Catalog (320)

This tall pottery figure was made during the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25 - 220) and has been excavated from Sichuan province. It is made from a reddish pottery and is highly detailed. Such figures are usually referred to as farmers, although during this period Sichuan farmers were also called upon by their masters to become soldiers when required. As well as holding a long-handled spade in one hand and a winnowing tray in t...

This impressive pottery model of a warrior was made over 2,000 years ago during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8); as can be seen by the quiver on its back, this figure is that of an archer. It is made from a dark grey pottery that has been "cold painted" in a base coat of white pigment with the features and details picked out in red and black pigments. Note his benign face ! Originally this figure would have hel...

This tall pottery figure was made during the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25 - 220) and has been excavated from Sichuan province. It is made from a reddish pottery and is highly detailed. Such figures are usually referred to as farmers, although during this period Sichuan farmers were also called upon by their masters to become soldiers when required. As well as holding a spade in one hand and a winnowing tray in the other, he ...

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 ...

This large and impressive pottery jar dates to the Siwa culture (c. 1350 BC). It has a relatively small flat base and a wide saddle-shaped mouth. There are two loop handles that join the shoulder to the rim. The surface colour of the pottery has interesting variations in places, from an attractive deep orange to grey, a result of uneven conditions during the firing process. The clay is quite gritty and in places there are surface ...

This fine pottery model of a foreign groom was made during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). It is made from a buff-coloured pottery that has been cold-painted in a base coat of white pigment on top of which is black pigment in places. At the end of the arms are purpose-made holes where originally would have been fixed separate hands, probably made of wood and now long since rotted away and lost. Note the details of the unusual hat, t...

This impressive pottery jar was made over 4,000 years ago during the Machang Phase (c. 2300 - 2000 BC) of the Majiayao culture, also known as the Gansu-Yangshao culture, from present day Gansu or Qinghai province. It is quite "heavily-potted" with a smooth surface and is fairly highly-fired. It has a short neck with flared mouth, and two sturdy loop handles on opposing sides at the waist. The outside of the jar and the mouth have been decor...

This attractively-shaped pottery jar was made during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8). It is relatively highly-fired and has been made from flat slabs of pottery that have been luted together in imitation of an archaic bronze vessel. Its form is unique to the Western Han period and is known as a "feng ping". It still retains its original cover. Both cover and jar have been elaborately decorated with swirling cloud...

This attractively-shaped pottery jar was made during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8). It is relatively highly-fired and has been made from flat slabs of pottery that have been luted together in imitation of an archaic bronze vessel. Its form is unique to the Western Han period and is known as a "feng ping". It still retains its original cover. Both cover and jar have been elaborately decorated with swirling cloud...

This fine and rare painted pottery figure of a nude girl was made during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8), more specifically, the 2nd century BC. It is one of a variety of Han Dynasty "stick" figures. The vast majority of "stick" figures represent males; female figures are particularly rare. It is made from a dense fine-grained grey pottery that has been "cold painted" after firing in a pale brown / flesh-coloured pi...

This tall and impressive pottery "stick" figure was made during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8), more specifically, the 2nd century BC. It is "heavily-potted" and made from a dense fine-grained pale grey pottery. It has been "cold painted" with a pink/brown flesh-coloured pigment. Note the detail of the facial features and the hairstyle, worn with a top knot.

Various types of "stick" figures have been excavated, altho...

This fine and interesting pottery vessel was made over 3,000 years ago during the Chinese Neolithic or early Bronze Age. The form is of a cooking vessel and the three wide udder-shaped legs allow it to be stood in a fire with as much heat as possible being transmitted to its contents. It is not always easy to determine exactly which culture such vessels come from as similar vessels were made by various Chinese cultures. However, we un...

This rare large and impressive rectangular pottery serving tray, complete with a ladle and six "ear" cups was made some 2,000 years ago during the Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 220). They are all made from a fairly high-fired grey pottery and "cold painted" in red pigment.

Tray dimensions: length 56.5 cm (22.25 inches), width 35.5 cm (14 inches). Three cups of length 11.25 cm (4.5 inches), three cups of length 13.75 cm (5.5 inc...

This large and impressive pottery jar of exceptional form was made during the Five Dynasties period (AD 907 - 960) or possible the early part of the Song Dynasty (AD 960 - 1279). It is a wide-bodied jar with sturdy handles and quite a small flat base, an unusual form for this period. Its form is reminiscent of some Han Dynasty pottery jars of around a thousand years earlier, although this jar is much more "...

This large pottery model of an ox, or bull, was made during the Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 220). It is made from a relatively high-fired grey pottery which has made it much more durable than lower-fired examples.

Length 36 cm (14 inches), height 21 cm (8.25 inches). It is in outstanding condition; although one horn appears to have been broken and re-stuck, there is no obvious sign of any other restoration or repa...

This fine-quality pottery vessel, complete with its original cover, was made during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8). It is made from a fine-grained grey pottery and quite highly-fired, both vessel and cover each having a distinct ring when tapped. This vessel, a ding, has sturdy square-cut handles and stands on three feet. The cover has a raised circular band on its top allowing it to be turned upside-down and u...

This large and extremely rare pottery jar was made by peoples of the Neolithic Xindian culture (c. 1200 - 500 BC). The Xindian culture is a relatively late Neolithic culture and overlaps with the Chinese Bronze Age. This jar is of the Tangwang type and is not quite as coarse in its construction as some other Xindian vessels. It is quite "heavily-potted" with two loop handles on opposing sides ...

This extremely rare pottery model of a saddled horse was made during the Northern Dynasties period (AD 386 - 581). It is rather naively modelled from a dense grey pottery that is fairly high-fired. The body has been cold-painted in reddish-brown, black and white pigments whilst the upper surface of the base is painted white.

Height 28 cm, length 26 cm. It is in very good condition and any possible repairs hav...