 20 cm Height: 14 cm.

It is a small container which is carved in a black stone which is not very hard. I think it is a soapstone. It was covered with a layer of solid red lacquer which has partially worn away with use and time. The central receptacle is flanked by 2 dragon heads which have their mouths open. The mouths are pierced with holes as for a teapot. It appears to be a 2-light oil lamp. Underneath an old collector's label stuck on it bears the words in French: "Lampe" (lighting lamp).I have never seen such an object and I could not date or locate it geographically. It looks like it's Chinese. Certainly a specialist will know precisely. The 2 dragon heads were mutilated and lost part of their jaws. Width 135mm (5,3 inches) Although damaged, it is a rare, even unique object. Venerable, that has a strong presence.

Small rooster in green and orange yellow glazed clay. Tang period. I will take more pictures on request. Good condition. A glued label with the number 7 of an old collection. The age is certain because I bought it 50 years ago and in 1970 there were no copies of Tang ceramics of such small size, the only copies that were made at that time were of important subjects, large horses, camels and riders.... I have found and attached the reference photos. Height: 99mm Good condition.

Large dish with scalloped edge, in the Louis XV style. Porcelain from China made for Europe "Compagnie des Indes". The dish is deep and beautifully decorated with enamel flowers from the 18th century "famille rose" period. Good condition. 38 x 31 cm 15 x 12 Inches

Budai is the Chinese "Père Noël" ,the Japanese calls him Hoteï. He carries toys in a big bag and distributes them to children who adore him and are sometimes represented at his side. The god is seated, his half-open robe reveals his large belly, a symbol of his generosity. He holds his rosary in his hand. Oddly enough his big bag is missing. It is sculpted from a beige steatite ( soap stone) stained with pink, on the skull appear red veins of the stone. The artist knew how to breathe life into this laughing face with communicative joy. It is difficult to date this work precisely, however the simplicity of execution, the absence of mannerism, the wonderfully expressive face as well as a beautiful patina makes us think it is very old. Qing period or before. Good condition, small insignificant accidents that can be seen in photos. No restoration or grinding. H: 90mm W: 90mm

Quadrangular vase in very thick and heavy porcelain stoneware covered with pâle blue glaze (Jun?)splashed with yellowish-brown stains (oil spots?). Interior also glazed. 118x50x75 mm Good condition, slight usual wear, no cracks or restoration. Cooking defects at the corners of the base. Possibly Jun with oil spot of the song period.

Pair of Greyhounds in tilework covered with green glaze.The sculptures are beautiful, the dogs are well represented, very expressive. The position is elegant. The first is in good condition, the second has a broken tail. Long: 17cm (6.7 inches) In my opinion it's a chinese work, the look and the eyes seem to me the work of a Chinese artist and not a European one,clay too. I think it's from Qing period, probably Kangxi. It's too elegant to be Ming.

Hard Stone Bead Necklace 106 very hard green stone beads, 10 green turquoise (perhaps malachite) beads and 5 larger pink rock crystal beads. Mounted with silver filigree details and silk threads. China Qing dynasty. Difficult to date exactly. China 19th century or before.

Small cabinet with drawers in precious wood. It opens with a sliding door revealing 3 drawers. The door is inlaid with silver threads depicting the Chinese character "Shou" meaning longevity, the other panels are inlaid with a simple silver thread. This small cabinet with a simple shape is made of very hard wood with a dense grain, almost black in color with red reflections. It is probably some kind of rosewood, perhaps red sandalwood, called zitan in China. The cabinet work is of good quality, the joints are perfect. The support handle is made of yellow metal alloy, bronze or brass? It is possible that it was changed because it seems to us that it should also have been made of silver. Beautiful old patina of the wood. Good condition, some silver wires have become slightly twisted as the wood has shrunk over time. 129x101mm.

Censer in form of Tripod vase (Ding shape) in Chinese porcelain. Underglaze decoration of dragons with 5 claws in cobalt blue and copper red. The dragons are chasing the sacred pearl. Below the mark of Wanly. It is probably an apocryphal mark. The object may simply be from the Kanghi period, the worm nibbles around the edge seem to confirm this period? Some experts believe that red copper was not used in the late Ming, but some examples of imperial Chiaching and Wanly porcelain in copper red exist. Width about 7cm. The two handles broken and missing. A split foot.

Lao tse on his buffalo. The clay is a reddish-brown color. There are traces of polychromy. Although it is an object of modest size and simple form, it is worth noting the quality of the sculpture, indeed the expression of the face of the philosopher although quickly and summarily executed by a few stabs by the artist is superbly expressive, her body is slightly bent by the weight of years and the fatigue of the journey. In contrast, the face of the buffalo is young, dynamic and lovable. Weï style and probably from the period. Bought in France in the 70s which excludes that it is a modern copy. Colors erased. The tip of a broken and lost horn. A buffalo's ear broken and glued. Long: 225mm

Enamelled copper dish. Decor, in the center, of a palace scene painted in enamels of the "Famille Rose", surrounded by a deep Sèvres blue on which Chinese emblems stand out in gold and in silver armfuls of flowers which have lost their shine, silver having oxidized over the centuries. On the margin are represented in gold on a blue background dormouses feasting on grapes, this theme was very popular around 1800.  The white reverse clearly shows the stains of the old restorations which have yellowed with time. It should be noted that this type of European restoration is always "generous" and goes far beyond the rugged areas. The mountains are curiously stylized in the shape of a funnel. Chinese work from the beginning of the 19th century. Qing dynasty reign of Kia-king or Dao-Kouang. ​

Rare water-pot,dropper? (too little for wine and not covered for tea) for schollar in Sancai enameled porcelain, Kangxi period. Fruit-shaped, appears to be a pomegranate, with stem leaves and flower. The flower is admirably made with thin petals like paper which is daring, miraculously none is missing, however, looking with a magnifying glass we can see on the edges of small gaps that we can guess or imagine on photo but it is not obvious because the petals are naturally jagged. Honestly, it's really insignificant. a chafer walks on the fruit. I had never seen such a fine and delicate porcelain flower in relief from the Kang-hi period so well preserved Large: 6cm Large but superficial chip on the spout, lack of enamel on the body and tips of the petals with insignificant chips. Dirty but I can wash on request.

Snuff bottle in white jadeite with green and brown shades. Elegantly slender shape. Beautiful silver gilt stopper set with a coral dragon sculpture. The stem is broken and the spoon is missing. Height: 73mm

Statuette of a Chinese deity, probably Guan-yin. It is carved from a block of light beige, nuanced soapstone. She holds a basket in her hand which contains a fish. The facial expression indicates an old style prior to the 20th century. It is a sculpture from the Qing period, probably from the 19th century, but perhaps earlier. The soft stone is normally worn for a century-old object. There are accidents that can be seen in the photos, the most important are: the head glued back together, a part of the bottom of the dress broken and part of the handle of the bucket missing. But this in no way alters the aesthetics of the statue and its serene, although ostentatious, majesty. Height: 27cm.

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.

White jade jewelry representing a phoenix in flight among plants. The vigorous, angular sculpture and multi-level carving are typical of the period of the 15th-16th century during the Chinese Ming dynasty. However, it could be older. The color of jade is grayish white, it was inlaid on the lid of a pretty precious wooden box with beautiful veins, which contributed to protecting it. Two malachite flower vase are inlaid on either side of the jade pendant. This box and this assembly must have been created around 1900. 13 x 9 x 4.5cm.

A mother-of-pearl and silver cup. The natural shell, without human intervention, is discreetly mounted in brush washer. The shell rests on three simple spherical silver feet which are held by three silver butterflies with outstretched wings. When the cup is filled with water, the butterflies stand at the edge of the liquid, like at the edge of a pond, in reality. The discretion of the decoration highlights the natural beauty of the shell, in particular the wild reverse side of the shell.Traces of paint attest that this cup was indeed used as a brush-rinse. In my online store there is a similar standing cup (n°67). It is important to note that the Victoria & Albert museum, presented in the 90s a standing cup absolutely identical to our standing cup n°67.Usually this kind of mother of pearl work is done for export. But they are always very decorative objects with a lot of ostentatious detail. Here the love of the magic of the natural, the subtlety are typically in the taste of a Chinese scholar. China late 18th century. Good condition.

2 belt buckles (or fibulae) in cast bronze and hot-gilded with mercury. Decorated in relief with bats and clouds on an engraved amati background. In the center are set white jade plates cut in the shape of stylized bats. Two half-pearls are set on the hooks, as they are very worn it is difficult to identify the material, probably reddish translucent stone but perhaps glass paste? Chinese work from the beginning of the Qing period, end of the 17th or beginning of the 18th century. Good condition, no repairs. Usual wear. Dimensions 62x49x20mm.

Young Chinese lady in enameled porcelain in the famille rose style. She is represented standing, holding a fan, and rests on a square base. Her dress is richly decorated with flowers and butterflies. His face is calm and smiling. She is very beautiful. This type of statuette decorated with this specific palette of colors was executed in large numbers in China at the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th under the reign of the Jiaqing Emperor of China. Usually these statuettes are of low quality and represent crudely executed Chinese sages and deities. The statuette presented here is an exception, in fact it is a pretty feminine subject, the enamels are of excellent quality, the color palette is wide and the details are numerous and executed with care. There are numerous accidents, several small chips and losses and the fan was previously replaced. It is a rare porcelain. Height: 252mm

Very rare dropper in lost wax cast bronze representing an adorable little owl. The cast and chisel are perfect and the scraper finish is very neat. Slight cast iron defect below. The object plunges into the water and fills up through the beak and ears. The output of the drops is perfect. One by one as needed. Well thought out object is perfectly executed. Work from the 18th century or before, there is a good antique and beautifful patina. I think Chinese rather than Japanese because there are no traces of lacquer, but very often high quality Japanese bronze literate objects were lacquered. Even if the wear and tear of the centuries has often removed this lacquer, there is always residue left in inaccessible places. Long 6cm Weight 160g

Large Chinese porcelain vase. Incised decoration of dragons and clouds enamelled with colors on a yellow enamelled background. Probably from the Guanxu period. Accident with a long crack visible on photo. High: 46cm

The frames are identically carved with Dragons, Phoenixes, Buddhist Lions, Bats and Sacred Pearls, evolving in the middle of clouds, flames and waves. The quality is exceptional, the details are complex, precise, meticulously carved and the cabinetwork finish is perfect. This high quality leads us to believe that these frames were made in southern China, for example in Canton, rather than in Vietnam. The real work of lace, boldly sculpted, was the work of a workshop accustomed to excellence as were the Chinese workshops of sculptures mainly on ivory, from Canton. It should be noted that such a quality of sculpture is not never found in wood and rarely in ivory. The pediments of the frames present European coats of arms, a motto is inscribed: "Probitas Fons Honoris" and above a series of characters which appear to us to be Hebrew. It is difficult to precisely date such sculptures which could have been executed from the end of the 18th century and throughout the 19th century. The fact that the Dragons only have 4 claws indicates that the ban on 5 claws is still respected, which would credit a creation before the middle of the 19th century. Heraldic research could probably provide a precise date. Dimensions: 280x195mm. Small gaps (see photos).

Pair of finely carved wooden panels of the eight Taoist immortals and their attribute. These panels were to be part of a small religious piece of furniture rather than a screen. The wood is left natural, the carving is exceptionally good quality for Chinese woodwork. No traces of pigments, only the edges are lacquered in red as can be seen in a photo. The back of the panels is covered with a red layer of lacquer or oil paint which has cracked and degraded over time. There are some gaps, visible in the photos and the panels are slightly warped (see photo). Chinese work from the early Qing 18th century. 

The tube of the pipe is simply cut from a natural bamboo stem to which the artist has chosen to leave some secondary stem ends. The frame, mainly in bronze, is composed of several layers of metals, alloys of different colors, yellow , red-brown and grayish-black, finely cut with motifs, bats, swastikas and stylized Lingzhi,wishing 10,000 years of happiness and long life. There are some jadeite beads embedded in the decor. The main bat has a body made of green jadeite and eyes made of what appears to me to be small garnets,but perhaps pink jadeite. One tip is made of bone, the other is missing. There are two other stones that appear to be rock crystal and amber. Total length 565mm. Dimensions of jadeite beads. Eyes about 1mm 9mm 8mm and 4mm

Porcelain or stoneware vase covered with a thick, deep black glaze that is stained with brown streaks in places same as Tenmoku style. The ceramic is very heavy, thick and solid. The glaze is deep and thick, in some places it flows in very thick drops.The rim of the neck has no glaze which makes me think that it must have been lightly ground, if so it should not be missing much as the vase is very elegant and well proportioned. I think that it's Ming périod perhaps earlier. Height about 40cm.

Chinese porcelain pot, decorated with peonies, rocks and birds. The decor is identical on both sides. Two gilt bronze and copper handles in the shape of stylized lion masks have been added. It is important to specify that these handles are of Chinese manufacture from the 18th century and are of excellent quality. This type of mask is sometimes found on 18th century Chinese incense burners. It is possible that these handles were mounted as soon as the vase was created for export or for the Chinese market because you never find same bronze handle on export porcelains, they are carefully fixed by two nuts. The mask part is in embossed gilded copper and the rings are in gilded cast bronze. The quality of the blue is exceptional, the photos were taken in natural light without filter. The upper edge is not glazed, so there must have been a lid that has now disappeared. Kangxi period late 17th century early 18th. A crack visible on photo. Width: 14cm H: 11.5cm.

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.

Bamboo pot carved with several characters from Chinese mythology evolving in a raised garden. One can easily recognize Shoulao, god of longevity, accompanied by his deer and holding the peach of immortality in his right hand and his stick in the left. The deer holds in its mouth a Lingzhi mushroom of immortality. The work is important, the sculptures do not have the perfect but cutesy aesthetic of the 18th century and would suggest that this pot is a late popular clumsy creation. However the characters are powerful, as well as the trees and the rocks and this announces a sculpture prior to the Qing which an excellent very old patina confirms. It is not unreasonable to date this pot to the Ming period. Two slits that have not crossed the body of the pot. Insect holes visible below and formerly plugged with wax on the upper edge. Good condition, complete, no repairs but worn. H:12cm.

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 ​

Rare lacquered bronze fibula inlaid with yellow metal nails which seems to be gold because it does not oxidize. The construction of this jewel is special, in fact the bronze base was cast and then pierced with thousands of holes in which tiny nails were fixed, welded or perhaps simply forced in. Then the whole was covered with brown lacquer. This technique gives a solidity that has allowed this fibula to stand the test of time, indeed the lacquer split by retraction but it remained in place firmly held by the nails. Examination with a magnifying glass reveals the presence of small pieces of green color embedded in rare places in the lacquer, I think they are pieces of Turquoise stone. Their arrangement is random and could suggest that it is accidental, but the creator of such a complex object necessarily mastered his work completely and the presence of Turquoise, was desired. Perhaps for a religious purpose? The head represented is too oxidized to be identified with certainty, perhaps a horse? Heavily oxidized bronze. A few nails missing. Cracked lacquer. Complete and no restoration. Length 14cm. Chinese work, probably from the Han period or earlier.