Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Chinese (193)

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.

Rare tetrapod censer representing a stylized elephant. The censer is in cast bronze.The cast is beautiful and the finish is perfect,probably scrapped,no holes or roughness. The old patina proves the authenticity of the object. A frieze carved with swastika surrounds the elephant in its upper part representing a caparison. The ears are represented by 2 spirals as well as the tusks. The artist knew how to simplify the shape of the animal in a discreet way so the elephant fulfills its function of censor with elegance and sobriety.First we only see a censer at 4 feet,it's only after observation that the elephant appears.Excellent thought.This object was certainly commissioned by a ruler or scholar with a subtle mind and during a culturally and quite period.There is no trace of gilding or lacquer. I think this is Chinese rather than Japanese work, as the swastika frieze is not perfectly chiseled. A Japanese artist would have done a perfect job, while a Chinese artist would have stuck to the simple decorative aspect. In addition, early Edo Japanese bronzes were very often lacquered and there is always a little lacquer somewhere, here no trace,finally,I have never seen an object of a similar style anywhere in Japan. I think Qing around 1800 or before. Good condition,patina well preserved. Long:16cm

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. 

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.

Rare porcelain vase with marbled decoration. The oxides are passed randomly to imitate marble.This type of decoration imitating stones is rare, the known examples are most often clumsily executed. Our vase is an exception because the imitation of marble is perfect both in the design of the veins and their color. Also the double gourd shape is interesting.Chinese work from the end of the 18th century, reign of Qianlong or Kiaking. In a perfect condition. No restoration. Height:22cm. A similar vase with an accident has been offered for sale by sotheby's . (see attached photo)

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.

Agata cup of a beautiful yellow and amber color. Decorated in hight relief of Chilong, Lingzhi and Fenghuang (dragon, mushrooms and Phoenix) with highly symbolic value, in fact the male principle chilong and the female fenghuang should signify a marriage, the presence of immortal Lingzhi making the union eternal. The artist used a part of the stone which is different, naturally spotted and cracked to cut the Chilong which is thus subtly spotted like a leopard. However, this part of the less solid stone has defects, cracks and slight gaps. At the bottom, a Lingzhi was added to fill a hole which made the cup unusable. This old lingzhi is held in place by lacquer. It is possible that it is original, because if we observe the inside of the cup we see that the hole appears right at the location of the recess grinding. I think the artist went too far and pierced the bottom. He pasted the Lingzhi to repair his mistake. Chinese work from the 18th century. A broken Fenghuang wing tip. Cracks and alterations in the stone at the Chilong level. Late wooden base. 119x67mm

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)

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.

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

Hard porcelain vase decorated with famille rose enamels depicting landscapes, antiques and flowers. Chinese work made for export, the style of the particularly slender drawn vases as well as the color palette lead us to think that it is a porcelain executed during the first part of the 18th century, during the reign of Yongzheng (1722-35) but it is not excluded that it was created earlier, indeed the significant presence of green enamels does not make impossible an earlier dating, either at the end of the reign of Kangxi, the presence of pink not being incompatible. This vase was mounted with a superb cast bronze mount, gilded with mercury. The finishes are neat, scraper, matting, burnishing, everything is perfect. Probably a Parisian job. I think that this mount was made as soon as the vase arrived in France and would therefore be datable to the beginning of the 18th century. Today the vase is mounted as a lamp by the addition of a long stem, but originally it must have been a potpourri with a very openwork lid, the grip button being now moved to the top of the vase. the stem. Photos show all parts separately. The vase was broken at the neck and was very well restored about ten years ago, to date the restoration has not evolved. It remains invisible except under close scrutiny. Several photos are taken of the restored part. The restorer made the right choice not to restore the interior so that we can see that the vase is complete. Height of the vase alone: 43cm. Height of the vase mounted as potpourri: 60cm. Total height of the lamp: 105cm

This handle is in cast bronze with 2 welded sides and gilded. The carving is of the best quality and the sculptur is powerful, announcing an excellent artist. It must have been part of a very large censer or vase in certainly imperial cloisonné enamel that is somewhere.Certainly Kienlong period or earlier. Hight about 22cm.

Giant cover in Chinese famille rose porcelain decorated with European coats of arms and fabulous animals. Exported from china by the Indian company. The dominant enamels are a deep blue,a pale green and an iron red,the details are golden.There is a discreet touch of pink enamel positioned between the crown and the helmet.The embracing hands are in white enamel.Finally, the remaining tails of the lateral phoenixes, now missing, are enamelled in black discreetly decorated with green.The decorations are in high relief. On the front and back is represented a coat of arms made up of a crowned helmet and a heart and 2 clasped hands, all flanked by a lion with the head of a man and a quadruped with the head of bird. On the sides the broken animals are lost, but there are bird paws and a tail which seems to be of a peacock (phoenix). Finally on the button of the cover is represented what seems to me to be a unicorn with its 2 ears erect and its central horn. I haven't researched this coat of arms, but it should be easy for a specialist. It is the lid of an exceptional vase which must have greatly exceeded 1 meter in height, which would make it one of the largest, if not the largest known. Certainly 18th century but very beginning, this range of colors reminds me of Kanghi's reign, the discreet presence of pink is not incompatible with this dating and the fact that very little is used betrays the fact that the pink is in its test phase. I do not know enough but it seems to me to be more done for a Latin country, Spain, Portugal or Mexico? 325x250 mm weight:6kg The body in good condition.

Small bat-shaped water container. It is in porcelain covered with a beautiful green glassure and is pierced with 4 openings, a small one at the mouth, 2 others on either side of the ears and a large one at the back. Was to serve as a water cup, either as a dropper, perhaps as an oil lamp or an incense holder, or several functions at the same time. It is a rare and charming object which is also auspicious. Good condition, normal wear for a centuries-old object. I think early Qing Kangxi period. 75x60x3 cm (2.95 x 2.36 x 1.2 inches)

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.

Extremely rare dish decorated in blue white, china late 18th century for export to Japan. The design is of high quality and the cobalt blue is perfectly fired. Deep blue color. The quality of the design is far superior to what we usually see on Chinese export porcelains and equals that of some imperial pieces. The decoration of the marli is particularly complex. The presence of 2 Japanese Mon allows us to think that it is a Japanese order. Probably a service for a wedding? Excellent condition. Diameter 28,5cm.

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.

A rare brushpot caved in coconut. On one side 1 temple surrounded by 1 dragon with a fish tail (Makara) and a fish. On the other side 2 dragons surrounding the sacred pearl which curiously has the shape of an inverted heart. We can see the same heart on a coconut box illustrated on page 96 of book 44 of the complete collection of the Palace Museum. A similar almost identical brush pot was sold in London on November 5, 2013 by christie's, lot 112 (see photos).The whole is covered with a thin layer of transparent brown-redish.There is a restoration at the top edge that I show on photo. Otherwise in good condition.H:97mm D:67mm. W:80g