Catalog (86)

These roughly potted Jizhou tea bowls embody the Song aesthetic and have always been highly sought after. The body is of conical form and burnt ochre at the foot. The lovely calligraphic design has a lovely freedom to it. It is splashed on in a very painterly way, representing prunus blossom with a sketchily painted moon in the sky above. These Jizhou tea bowls, along with Jian Kiln tea bowls, were of the prized tea ceremony wares among Song literati. Ex. Tse collection, Montreal; Richieâ€...

A stunning piece of Qingbai porcelain like this one is rare to find nowadays. The glaze has a rich bluish green colour which offers a jade like effect. With its impressed lotus motif on the exterior of the body, this bowl is dated to the Yuan dynasty when these floral patterns were common. The incised design is very assured and full of vitality. Diameter: 15.5 cm. Condition: Good. No chips, no repairs. There is a firing crack to the rim, and discolouration to the exposed clay at the base. ...

This large disk-shaped ritual object from central Asia - the Bactrian-Margiana Archaeological Complex - is made of marble. Dated in the 3rd to 2nd millennium century BC, it has a smooth, curved-in side, and the concave surface of the face is well-polished. The abstract vein pattern in the marble offers colours of pink-purple, beige, and grey. The use of this kind of object is still uncertain. Some believe these are purely ritual objects. Other theories suggest they might have also been used fo...

With a lustrous, light blue glaze all over, this beautiful Qingbai cosmetic box represents the high standard that Qingbai porcelain achieved in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). It is in the form of fluted chrysanthemum petals and on the cover there is a single chrysanthemum flower moulded in the centre. Diameter: 8.5 cm Condition: Excellent, no chips, no cracks. A museum inventory number on the interior of the cover. Provenance: Alderfer Auction, 2006. Price: USD $1500; CAD $1960 ...

This lovely, well potted Qingbai saucer dish with light green glaze has a central moulded decoration of two fish, swimming freely through aquatic plants. The pattern around the fish is known as Lei wen or yun lei wen (Cloud or Rolling Thunder/Cloud Pattern), it symbolized life (rain) and good wishes. Diameter: 14 cm. Condition: Good. There is some unevenness and discolouration to the rim where it would have been covered by a metal band. Price: USD $300; CAD $392 (13% HST will be applied on al...

This small but elegant late Qing Geyao vase is in double gourd (Hulu) shape. The green to grey glaze with a pleasing pattern of dark brown crackle lines, covers the whole vase, inside and out, with the exception of the foot rim. Size: Height: 10.7 cm. Condition: Excellent condition, with only light scratches to the glaze. Purchased in Hong Kong in 1995. Price: USD $260; CAD $350 (13% HST will be applied on all sales in Ontario.)

Diameter: 13.97 cm Condition: Good. Two Chinese characters marked at the base: Wu Zhai. Price: USD $120; CAD $160 (13% HST will be applied on all sales in Canada).

A must-have Qingbai porcelain piece. Diameter: 13.8 cm Condition: Good, no chips, no repairs. A small firing crack at the base.Price: USD $100; CAD $135 (13% HST will be applied on all sales in Canada).

Produced in the Kangxi period (1661-1722), this fine plate was intended for the export market and painted in the fashionable Japanese style. Jingdezhen's monopoly on porcelain production was broken in 1616 when Japanese potters at Arita figured out how to produce their own porcelain wares. These were exported to the outside world from the port at Imari, and their dramatic combination of underglaze blue with overglaze red and gold proved an enormous success. The demand for “Imari” wares was s...

A rare and unusual “Ordos” bronze pin from one of the nomadic cultures located on China’s north-western borders in the first millennium BCE. It represents a ferocious animal, possibly a wolf, standing on two orbs. The decorations on its flanks and neck indicate the animal’s hair. It may have been intended as a decorative ornament, or it may have been a tool used for leather-work. Length: 8.7 cm. Condition: Excellent, with a deep patina, and a small patch of verdigris. Purchased in...

These large beads with stratified eyes and trailed decoration are very rare. They were almost certainly made in one of the Hellenistic settlements around the Black Sea. They were traded to the Sarmatian and Scythian nomadic peoples who controlled vast inland territories, and who attached these beads as signs of status and wealth to personal clothing and to horse apparel. This example has a core of very dark blue glass with applied eyes in four layers (white, red, white, blue) separated with a ri...

With a lightly crackled white glaze, this beautiful Dehua porcelain kendi is tending to a light blue Qingbai effect, where it has pooled, over a beautiful white translucent body. It has a long curved spout, a flared rim, and a bulbous body molded with a floral design. These kendis were made mainly for the growing export market in island Southeast Asia. They were used as pouring vessels in Buddhist rituals. This is very early Blanc de Chine, and the porcelain has a lovely softness to it. There is...

This late nineteenth century teapot was manufactured in Jingdezhen and enamelled either there or in Guangzhou. By that period in Thailand ware that previously had been utilized solely by the royal court was becoming fashionable with the newly-wealthy classes. This pot and its lid are decorated in a “trellis and flower” pattern in the Lai Nam Thong (gold wash) style. It has gilding around the rims and a decorative brass handle. Length: 19 cm; height (to the top of the lid): 13 cm. Condi...

The Northern and Southern Dynasties (420 AD- 589 AD) are often considered the most chaotic period of time in Chinese history. However, the cultural diversification of Chinese and Non-Chinese (mainly Nomadic minorities from the north and the west) inspired the arts and cultural creations which influenced the whole of China (Zhongyuan), including the funeral industry. This tomb figure is of a typical foreigner servant or groom, standing with a distinguishing hat that only the non-Han people (Hu...

Believed to protect the owner from misfortune, these were among the most highly prized beads in the ancient world. They were especially valued in Tibet, though they were not produced there. This one would have been manufactured in South Asia some time between 2,000 and 4,000 years ago. As with all dzi beads, the dark brown area of the stone may have been darkened in a process that involved it being coated with a solution of natural sugar and then baked. ‘Lukmik’ means goat’s eye (which is...

Jianyao tea bowl with hare’s fur (temmoku) glaze over a rough stone-ware body, Shuji, Fujian province, China, Song dynasty, C12. Traditionally, these rough bowls were thought of as the ideal tea bowls, both because they showed off perfectly the white powdered tea that was fashionable at that time and because their thick bodies retained the heat well. The lustrous dark brown glaze, carrying reddish streaks of iron, has pulled away in firing to leave the reddish slip exposed around the rim. Tuh...

This head, possibly of Uma, would have been carved during the reign of King Udayadityavarman II (1050-1066), a great builder and patron of the arts. It is very delicately carved, with open eyes conveyed by simple outlines, sensuous lips and a strong slightly cleft chin. The overall impression is of a powerful but compassionate female face crowned with a ring inset with precious stones around her elaborately braided hair. The Baphuon period produced some of the finest stone carving and this is a ...

Celebratory porcelain cups (often rather pretentiously called libation cups) with a translucent creamy white glaze over the high-fired perfectly white paste, Dehua, China, late Ming Dynasty, c 1630-1650. The form is that of a rhinoceros horn cup. The decorative appliquĂŠs on the larger one show a four-clawed dragon emerging from a cloud, a tiger and a stag standing beneath plum and pine branches. There is a crane, too, on the smaller cup. These cups, with their auspicious symbols, were intended ...

Boshanlu is the Chinese term for this Boshan (Hill Bo or Mountain Bo) shaped censer. Dating from the Eastern Han dynasty, this Boshanlu is a rare piece as most of the censers in this period were made in bronze or unglazed terracotta, whereas this one has a nice layer of rust-coloured glaze. Condition: Good, one small chip at the rim of the cover. Some age-related wear. Size: H: 21.5 cm, W: 14.3 cm.

It is made of genuine golden yellow Baltic amber that is opaque yet glowing and slightly translucent in bright light. It shows signs of old wear and has been repaired with silver/white metal staples and a band of braided wire around the circumference. These beads were always valued very highly, and sometimes the repaired examples are even more highly prized. Diameter, 36 mm; weight, 18.9 g. Condition: Old wear, chips and accretions. Price: USD $480; CAD $635 (13% HST will be applied on a...

A very nice little jar with a thick geyao glaze. it dates to the end of the nineteenth century. Diameter: 7.1 cm. Condition: Very good.

This very rare mug dates from the early period of production at the St. Ives pottery in the 1920s or early ’30s. In those years Leach was developing the designs for his later production and one can see in the body and the handle of this mug characteristics that became typical of the Standard Ware designs of the post-WWII period. It is covered with a thick, bubbly tenmoku glaze that is typical of the finish on most of the pots that Leach, Shoji Hamada and Michael Cardew produced in St.Ives at...

This is a simple and very assured carving that catches with just a few strokes the devotion of a middle-aged man to his Buddhist faith. It dates from the 4th century CE. Height: 16.5 cm. Condition: Head reattached. Price: USD $380; CAD $500 (13% HST will be applied on all sales in Canada.)

Han dynasty potters were perhaps the most original and creative in the whole history of Chinese ceramics, and their work is still neglected and undervalued - a marvellous opportunity for the collector. This jar, which was made in the late Western-early Eastern Han period (1st century BCE-1st century CE) in the Jiangsu or Zhejiang area, has a full rounded body and a low cut neck which gives prominence to the mask handles. It is very “potterly” and surprisingly modern in appearance. The ash ...

A rare composite eye bead made during the Warring States Period, circa 481 to 221 BC. The composite type of Warring States bead is made with a thin layer of glass overlaid on a clay or ceramic material core. This one is in especially good condition. From every aspect the frame of rich brown intersecting lines creates an almost mask-like structure for the blue and white, or yellow, raised eyes. This elaborate style of bead was only made during a narrow window of time in Henan province. Dimensi...

A rare composite eye bead made during the Warring States Period, circa 481 to 221 BC. The composite type of Warring States bead is made with a thin layer of glass overlaid on a clay or ceramic material core. There are five small white glass eyes around each of the larger eyes which are made of stratified layers of blue on top of white glass. This elaborate style of bead was only made during a narrow window of time in Henan province and apparently never made again. Dimensions: width, 21mm; hei...

The bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara is shown standing on a lotus plinth rising from a four-legged platform, his right hand raisedin tribangha and a kamandalu ('holy water' bottle) pendent from the left hand. He is wearing a crown centered by a figure of Amitabha Buddha, and his head is surrounded by an aureole inscribed with flames, at the top of which another image of the Buddha emerges. This figure dates from the Northern Wei dynasty (6th century CE), and it’s remarkabe for the way in which, des...

These hard-stone axes of oval section have been found in Yangshao neolithic sites in Shanxi province, dating to the late 5th-early 4th millennium BCE. This is a particular fine example, made from a large oblong pebble of a very hard jadelike stone. The sides and butt are left rough, and the tip is polished to a slightly curved profile on both sides. It fits comfortably into the hand. Dimensions: length: 10 cm; width: 4.3 cm. Condition: Excellent, with ancient chips and scratches; no modern...

This small but fine piece belongs to the Maklaiheung's QingBai Collections. About Qingbai Wares: "The special characteristic comes from the body, which is natural porcelain clay, and its glaze, which is made by diluting in water the porcelain body material mixed with lime." "Rims on qingbai bowls and dishes were also sometimes fitted with a silver band in the same manner as the Northern Ding wares, to cover the unglazed rims."- Gotheborg Condition: Good. No sign of repair or restorati...

A small Qingbai brush washer from Song Dynasty (960 - 1279 AD). Dia: 12.7 cm Condition: Good. No scratch or crack on surface.

This major painting is by Manuel Rodriguez, one of the founders of Philippine modernism. It depicts a Muslim river festival in the south of the country, probably Cotabato in Mindanao. Rodriguez was born in Cebu in 1912, the son of an engraver and goldsmith, and studied art first of all at the University of the Philippines and later in New York and Paris. He is known as the Father of Philippine Printmaking, both for his own work and for his influence on generations of younger artists. His paintin...

Yokoyama Seiki is an artist from the Shoji school during the late Edo period.(1603-1868) . Seiko was one of the best pupils of Matsumura Keibun (1779-1843). Seiki is particularly renowned for the fine quality of his Kacho-ga as well as for his figurative and landscape paintings. Signed with the artist’s two inkans, Qing and Hui, which are Seiki’s name in Chinese, this particular painting on paper is signed by hand and inkan. It shows a fisherman on a boat and steering it downstream. The foli...

This little Qingbai bowl brings a refreshing feeling with its creamy minty light blue glaze. Condition: Good. Diameter: 14.9 cm.

A small, brown glazed vase from North China, Yuan or Ming dynasty. The vase is covered all over with a dark brown glaze that thins somewhat on the base. It has high shoulders applied with a stylized floral pattern and a flaring mouth. It may have originally functioned as a small wine container. Condition: Good with wear commensurate with its age. Size: H: 13 cm. Dia: 10.07 cm

This is a fine purple-splashed Junyao jar with two small strap handles, Jin or Yuan dynasties, China (C12-13). As expected, it is heavily potted and it has a beautifully thick blue glaze. There is a purple splash to the front with the glaze endling unevenly at the foot and revealing the rich red stoneware body at the base. At the upper rim the glaze has thinned and been altered to a brownish green colour which is also found on the two handles. Ex: I.M. Chait. Size: diameter 13.5 cm, h: 13.8 c...

A rare green-glazed dragon-handled porcelaneous tripod vessel (Jiaodou) from the Yueyao kilns, eastern Jin dynasty. The head of the dragon is carved very expressively This is an extremely rare censer form that probably derives originally from a bronze shape; more examples have been found in bronze than in ceramics. The Yueyao kilns were the first in China to develop a porcellaneous body and glaze. The glaze on this example is typical of Yue production in the Jin period, a beautifully soft greyi...

Satsuki was from Kyoto, the most famous pupil of Tomioka Tessai, early C20. This painting is beautifully painted with black and plum colours, perfectly combining strength and delicacy in the technique and in the subject matter. In Japanese culture as in Chinese, plum blossom symbolizes strength and nobility of character. Good condition, some creases, with original signed box. Size: L: 199cm W 42cm.

Every collector should have some of these Ming dynasty pottery burial figures in their collection. They are such a good bargain and they tell us so much about Chinese culture. Whereas the Tang dynasty figures are always rather theatrical, these Ming attendants are resolutely realistic. They remind me of the bored professional mourners one still sees occasionally at funerals today. This musician is a very good example, with his robes covered in a slightly iridescent crackled green glaze, and his ...

Every collector should have some of these Ming dynasty pottery burial figures in their collection. They are such a good bargain and they tell us so much about Chinese culture. Whereas the Tang dynasty figures are always rather theatrical, these Ming attendants are resolutely realistic. They remind me of the bored professional mourners one still sees occasionally at funerals today. This female servant is a very good example, with her robes covered in a slightly iridescent crackled green glaze and...

This is a very unusual and rare bowl that shows the experimental nature of the northern kilns in the late Tang and early Song. Very few examples of underglaze paintings are known from these kilns at that time period. The bevelled trim to the footrim is similar to that which may be seen on the better Yaozhou production. Size: dia 12.7 cm, h 7.9cm. Condition: It has slumped a little in the kiln and the rim is slightly askew; there is wear to the glaze and there are a few small frits close to the ...

This is a grey, high-fired earthenware cocoon-shaped jar, cold-painted with swirling cloud patterns in red, white and light blue from the Western Han period, 206 BC- 9 AD. It has a short neck and everted rim. The marks of old plant growth can be found close to the bottom. It is very unusual to find one of these jars in such a fine state of preservation. This one is somewhat larger than the norm. It’s a fine example of the skill and creativity of the Han potter. Ex: Antony J.Allen. Condition...

This is a beautiful, authentic Roman period single pendant earring made with solid gold. It dates from the 1st-3rd century AD. The pendant part is decorated with a green glass bead, a finely-crafted filigree gold tubular bead, and a lovely little pearl that still has most of its lustre nearly two thousand years after it left the sea. Pearls in the Roman period came from the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean; along with silk from China, they represented the height of fashion and extravagance.The earri...

This is a superb and rare Yaozhou ware russet porcelain vase, brown glaze over a grey-white paste, Northern China, Song or Jin dynasty, 960-1234. Russet- or persimmon-glazed wares from Yaozhou were probably first made to imitate dingyao pieces, but the yaozhouyao glaze fires with a uniquely metallic lustre, as in this example. The paste on the footring and the unglazed base has fired to a rich creamy-colour, which is quite common with these brown-glazed wares. All these pieces are rare, especia...

This is an extremely rare iron black underglaze-painted porcelaneous dish, with a design of black flowers under a crackled, lustrous glaze,Kalong, Lanna kingdom, Northern Thailand, C15-16. Most Thai collectors refer to the motif as crows or ravens, but I’m fairly sure that these are in fact a very rare orchid that grows in the mountains north of Chiang Mai and very near to Wiang Kalong - impatiens psittacina, the parrot flower (“dork geyow” in Thai). This particular example shows the free-...

This glass bottle is in excellent condition. Come from Iran, it is probably designed to be used as a perfume sprinkler. It has a rounded body with a long, slim neck decorated with wound glass threads rising to the rim. The colour of the bottle is mostly amber; however, the lower body is more like a honey gold. A beautiful metallic iridescence can be seen under the sunlight. Ref: An almost identical one, auctioned in 2011 at Christie’s, which, together with another early Islamic bottle, sol...

This finely enamelled bowl features two pheasants resting on peony branches on a rich coral ground(Yanzhihong). A Kangxi Yuzhi Mark (A mark in underglaze blue within a double square) is at the base but most likely it is a 19th century to early republic piece. Dia: 15.3 cm, H: 7.7cm Condition: Excellent, no chips, no cracks or sign of repairs.

This is a possible Jiajing piece as it has a purple undertone and no black spots, which was common for Jailing porcelain (During the Jailing period, the formula that was used to produce blue and white porcelain was generally low in iron and manganese which produced an undertone of purple). Inside this lovely bow, it depicts a scholar wearing high hat on a deer which is called “Lu Gao Sheng”. “Lu Gao Sheng” are phonograms of “deer”, “High, tall” and “To raise”. On the outside...

This is a Cultural Revolution porcelain figurine of Norman Bethune. It is more finely made than most Cultural Revolution figures and shows the Canadian doctor leading a donkey. Bethune served in the communist Eighth Route Army during the Sino-Japanese War and died from blood poisoning contracted in the operating room. He became a major embodiment of the revolutionary martyr in Cultural Revolution mythology. These porcelain figures were made in huge quantities, but in this quality are now quite r...

Yuan dynasty is the time when Zaju (Variety show ) begins to take over people’s entertainment life. This adorable porcelain figure captures a Zaju character riding a horse with a typical Shusheng(Scholar, usually a young one) hat in Zaju (Later adopted by Peking Opera).This porcelain figure is well painted with variety of colour. The horse has a red decoration on its head suggests this is a young scholar who had made a success in Keju (Imperial examinations) and he is riding the horse returni...

Snuff was introduced into China from the West in the seventeenth century and its popularity quickly engendered a new art form, the snuff bottle. This exquisite little ovoid bottle is very well made from layered opaque white/pink/white glass finely carved into an elaborate surface of lotus petals with a coiled lotus stem forming the base rim. The term Sandwich Pink is rather banal for such a beautiful object; the Chinese name, Taohua Dong, meaning frozen peach blossom, seems much more appropriate...

This large storage vessel has a fine amber glaze (Hong tao, red pottery) on the upper body. It was made during the Tang dynasty (618 AD - 906 AD), when ceramic firing technology (both low-fired and high-) was developing rapidly. It was made in a northern kiln for daily use, but even such functional objects have a strong aesthetic identity that is typical of Tang culture. Size: h: 27.5 cm, dia: 20.2 cm
 Condition: Good. Wear to the glaze at the top rim; otherwise only some colour variations...

It was not until the Qing dynasty that the Jingdezhen potters finally mastered the production of this very difficult bright black enamel glaze. Unfortunately, these vases were frequently fired a third time overpainted with intricate gold enamel patterns, but the plain monochromes are much more achieved. The very elegant form of this vase with its long neck and compressed body derived ultimately from Han bronze models, and became especially popular in Qianlong times. This example has an underglaz...

Ear cups were originally used only in ceremonies (Li Qi) back in the Zhou Dynasty. Later, the form became popular in Han dynasty and on into the Jin and Northern and Southern Dynasties, and it was used for wine drinking in daily life. The pair of lead glazed earcups that we also have listed were produced for burial purposes, but this example would have been used by the living. The oval body has an ear-shaped handle on both sides. It is coated with a crackled jade green celadon glaze that already...

A rectangular porcelain panting portrait three soldiers of the Red Army in Northwestern costumes of China suggesting they were farmers before they fought with the army against the enemy. It was common for artists to depict farmers as soldiers during the Cultural Revolution time as it implies the Red army was with the people; therefore the party was with the people. There is a mark of “Jingdezhen Art Porcelain Factory Committee” and the date August 1969 in the lower left corner. Length: 35...

This eye-catching porcelain plate features a Red Guard (Hongweibing) broadcasting on the radio with a background of the Great Wall. A slogan that reads “Qian Qiu Gong Zui, Wo Men Ping Shuo” ( We [the people] will decide the merits and demerits [of history] ) is on the plate. Like other work created by Wu, this plate was first drawn in brown then coloured with a second and/or third layer to create a 3D effect. “Jingdezhen Art Porcelain Factory Committee” signed at the base. Artist B...

Peach-bloom glaze or apple-red (Jiangdouhong) Liuye ping was an original and major innovation of Jingdezhen ware in the Kangxi Period (1661-1722). The deep red glaze is beautifully applied all over the body, giving way to the white base layer of glaze only at the mouthrim. This small but exquisite vase shows the perfection of Liuye ping: A fine and slender boy sits on a narrow recessed base (white). It has a flared rim, medium-length neck, rounded shoulders and long tapered body that ends in a ...

Rank badges (Buzi, Mandarin Square) were textile panels that normally decorated the official outfits of nobles and civil and militarily officials during the Ming and Qing dynasties. This particular example has 5 bats (wu fu) symbolizing  5 blessings (a commonly used homophone in traditional Chinese culture): health, wealth, longevity, love of virtue and a peaceful death. The embroidery is skillfully stitched, and there is a border of “gold” metallic threads in the key-fret (leiwen) pattern ...

This cylindrical granary stands on three feet decorated with a moulded bear motif, which are often found on such containers. In the Han Dynasty, people interred these granaries in graves to provide grain for the deceased. This one is made with fine grey pottery and decorated with three sets of horizontal incised bands. Dimension: H: 24.5cm Dia: 12.5cm Condition: very good, with an aged patina and traces of ancient root growth. No sign of damage or repair. Price: USD $350; CAD $455 (13% HS...

A small hu-form jar with green and amber lead glaze. It dates to the Han dynasty, probably the Western Han (206BCE-9CE). These small jars are actually much less common than the larger ones, and it is rare to find them with two colours. Height: 12.4 cm; diameter: 9.4 cm. Condition: good and intact; normal wear and with the usual small chips to the glaze. Ex Anthony J. Allen. Price: USD $550; CAD $715 (13% HST will be applied on all sales in Canada)

This is a very nice example of a small Tang Dynasty (618-907CE) sancai pot for the scholar’s table at an affordable price. The glaze is finely crackled and has a slight iridescence. Diameter: 5cm. Condition: Intact and good with no repairs; normal wear for its age.