A white-glazed pillow was produced from the Cizhou kiln of Northern Song Dynasty. By affluent carving strokes, the motif of a boy playing in the garden was vividly rendered.  More »

A white-glazed pillow was produced from the Cizhou kiln of Northern Song Dynasty. By affluent carving strokes, the motif of a boy playing in the garden was vividly rendered. Apparently found from excavation accompanied with enduring old characteristics, the porcelain was incursioned somehow to the surface when one crack line was yielded. It did not penetrate the ware and was in a stable and firm condition.Width:15cm, Depth:11.8cm, Height: 7.3cm.   « Less

A porcelain tripod censer was preserved in a decent look. By interesting yellow-eel glaze, the ware was reflected with retrospective sheen from centuries old of age. Fine  More »

A porcelain tripod censer was preserved in a decent look. By interesting yellow-eel glaze, the ware was reflected with retrospective sheen from centuries old of age. Fine crackles were somehow revealed subtly under the glaze when the characteristic iridescence condition was yielded. Both of them were strong evidences for burial pieces. Provenance: Zangzou Kiln, Fujiang Province.   « Less

A blue and white tea caddy was from Qianlong period of Qing Dynasty by characteristic picturesque. A custom-made wooden cap was made to suite this decent jarlet.Height  More »

A blue and white tea caddy was from Qianlong period of Qing Dynasty by characteristic picturesque. A custom-made wooden cap was made to suite this decent jarlet.Height without cap:9.2cm   « Less

A Famille-Rose tea caddy was in a lovely size for storing only one tea-pot's quantity of tea leaves. By nice colors, the amusing picture of a lady and boys in a boat surfing  More »

A Famille-Rose tea caddy was in a lovely size for storing only one tea-pot's quantity of tea leaves. By nice colors, the amusing picture of a lady and boys in a boat surfing along the river bank was beautifully painted.Height without cap: 5.6cm.   « Less

A black-glazed Jianyang Temmoko tea bowl was in full characteristics of excavation. Intriguingly transformed into a brownish tint on the surface due to long time of burial  More »

A black-glazed Jianyang Temmoko tea bowl was in full characteristics of excavation. Intriguingly transformed into a brownish tint on the surface due to long time of burial and was then induced to an astonishing look by the incursion, the bowl was still in a sound structure without any defects. In typical black body clay(revealed at the foot ring, though was covered by the grayish tint caused by firing and from burial), the tea bowl was mold by steep wall and stand by an well shaped foot ring. A similar piece was in an exhibition in MOA Japan from The Museum of Fujiang Province. Whatever the incursion caused was lighter than the piece shown here. Being noted were what identically the foot rings were shaped, and the characteristics the black slip dripped to the foot ring. Another rare and similar excavated Jianyang tea bowl in unique whitish tint was sold in my website-lot310.   « Less

A golden-glazed jar was preserved in perfect condition with the original cap. In a fine shape, the ancient jar have been used as a tea caddy by local connoisseurs. It is  More »

A golden-glazed jar was preserved in perfect condition with the original cap. In a fine shape, the ancient jar have been used as a tea caddy by local connoisseurs. It is indeed as an ideal storage jar by the charming old glaze. Well crackled condition can be observed on the surface when whitish incursions were happened to the rims due to burial age.   « Less

The Chinese cloisonne rare large vase is 19th Century. The measurement is H13.5" (34.5cm)X D6.5"(16cm).It is good condition.No repair, No damage.

The Chinese cloisonne rare large vase is 19th Century. The measurement is H13.5" (34.5cm)X D6.5"(16cm).It is good condition.No repair, No damage.   « Less

Chinese black lacquered 4 panel hinged, footed screen, depicting courtesans in a garden scene, fitted with various semi-precious stones and materials (ivory, carnelian, jade,  More »

Chinese black lacquered 4 panel hinged, footed screen, depicting courtesans in a garden scene, fitted with various semi-precious stones and materials (ivory, carnelian, jade, etc.); the back decorated with birds on prunus boughs. 12 in. W x 38.25 in. H, each panel.   « Less

China Trade hand painted peacock feather fan featuring Mandarin figures amid floral decoration, the pierced ivory spokes collected by a brass link with attached original  More »

China Trade hand painted peacock feather fan featuring Mandarin figures amid floral decoration, the pierced ivory spokes collected by a brass link with attached original tassel; custom silvered frame, behind glass, Canton c. 1850. 17.25 in H x 25.25 in W   « Less

Upon leading a victorious rebellion against the foreign Mongul rulers of the Yuan Dynasty, a peasant named Zhu Yuanzhang seized control of China and founded the Ming Dynasty  More »

Upon leading a victorious rebellion against the foreign Mongul rulers of the Yuan Dynasty, a peasant named Zhu Yuanzhang seized control of China and founded the Ming Dynasty in 1368. As emperor, he founded his capital at Nanjing and adopted the name Hongwu as his reign title. Hongwu, literally meaning “vast military,” reflects the increased prestige of the army during the Ming Dynasty. Due to the very realistic threat still posed by the Mongols, Hongwu realized that a strong military was essential to Chinese prosperity. Thus, the orthodox Confucian view that the military was an inferior class to be ruled over by an elite class of scholars was reconsidered. During the Ming Dynasty, China proper was reunited after centuries of foreign incursion and occupation. Ming troops controlled Manchuria, and the Korean Joseon Dynasty respected the authority of the Ming rulers, at least nominally.Like the founders of the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.- 220 A.D.), Hongwu was extremely suspicious of the educated courtiers that advised him and, fearful that they might attempt to overthrow him, he successfully consolidated control of all aspect of government. The strict authoritarian control Hongwu wielded over the affairs of the country was due in part to the centralized system of government he inherited from the Monguls and largely kept intact. However, Hongwu replaced the Mongul bureaucrats who had ruled the country for nearly a century with native Chinese administrators. He also reinstituted the Confucian examination system that tested would-be civic officials on their knowledge of literature and philosophy. Unlike the Song Dynasty (960-1279 A.D.), which received most of its taxes from mercantile commerce, the Ming economy was based primarily on agriculture, reflecting both the peasant roots of its founder as well as the Confucian belief that trade was ignoble and parasitic.Culturally, the greatest innovation of the Ming Dynasty was the introduction of the novel. Developed from the folk tales of traditional storytellers, these works were transcribed in the everyday vernacular language of the people. Advances in printmaking and the increasing population of urban dwellers largely contributed to the success of these books. Architecturally, the most famous monument of the Ming Dynasty is surely the complex of temples and palaces known as the Forbidden City that was constructed in Beijing after the third ruler of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Yongle, moved the capital there. Today, the Forbidden Palace remains one of the hallmarks of traditional Chinese architecture and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the vast nation.The historical figure, Buddha Gautama Sakyamuni is the Buddha of compassion who, having achieved the highest evolutionary perfection, turns suffering into happiness for all living beings. Born around 560 B.C. somewhere between the hills of south Nepal and the Rapti river, his father was a Raja who ruled over the northeastern province of India, the district including the holy Ganges River. The young prince was married to Yashoda when he was about 17 years old and together they had a son named Rahula. At the age of 29, he left his life of luxury, feeling compelled to purify his body and make it an instrument of the mind by ridding himself of earthly impulses and temptations. Chinese Buddhist art is heavily influenced both by earlier Indian examples and the stylistic tendencies of the Central Asian cultures who brought the religion into China.This depiction of the Buddha does not actually represent the historical figure of the Sakyamuni, but one of his disciples known as Pu-Tai. Pu-Tai was a fat wandering Zen monk who was considered a man of good and loving character. His large belly distinguished him from the other ascetics. When Buddhism was introduced into Japan, the figure of Pu-Tai was melded with the Shinto god of luck Hotei. From then on, this type of figure commonly referred to as the Laughing Buddha became a symbol of good luck, happiness, and prosperity throughout China and Japan. Today, the tradition persists that rubbing the prominent belly of the Laughing Buddha brings good luck and longevity. - (X.0420)   « Less