This is the rarest cricket cage of its kind to be found, as it is made of tortoise shell, the cap is possible horn and is capped with mother-of-pearl shell on which is a carved four toed dragon that covers a solid gold wire mesh to prevent the naughty cricket from escaping. This cricket cage is in very good antique condition and measures 4" (10.2 cm).

The bronze is cast with lost wax and is hollow but very thick. Beautiful casting and good sculpting finish. No traces of gilding or pigment. The figure is in a very dynamic position, with unusual gestures difficult to model. The artist has given the hands a beautiful elegance by bending the fingers excessively. The bronze has a beautiful antique patina which dates back to the 18th century or earlier. No restoration, good condition...

Cast pewter dropper in the shape of a doe. The animal is lying down, it is hollow and its mouth is pierced with a hole letting the water flow drop by drop. A leg is broken but is easily repairable, we can do this free of charge on request. The pewter seems covered in places with a thin layer of lacquer, or is it an old deposit of smoke, dust and oxides due to age. Probably Chinese work, of undetermined period with precision, but most certainly old. Qing period...

RARE pair of miniature red lacquered elm wood Chinese scholar's cabinets. Designed as a “mirror image” pair, each cabinet has one side panel which is plain while the opposing side panel is decorated with floral carvings. These decorative cabinets also served a utilitarian purpose for the scholar who would use them to store items such as seals, wrist and brush rests, water droppers, scroll weights, etc. The doors feature subtle gold highlights...

A pair of fine Chinese coconut cups lined and mounted with silver. The body is carved in detail with "shou" symbols, precious objects, ribbons, prunus flowers etc. all against a ground of geometrical pattern.The base stamped with Chinese characters. Very desirable items,they date to 18/19 C. size: 8.2cm diameter. condition: the coconuts undamaged in very good condition, the silver with some dark spots which are easily removable and several superficial depressions ...

DESCRIPTION: A fine and very sculptural Chinese Duan ink stone in the form of a bell with a deeply carved water well on one end, and a flaring flat surface on the other for mixing ink. The stone is raised on two elongated prong feet, between which is a five character inscription...

A very rare bronze Brush Washer or possibly a Bitian ("brush lick") cast in the form of a double gourd with scrolling vine decoration. This was made in China, for the Scholar's table in the Ming dynasty during the 16th or early 17th Century...

Length: 6.2 cm (2.5 in)
Height: 4 cm (1.7 in)
Depth: 2.9 cm (1.2 in)
Weight: 150 gms

Fine early Chinese bronze scroll weight; depicts a resting Qilin; wonderful patina; Ming Period; excellent condition

DESCRIPTION: A good Chinese scholar’s brushpot, carved in deep relief with a continuous mountain landscape scene framed by gnarled pine trees and depicting two groups of scholars, some examining a scroll and others in a boat. The base and rim are encased in hardwood and the pot is engraved with a two line inscription. Very good condition, latter Qing Dynasty, 19th to early 20th C. DIMENSIONS: 6 ½” high (16.5 cm) x 6” diameter (15.2 cm).

Soapstone pot. Sculpted decoration of a landscape animated by characters. In certain places, openwork crosses the walls. The cylindrical pot rests on three feet carved from the mass, it is covered with an openwork wooden lid, topped by a soapstone grip representing lotuses. It is possible that it is an incense burner, which would explain the presence of the Openworks for the evacuation of smoke and good ventilation, put into operation it has a very nice effect...

Hexagonal pewter teapot inlaid with brass panels engraved with birds, plants and fruits, all with their own auspicious meaning. Qianlong period (1736-1795). H. 24 cm. Good condition with good age wear and patina. There is a mark on the inside of the lid. I’ve collected this piece in Beijing in the late 90’s and kept it in my private collection ever since.

Small deer in cast bronze. The animal is shown lying down. It's a roe,stag or maybe a deer. Very good quality of sculpture. The perfection of the volumes, the search for detail and the neat finish are similar to those that we admire on the Netsuké. This little deer must be a Japanese work rather than a Chinese one, it is impossible to date it with exactness. Probably Edo or earlier. The deer was the protector of Buddhism...

Circa 1850, an extremely rare water/medicine dropper figurine of one of the eight immortals, he is Lu Dongbin, usually identified wearing a sword on his back. Lu Dongbin is highly venerated throughout China, and many local shrines have been built in his honor. At first you would think this to be a ewer, but there is no lid, only a protruded side hole where the thumb is placed over it, to control the water flow. I have experimented in doing just that and found that it trickles to a single drop at...

Chinese Republic period white molded biscuit porcelain seven-piece scholar's desk set decorated in relief with bird and flower motifs. The set includes a quadrilobed brush pot, 3” high; an oval water coupe, 2 3/4" long; a rectangular brush rest for three brushes, 2 7/8” long; a square ink paste box and cover with canted corners, 2 5/8” square; a square censer with a cash pattern on top, 1 5/8” square; a rectangular paper weight, 2 1/8”; and a rectangular wrist wrest with reticulated si...

A rare documentary bronze archaic style altar vessel - Jue. This item was probably made as a gift or as a temple dedication and bears the inscription "Great Qing, 11th year of Shunzhi Reign, year of Jia Wu (1654). County Magistrate of Jiang Yin County (probably Jiangsu province) - Wu Long Zhou; Confucian School Head Teacher - Chen Xuan; Teaching Assistant - Wei Kun and School Students Du Lang and others commissioned to make".

Condition - both handles are missing.

12cm (4.8 inches) high; ...

This plaque must have been part of a scholar's screen. It is carved in a Duan stone of 2 layers of different colors. An ochre layer and a brown layer. The brown layer is carved in depth until the ochre layer appears. The decoration is thus cut in brown on an ochre background.Qing period 19° century or earlier. On the reverse side we can see the traces of the tool which should give indications for a more precise dating. Accident, broken and glued again. 206 x 302 x 8 mm

Cast bronze incense burner. Simple, tripod shape, with cut-out rather than welded handles. Despite its simplicity, this censer is of a good quality finish, in fact you can see on some photos the traces of the passage of the scraper tool which makes a perfectly smooth surface. Below cast in the mass the mark of Xuande. Although bearing this mark of the 15th century, this type of bronze is from the Qing period. The one presented here can be dated to the 18th century more or less 100 years. Good c...

Small tripod miniature incense burner of simple form in cast bronze. The two handles are unusually very thin. Below we can see the 6 characters of the reign of Xuande of the Ming Dynasty. The bronze is old, the beautiful patina attests to it. However, it is difficult to date it exactly. Usually the bronzes bearing the mark of Xuande are from the 17th century. A wooden base and lid were added later, probably in the 19th century. The cover does not fit perfectly because it was made on the turn whe...