Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art (370)

Very fine, unusually small Tang image of a courtier, excellent condition with complete original pigments. Lovely face with calm and dignified expression. H: 17cm/6.8in

Very rare pair of pottery bears. The meaning of bears of during Han Dynasty is somewhat enigmatic, as they are “everywhere” in their material culture i.e., bronze, jade and pottery, but what they signify remains unexplained. Usually they are depicted in a friendly almost cute Winnie the Pooh (ish) fashion, lacking in ferocity like dragons and tigers. Only during the Han did they reach such ubiquity. Both have an amber colored vitreous glaze and appeared to be mostly hand carved...

Tang terra cotta image of a Fat Lady. Traces of original pigment. Miniatures are extremely rare. H: Some shallow chips at the bottom- noted in enlargements. H: 7.8cm.

Tang terra cotta image of a Fat Lady. Traces of original pigment (please note the belt in enlargements). Miniatures are extremely rare. H: 8.4cm. Good condition- no damage or repair.

Special Offer- Reduced from $1400 to $800. Stunning Northern Song black glazed jar with russet streaks in perfect original condition, from a Henan kiln. D: 10.3cm/4in and W: 6.8cm/2.7in. Stunning Northern Song black glazed jar with russet streaks in perfect original condition, from a Henan kiln. D: 10.3cm/4in and W: 6.8cm/2.7in.

Rare pair of three legged, brown glazed pottery barbeque grills. The Han Dynasty was unique in making replicas for cooking in the afterlife. These two pieces are in excellent condition with very minor fritting and no damage; please note that there is still a bit of the original soil it was excavated in stuck to the surface, with a bit of patience this can be cleaned off. The food items on the grill are cicadas and fish...

Lovely Neolithic jar with a single lug from the Qijia or Siwa Cultures circa 1500BCE...

Classic Han Hu shaped jar with beautiful lead spinach green glaze with much sought after silver patina. Excellent condition. Note: spur marks and supports on rim and foot. H:12.6cm/4.9in and D: 11.1cm/4.3in.

Very rare small celadon Yueyao lugged jar from a Zhejiang Kiln, circa Five Dynasties/Early Northern Song. This type of ceramic was a precursor to Longquan ware. There is a firing crack and some fritting (caused by pockets of air trapped beneath the glaze during firing) on one side- noted in enlargements. D: 9cm/3.5in and H: 6cm/24in.

Magnificent pottery Ding. The long legs and “cockscomb” design where, the legs join the body, are in keeping with bronze vessels from the Zhou to Warring States period, which pottery pieces were trying to emulate. There are traces of a repetitive meandering impressed band below mid circumference. The body is thinly potted with very light gray clay and originally had a dark gray slip applied to the outside (the original gray slip is still intact in the cavity)...

Tang terra cotta image of a Court Official. Traces of original pigments. Miniatures are extremely rare. H: 7.9cm. Good condition- no damage or repair.

Rare image of a Qilin Chinese "unicorn" with stunning deep aquamarine Qingbai glaze. This is a fragment of a much larger piece, possibly a finial off a censer. H: 9.5cm/3.9in, W: 7cm/2.8in x 4.5cm/1.8in. The sculpture is in excellent condition, there is a film of hardpacked soil in the crevices which can be (see enlargements), this can be removed with a small blade with a bit of effort, soaking it in water for a week or so will help. I am leaving it on as it speaks to the age of this piece...

Lovely two handled pottery jar from the Northern China circa (2200 BCE – 1600 BCE) in near perfect condition with just a couple of minor chips on one handle. H: 12.9cm/5.1in and W: 11.8cm/4.7in.

Eclectic collection of 11 ground slate stone “arrowheads” circa 3000 BCE-1900 BCE. The artifacts correspond to the Longshan Culture or a concurrent culture. See enlargements for scale and condition.

Fine and rare large conch shell pendant from Central Thailand Bronze Age, Ban Chiang or Lopburi cultures circa 300BCE-500CE. Superb condition with minimal calcification may still be worn! The spiral is one ancient humans most universal motifs in adornment, it is understandable why people were drawn to this. Included is a museum quality perspex stand (total H: 14.5cm/5.6in). Maximum D: 7.7cm/3in and W: 3.4cm/1.5in...

Four shades of Pyu glass beads excavated near the ancient Pyu city of Sri Kstera, (modern day Pyay), Burma, circa 200CE- 1100CE. Beads from Sri Ksetra are well documented in Early Landscapes of Burma- Elizabeth Moore & Early Cultures of Mainland Southeast Asia- Charles Higham. Please see enlargements for scale. The green beads are very rare, and their colors are sublime, I have seen black beads in mixed strands before but this only one I have ever seen that is completely black...

Simple Han inkstone, polished smooth one side and rough underneath. Signs of exavation and typical distinct petrichor smell. L: 20cm/7.9in x 6.3cm/2.5in. Note last image is from Chinese Inkstones- Simon Kwan, for reference.

Lovely pottery small lead glazed stove from the Eastern Han Dynasty (202 BCE – 220 CE). There is original flaw in one of the pots on top and a minor glaze chip on the upper edge but otherwise excellent condition with a lot of lead glazed silver paraffin patina on the whitish surface. See last enlargement for reference from He Li’s Chinese Ceramics. L: 25.cm/9.8in, W: 18.5m/7.2in and H: 9.5cm/3.8 in. Excellent example of how people cooked 2000 years ago in China.