Catalog (105)

The slightly tapering form is sturdily potted and is enameled in grisaille with a bird perched on a wisteria branch amid roses toward the base. The scene, repeated on the broad sides, is reserved in a ground of yellow enamel. The narrow ends show two wisteria branches. This composition is known on other porcelains, all of which were commissioned for the Empress Dowager. The interior as well as the base are glazed white and a scrolling design in thin red enamel is painted on the four sides of the rim. The edge of the rim is gilded, but it has mostly rubbed to a pinkish tint. A key fret design in two tones of blue enamel surrounds the rim and base. The foot is unglazed and it was fired upon four tiny stilts, the remnants of which show neatly on the base. It is undamaged and in overall very good condition.

Length: 8 5/8 in., Width: 6 in., Height: 6 in.

This vase is painted in green, yellow, turquoise and black enamel on a pale aubergine background, depicting various dignitary figures in a garden setting. The interior is fully glazed white, having some minor pitting and small iron specks in the glaze. The base is unglazed with areas of light orange re-oxidation from the firing, and the fine white paste is visible around the perimeter. There is a spurious Zhengde mark in black enamel on the shoulder. Overall, the condition is very good having only some general soiling from age and use. There are no repairs or restorations. Acquired from a private collection in the early 1990s.

Height: 14 1/2 in., Width: 8 ½ in.

These vases of tapering square form are decorated overall in famille rose and noir enamels, each having four cartouches depicting courting scenes, surrounded by geometric and floral designs. There are four smaller cartouches on the necks with scenes of scholars and young men. The rims are thinly glazed, and the bases are unglazed. There is professional restoration to the base of the neck on one vase, and a small chip to the base of the other that was also professionally restored. Otherwise, except for minor wear to the enamels, which would be expected, the condition is good. Acquired from a family collection in Asheville, NC.

Height: 11 ½ in., Width: 3 ¾ in.

This figure is press-molded in the traditional manner of blanc de chine sculptures from late Ming times through the Nineteenth Century. It is well-modeled from highly refined, very white porcelain. The interior is unglazed revealing the fine white body. The figure has a glossy creamy white appearance from the fine, evenly-applied clear glaze. She sits with one knee slightly raised and hands concealed by the flowing robe. A beaded pendant adorns the chest. The facial features are very well modeled down to the subtle pupils of the eyes. The individual strands of hair are incised over the entire coiffure and topknot is covered by the loosely flowing hood. The figure sits in a meditative attitude with a pleasing beatific expression on her face. Several clay shrinkage cracks occur on the interior but do not extend to the exterior, which is characteristic of many blanc de chine wares. These cracks occur during the drying or firing processes and have no effect on the exterior appearance. There is a minute glaze crack on the hood that is not noticeable unless the location is known. There are a few small pinholes in the glaze also characteristic of old Dehua wares. Otherwise, very good condition with no restorations.

Height: 11 ½ in.; Width: 7 ¼ in.

This bowl is painted overall with a floral design in orange, green, and yellow enamels with black enamel outlines. The interior rim is decorated with a similar motif, and a single flower is painted on the interior base. The foot is encircled with double lines in underglaze cobalt blue and an underglaze cobalt blue design is painted on the base. The bowl has typical rim-fritting, and there is a small chip to the interior of the foot that has been repaired, and there is some expected wear to the enamels. Acquired in Washington, DC at Kenny and Higgins Antiques, around 1980.

Diameter: 5 7/8 in., Height: 3 in.

This vase has a graceful, slightly tapering long neck rising from a bulbous body – a classic Song Dynasty form, but this one was produced in the Qing Dynasty in the Song style. The dark “iron wire” crackle pattern covers the entire exterior, including the base, and extends in the the mouth. The interior is also glazed. The glaze is of a thick pale grayish-green celadon type, thinning slightly to a paler gray tone on the mouthrim and stopping just above the footring where the pale stoneware clay body has burnt brown in the firing. There is a tiny old chip on the footring and two small silvery dots side by side on the lower body where an iron impurity in the clay has bled through the glaze. The footring shows some wear from use. There are no cracks or restorations. The color is very even and the vase is very well-potted and of elegant form. Acquired from a North Carolina private collection.

Height: 9 ½ in., Diameter: 5 3/8 in.

This deep bowl is stoutly potted, being rather heavy toward the base, with the wall thinning gradually to the slightly flaring rim. It rests on a tall, thick footring, with a deep base that is glazed down to the dense, white porcelain paste that is exposed with some kiln grit adhering. The design in underglaze cobalt blue is of chrysanthemums, grasses and three stylized bats. The interior has a broad unglazed ring around the bottom to allow it to be stacked during firing. The center of the interior base is painted with a seal in a double square. There is an old hairline crack from the rim extending down approximately 1 ¾ inches and also a small chip to the interior rim. Among bowls of this type, this one is comparatively large. Acquired in Indonesia in the 1960s.

Diameter: 10 in., Height: 5 1/8 in.

This tea pot is inscribed with Chinese characters on one side, and has a bamboo motif incised on the opposite side. The handle and spout are sculpted to represent knotty tree limbs, and the lid is carved with leaves and stems. The maker's seal is impressed on the interior of the lid. It is in good condition and was acquired from my grandmother's antique shop in the mid 1960s.

Across spout and handle: 7 ¾ in., Height: 4 ¾ in.

This figure of a seated scholar is glazed turquoise with amber colored highlights. The back is mostly unglazed except for the original white slip coating, now darkened with age. The interior is hollow and unglazed, exposing the reddish clay body. The white slip coating continues for an inch or so into the interior cavity. The face is covered with a thin white slip (now darkened) but is otherwise unglazed. The turquoise glazed hat has a few old losses to the glaze where it has flaked , and another small, old glaze flake to the upper right arm. There are no cracks or restorations and it is generally in good condition. Acquired in the early 1980s from a Northern Virginia dealer.

Height: 8 ½ in., Width: 5 in., Depth: 2 ½ in.

This small but well-proportioned guan-form jar with broad shoulder tapering to a narrow base is stoutly potted as were many such late Yuan porcelains intended for export to Southeast Asia and the Philippines. This piece is decorated in the classic Yuan format of horizontal registers of primary and secondary designs; the largest register having the chrysanthemum scroll painting with the upper register around the neck displaying the often-seen classic scroll and the base with a band of downward pointing petals. The cobalt is of a grayish-blue tone suggesting that of a native Chinese source perhaps mixed with Persian cobalt. The painting, though rapid, is that of a practiced hand, and the blue has a heaped and piled effect with blackish speckles in the cobalt blue—all characteristics of blue and white porcelains of this period. The clear glaze is fairly even and lustrous with a bluish tinge. The base and footring are unglazed and three finger marks remain on the exterior base where the piece was held for dipping in the glaze. The footring is flat and beveled on the outer edge where the excess glaze was trimmed off before firing. The interior is unglazed. There are a few iron specks and pin pricks and pinholes resulting from the firing. There is a small firing flaw about 1/8 in. in diameter where a bubble in the clay erupted in the firing process. The overall condition is good. The imperfections are all characteristics of early blue and white wares of the Yuan dynasty.

Height: 3 ½ in.; Diameter: 4 in.

Decorated in a wu cai palette of overglaze enamels. There is some wear to the enamels from long use, but overall in good condition. The stand and lid are from the late 19th Century / early 20th Century. Purchased in Japan in the 1970s, where it had been used for the tea ceremony as a container for powdered green tea.

Diameter: 3 ¼ in., Height: 3 7/8 in., Height with stand and lid: 5 in.

This shallow form bowl is decorated in a famille rose palette with vibrant overglaze enamels in the standard pattern known in the West as pseudo tobacco leaf. The form and paste of the dish is that of the Qianlong Period. There are some small nicks to the rim from use and a tiny rim nick infill. A small oval glaze crack shows on the front rim with a tiny associated restored chip. Otherwise, it is in good condition with only minor wear to the enamels. Acquired from an heir of the Ira and Nancy Koger collection.

Diameter: 8 ¾ in., Height: 1 ½ in.

Male attendant figure made for interment to assist with the afterlife of the tomb’s upper-class occupant. Earthenware with glassy, low-fired glaze on the garment portion with some patches of silvery iridescence that have developed over time due to burial in damp tombs over long periods. This figure has an unglazed head that was originally detachable but is now fixed in place with recent adhesives. The bisque fired head has remains of pigments on the facial features and hair. There are minor flakes and chips and an old chip to the hat brim, otherwise good condition.

Height: 17 in.

This molded porcelaneous stoneware figure is covered in yellow, green and aubergine enamels with black underglaze feather details. The base is unglazed. It is in good condition with some soiling from age.

Height: 7 in.

This bowl is decorated in underglaze cobalt blue with a stylized design of two birds perched on a sprig of flowers and encircled by stems covered in little round buds, giving the design an abstract quality. The base is unglazed and shows the characteristic chatter marks from the trimming, often seen on Tianqi wares. The footring is unglazed with numerous sand grains adhering. The outer sides have two hastily drawn circles and X's. There is considerable rim fritting as seen on most porcelains of this period. There is a small rim chip, also. It was probably shipped to Japan for use in the Japanese tea ceremony, shortly after it was made. Tianqi porcelains were in high demand among tea ceremony practitioners, even in the 1970s, when this piece was acquired.

Height: 2 in., Diameter: 6 1/8 in.

This jar is incised all around the body with a bird and floral scene. A vine design encircles the shoulder, bordered by double incised lines. There is a small flower sprig on two sides of the neck with a single incised line encircling just below the mouth. The jar is covered inside and out with a pale blue-green clear glaze, stopping just above the footring. The interior glaze stops about one half inch below the mouth rim leaving the pure smooth white paste exposed, though now somewhat soiled from age and use. The base is glazed and the footring is neatly trimmed inside and out, leaving the dense white porcelain paste exposed. There is a small white drip from the kiln on the neck as seen in the photo. Some tool marks show up on the body as small divots under the glaze. A few pinpricks are also present from the firing. A very tiny nick on the rim appears to be a firing flaw rather than a chip. There are no cracks or restorations.

Height: 5 ¾ in., Diameter: 4 ¼ in.

This molded earthenware vase is glazed turquoise and amber over the upper portion, leaving the lower portion and base unglazed exposing the biscuit with auspicious symbols of animals and various other elements. The glaze stops at the mouth rim and the interior is unglazed. The turquoise glaze covers various floral designs while the one panel of amber glaze on the flaring upper body reveals a human form, probably a scholar official. There are some old chips from use around the foot and some small glaze flakes overall typical of age, but generally in good condition having no repairs or cracks.

Height: 8 ½ in., Width: 4 in.

This figure of a guardian foo dog is of a natural rich brown unglazed ceramic with white glazed eyes, eyebrows, teeth, claws, and a line of spots on the spine. It is very well-modeled by hand with a highly expressive face and jaws. The chocolate-colored body is also offset by a black glazed mane and tail. The modeling represents an anatomically correct male. There is a loss to the tip of one ear, as well as the tip of the tail. The left foreleg has a clean break and has been restruck. Acquired from a dealer in California in the early 1980s.

Height: 9 ¼ in., Length 7 in., Width: 4 in.