Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Chinese (197)

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. ​

Blue silk chair cover, embroidered with a Phoenix, a Buddhist Lion, a cloud and a lemon in gold thread. Chinese work from the Qing period 19th century or before. Many disjointed gold threads but complete. A strip at the top cut should be missing 2 centimeters. 51x166cm

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 hard porcelain vases, enamel decoration of butterflies, birds and flowers. Dragons chasing the sacred pearl surround the collar inside and out. Golden details. The flared shape is elegant and very rare, the enamels are of excellent quality, the patterns are well drawn and the presence of dragons is also rare on this type of porcelain which, almost always, was intended for Europe. Good general condition, no restoration. However one vase has a crack and the other a small chip, 2 photos show these 2 accidents.Chinese work Qing dynasty 19th century about 1850. Height: 285mm

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.

Chinese hard porcelain dish with an elegant scalloped shape, decorated in famille rose enamels with 5 dragons competing for the sacred pearls. The vigorous dragons are very well drawn, their contortions are harmonious. They only have 4 claws. The marli is decorated with a Greek frieze enamelled in a pretty bright blue. The Greeks could indicate a European order, but the central, typically Chinese decoration of the 5 dragons circumscribed in a circle is more reminiscent of an order for the Chinese domestic market. The quality and style make us think that this dish was created around 1800, at the end of the 18th or beginning of the 19th century, probably in the kilns of Jingdezheng. Large crack and chip repaired with gold. 298x230x45mm

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.

A rare very little Budai in porcelain enameled in "famille rose" style.The iron red enamel of beautiful vivid colour. The god is seating. Very little size, probably this divinity was make for travellers. Budai was the god of good fortune,abundance of good health. and perhaps a dealer travelling keep him with him. Good condition, no restoration. Normal wear for centuries-old porcelain. China later 18th century earlier 19th. Hight: 4,8cm.

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.

Rare Chinese hat in silk, silver and gold kesi. Built like a melon with 6 pieces of sewn kesi. The ponpon is original in silk and silver. Excellent quality the points are tight and thick for more strength. The decor is extremely rare, it is made up of assembled cubes. From memory I remember having seen on an imperial porcelain a similar cubic decoration, it was specified that they were stylized dragons. I think this is the case here, in the center the dragons above the equally cubic clouds and below the water represented by the horizontal lines. It is a high quality hat which certainly belonged to a very important person. I don't know of any other. Stitches are loose, which is usual for a kesi, others have given way but can easily be sewn up, however, 2 small pieces of silver kesi of one square centimeter are missing. I will give all the details on request. Flat dimensions: 25cmx18cm.

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.

Chinese porcelain tea service. Decorated in “Famille Rose” enamels. Gilded details. In the cartouches are represented, in alternation, palace scenes, flowers, butterflies and birds, representative of the so-called "Canton" style. This style appeared in China around the middle of the 19th century and is still produced today, however production has continued to deteriorate over the decades. The quality of execution, the beautiful enamels and the careful designs of our tea service indicate production from the first period around 1850. If Canton porcelain is of little interest because it is so numerous, such a service in perfect condition, without a single accident, nor crack, nor chip and practically complete is very rare. This service should never have been used. It is composed of: Tea-pot. 145 x 210mm Milk pot. Sugar. 11 cups and saucers. D: 145mm D: 85mm A cake dish. A treat dish. A cup and a saucer are missing.

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

Black lacquer box finely incised with motifs of birds, dormice, vines and flowers, the golden designs stand out pleasantly against the black background with discretion. This Chinese lacquer technique called Ch'iang Chin is very old, it consists of making slight incisions on the dry lacquer then filling them with gold powder mixed with fresh lacquer for good, lasting adhesion. On the box presented here, the very thick and solid lacquer is a sign of excellent quality which has allowed it to calmly cross the centuries. In fact, despite the numerous frictions and shocks suffered, the lacquer has not flaked in any place. The Ch'iang Chin lacquers are rare and few examples are known, the V&A houses one, as well as the British, others are housed in the main temples of Japan, the Metropolitan has a magnificent example on a red background. But what is exceptionally rare in our box is the presence inside of small boxes of irregular shapes, offering a puzzle, difficult to put together, an amusing pastime for a scholar. It is believed that this lacquer was created on one of the islands of the Ryukyu "bow" between Taiwan and Kyushu because we perceive there a mixture of Sino-Japanese culture but this is not a certainty, it could be Chinese because the funds are lacquered in yellow ocher, a color found (accompanied by green and brown) on the best Chinese polychrome lacquers from the 18th century, predominantly cinnabar red. We do not know of Ryukyu ocher lacquers. If the majority of Ch'iang-Chin lacquers housed in the Temples and Museums are from the Ming period, ours is later, in fact a decoration of dormice among grapes appearing in the 4 corners of the cover allows us to date it to around 1800, because this decoration was often represented on Chinese porcelain from the Qianlong and Jiaqing periods. 246x246x45mm Interiors lacquered in red. Ocher yellow lacquered underside. Split lid. Usual wear. The frames are in pale yellow, almost white hard metal. ​

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.

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. 

Large monochrome blue mazarin porcelain bowl. 18th century Chinese work. The white hard porcelain is coated with a beautiful deep cobalt blue glaze. It is presented on its wooden base, also Chinese, which is either original or made during the 19th century. The base is left unglazed. No mark. A chip on the edge followed by a crack. (view the photo). The wooden base is to be glued. Diameter: 39.5cm Bowl height: 17cm Total height: 29cm

Porcelain dish, decoration in underglaze cobalt blue. Although this dish is made for export, its exceptional quality is identical to the finest creations made for the chinese imperial court. The mastery of the brush is total. The painter who executed this work was one of the best hands of King-to-chen. The very high cost of a service of this quality allows us to affirm that this was the order of an important character. . China end 18°. Diameter: 232mm Good condition but multiple chips all around the edge and the heel. This type of accident is found on certain porcelains from this period and seems to be due to firing defects.