An Unusual Chinese Han Dynasty Finial or Cover 206BC- 220AD

Ht. 6 1/4 ins. (15.8 cms) This unusual object may be the cover to a jar or some sort of finial, we have never seen anything like it before or, indeed, found any book illustrations of similar...

This bronze axe head dates approximately to the Warring States period (475 - 221 BC). Inside are remains of its wooden shaft. Length 16 cm (6.25 inches). Unfortunately it has been broken in two and re-stuck.

For information: this axe head is part of a modest yet very interesting private English collection of Chinese antiquities acquired during the 1990s that we recently acquired...

This attractively-shaped pottery jar dates to the Siwa culture (c. 1350 BC), one of the later Chinese Neolithic cultures overlapping the Bronze Age. It has been fired to an attractive orange-red and has a burnished surface making it smooth to the touch and a pleasure to handle. It has a wide body with a relatively small flat base...

Archaic Chinese Bronzes by Christian Deydier

This superbly produced book covers the first known Chinese bronzes through to and including those produced by the Shang Dynasty. It is very well researched and packed full of interesting background information as well as being extensively illustrated. Included are the relatively recent excavations from the Sichuan Culture site at Sanxingdui...

This attractively-shaped pottery jar was made around 4,000 years ago by peoples of the Neolithic Qijia Culture (c. 2050 - 1700 BC), from what is now eastern Gansu province, China. It is very thinly-potted and quite highly-fired, having an almost "metallic" ring to it when tapped. There are two "strap" handles joined at the waist and mouth edge...

This attractively-shaped pottery jar was made around 4,000 years ago by peoples of the Neolithic Qijia Culture (c. 2050 - 1700 BC), from what is now eastern Gansu province, China. It is made from a pale buff-coloured pottery that is fairly highly-fired. There are two "strap" handles joined at the waist and mouth edge. The surface has been burnished making it smooth to the touch...

This attractively-shaped pottery jar, or cup, was made around 4,000 years ago by peoples of the Neolithic Qijia Culture (c. 2050 - 1700 BC), from what is now eastern Gansu province, China. It is made from a fine-grained grey pottery that is fairly highly-fired. There are two "strap" handles joined at the waist and mouth edge. The surface has been burnished making it smooth to the touch...

This fine pottery jar was made around 4,000 years ago by peoples of the Neolithic Qijia Culture (c. 2050 - 1700 BC), from what is now eastern Gansu province, China. They produced a variety of pottery vessels including cord-impressed pottery of many shapes and sizes as well as finely-burnished jars such as this, with one, two or three handles...

This jar was made some 4,000 years ago by peoples of the Neolithic Qijia Culture (c. 2050 - 1700 BC), from what is now eastern Gansu province. They produced a variety of pottery vessels including cord-impressed pottery of many shapes and sizes. This particular example is made from a coarse gritty clay and has a wide flaring mouth...

This pottery jar of "hu" form was made during the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25 - 220) and comes from Shaanxi province in the northwest of China. It is made from a reddish pottery and has simple incised decorative bands surrounding the jar at its shoulder. The whole surface, including the base and inner mouth, is coated in a thin yellowish-brown glaze. The flat base has marks where the jar was removed from the potter's wheel wit...

This very rare and unusual pottery jar was made during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8). It is made from a grey pottery and has been formed in a two-piece mould, each half having been luted together at the sides. The cover is in the form of a bird and, likewise, has also been made in a two-piece mould. The body of the jar has two moulded ring handles. Both jar and cover have been "cold painted" in a "swirling" pattern compri...

This jar was made some 4,000 years ago by peoples of the Neolithic Qijia Culture (c. 2050 - 1700 BC), in the north of China, what is now eastern Gansu province. They produced a variety of pottery vessels including cord-impressed pottery of many shapes and sizes. This particular example is made from a coarse gritty clay and has a wide flaring mouth. The surface colour varies and in places are what appear to be carbon deposits suggest...

This jar was made some 4,000 years ago by peoples of the Neolithic Qijia Culture (c. 2050 - 1700 BC), in the north of China, what is now eastern Gansu province. They produced a variety of pottery vessels including cord-impressed pottery of many shapes and sizes. This particular example is made from a coarse gritty clay and more "heavily-potted" than some. It has a particularly pleasing form with its wide body and wide flared mouth. ...