Catalog (437)

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...

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...

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 ...

This impressive and imposing pair of pottery figures was made during the early Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). They are "heavily-potted" and made from a fine-grained pale grey pottery. They have been "cold-painted" in a base coat of creamy-white pigment with faint traces of red and black pigments in places.

These figures represent a pair of foreign grooms and have been made with great attention to de...

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...

This impressive and imposing pair of pottery figures was made during the early Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). They are "heavily-potted" and made from a fairly high-fired pale greyish-brown pottery. They have been "cold-painted" in a base coat of creamy-white pigment with details picked out on top in red and black pigments, especially to the heads and faces.

These figures represent a pair of foreign ...

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)...

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...

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...

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 th...

This tall pottery figure was made during the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25 - 220) and has been excavated from Sichuan province. 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. This figure holds in his left hand a long sword, and in his right hand a shield. There is also a short knife attached to his belt. He wea...

This very rare pottery model of a duck 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 surface in places are the ...

This very rare large and impressive pottery jar was made during the Warring States period (475 - 221 BC). It is made from a hard high-fired pottery. The body widens as it goes up from the base to a horizontal shoulder and then into quite a wide but short neck with a flared mouth. The body is covered with repeated impressed geometric patterns, a smaller design to the upper body and a larger design to th...

This fine and impressive matching pair of male and female figures was made during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). They are made from a buff-coloured pottery that has been "cold painted" in coloured pigments. They are similarly dressed in long-sleeved robes. Note also the upturned footwear and the distinctive headdresses and hairstyles. 

As with many of our finer items, we have had both o...

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, ...

This impressive and attractive pottery model of a horse was 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 top of which is tied a tiger skin. N...

This impressive pottery jar was, incredibly, made around 4,500 years ago during the Banshan Phase (c. 2600 - 2300 BC) of the Majiayao culture, also known as the Gansu-Yangshao culture, from present day Gansu or Qinghai province.

This jar is made from a relatively highly-fired pale reddish pottery. For its size it is relatively thinly-potted. It has two sturdy loops handles on opposing side of the waist. It has a smooth burnished s...

This fine and incredibly ancient pottery vessel was made over 6,000 years ago during the Banpo phase (c. 4800 - 4300 BC) of the Yangshao culture in present-day Shaanxi province. This form is probably the most well-known of Banpo pottery, if not of all Chinese Neolithic pottery, and no serious collection of Chinese ceramics should be without an example!

It has a tall cup-shaped mouth and a pointed base....

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...

This large and impressive pottery model of what we assume to be a farm house was made during the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25 - 220). It is made from a pinkish-coloured pottery, the surface of which has fired to a pale grey colour. It has a large gabled roof with deep grooves and horizontal incised lines to represent tiles. The ridge along the top has been incised to show three rows of ridge tiles. On the upper surface of...

This large and impressive architectural pottery model of a granary was made during the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25 - 220). It is made from a red pottery that has been coated in green glaze that has degraded and acquired a silvery iridescence in places, a result of long burial in damp conditions. It has a ridged gabled roof, the front section showing seven rows of tile covers, each row with a circular end tile, and supported by ...

This very rare large and impressive pottery jar was made during the Warring States period (475 - 221 BC). It is "heavily-potted" and made from a hard high-fired pottery. The body is topped with a fairly wide and tall neck, its cylindrical form then tapering inwards towards the flat base. The surface has been deeply impressed with a repeated geometric pattern all the way from below the neck to the base.

Height 44 cm (17...

This large stoneware jar, of the type often referred to as "proto-porcelain", dates to the latter part of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8). The upper body, and inner mouth, are coated with an attractive olive-green glaze that is very finely-crackled. The unglazed neck and lower body have fired to varying shades of reddish-brown. To the upper and lower neck are bands of impressed wavy lines. On opposing sides a...

One of the most desirable and collectable form of pottery sculpture from ancient China is, of course, the female courtier, or "fat lady", from the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). This exceptional example, with a height of 43 cm, is considerably larger than most known Tang dynasty "fat ladies". She wears a voluminous robe with long sleeves, her right hand raised and held across her stomach, her feet protruding from the hem...

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...

This fine, impressive and very rare pair of pottery vases was made during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8) or possibly a little earlier. They are of a particularly pleasing and elegant form, the wide bodies rising up from the flat bases, then constricting into long slender necks and finally opening up into fairly wide mouths. They are quite "heavily-potted" and made from a dense fine-grained dark grey pottery, the surface o...

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...

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...

This extremely rare and impressive pottery model of a cooking stove was made during either the Qin Dynasty (221 – 206 BC) or possibly earlier, during the latter part of the preceding Warring States period (475 – 221 BC). It is made from quite a high-fired grey pottery that has a distinct ring to it when tapped. Its main upper surface is wonderfully decorated with finely-detail...

This impressive pottery horse and rider was made during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). It is made from a buff-coloured pottery and is quite "heavily-potted". It has been cold-painted in various coloured pigments, good traces of which still remain. The horse stands upright and alert with its head and neck turned very slightly to its left. The rider, with his body turned to the left, has his arms raised as though ho...

This large and impressive pottery figure represents an official or a dignitary and was made during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). It is made from a high-fired buff-coloured pottery that has been cold-painted in a base coat of a creamy-white pigment with details picked out in red, pink and black pigments. The figure stands upright on an integral pedestal wearing a long flowing robe under which his hands are held together across his chest. No...

This extremely rare toad-shaped pedestal, or base, for the legendary coin-shedding tree dates to the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25 - 220) and has been excavated from Sichuan province. The coin-shedding, or money, tree is known from late Han Dynasty funerary art from the south-west of China. It was believed that if shaken, coins would fall from it. The money tree itself would comprise a bronze trunk, or pole, to which...

This exceptionally large and impressive pottery jar was made during the Warring States period (475 - 221 BC). It is made from a fine-grained grey pottery, relatively highly-fired, having a distinct ring to it when tapped. It has a wide mouth with a thick rolled rim. It is decorated simply, yet effectively, with raised bands surrounding the body just above its waist. Just above the concave base is a small purpose-ma...

This large and attractive pottery jar was made during the Warring States period (475 - 221 BC). It is made from quite a high-fired pale grey pottery the colour of which has fired to a pale pinkish-brown in places. It has an unusual wide mouth with a flat rim. The whole outer surface has been decorated with repeated impressed geometric patterns comprising, at the top of each impression, two horizontal lines ...

This fine-quality pair of highly decorative pottery tiles was made during the Ming Dynasty (AD 1368 - 1644). They are made from a grey pottery and the decoration in relief features a pair of deer in a landscape. Note the detail to the deer, the carved and incised decoration as well as the impressed flower blossoms to the deers' bodies. The relief decoration has been cold-painted in various coloured pigments, good traces o...

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 with vertical bands then being made around the body ...