Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Chinese (230)

Maginficent, antique basket from the Naxi/Nakhi ethnic group in Yunnan province. I purchased this in 2001 at local market in Lijiang (now a UNESCO heritage site). Constructed of bamboo with much of lacquer intact, this piece is circa 50 to 80 years old, most interesting is an auspicious coin symbol woven into the top. This kind of thing always reminds of the labor intensiveness that is put in to decorating such a humble object...

Lovely Qing Dynasty pendant of a monkey on a leaf, “staring at the moon”, carved from carnelian. An unusually fat piece with a rich dark color rarely seen in Chinese carnelian. L: 4.7cm/1.8in and W: 3.5cm/1.4in. There is one small chip on the back of the hole noted in 2nd enlargement. Included is an adjustable macramé cord, and free shipping via Hong Registered Airmail.

Wholesale lot of 100 pieces Jade Bi, vintage to antique Burmese jadeite. Diameters: 23mm to 17mm, hole diameter 6-7mm. These are untreated stones i.e., not dyed with original natural color. Total weight: 269 grams. These “stand alone” pieces and may be worn individually. Excellent for a “bricks and mortar” shop or jewelry designer.

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.

Quirky shallow bowls enclosed in pewter. The original blank dishes were imported from Japan and then decorated in Hong Kong. By the 1980s this trade died out due to rising property costs as well as the transitioning of the Hong Kong manufacturing sector to China. This pair is in excellent condition and perfectly matched with floral panels and medallions. These are also the only examples I have seen jacketed in pewter. D: 17cm/6.9in and H: 4cm/1.6in. Dated to 1970’s.

Glass charm emulating white nephrite Jade inscribed with delicate Arabic verses from the Koran on both sides. This set is in silver with a copper loop to hold on a chord. I bought this in Hong Kong so original provenance is unknown- possibly from the Xinjiang, Turkic Uyghur speaking area. Jade was very popular during the Mughal period in India and I would date this piece circa 19th century. Excellent condition- no chips or cracks. L 5.3cm/2.1in and W: 3.4cm/1.3in. Free shipping.

Pretty little antique white Burmese jade pendant, adjustable cord and free shipping via Hong Registered Airmail. H: 31.8mm and W: 19.7mm. Carved with bat, coins and lingzhi with splash of apple green at the bottom. Free shipping.

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,

Good white nephrite reproduction of Western Zhou to Han Dynasty of an oval shaped Jade Bi with Chilong mythical beasts. Considering that an original would be over $100,000 USD, this the next best thing. L: 12cm/4.8in and W: 9cm/3.5in.L: 12cm/4.8in and W: 9cm/3.5in. Free shipping.

Classic heavy silk or cotton and silk blend fabric black cheongsam or qipao top with blue silk lining, circa mid 20the century. Perfect condition, and clean. Tailor made and all hand sewn. Dimensions in enlargements.

Unusual Miao embroidered central panel, of a wedding apron costume. There is a coiled dragon in the center with two phoenixes above- surrounded with longevity characters, anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figures. It has a tattered calendered silk black border silk weft embroidered all the threads are handspun. The orange dye has bled into the white field some, so please see enlargements. H: 61.5cm/24.2in x D: 33cm/13in. Circa early-mid 20th century

Ensemble of 3 old Chinese furniture maker’s planes. See text in last three enlargements for details,

Lovely carved nephrite pendant with classic “cat on a leaf” motif. This piece has been re-carved to appear as the cat is sitting on a peapod (peapods being one of the myriad of Chinese symbols wishing one to have many children), but was really done to hide the damage on the sides of a larger leaf. This sill retains it’s essence of “kittyness” as she reposes languidly on the leaf. L: 7cm/2.8in. Free shipping.

Exceptionally rare baby blanket from the Tujia weavers of Longshan County, Hunan Province, China. I have been looking for one of these for years and this is the first complete blanket I have ever found, albeit the lower two border panels come from a different piece. This incorporates the unique white tiger motif (see enlargement #3) which is believed to give the baby protection. For the Tujia the white Tiger is a totemic ancestor deity...

Old embroidered jacket panel from the Miao/Dong ethnic group Southwest China. See image for condition and size, with abstract phoenix and floral scroll. Free Shipping

Old embroidered jacket panel from the Miao/Dong ethnic group Southwest China. See image for condition and size, floral scroll. Free Shipping

Beautiful traditional Chinese brush painting of the Buddha mounted on a beige silk scroll, excellent condition. He is sitting on a lotus throne with his right hand raised in the Shuni mudra symbolizing patience and discipline. There is an apocryphal dating of 1845 Buddha’s Birthday, Daoguang reign and signature of Reqin. Mounted size is L: 203cm/80in and W: 78cm/31in- actual painting size is L:131cm/51in and W: 66cm/26in. Circa last quarter of 20th century.

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.

13 pieces of vintage jadeite- most have flaws, so examine the enlargements carefully. Please note the large oval plaque (probably originally meant for a belt buckle) and largest perforated disc (bi) are unpolished. Scale is in last enlargement, 109 grams in total. Ideal for a jewelry designer or clever bunny.

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.

Enigmatic and eclectic collection of 35 small repousse auspicious good luck tokens).These were collected in Dali, Yunnan, China in the late 1980s. No two are exactly alike and and are they seem to are classic Tantric Buddhism symbols such as endless knot, parasol, lotus throne, and temple banner motifs are represented in this lot as well as more traditional Chinese symbols such as bats and butterflies. These came from Yuxi Xingmeng, the last ethnic Mongolian village in Yunnan...

Very rare, Gulong Miao children’s jacket from Guizhou. This is a side opening style, made from all hand woven cloth (except for the inner sleeve lining) with hand embroidered anthropomorphic figures, on a calendared greenish cotton ground. This pattern was only used on children’s clothing from this Miao subgroup. Excellent condition. Width: 75cm/29.5in (sleeve tip to sleeve tip) Length: 39cm/15.3in (collar to bottom). Free shipping.

Late 20th century emulation of a Song Dynasty of Guan Yao glazed vase. If you don’t have $2000,000 for an original this the nest best thing. Excellent condition with fine celadon glaze and well potted. H: 21cm/8.2in and D: 14cm/5.5in.

Nice little wood carved architectural element in the shape of a foo dog circa late Qing Dynasty. The tip of the left ear is missing, otherwise good condition with well-preserved original gold and red lacquer 14.cm/5.5in.

Special offer- marked down from $600. Fine three panel wedding blanket from the Bouyi (Buyi) ethnic group Libo County, Guizhou, China. The Bouyi are a relatively small ethnic group- so embroideries from them have become quite scarce. The supplementary weft “well” patterned embroidery is silk except for the black medallions- the field is all handspun cotton. The black border is a later addition made from hand woven cotton. Circa mid 20th century very good condition...

Peach blossom, red and green mottled glazed bottle vase circa mid 20th century (a conservative dating) good condition. H: 16.5cm/6.5in and D: 11cm/4.2in.

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.

Charming Cizhou style ceramic pillow as a cat, circa late Qing to Republic period in perfect condtion! Great expression- captures the way a cat can gaze so intently at something while appearing calm- as if it is about to pounce on an unsuspecting prey. The Victoria and Albert have one in their TT Tsui Gallery and the Tianjin Porcelain Museum has one on display as well. L: 31cm/12.2in, H: 15.5cm/6.1in and W: 11.5cm/4.5in

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

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.

A pair of old Burmese jade cigarette holders, they stopped making these about 40 years ago, since they have went out of fashion. The white jade has holder (L: 12.2cm/4.9in) has a few scratches and the darker one (L: 6.2cm/2.4in) has naturally occurring inclusions.

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.

Set of three white vintage, Burmese jadeite “bi” pendants with bails D: 30mm, 6 grams each and a pair of thick greenish jadeite “bi” pendants with beveled edges inside and out, D:27mm and thickness 6mm 9 grams each. All good pieces.

Nice little wood carved architectural element in the shape of a foo dog circa late Qing Dynasty. This is in excellent condition with original lacquer. L: 14.5cm/5.8in.

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.

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...

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/...

Stunning antique abstract carving of a lotus circa late Qing/Republic era, this would have been a temple eaves adornment. W: 48cm/18.8in and H: 23cm/9in. Small damage, painted over in noted in 5# enlargement.

Good Shiwan censer with beautiful and subtle white flambé moon white glaze circa late 19th or early 20th century - there is one hairline on the rim noted in enlargements. D: 15cm/5.8in and H: 9cm/3.5i

Circa 1930’s/40s high collared side opening, “shan” from Hong Kong. Black diamond pattern silk satin and blue silk lining. All hand sewn with traditional knotted buttons. Excellent condition. Sleeve to sleeve width at shoulder: 119cm/46in, front length: 60cm/23in, center Width: 49cm/19in and bottom Width: 60cm/23.

Republic or a little later, black and red lacquered “Dou” offering stem bowl (usually fruit) for an ancestral altar table, with gilt garden and scholar’s theme. This from Guangdong and made for a Chaozhou family, aka Teo Chew, aka Chiu Chow. W: 21cm/8.2in and H: 13cm/5.1 in. There is some warpage, noted in enlargements but if just turn it the right way you won’t notice.

Beautiful pair of vintage open work (with twisted wire) floral, cloisonné vases circa 1980. Perfect condition, with stunning and subtle enamel work. I have visited enamel making workshops in China and the skill and patience it takes produce one piece is amazing. H: 12.5cm/4.9in and D: 7cm/2.8in.

Lovely traditional red silk satin child’s jacket with floral sprigs, circa first half 20th century, maybe even earlier. Excellent condition, except for the trim all hand embroidered and hand sewn. Old commercial trade cloth cotton lining. Would look good as a wall hanging. Width straight across shoulder 63cm/24.8in and H: 37cm/14.5in. Free shipping

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

Late 19th early 20th century blue satin silk woman’s wide sleeved upper garment (ao/shan). Excellent condition (appears to have never been worn) with glass buttons and greenish patterned lining. All hand sewn upper width: 118cm46in (sleeve end and to sleeve end), mid width 72cm/28in height 108cm/42in (top of collar to bottom)

Quirky ceramic image of a boy and beast emulating lacquer and wood, circa late Qing Dynasty or Republic Period. This is the first time I have seen a ceramic glaze imitating lacquer (also note the bottom imitates wood). L: 10cm/4in and H: 7cm/2.8in. This has few small chips.

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.

antique china jade 48 carved Burmese Jade pendants. Total weight 407 grams, please examine enlargements for scale and quality- shipping included.

Nice old Tibetan or Baotou saddle carpet, with floral medallions and scroll pattern. There are some repairs and restorations which I have highlighted in enlargement two. Early 20th century, the colors are still vibrant with some abrash but none of the garish aniline dyes used later in the 50s and 60s. L: 120cm/47.2in ad W: 60cm/23.6in.

Exquisite Chinese satin silk hand embroidered and hand sewn jacket and pleated skirt with drawstring waistband. Pristine condition, circa 1930s or 1940s, see last enlargement for reference. Jacket dimensions- sleeve to sleeve width at shoulder: 127cm/50in, length shoulder to bottom : 68cm/26in and width in the middle: 92cm/36in. Skirt length: 82cm/32in (not including fringe) and waist: 72cm/28in. Still very wearable!