Origin: Asia Circa: 900 AD to 1300 AD Dimensions: 7.5" (19.1cm) high Collection: Asian Art Medium: Stone

Origin: Asia Circa: 900 AD to 1300 AD Dimensions: 7.5" (19.1cm) high Collection: Asian Art Medium: Stone   « Less

Cloisonné is a specific type of enamel ware in which the individual colors that compose the design are segregated by thin strips of metal. The earliest examples of  More »

Cloisonné is a specific type of enamel ware in which the individual colors that compose the design are segregated by thin strips of metal. The earliest examples of Cloisonné wares date as far back as the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 A.D.) and the technique is believed to have originated in Beijing. Traditionally, the reign of Emperor Xuande (1426-1456 A.D.), who ruled during the Ming Dynasty, is sited as the period when the finest Cloisonné wares were produced. Sometimes Cloisonné is referred to as “Blue of Jingtai” in reference to the reign of Emperor Jingtai (1450-1456 A.D., coinciding with Xuande) when craftsmen discovered a dark blue enamel that gave Cloisonné wares a gorgeous, solemn look and is still frequently employed today. The technique involved in manufacturing Cloisonné wares is quite complicated, involving base hammering, making the red-copper roughcast, forming patterns on the roughcast with thin copper strips, filling patterns with enamel of different colors, firing, polishing, and in some cases gilding. During the Qianlong period (1736-1795 A.D.) of the Qing Dynasty, the skills of making Cloisonné reached their pinnacle when pure copper began to be used for roughcasts. Since the fabrication of Cloisonné integrates bronze and porcelain-working skills, traditional painting as well as etching, Cloisonné wares are considered the pinnacle of traditional Chinese crafts. - (X.0606)   « Less

Cloisonné is a specific type of enamel ware in which the individual colors that compose the design are segregated by thin strips of metal. The earliest examples of  More »

Cloisonné is a specific type of enamel ware in which the individual colors that compose the design are segregated by thin strips of metal. The earliest examples of Cloisonné wares date as far back as the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 A.D.) and the technique is believed to have originated in Beijing. Traditionally, the reign of Emperor Xuande (1426-1456 A.D.), who ruled during the Ming Dynasty, is sited as the period when the finest Cloisonné wares were produced. Sometimes Cloisonné is referred to as “Blue of Jingtai” in reference to the reign of Emperor Jingtai (1450-1456 A.D., coinciding with Xuande) when craftsmen discovered a dark blue enamel that gave Cloisonné wares a gorgeous, solemn look and is still frequently employed today. The technique involved in manufacturing Cloisonné wares is quite complicated, involving base hammering, making the red-copper roughcast, forming patterns on the roughcast with thin copper strips, filling patterns with enamel of different colors, firing, polishing, and in some cases gilding. During the Qianlong period (1736-1795 A.D.) of the Qing Dynasty, the skills of making Cloisonné reached their pinnacle when pure copper began to be used for roughcasts. Since the fabrication of Cloisonné integrates bronze and porcelain-working skills, traditional painting as well as etching, Cloisonné wares are consideredthepinnacleoftraditional Chinese crafts. - (X.0607)Large Cloisonné Vase - X.0607Origin: China Circa: 19 th Century ADDimensions:35.5(90.2cm)high Collection:Decorative Medium: Enamel   « Less

An ornamental stone, jade is applied to two different rocks that are made up of different silicate minerals. Nephrite jade consists of the calcium- and magnesium-rich  More »

An ornamental stone, jade is applied to two different rocks that are made up of different silicate minerals. Nephrite jade consists of the calcium- and magnesium-rich amphibole mineral actinolite (aggregates of which also make up one form of asbestos). The rock called jadeitite consists almost entirely of jadeite, a sodium- and aluminium-rich pyroxene. The English word 'jade' is derived from the Spanish term piedra de ijada (first recorded in 1565) or 'loin stone', from its reputed efficacy in curing ailments of the loins and kidneys. 'Nephrite' is derived from lapis nephriticus, the Latin version of the Spanish piedra de ijada.[1] Because both were used by Stone and Bronze Age cultures for similar purposes, and they are both about as hard as quartz, exceptionally tough, beautifully coloured and can be delicately shaped, it was not until the 19th century that a French mineralogist determined that "jade" was in fact two different materials. During the Stone Age of many cultures, jade was used for axe heads, knives, and other weapons. As metal-working technologies became available, jade's beauty made it valuable for ornaments and decorative objects. Jade has a Mohs hardness of between 6.5 and 7.0 [1], so it can be worked with quartz or garnet sand, and polished with bamboo or even ground jade. Nephrite can be found in a creamy white form (known in China as "mutton fat" jade) as well as in a variety of green colours, whereas jadeitite shows more colour variations, including dazzling blue, lavender-mauve, pink and emerald-green colours. Of the two, jadeitite is rarer, documented in less than 12 places worldwide. Translucent emerald-green jadeitite is the most prized variety, both now and historically. As "quetzal" jade, bright green jadeitite from Guatemala was treasured by Mesoamerican cultures, and as "kingfisher" jade, vivid green rocks from Burma became the preferred stone of post-1800 Chinese imperial scholars and rulers. Burma (Myanmar) and Guatemala are the principal sources of modern gem jadeitite, and Canada of modern lapidary nephrite. Nephrite jade was used mostly in pre-1800 China as well as in New Zealand, the Pacific Coast and Atlantic Coasts of North America, Neolithic Europe, and southeast Asia. In addition to Mesoamerica, jadeitite was used by Neolithic Japanese and European cultures. - (SP.618)   « Less

An ornamental stone, jade is applied to two different rocks that are made up of different silicate minerals. Nephrite jade consists of the calcium- and magnesium-rich  More »

An ornamental stone, jade is applied to two different rocks that are made up of different silicate minerals. Nephrite jade consists of the calcium- and magnesium-rich amphibole mineral actinolite (aggregates of which also make up one form of asbestos). The rock called jadeitite consists almost entirely of jadeite, a sodium- and aluminium-rich pyroxene. The English word 'jade' is derived from the Spanish term piedra de ijada (first recorded in 1565) or 'loin stone', from its reputed efficacy in curing ailments of the loins and kidneys. 'Nephrite' is derived from lapis nephriticus, the Latin version of the Spanish piedra de ijada.[1] Because both were used by Stone and Bronze Age cultures for similar purposes, and they are both about as hard as quartz, exceptionally tough, beautifully coloured and can be delicately shaped, it was not until the 19th century that a French mineralogist determined that "jade" was in fact two different materials. During the Stone Age of many cultures, jade was used for axe heads, knives, and other weapons. As metal-working technologies became available, jade's beauty made it valuable for ornaments and decorative objects. Jade has a Mohs hardness of between 6.5 and 7.0 [1], so it can be worked with quartz or garnet sand, and polished with bamboo or even ground jade. Nephrite can be found in a creamy white form (known in China as "mutton fat" jade) as well as in a variety of green colours, whereas jadeitite shows more colour variations, including dazzling blue, lavender-mauve, pink and emerald-green colours. Of the two, jadeitite is rarer, documented in less than 12 places worldwide. Translucent emerald-green jadeitite is the most prized variety, both now and historically. As "quetzal" jade, bright green jadeitite from Guatemala was treasured by Mesoamerican cultures, and as "kingfisher" jade, vivid green rocks from Burma became the preferred stone of post-1800 Chinese imperial scholars and rulers. Burma (Myanmar) and Guatemala are the principal sources of modern gem jadeitite, and Canada of modern lapidary nephrite. Nephrite jade was used mostly in pre-1800 China as well as in New Zealand, the Pacific Coast and Atlantic Coasts of North America, Neolithic Europe, and southeast Asia. In addition to Mesoamerica, jadeitite was used by Neolithic Japanese and European cultures. - (SP.618)   « Less

Origin: India Circa: 320 AD to 550 AD Dimensions: 6.69" (17.0cm) high x 3.14" (8.0cm) wide Collection: Asian Art Style: Gupta Medium: Clay

Origin: India Circa: 320 AD to 550 AD Dimensions: 6.69" (17.0cm) high x 3.14" (8.0cm) wide Collection: Asian Art Style: Gupta Medium: Clay   « Less

Origin: Central Asia Circa: 3000 BC to 2000 BC Dimensions: 8.75" (22.2cm) high x 9.25" (23.5cm) wide Collection: Asian Style: Indus Valley Medium: Terracotta

Origin: Central Asia Circa: 3000 BC to 2000 BC Dimensions: 8.75" (22.2cm) high x 9.25" (23.5cm) wide Collection: Asian Style: Indus Valley Medium: Terracotta   « Less

The Indus Valley civilization was rediscovered in 1920-21 when engraved seals were unearthed in the Punjab province of Pakistan at a site called Harappa, a name which is  More »

The Indus Valley civilization was rediscovered in 1920-21 when engraved seals were unearthed in the Punjab province of Pakistan at a site called Harappa, a name which is often used to describe the civilization as a whole. Subsequent excavations at Harappa revealed the size and complexity of this ancient city. Other sites were unearthed as well along the banks of the Indus River, including the equally large city of Mohenjodaro. Through archaeological and historical research, we can now say for certain that a highly developed urban civilization flourished in the Indian subcontinent over five thousand years ago. Though the Indus Valley script remains undeciphered, the numerous seals, statuary, and pottery discovered during excavations, not to mention the urban ruins, have enabled scholars to construct a reasonably plausible account of the Indus Valley civilization.Some kind of centralized state, and certainly fairly extensive town planning, is suggested by the layout of the great cities of Harappa and Mohenjodaro. The same kind of burnt brick appears to have been used in the construction of buildings in cities that were several hundred miles apart. The weights and measures also show a very considerable regularity, suggesting that these disparate cities spread out across a vast desert shared a common culture. The Indus Valley people domesticated animals, and harvested various crops, such as cotton, sesame, peas, barley, and cotton. Indus Valley seals have been excavated in far away cities such as Sumer, suggesting that a wealthy merchant class existed, engaged in extensive trading throughout the subcontinent and the Near East.Other than the archaeological ruins of Harappa and Mohenjodaro, these seals provide the most detailed clues about the character of the Indus Valley people. Bulls and elephants appear on these seals, but the horned bull, most scholars agree, should not be taken to be congruent with Nandi, for the horned bull appears in numerous Central Asian figures as well. The women portrayed on the seals are shown with elaborate coiffures, sporting heavy jewelry, suggesting that the Indus Valley people were an urbane people with cultivated tastes and a refined aesthetic sensibility. A few thousand seals have been discovered in Indus Valley cities, showing some 400 pictographs: too few in number for the language to have been ideographic, and too many for the language to have been phonetic. - (SF.170)   « Less

Origin: Central Asia Circa: 3000 BC to 2000 BC Dimensions: 2" (5.1cm) high x 3.8" (9.7cm) wide Collection: Asian Art Style: Indus Valley Medium: Bronze

Origin: Central Asia Circa: 3000 BC to 2000 BC Dimensions: 2" (5.1cm) high x 3.8" (9.7cm) wide Collection: Asian Art Style: Indus Valley Medium: Bronze   « Less

Origin: Pakistan Circa: 2800 BC to 2000 BC Dimensions: 5.11" (13.0cm) high x 2.08" (5.3cm) wide Collection: Asian Art Style: Indus Valley Medium: Terracotta

Origin: Pakistan Circa: 2800 BC to 2000 BC Dimensions: 5.11" (13.0cm) high x 2.08" (5.3cm) wide Collection: Asian Art Style: Indus Valley Medium: Terracotta   « Less