TALL Chinese Western Han Dynasty Painted Pottery Jar with Cover (206 BC - AD 8)

This superbly-shaped pottery jar with its wide body and long narrow neck was made over two thousand years ago during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8). It is made from quite a highly-fired fine-grained grey pottery that has been "cold-painted" in various different coloured pigments, the decoration comprising swirling (cloud?) and geometric patterns...

Fine LARGE Chinese Western Han Dynasty Glazed Stoneware Jar (206 BC - AD 8)

This large and impressive stoneware jar, of the type often referred to as "proto-porcelain", dates to the latter part of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8). The upper body, and inner mouth, are coated with an attractive olive-green glaze that is very finely-crackled. The unglazed neck and lower body have fired to varying shades of reddish-brown. To the upper and lower neck are bands of incised wavy lines...

Fine Chinese Neolithic Machang Painted Pottery Jar (Published)

This rare pottery jar of an unusual form was made over 4,000 years ago during the Machang Phase (c. 2300 - 2000 BC) of the Majiayao culture, also known as the Gansu-Yangshao culture, from present day Gansu or Qinghai province.

It is quite thinly-potted and very well-proportioned. It has a wide globular body with quite a tall narrow neck that, unusually, bulges out slightly at its mid-point...

Chinese Neolithic Qijia Culture Cord-Impressed Pottery Jar (4,000 Years Old)

This unusual pottery 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 example is made from a buff-coloured gritty pottery. It is nicely-proportioned and has a notched band around the outer mouth edge...

Fine & Rare Chinese Neolithic Pottery Jar - Caiyuan Culture

This fine and attractively-shaped pottery jar was made over 4,000 years ago by peoples of the Caiyuan Culture (c. 2600 - 2200 BC) and has been excavated from the Ningxia Autonomous Region in the north of China. It is finely-potted, relatively highly-fired and has a smooth burnished surface. It has a wide body that tapers down to a relatively small base and one sturdy handle from the waist to the mouth edge...

Very Rare Chinese Western Han Dynasty Red & Brown Lacquer Dish with Inscription

This rare survivor is a lacquered wooden dish from the early Western Han dynasty (206 BC - AD 8). Its wooden core has been coated in brown and red lacquer with additional decoration comprising lines, bands, swirls and geometric patterns on top in red and black lacquer...

Rare Chinese Western Han Dynasty Lacquered Wooden Ear Cup

This rare survivor is a lacquered wooden "ear cup" (a food or wine vessel) from the early Western Han dynasty (206 BC - AD 8). The inner surface has been painted with a red lacquer on top of which are swirling geometric patterns in black, whereas the underside and the "ears" have been painted in a brown lacquer with lining details and further fine decoration in red. Length 14.5 cm...

VERY RARE Chinese Han Dynasty Walking Pottery "Stick" Figure

This tall and impressive pottery "stick" figure was made during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8), more specifically, the 2nd century BC. It is "heavily-potted" and made from a dense fine-grained pale grey pottery. It has been "cold painted" in a pink/brown flesh-coloured pigment with red and black pigments to the head and facial features. Note the detail of the facial features and the hairstyle, worn with a top knot...

Rare Chinese Tang Dynasty Painted Pottery Guardian Mask

This impressive pottery mask was made during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). It is made from quite a high-fired creamy-white pottery that has been cold-painted in various coloured pigments, very good traces of which have survived. The mask is the face of a fantastical horned creature, with bulging eyes, bearing its teeth, much like an "earth spirit", whose purpose was to scare away evil and malevolent spirits...

Rare Chinese Tang Dynasty Painted Pottery Guardian Mask

This impressive pottery mask was made during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). It is made from quite a high-fired creamy-white pottery that has been cold-painted in various coloured pigments, very good traces of which have survived. The mask is the face of a fantastical horned creature, with bulging eyes, bearing its teeth, much like an "earth spirit", whose purpose was to scare away evil and malevolent spirits...

A Chinese Qingbai Glazed Lobed Ewer with Petalled Rim. Circa, 13th-14th Century, Southern Song-Yuan Dynasty. Found in the Philippines. The ewer features an elegant eight-lobed body positioned between a gracefully curved spout and a strap-style handle...

A Large Chinese Blue and White 'Chrysanthemum' Dish. Circa, 16th Century, Zhangzhou Ware, Wuzai Erlong Kiln, Ming Dynasty. Found in the Philippines. This large dish features a central motif of six intricately designed chrysanthemums, surrounded by a band of elegant waves. Twin chrysanthemum sprays adorn the inner walls, complemented by a cross-hatched diaper border. The entire composition is beautifully rendered in exquisite underglaze blue. Note: a comparable dish can be found in the b...

A Large Chinese Blue and White ‘Quilin’ Dish with Floral, Bird, and Could Decorations. Circa, 16th Century, Zhangzhou Ware, Ming Dynasty. Found in the Philippines. This large dish features a centralized Qilin, elegantly surrounded by intricate floral and branch motifs, as well as delicate bird designs complemented by cloud patterns. The reverse side of the plate is adorned with graceful floral scrolls, all rendered in exquisite underglaze blue. Note: the book titled Zhangzhou Ware...

Rare Chinese Neolithic Longshan Culture Black "Egg-shell" Pottery Stem Cup (Ex. Harvard Art Museums)

This very rare and desirable black pottery stem cup was made by potters of the Longshan Culture (c. 2400 - 2000 BC), Shandong province. Such wares are referred to as "egg-shell" pottery due to the extreme thinness of the pottery. The surface colour and smoothness of the black pottery is further enhanced by burnishing. Due to their elaborate style and fragility it is thought that such cups wer...

Rare Chinese Neolithic Longshan Culture Black "Egg-shell" Pottery Stem Cup (Published)

This very rare and desirable black pottery stem cup was made by potters of the Longshan Culture (c. 2400 - 2000 BC), Shandong province. Such wares are referred to as "egg-shell" pottery due to the extreme thinness of the pottery. The surface colour and smoothness of the black pottery is further enhanced by burnishing. Due to their elaborate style and fragility it is thought that such cups were used for rit...

Lovely pottery small lead glazed stove from the Eastern Han Dynasty (202 BCE – 220 CE). There is original flaw in one of the pots on top and a minor glaze chip on the upper edge but otherwise excellent condition with a lot of lead glazed silver parrifin patina on the whitish surface. There are still random traces of the silver patina on the surface. See last enlargement for reference from He Li’s Chinese Ceramics. L: 25.cm/9.8in, W: 18.5m/7.2in and H: 9.5cm/3.8 in.Excellent example of ...

Lovely pottery small lead glazed stove from the Eastern Han Dynasty (202 BCE – 220 CE). Minor fritting and a couple of chips on the upper corners, but overall, in very good condition for a two thousand year old piece. There are still random traces of the silver patina on the surface. I scraped off a small section the surface layer and a beautiful silver patina is revealed (see enlargement #5), up to the buyer of they want to clean the whole piece. See last enlargement for reference from...

A Chinese Blue and White Barbed Rim Dish with a Gazing Ox (Shinu Wang Yue) Decoration. Circa, 1435-1449, Zhengtong, Ming Dynasty. Found in the Philippines. This dish features a distinctive barbed rim and elegantly fluted inner walls, adorned with a "Shang Wang Yue" motif, depicting an ox gazing at the moon. The exterior showcases fluted walls interspersed with intricate bordering patterns. Similar dishes with a “Shang Wang Yue” motif are documented in the book ‘Chinese and Vietn...