Scholar's weight in polished black stone. Simply decorated with five characters that compose a poem, it appears to depict a "clear fountain flowing from a rock." It represents tranquility and meditation. These weights were used by Chinese scholars to hold down scrolls of paintings or calligraphy. The stone is hard but can be scratched with a steel point; it is much harder than soapstone and less so than agate or jade...

A patinated bronze sculpture in the form of a scholar’s rock on a fitted stand of mahogany (hongmu). Qing, 17-18th cent. Good wear from handling. Such sculptures were cast by letting hot-red liquid bronze run into a pile of fresh wooden chips to create the form.

Chinese ink and color on paper painting by Ma Tai 馬駘 (1886-1937) depicting two rabbits resting among greenery at the base of a low wall. A tree with orange blossoms is in the background. The calligraphy at the upper left contains a verse about the magic rabbits who ascended to the moon where they prepared the elixir of immortality for the Moon Goddess Chang’e 嫦娥...

Chinese ink and color on silk painting signed Dai Jun戴峻 (aka Gu Yan 古岩) featuring a man and horse standing beneath a pine tree looking up at Xiwangmu, Queen Mother of the West, riding on a chariot in the clouds with attendants beside her. The calligraphy at the upper right includes a cycle date of 1880. Dai Jun was a Qing landscape painter from Suzhou who painted in the style of Ming artist Tang Yin. Cream colored silk mounting...

Chinese Qing dynasty ink and color on paper scrolled painting signed Tang Yifen 湯貽汾 (1778-1853) featuring a small figure and crane riding in a boat surrounded by water, hills, trees, and bamboo. Three red seals by the calligraphy at the upper right include his alternate names Zhou Weng 粥翁, Qin Yin琴隱, and Yu Shan雨山. Cream colored silk mounting with wood scroll ends. Scroll: 93” x 22 1/4” (painting: 29” x 15”). Overall in intact condition...

20th century. The stone is well-weathered, light color rock and of an irregular shape rising vertically from a narrow base. It allows one to look through and around the rock from every angle, creating an ever-shifting sense of movement. 3 ½ ” tall with stand. Without stand 3 ¼”x 3”x 2”.

Naturally formed, dark greenish stone with red inclusion. 3 ½ ”x 1”x 1¾” without stand.

The bamboo is intricately carved with temples in a lakeside setting. The base and top rim are carved from boxwood. The artist masterfully carved out his decoration, going to great lengths to completely remove certain high-relief sections from the background, notably the temple pillars and some tree branches (see photos). The figure slowly and painfully climbing the path is an old man bent over by the years; the artist was able to express this with two snips of the scissors...

The water dropper depicts one of three Chinese gods: Shòu, the star god of longevity. There are two original holes to pour water in and out, one on top of the head and another on the left shoulder. 3 ” x 2” x 2”.

Han dynasty brick with impressed Chinese character repurposed into a functioning ink stone. Scale is noted in enlargements, unusual shape possibly a corner stone that has been cut and rounded in the back. There is also a small “well” in the front corner.

Han dynasty brick with impressed coin and “mythical” beast, repurposed into a functioning ink stone. The aesthetic is in the Song “shizi” style. Scale is noted in enlargements.

Rare early “si zhi” (four straight lines) style inkstone carved from an old fired brick. The characters on the brick are in an archaic style, no longer in use today. The square shaped flat bottomed inkstone with sloping grinding surface did not become popular until the Song Dynasty, so it is possible this was made into a inkstone long after it was a brick. Chinese are very fond of creating ink stones out of “found objects” such as roof tiles etc...

Very rare brush rest in the shape of a Mandarin duck is made of soft porcelain covered with a very bright turquoise enamel. The bird is hollow, the base is pierced with a square hole allowing the interior void to be seen. We do not think that it was made in a mold, but the details were finely incised with a chisel, which indicates a work of sculpture and not of molding. Only the discovery of a second absolutely identical duck could confirm this...

Chinese scroll painting of two bears drinking from a rocky mountain stream in the style of Long Shih Ning (1698-1768). Painted in light colors and ink on paper.
Long Shih Ning, also known as Giuseppe Castiglione, was an Italian Jesuit missionary who became a prominent painter at the Chinese imperial court. He served as a court painter for three Qing emperors, Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong...

A Chinese painting of a scholar kneeling and holding small blossoming branch of chrysanthemums by Zhang Da-Qian (Chang Dai-chien) the famous 20th century artist (1899-1983). Painted in light colors and ink on paper. This painting is published in the book, "Collections of Works of Famous Chinese Painters".
One of the best-known and most prodigious Chinese artists of the twentieth century...

Serene image of the Goddess of Mercy Guanyin after Mei Langfang, traditional brush ink and color on silk, mounted on scroll. Painting size : 67cm x 36cm.

1900's Chinese Malachite Carved Scholar Brush Washer with Grape Vine

It is 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) tall by 4.7 inches (12 cm) wide. It is 1.3 Lb.

It has flea bite chips, inclusions, and surface wears and scratches (as seen in the photos).

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Small scroll water color brush painting a Chinese Cucumber (guo lou) and dates. Signed Guan Shanyue 關山月- no date. Simple quirky little painting, well mounted in traditional style. Unmounted dimensions H: 18/8in x W: 24cm/9.5in. Mounted dimensions H: 124cm/48in x W: 39cm/15in.