Catalog (495)

Painting signed Fang Zhaoling , (yes this is an emulation), dimensions are 85cm x51cm , with mounting L:225cm/88in and W:73cm/28.8in. Fang Zhaoling (Chinese: 方召麐, 17 January 1914 – 20 February 2006), also known as Lydia Fong, was a Chinese painter and calligrapher. She a led fascinating and turbulent life eventually settling in Hong Kong in 1948. Her daughter Anson Chan. The painting is well mounted on a traditional scroll.

Painting signed Fang Zhaoling , (yes this is an emulation), dimensions are 87cm x95cm , with mounting 215cm/84in and W: 112cm/44in Fang Zhaoling (Chinese: 方召麐, 17 January 1914 – 20 February 2006), also known as Lydia Fong, was a Chinese painter and calligrapher. She a led fascinating and turbulent life eventually settling in Hong Kong in 1948. Her daughter is Anson Chan. The painting is well mounted on a traditional scroll.

230.00 Unusual gray stoneware jar found of the West Coast of Sri Lanka. Impossible to accurately identify it’s origin, I am assuming it is from East or Southeast Asia possibly even Japanese. This was acquired in Kandy, Sri Lanka over 20 years ago. I would date this to about 10th to 12th century. The mouthrim is unique, stopper would be inserted and covered than it tied down with a cord. H: 22cm/8.6in x D 17cm/6.8in. Very attractive piece, just a shallow chip on the mouth rim.

Rare “spirit calling” bell from the Yao Mien ethnic group of Guangxi, Vietnam, Laos. This would be used in Daoist ceremonies by Dao Guang priests and an example may be seen in Jess Pourret’s book: The Yao, plate 570, pg 207. The bell is attached to a bear’s tooth and has a "sweet" tone. This a genuinely old piece, circa late 19to early 20 the century. Please see last enlargement for scale. Free shipping.

Lovely pair of exquisite, miniature porcelain vases with Ge type glaze circa mid-20th century (possibly older). On the bottom there are two characters “ya wan”, meaning elegant entertainment. These might have been made for a private collection, this is a specialist craft that requires a high level of skill. Would make classic doll’s house furniture. H: 5cm/2in and D: 2.4cm/1in. Free shipping.

Fine Qing Dynasty small carved wood panel depicting a scholar and boy in garden with flower buds and pine trees. Carved on both sides excellent condition with gold, red and black lacquer. L:30.3xm 12in and H: 12.5cm/5.5in.

Hand carved Chinese Boxwood (Buxus L.), dorje/vajra “thunderbolt”. Nice patina with a wonderfully smooth surface. In tandem with a bell, these are used in Tantric rituals. L: 15cm/5.9in. free shipping.

Pair of Tiele (Chinese Ironwood) Weiqi boxes, carved from solid wood. Weiqi was the forerunner of the Japanese board game of Go, and one of the Four Arts, that someone from the "gentleman class" were supposed to know. These boxes are used to put the stone pieces in. There is cyclical date which probably doesn’t go further back than 1972 therefore they could be 1984, 1996, 2008, 2000, 2012. This has an artistic calligraphic style sometimes referred as “wild cursive”, which is considered mo...

Nice old Lahu bamboo woven basket (there is some rattan used in the bindings), from the Golden Triangle region in Northern Thailand. This is a genuine ethnic/tribal piece and not made for the tourist trade. There is a carrying strap that comes with this but it is not woven into the basket itself. The basket is in excellent condition while the strap has some brittleness where it folds. H: 22cm/8.5in and D: 23cm/9in.

Intricate carved wall panel circa late 19th/early 20th century, with peach blossom and chrysanthemum floral medallions carved into hexagonal and cruciform shaped lattice work. See second enlargement to see crack and loss to corner- if framed properly these will not show. W: 46cm/18in and W: 24cm/9.5in

Collection of circa 1920s antique, mostly men’s cheongsams. Please see text below enlargements for dimensions. These are all hand sewn with good quality silk, with no tears or frays or deterioration of the fabric or thread. A couple have some light fading on the shoulders and minor staining. They may be worn by either sex. Anyway there are 14 pieces in all > additional close ups and condition reports available by request,

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. I don’t know if they actually cooked and ate cicadas, but they have al...

Good bronze small “lost wax cast” image of the Buddha being sheltered by Nagas. This piece was created in the 1980s emulating a Khmer style. Good quality craftsmanship and has not been treated with an acid bath as they often are. H: 9.3cm/3.6in and W: 4.9cm/2in. Free shipping via Hong Kong Airmail.

Very rare Warring States jar with ribbed pattern. I’ve seen these in publications, but this is the first one I have seen in person. There is one chip on the mouthrim, as can be seen in enlargements, but otherwise in excellent condition. Very sharply carved with decorated lugs. H: 13cm/5.1in and D: 16cm/6.2in.

Eclectic strand of spherical wood, cylindrical bone and wild boar's incisor tooth beads, from the Naga or possibly Chin ethnic group in Myanmar. Some of the bone beads have been dyed to resemble pumtek heirloom beads, maybe using wax resist method. These were collected in the 1980s and had some age at the time so I will date around 1960. Total L: 71cm/28in. Free shipping via Hong Kong Registered Airmail.

Very finely detailed hand carved bone lime box from Timor, circa mid 20th century, with wooden stopper. L 10cm/4.1in. Included is anthropomorphic stopper from the Bataks near Lake Toba, Sumatra. They’re unrelated but somehow look like they belong together.

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.

Set of 3 “Socialist Kitsch”, porcelain brush pots with green Jingdezhen “China” marks inside the “bi” shaped footrims, circa 1960s-1970s. These all have the same mark and same dimensions H: 12cm/4.8in and D: 8.4cm/3.2in. Relatively good Jingdezhen quality porcelain, and simple polychrome decorations with revolutionary slogans. These were meant for mass consumption but amazingly little of it remains today. Lasting only 10 years the Cultural Revolution was one of the most importa...

Special Offer- free shipping! Lovely Japanese presentation or tea tray, made from a naturally hollowed out section of the bottom of a tree trunk “cat face”. This should be mid 20th century. I think it would make a stunning planter (see enlargement #9). D: 28cm/11in and H: 17cm/6.8in.

Traditional scroll painting of what I am assuming is the Chinese ideal of a courtesan putting her make up on in morning. This was painted in the year of the Fire Rat- 1936 or 1996. I would tend put this at the earlier date because the paper shows some age and this has been newly remounted, as well as the style is evoking feeling of a French boudoir. W: 33cm /13in x H: 72cm/28.5in- mounted W: 56cm/22in x H: 138cm/54.5in.

Collection of four hardwood “tun tun” pig trap markers made by the Iban people of Sarawak, East Malaysia, circa last half of 20th century. All in good condition. The longest one is L: 59cm/23.2in

A pair of small “utility” knives made by Iban people of Sarawak, East Malaysia. These were frequently carried in the sheaths of their larger brothers, the Dayak mandau. The blades are hand forged, possibly scavenged steel from the leaf springs form an old car. Circa last half of the 20th century. The longer thinner knife has carved deer horn at one end (repaired see enlargement) . See enlargements to see details of the carvings. Both blades are sharp and serviceable. Lengths: 53c...

A collection of four well carved lime or tobacco containers with incised designs. H; 16.5cm/6.5in- 12.3cm/4.8in.

Quirky pair of fishing bobs from the Mentawai Islanders off the coast of West Sumatera. These are probably multifunctional as I have seen them described variously as turtle net buoys, fishing bobs as well as net weavers. The larger one has a fishing hook fashioned from a nail as well as old stone bead. L: 49.5/19.5in and 53cm/20.8in.

Small Burmese natural jade hairpin circa Qing Dynasty in good condition with nice green splashes, which are original colors and will not fade. L: 7.9cm/3.1in and W: 1.4cm/.5in. Free shipping

Ensemble of seven small antique natural Burma Jade, circa Qing Dynasty “lucky charms", the green colors are original and will not fade. Scale is metric, see descriptions under enlargements. Free shipping.

Twin lotus pods on one stalk signify permanent and single minded love in old Chinese culture. This is Qing Dynasty natural Burmese Jadeite, the green color will not fade. Please note scale is metric. Free shipping.

Beautiful image of Tang Dyansty noble woman or lady-in-waiting. Good condition no damage or repair. She is standing in relaxed natural pose, with a sweet face and complicated to coiled double chignon. H: 27cm/10.6in.

Deep brushwasher basin with two children on either side. Excellent condition, with light blue glaze and a porcelain body. The bodies of the figures are hand sculpted rather than molded, circa late Republic to early 60s. W: 17cm/6.8in and H:14.8cm/6.2in

Pair lovely vintage bamboo brush pots circa 1960-1980 The surface has been stained a darker color but the patina is a hand polish with no varnish. Excellent condition, with no splits are cracks. H: 14.2cm/5.6in and D: 8.4cm/3.2in.

This is a 20th century hand painted on silk and traditionally scroll mounted homage the artist, Miao Jiahui a female painter who was the official personal artist to the Qing Dynasty Empress Dowager Cixi, Depicting chrysanthemums in vases and flower pots, there is a poem in the upper left hand corner translates roughly as “The late king likes to sleep in the garden of the chrysanthemums/ The tall vase is shaped by its surroundings/ Common eyes fear not because the autumn wind and sickness/...

Ma Quan was a female artist active in 17th and 18th centuries famous for her birds and flower paintings. This is a homage to her made in the 20th century, hand painted ink on paper traditionally mounted on a silk paper scroll. H: 126cm/50in and W: 63cm/24in- mounted dimensions H: 200cm/78in and W: 78cm/30in.

Hand painted brush and ink Chinese painting, classically mounted on a scroll, depicting Bamboo and Rocks with apocryphal attribution to Zheng Xie鄭燮 This is a homage, painted in the 20th century, and is of an impressive size H: 165cm/64in and W: 68cm/24in. Mounted dimensions L: 2.4m/94in and W: 83cm/32.5in.

Traditional brush and ink Chinese painting of birds done in the style of Jin Cheng 金城. This homage was done in the 20th century and is very attractively mounted a silk scroll. Jin Cheng travelled internationally and was a founding member of the influential Chinese Painting Research Society (Zhongguo huaxue yanjiuhui) that became later known as the Hu Society (Hu she). The writing at the top right is an apocryphal dedication- gifted to Yu Po 1907. H: 116cm/45 and W: 56cm/22in, mounted di...

Antique men’s short coat, front button 1920/1930. Black embossed silk and cream silk inner lining. Excellent condition see enlargement for measurements in metric. Please contact me for more images- I recently acquired a lot antique Chinese men’s clothing at local Hong Kong auction let me know if you are interested in these.

Pair of old hand carved spoons from the Island of Timor. 1#Classic intricately carved heirloom buffalo horn spoon. Length: 23.5cm/9.2in. 2# Anthropomorphic spoon carved from a coconut shell. L: 15.4cm/6in and W: 6.2cm2.5in. Both are circa mid-20th century and in very good condition.

Fine old all and spun and hand woven wedding blanket from the tiny Maonan minority group living in Guangxi and Guizhou province, circa 1940 to 1960. This piece is very crisply silk weft embroidered classic butterfly, phoenix and floral pattern. Excellent condition. The border is made of an outer hand spun cotton cloth will the red inner border is commercial cloth. L: 94cm/37in and W: 65cm/25.5in- total with border L: 149cm/58.6 and W: 94cm/37in.Free shipping

Ensemble of vintage silver and ancient banded agate beads from Sri Lanka. These were acquired in Kandy in 1998 or 1989, the banded agates are all hand carved and are at least 1000 years old (conservatively). The silver beads are high content silver and intricately crafted with a 24K Asian style fastener. L: 52cm/20.5in. Combined eight 34 grams. See last enragement for scale. Free shipping.

Good Tamil, carved wood temple panel of the Hindu God Shiva manifested as Virabhadra, he is brandishing a sword and holds a shield. This was acquired in the late 1990s from a well-known Sri Lanka dealer and collector, from Kandy. This is a heavy (1.7kg), possibly Jack Fruit woodcarving. Very good condition, carved from a single piece of wood, the front of this piece has been lacquered but the back is untreated and has some bug damage and decomposition, but having said this it is stable...

Fine and rare Yao (also known as Mien) Taoist shaman “yen” chop, used to send messages to the Gods. Reference “The Yao” by Jess Pourret pgs 206 & 207. This came from the Sino/Lao Fansipan Mountains border area and date circa 80 to 90 years old. 3.6cm/1.4in x 3.6cm/1.4in x 3.6cm/1.4in. Free shipping.

Good first half of the 20th century hardwood hand carved image of a pig. I acquired this from Mossgreen's Auctions, Australia about 20 years ago, they attributed it to being 100 years old. L: 20.2cm/8in and H: 8.3cm/3.2in. There is a "check in the wood, that may be noted in last enlargement

Exquisite antique silver necklace, circa 19th century. Each tiny bead is hand folded into a geometrical shape, some of them still have traces of gold wash I doubt if this kind of craftsmanship can be done today. The hexagonal pendant opens up into a “secret” lime box, and the clam shell bead is actually a bell. Included is an ancient excavated garnet bead. Total Length: 87cm/34.3in. Small bead diameters are: 1mm-2mm/.04in-.08in. Total weight 60 grams. Free shipping.

Good, first half of the 20th century hardwood hand carved bowl carved in the shape of a turtle. I acquired this from Mossgreen's Auctions, Australia about 20 years ago, they attributed it to being 100 years old. Please note the two legs in the back are damaged and is noted in last enlargement. L: 42cm/16.5in and W: 16cm/6.2in.

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.

Ensemble of 6 pieces of vintage jackets. The are hand sewn silk, probably from the 1970's (+/-). Dimensions and condition in enlargement text.

Lovely hand silk embroidered alter “skirt” with the Eight Chinese Immortals and three double happiness roundels at the top. I recently acquired this with a group of other vintage textiles; this is in perfect condition with a lovely palate of colors. Late 20th century, this would have been hung in in front of a temple altar table’s legs. H: 100cm/40in x W: 94cm/37in. Appears never to have been used.

Mixed collection of old beads… as follows the silver beads are old Sri Lanka beads as are the two cut cobalt blue crystal glass, two Khotan nephrite natural pebbles, one bowenite bead and two old banded agates. Scale is metric in enlargements. Free shipping.

Special offer: 4 Tang Dynasty terra cotta statues, all have had repair i.e. heads glued back on- (two are not the original heads). The amber glazed figure has the original sancai glaze though not very shiny. Dimensions note in enlargement text.

Rare Zo/Tedem "tawnok"- reference "The Art of the Zo: Philadelphia Museum of Art". The Tedum aka Tiddim are a subgroup of the Chin, who live mostly in Northern Burma, Chin State, as well India, and Bangladesh. This piece is circa 1950-1960, spun from commercial, hand dyed cotton thread with some single faced supplementary and diamond twill patterns. Please see enlargements to appreciate the complexity of this weave. There are a few pin holes but noting egregious (one small repair w...

Rare early “si zhi” (four straight lines) style inkstone carved from an old fired brick. The characters on the brick are in an archaic style, no longer in use today. The square shaped flat bottomed inkstone with sloping grinding surface did not become popular until the Song Dynasty, so it is possible this was made into a inkstone long after it was a brick. Chinese are very fond of creating ink stones out of “found objects” such as roof tiles etc. Please examine enlargement for co...

Exceptional semi antique, over 70 years old, two paneled Tai Daeng (Red Tai) blanket from Northern Laos with supplementary weft silk Chinese Shou longevity character medallions and key fret design. The last time I was in Vientiane (13 years ago) textiles of this quality are no longer to be found. There are two repairs noted in enlargements 2 & 3 as well as some minor weft design loss. The Tai Daeng are generally acknowledged to be the best weavers in Laos and their contemporary piec...

Very fine, complete (both original inner trays included) betel box in excellent condition circa first half 20 the century. Composed of red, black and green lacquer depicting monkeys against an abstract foliate background. Some surface craquelure as to be expected on old lacquerware. D: 18.5cm/7.2in and H: 10.5cm/4.1in.

Rare and unique (one of a kind), antique large Thai “parang” or “machete”, general purpose bush knife which was used in cutting and splitting rattan and bamboo. The handle is made of old, and nowadays rare, Thai Rosewood: Dalbergia cochinchinensis which has a nice chatoyance to the grain (sort of looks like Huanghuali to me 降香黄檀). The cutting edge is still sharp and usable; there are a couple of splits which is secured by a metal band. L: 64cm/25.2in.

Special Offer: Marked down from $250- now $200. Green mottled glazed censer with classic little bears as legs, some loss of glaze in the back noted in enlargements and a few chips on the mouth rim and legs. D: 21cm/8.2in and H: 13.2cm/5.2in.

Pair of teak wood carvings from an abbot’s chair in a Lanna Thai Buddhist Temple. 50 years old or more, possibly late Rattanakosin period. In the center of each piece is a Buddha image- one standing and one sitting. Very decorative. Both mounted on a black steel stands with felt bottoms. H: 21cm/8.2in.

Pair of Terra cotta antique, roof “end tile” depicting apsara from a Wat (Thai Buddhist Temple). 14cm/5.5in height, Ayutthaya Period (1351 to 1767), very decorative. Condition as pictured.

Rare scholar’s item, Yue type glazed brushwasher in the shape of an alms bowl, circa 500-600CE from a southern kiln. This has two hairline cracks running off the rim (please see enlargements). Fired with a dense dark gray clay. D: 6.8cm/3.4in and H: 4.3cm/1.6in. Free shipping.

Old song bird catcher from the Minang people of Central Sumatra. I bought this in Padang in 1988 and it was already old at the time, so I can date this to about 1950. A classic honey trap, right out of the KGB spy book. A hot and seductive female bird is placed in the back of the cage and when a dumb male bird comes along and lands on the perch in front this will trip a peg that will cause the net in the front to come down and now he is caught. See last two enlargements. L: 27cm/10.6i...

Special Offer: “Fixer Upper”- Han ceramic well with dragon head roof, and classic lead green glaze and silver patina. This is broken into three pieces and would need to be repaired (I would recommend two part epoxy) please note that in the cover image it is just being held together with gravity. I would prefer to sell “as is” but can offer a repair but cannot guarantee it will arrive in one piece. H: 40cm/15.8in.

Nice Han pottery jar with traces of original reddish pigment, lovely shape with wide flaring mouthrim, please note the mouthrim has been repaired-highlighted in enlargements. H: 28cm/11in x D: 26cm/10.2in