Catalog (40)

This round, lidded container is very-well painted on the top of the lid in “fen sai” enamels with a scene of a religious figure surrounded by four children in an open landscape. The side of the lid as well as the side of the bottom half of the box are enameled with floral designs. The container sits on a slightly raised footring revealing the very white porcelain paste. The base is glazed white. An old faded black ink mark remains on the interior rim of the lid where it is unglazed. Overall very good condition.

Diameter: 3 ½ in., Height: 1 ½ in.

This globe-shaped vase is decorated overall in gilt enamel in a floral pattern. It is raised on a low footring and glazed white on the base. Both the foot and mouth rim are unglazed, exposing the fine white porcelain paste. The interior is covered in a clear glaze. It is in good condition, with no damage, however it leans somewhat to one side and has the expected rubbing to the softer gold enamel decoration.

Height: 2 7/8 in., Diameter: 3 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.

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.

Possibly made for use as a ceremonial item. Some rim fritting, one frit to underside as shown. A few pinholes and a small stain spot to the interior, otherwise good condition. Acquired in Hong Kong in the 1960s.

Height: 1 3/8 in.; Diameter: 8 ½ in.

This circular-form lidded box is of a type found widely distributed throughout Southeast Asia as a Chinese trade item exchanged for spices, pearls, precious metals produced by the various foreign island cultures. Small boxes such as this one were possibly intended for cosmetics or spice storage. This box is painted with a stylized flower on the lid surrounded by a hastily-painted leaf border. The base is likewise painted with two abstract floral designs. It is glazed overall with a clear glaze of slightly grayish tone. The footring is unglazed revealing the porcelain paste. The general condition is good however there are a few tiny old chips from use and some crackled areas to the glaze. There is a small glaze skip to the lid rim and general soiling from use or burial.

Height: 2 3/8 in.; Diameter: 3 ¼ in.

This water pot is in the shape of drum which doubles as a paperweight for painting and calligraphy. It is decorated with underglaze cobalt blue and iron oxide in a rather cursive depiction of flowers and butterflies. The side has two sections of calligraphy covered with a thick, translucent glaze, somewhat obscuring the brushwork. The base is not glazed and shows considerable wear and soiling from use. There is a line of tiny raised dots surrounding the top and bottom of the piece which are intended to represent the nail heads that would be seen on a drum. There are some glaze skips on the side and some minor nicks on the top edge and visible wear – all consistent with a scholar's item that has seen a great deal of use.

Diameter: 3 3/8 in., Height: 1 3/8 in.

These cups all have slightly flaring sides and are well-potted with thin rims. The sides are decorated with a repeating floral design in underglaze cobalt blue. The bases are glazed and the narrow footrings are unglazed, exposing the fine, white porcelain body. A hairline crack can be seen on the one of the cups, approximately one inch long, otherwise they are in good condition.

Height: 2 ¾ in.. Diameter: 3 1/8 in.

The fine porcelain paste, decorated in cobalt blue, depicts a garden scene with bird and flowers in the center of the dish, surrounded by stylized flowers in circular cartouches. The back is divided into six panels, each centered by a splashed dot. The footring is unglazed, revealing the fine white paste, and there is a bit of sand adhering from the firing. The base is glazed and chattermarks are visible from the trimming of the clay before firing. There are a few small areas of rim fritting that are characteristic of this ware. Otherwise, the condition is very good with no cracks or restoration. Purchased in Japan in the mid 1970s.

Diameter: 5 ¾ in., Height: 1 ¼ 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 well-potted pinkish-orange earthenware that is covered in a deep green glaze that has degraded in places and developed iridescence from burial. The base is unglazed, as is the interior, revealing the place orange earthenware clay body. There are three spur marks on the rim from stacking in the firing. There are no cracks or restorations.

Height: 5 7/8 in., Diameter: 6 ¼ 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 small jar is decorated with auspicious symbols hastily painted in underglaze cobalt blue and covered with a thick transparent glaze of whitish tone. The base is recessed with the clear glaze partially covering it. There are two small chips on the mouthrim, some glaze crawling and loss to the shoulder as a result of the firing. A small lump of unglazed material can be seen on one side below the shoulder which is the result of another jarlet adhering to it during the firing.

Height: 3 5/8 in., Diameter: 3 1/8 in.

This bowl is glazed in white overall except for the foot and base, save for a small bit of glaze on the base. The fine, white porcelain paste is exposed on the base.

Diameter: 4 ½ in., Height: 2 in.

Dish-shaped stand is set on a rather high foot. The open center of the dish is ringed with a raised collar with the opening designed to accommodate a footed lacquer or ceramic tea bowl. Decorated in the doucai manner with a design of two four-clawed dragons chasing jewels, outlined in underglaze blue. The outlines are then filled in with colored enamels and both the central collar rim and the outer dish rim are gilded with gold enamel. The underside is decorated with concentric rings and three stylized bats in underglaze cobalt blue. The slightly rounded footring is unglazed revealing the white paste. No damages or repairs, though the gilding on the rims has wear consistent with use. Small brown iron stain on the footring from contact with the clay pad on which it was fired. Overall very good condition.

Bowl or cup stands of similar form (not decoration) often accompanied jian ware or temmoku tea bowls in the Song dynasty. Wood or lacquer stands of this sort are still used in the formal tea ceremony in Japan when serving thick tea in Song style tea bowls.

Height: 1 in.; Diameter: 4 ¼ in.
Interior diameter of opening: 2 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.

Used as a container for red cinnabar seal paste, intended for use on a scholar's table. There are a few minor firing flaws. The lid fits rather loosely. Overall good condition with some remnants of red seal paste. Acquired in Hong Kong in the 1960s.

Height: 1 ½ in.; Length: 4 ½ in.

Probably made in the Longquan kilns, this bowl is of flaring conical form and has incised longitudinal lines on the exterior. The exterior is glazed in pale olive-green celadon and the glaze stops well above the foot. The foot and base are unglazed, exposing the light-gray porcelaneous body. The interior is glazed throughout. There is a small chip to the outer rim. Purchased in Kyoto, Japan around 1975.

Diameter: 6 3/8 in., Height: 2 ½ in.