Large Chinese Song Dynasty Painted Pottery Tile of a Warrior

This rare and unusual pottery tile depicts an armoured warrior. It was made during the Song Dynasty (AD 960 - 1279). It is made from a grey pottery that has been "cold painted" in a base coat of white pigment on top of which have been applied various different coloured pigments. This tile depicts a formidable warrior. Note the thick-set facial features, also the headgear and the decorative armour he wears. He stands with fists clench...

Pair of Chinese Ming Dynasty Painted Pottery Tiles - Birds & Blossoms

This highly decorative pair of pottery tiles was made during the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). They are made from a dense, quiet highly-fired grey pottery and have been very elaborately decorated in high relief featuring a bird sitting on a branch surrounded by blossoms and buds. These tiles have been "cold painted" in various brightly-coloured pigments, good traces of which still remain. To the back are traces of ancient r...

Pair of Chinese Ming Dynasty Painted Pottery Tiles - Birds & Flower Blossoms

This very attractive pair of pottery tiles was made during the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). They are made from a dense, quiet highly-fired grey pottery and feature leaves, birds and flower blossoms in high relief. The blossoms are presumably lotus blossoms although could possibly be chrysanthemums. The tile on the left also has one flower still in bud. Note the bird in the right tile holding something in its beak, al...

Fine Chinese Han Dynasty Painted Pottery Cocoon Jar

This pottery "cocoon" jar was made over 2,000 years ago during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8). The shape, named after its similarity to the silkworm cocoon, evolved during the late Warring States period (475 - 221 BC) and then generally died out by the middle of the Western Han. It is made from a relatively highly-fired grey pottery and has been decorated by "cold painting" a variety of different coloured pigments in a design feat...

Chinese Han Dynasty Pottery Amphora

A superbly conceived design; jars of this general type have been found in excavations dating as far back as the Spring and Autumn Period (770-475 BC). Although perhaps not obviously Chinese in design, this type of vessel is one of the most iconic forms of Han Dynasty pottery and is thought by some archaeologists to be anthropomorphic, with the shape and "swirling" design of the main body based on the female human form. 

This particular example was mad...

Chinese Jin Dynasty Painted Pottery Filial Piety Tile (AD 1115 - 1234)

This interesting and attractive pottery tile was made during the Jin Dynasty (AD 1115 - 1234) and most likely comes from Shanxi province. It depicts a scene from the story of the Aunt of Lu, one of the stories of the twenty-four paragons of filial piety:  

In the Zhou period, there was a righteous woman from the Lu state who fled to escape the turmoil of war. During her escape, she abandoned her own son, whom she ha...

Rare Large Chinese Tang Dynasty Pottery Ox / Bull (AD 618 - 906)

This rare and unusual pottery model of an ox, or bull, was made during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). It is made from a pale pinkish-coloured pottery that is quite highly-fired, having an almost "metallic" ring to it when tapped. Tang pottery items made from a creamy or pink coloured pottery are rarer and often considered finer than the more "common" dark reddish pottery.

It is a muscular looking bull, with its head down ...

Chinese Eastern Han Dynasty Glazed Granary Jar with Cover

Although many different Han Dynasty granary jars are known, this example is quite rare. It was made during the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25 - 220) from a relatively high-fired red pottery, quite "heavily-potted", that has been glazed in two different colours. Mostly it is coated in an attractive amber coloured glaze. The upper band of a different colour was originally coated in a green glaze that has, as a result of very long burial in da...

Spectacular 'wagumi' japanese free flowing style bamboo flower basket with root handle. Undulating rim and mixed warp and weft weave. Unsigned. 55cm tall x 30cm in diameter. No breaks and sturdy handle attachments. Very good condition. Ask for shipping quote.

Lovely large art deco signed Shino ceramic vase from one of the masters Takeharu Kobayashi. Undulating waves of raised ridges creates a textured masterpiece. In a signed original box. Fired at the 'Chikurin Kiln. 40cm diameter x 35cm tall. Ca. 1980. Ask for shipping quote.

Large porcelain bowl, decoration painted in red iron oxide on cracked glaze, gold details. On the outside, Buddhist lions (Shishi) are represented moving among peonies. Inside are finely drawn landscapes in reserves and elegant cranes in flight. Each landscape is annotated with Chinese characters which probably indicate what place it is. Under the Kutani kilns mark. Very nice example of this production and beautiful size. Good condition, a firing defect on the heel which can be seen in the photo...

Asa (hemp) furoshiki with four owner's names, hand-written with sumi(ink). Both warps and wefts are hand-plied. It has some holes and stains, however it is washed. Probably from Nagano prefecture or Tohoku district. The second half of the 19th century. W:126cm, L:132cm

Woodblock print, Ukiyoe, the original picture is painted by the third generation of Utagawa Toyokuni (Utagawa Kunisada, 1786～1865）The place is Nihon-bashi in Edo, the first stage of the "Tokaido Fifty-Three Stages". The man is a "katsuo-uri", bonito fish vender. In good condition. Mid 19th century. W:25cm, L:37cm

Lovely Neolithic jar with a single lug from the Qijia or Siwa Cultures circa 1500BCE. Please view the enlargements as this piece has a lot more going for it than it appears at first- 1# please note the bottom where you can see the impression of the woven mat where it was coiled and hand molded using a paddle, 2# the handle has four “ribs”, 3# circling the neck of the jar are a series of indentations made by a human fingernail and 4# the lower half has subtle incised diagonal line...

Auspicious painting depicted Jyuseki, Bamboo, and Reishi sacred mushroom. Painted with ink and pigments on silk. Signed Shuseki and sealed. It is dated as in 1922.

Juseki is an abbreviation for landscape stone, which means a stone that is a scaled-down version of the natural scenery, a stone that resembles a certain shape, or an abstract stone that evokes intimacy and an elegant imagination that is difficult to describe. Furthermore, in the painting, a mushroom called reishi, which has bee...

IBO

Quite a simple and very rare type of 'Mi' (Winnowing basket as a traditional Japanese farm tool) locally called 'Ibo' (or 'Sade mi') in Aizu region of Northern part of Japan made of only wild vine and straw string. Early-mid 20th century. approx. 60 x 48 x 4 cm (23.62 x 18.89 x 1.57in). Because stocked in the garret of old farm house for long years, it's in soot-covered condition by the hearth smoke (Just once briefly washed for not disturbing its original patin...

Very Rare Large Chinese Five Dynasties / Song Dynasty Pottery Jar with Oxford TL Test

This large and impressive pottery jar of exceptional form was made during the Five Dynasties period (AD 907 - 960) or possible the early part of the Song Dynasty (AD 960 - 1279). It is a wide-bodied jar with sturdy handles and quite a small flat base, an unusual form for this period. Its form is reminiscent of some Han Dynasty pottery jars of around a thousand years earlier, although this jar is much more "...

Rare Chinese Han Dynasty Pottery Dish with Painted Fish Pattern

This rare pottery dish, or shallow bowl, was made during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 220). Most known Han Dynasty pottery objects tend to be jars or figures with dishes and bowls being quite rare. This is quite a large dish with a diameter of 25 cm. It is made from a dark grey pottery that is relatively highly-fired. The inner surface has been painted with a pattern featuring three fish surrounded by simple bands and ge...