Catalog (47)

Fine Large Chinese Han Dynasty Glazed Pottery Hu Jar (with Oxford TL Test)

This fine and impressive pottery jar (hu) was made during the Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 220). It is made from a fairly high-fired reddish pottery and coated in a particularly attractive glossy thick streaky green and finely-crackled glaze, the colour of which varies according to its thickness. Interestingly, the drips of glaze to the mouth rim and the pooling of glaze to the flat base show that this jar was fired upsid...

Fine & Rare Chinese Warring States Pottery Bird with Oxford TL Test

This very rare pottery model of a bird, either a duck or a goose, was made during the Warring States period (475 - 221 BC). It is "heavily-potted" and made from quite a high-fired grey pottery. The duck stands with its neck and wings stretched, as if in the act of preparing to fly. Note the detail, especially to the wings, with the tiger heads. The style and decoration suggest this model was based on a bronze example. On the...

Large Chinese Neolithic Caiyuan Pottery Jar with Oxford TL Test

This large and impressive pottery jar was made by peoples of the Caiyuan Culture (c. 2600 - 2200 BC) and has been excavated from the Ningxia Autonomous Region in the north of China. It is quite "heavily-potted" and has been fired to a very pleasing pale yellowish-brown with the surface colour becoming more red in places. The upper surface has been burnished and is very smooth to the touch. The lower surface has been simply yet ...

Large Chinese Tang Dynasty Painted Pottery Camel with Oxford TL Test

This impressive pottery model of a Bactrian camel was made during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). It is made from a pale buff-coloured pottery, has good detail and has been "cold painted" in a base coat of a creamy-white pigment with details picked out in brown, red and black pigments. The camel stands upright and alert with its head held high and turned a little to its left. Its two humps are particularly prominent.

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Fine LARGE Chinese Western Han Dynasty Painted Pottery Hu Jar & Cover (with Oxford TL Test)

This large and imposing pottery jar, of "hu" form, was made during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8). It is made from grey pottery and has a particularly wide body, the neck flaring out into a wide mouth. Unusually, it comes complete with its original cover.

The surface has been thickly cold-painted with a creamy-white pigment on top of which are swirls and geometric patterns in yellow-ochr...

Fine TALL Pair Chinese Tang Dynasty Painted Pottery Lokapala Figures with Oxford TL Test  

This fine and impressive matching pair of pottery lokapala figures was made during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). They are "heavily-potted" and made from a reddish pottery that have been "cold painted" in various coloured pigments. On the surface in places there still remain traces of gold leaf. Note the exquisite detail of their clothing and hairstyle. They have clenched fists with ferocious facia...

Fine TALL Chinese Tang Dynasty White Pottery Guardian Figure with Oxford TL Test  

This undeniably impressive pottery figure of a guardian was made during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). It is made from a fairly high-fired creamy-white pottery with traces of yellow, red and black "cold painted" pigments to the surface. He stands upon a rock, head turned slightly, with his hands out. Note the clothing and head gear: an armoured jacket secured with straps over his shoulder and a belt at he ...

Large Chinese Tang Dynasty Painted Pottery Camel with Oxford TL Test

This unusually large and impressive pottery model of a Bactrian camel was made during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). It is heavily-potted and made from a fairly high-fired buff-coloured pottery. In places on the surface are firing cracks, likely due to the thickness of the pottery. The surface has been cold-painted in a yellow-ochre coloured pigment on top of which have been painted reddish-brown and black pigments for th...

Tall Chinese Eastern Han Dynasty Sichuan Pottery Female Figure (Water Carrier) with Oxford TL Test

This fine tall pottery figure was made during the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25 - 220). A whole variety of pottery figures of varying sizes of this general type comprising farmers, musicians, domestic servants etc. are known and have been excavated from Sichuan province. This is a large example and is made from a pale yellowish-grey pottery, with the head made separately that fits into the hollow ...

Fine & Very Rare Large Chinese Early Northern Wei Dynasty Glazed Pottery Armoured War Horse & Rider (with Oxford TL Test)

Surely among the rarest and most desirable of ancient Chinese pottery horses are the large glazed equestrians from Shanxi province dating to the early Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 386 - 534). This is one such example. It is made from a relatively high-fired buff-coloured pottery that has been coated in a finely-crackled amber coloured glaze, save for the flat base that remain...

Fine & Rare Chinese Yuan Dynasty Burnished Black Pottery Horse & Groom with Oxford TL Test

These impressive and attractive pottery models of a horse and groom were made during the Yuan Dynasty (AD 1279 - 1368). Such figures from the Yuan Dynasty are very distinctive and are particularly rare and desirable. The surface of these figures is typically fired to grey, or almost black, and sometimes, as in this case, burnished to a smooth finish.

The horse is laden with a pack on its back, on t...

Exceptionally LARGE Chinese Neolithic / Bronze Age Impressed Pottery Jar with Oxford TL Test

This extremely rare and imposing pottery jar dates to the around the 1st millennium BC, the late Chinese Neolithic / Bronze Age period. It is, without doubt, the largest and most substantial pottery jar we have ever encountered from this period. It has a rounded base and the whole of the outer surface has been decorated with repeated coarsely-woven cord impressions. Interestingly the inner surface be...

Very Rare LARGE Chinese Qin Dynasty Military Listening Pottery Jar with Seal and Oxford TL Test

This oversized vessel, in the form of a "cocoon jar" was made during the Qin Dynasty (221 - 206 BC) or possibly a little earlier during the Warring States period (475 - 221 BC), but even then by the Qin state. It is made from a fairly high-fired fine-grained grey pottery. The whole of the outer surface of the body is decorated with repeated cord or woven impressions, particularly crisp in places, ...

Fine Chinese Tang Dynasty Painted Pottery Foreigner with Oxford TL Test

This fine and rare pottery model of a foreigner was made during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). It is made from a red pottery that has been cold-painted in a thick white pigment with the facial details picked out in red and black pigments. This elegant figure, a groom, stands with his shoulders raised, head raised and turned to his right, one hand outstretched. Note the detail of the clothing, the headgear and especiall...

Set of Five Large Chinese Yuan / Ming Dynasty Painted Pottery Filial Piety Tiles with Oxford TL Test

These interesting pottery tiles with the subjects depicted in high relief with very good detail were made during the Yuan Dynasty (AD 1279 - 1368) or possibly the early part of the following Ming Dynasty (AD 1368 - 1644). They are made from a high-fired grey pottery that has been "cold painted" in various coloured pigments. Each tile depicts a scene from a story of the paragons of filial piet...

Set of Twelve Chinese Jin Dynasty Painted Pottery Filial Piety Tiles with Oxford TL Test (AD 1115 - 1234)

These interesting pottery tiles with the subjects depicted in high relief were made during the Jin Dynasty (AD 1115 - 1234). They are made from quite a high-fired grey pottery that has been "cold painted" in various coloured pigments. Each tile depicts a scene from a story of the paragons of filial piety. Together they depict a total of thirty-four human figures (men, women and children)...

Fine Pair of Chinese Early Tang Dynasty Painted Pottery Walking Horses & Detachable Riders with Oxford TL Test

This exceptional pair of pottery horses was made during the early Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). They are finely-modelled and "full of life", both in the act of walking. One has its right leg forward with head turned to its left, the other has its left leg forward with its head turned a little to its right. Each has a separately-made rider seated on a saddle, one male, one female, tha...

Fine Large Early Tang Dynasty Painted Pottery Horse & Separate Saddle (with Oxford TL Test)

This fine and impressive pottery model of a horse was made during the early Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). It is "heavily-potted" and made from a buff-coloured pottery that has been cold-painted in a creamy-white pigment with small amounts of red pigment in places, such as within the nostrils. On its back is a large saddle, made separately, that can be removed. This is a strong horse giving an impressio...