Catalog (40)

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.

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 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.

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.

This melon-form biscuit porcelain pot is mostly covered in rich yellow enamel glaze with green enamel used to pick out the leaves and stem. A low foot with dark enamel glaze supports the melon on its side, and an opening is carved in the top to receive the water and brush. There is an old hairline crack that runs from the opening down the side for about an inch and there is a small chip on the side of the opening, but it is still completely usable as a brush washer.

Height: 2 in., Length: 2 5/8 in.,Width: 2 in.

This small bottle, probably used to hold aromatic oils, rises from an unglazed foot to a swelling shoulder, then tapers inward to a narrow neck with a slightly everted mouth. It is decorated in underglaze cobalt blue with a stylized, almost abstract landscape on one side; the other side has a few brief calligraphic strokes, one of which is perhaps a bat. The base and foot are unglazed, exposing the white porcelain paste which is now somewhat soiled from age and use. Bottles such as this one are found distributed throughout SE Asia as a result of the China trade. This one was said to have been found in the southern Philippines near Mindanao. Very good condition with no damages or restorations. There are a few characteristic pin pricks in the glaze.

Height: 3 ½ in.; Diameter: 3 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 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 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.

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 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 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 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.

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.

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.

Glazed with a clear glaze of slight greenish tone over a buff porcelanous stoneware body. It rests on a medium-tall footring with a base that is carved in the Song manner to a subtle point at its center. The interior has a carved rib design that is partially obscured by the glaze. An unglazed ring, exposing the greyish buff paste encircles the interior of the base. The bowl is in very good condition with no restorations, chips or cracks. Purchased in Japan in the 1970s where it was used as a teabowl.

Diameter: 6 ½ in., Height: 2 ¼ 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 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.