Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Chinese: Stoneware (9)

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

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.

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.

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.

It is an astonishing vase which does not resemble anything known.The shape is very elegant and the decor simple but powerful. But I have absolutely no idea what it is. It is probably buffed sandstone rather than terracotta. The decoration presents a dragon in slight relief pursuing the sacred pearl. The decoration seems to me molded rather than sculpted. A cream glaze covers the whole, stained with brown iron oxide. On the shoulder there are 4 heads of bearded old men which can be used as rings to suspend the vase. The dragon's head bears a tiny mane and large bat-like ears. The jaw is closed and small. The legs have only 3 claws. The heads of old men are mustachioed and bearded. Seems very old.To this day no one knows what it is. Broken and reglued. Height: 25cm

Two characters with bird beaks serving as incense holders. They are in sandstone covered with lead glassures of three colors (sancai), yellow, green and manganese, these models also have a part enamelled in white. Models with animal masks are much rarer than those with human faces and probably represent the animals of the zodiac. Good condition, almost not worn, a broken and glued head visible on photos. The glassure is finely cracked. Height: 325mm. Chinese work probably 17°, but maybe before.

Stoneware food jar covered with a brown glaze, probably ash-glaze. There are adhesions which I think are firing defects because they are very hard and not marine concretions due to long immersion which could scratch easily. The clay is beige in color. It would seem that the potter used the coiling technique to create this ambitious shape, I draw your attention to the difficulty of firing such a heavy jar with such a small base, there must have been a lot of breakage or sagging, so not many have been done. The work of the fire drew pretty flows by chance. Although it is a utilitarian jar, the shape is very elegant. It is an extremely rare form of jar of which we fortunately know of another model, although smaller, which was sold in Melbourne by Christie's in March 2004 under n° 515 (photo joint)and which had been discovered in a Chinese junk from the end of the 16th century. Apparently she was alone and had to serve as needed by the crew. So here is a much bigger second one. Curiously the Height is exactly equal to the width. 45x45cm.Very large. The one in Melbourne appears to have a mark printed in the clay.Probably of wanly period but perhaps earlier. Good condition. No restauration. Wears and alterations due to time.

Vase in the shape of 2 intertwined fish forming only one individual. Chinese ceramic enameled in turquoise blue with black details. The mount is in cast bronze and gilded with mercury, it is in 2 parts, thus allowing it to be assembled around the tail of the fish. It is of high quality "Rocaille" style and certainly from the early 18th century. The ceramic is a kind of stoneware fired at low temperature and is part of the large production of ridge tiles (tile work) and other Chinese ceramics of exteriors from the Ming and the beginning of the Qing, but this subject of two tangled fish is very artistic. and particularly rare. Moreover, the Chinese symbolism is strong, it is about marital happiness. It is an absolutely unique object. The vase has an abnormally high foot which would not make sense and would be unsightly for a  vase, so we think it is possible that it was specially ordered in China with this high foot for better fixing in the future bronze base, make in France. The vase has no restoration. Some accidents visible on photos. Tail, fin and lip. The mounting is of excellent quality ,certainly work of Paris. Original gilding, not cleaned, visibly in good condition under the dirt. Height:25cm

Stoneware vase covered with a thick sky blue glaze stained with dark blue shades and purple spots. The base left unglazed reveals the construction of the vase, the very thick clay body and it seems to be made in 2 distinguished layers, one cream and the other brown. The vitrified glaze is very thick and runs in several places forming large drops. One of them was ground because, being too voluminous, it must have stuck the vase in the kiln. The pierced underside allows us to judge the strong thickness of the base, otherwise the vase is in good condition. It would seem that this Chinese vase is from the Song or Jin period. Only a specialist could date it with accuracy. 158x103mm