 POLYCHROME |
 MONOCHROME |
 BLUE and WHITE |
 EARLY CHINESE |
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 S. EAST ASIAN |
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MEISSEN c.1735 - 1740. German Hard-paste PorcelainAn 18th Century Meissen Porcelain Gold Ground Saucer Decorated with a 'Harbour Scene' c.1735-1740. The Base with Crossed Sword Marks in Underglaze Blue for the Meissen Porcelain Factory and a Gilt 'Z.'. 'Harbour Scenes' were a popular subject at Meissen in the 18th century, they include a range of designs from the often Chinese inspired early designs of the mid-1720's to later designs of the 1740's. They all share a common theme, port or river scenes with ships and merchants along the shore loading or unloading their goods. The quality of the painting is normally very high with incredible attention to detail, this is often contrasted by a broad dramatic sky. Later designs have no Chinese influence, but often show merchants with turbans, suggesting they were traders from the Levant. Several different hands can be seen to have executed these 'Harbour Scenes' but they have been traditionally been attributed to Christian Friedrich Herold (c.1700-1779) because of a snuff box signed by him. However, it is known that in 1744 the factory employed ten landscape and marine painters including Herold. The painting was done at the studio of Johann Gregor Höroldt (1696 - 1775). Stock n. 21596 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
HONGZHI 1488 - 1505 or ZHENGDE 1506 - 1521. Ming Porcelain.A Ming Blue and White Porcelain Bowl, Hongzhi 1488-1505 or Zhengde 1506-1521. Decorated on the Outside with Scrolling Foliage, This Scrolling Foliage is Similar to the Dragon Motif With Scrolling Foliage as Part of it's Body Which is Found on Late Imperial Chenghua Porcelain. The Well is Decorated with a Conch Shell Among Lotus. Pieces like the present Blue and White Ming Porcelain example have traditionally been referred to as 'Provincial Blue and White Porcelain' because the potting and painted appear as being some what rustic. Sometimes 'provincial' pieces have a great strength and freedom that can be lacking in more refined objects. Recent research in China has shown that there was little Blue and White Porcelain produced outside the main kiln complex of Jingdezhen in Jiangxi Province. The exception might be Dehua in Fujian province but the Blue and White Porcelain production from those kilns is distinct from the kilns at Jingdezhen. For a Hongzhi 1488-1505 or Zhengde 1506-1521 bowl of this design see : Lost at Sea, The Strange Route of the Lena Shoal Junk (Franck Goddio, Monique Crick, Peter Lam, Stacey Pierson, Rosemary Scott, Periplus Press, 2002). ISBN 1-902699-13-0. Page174 plate 199. Provenance : The Edward Wrangham Collection of Japanese and Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art. Edward Wrangham (1928-2009). Ted Wrangham was born in London and educated at Eaton, then later at Magdalene College Cambridge. In 1957 he took up farming in Northumberland and championed environmental causes in the north east of England. His grandfather was the esteemed collector Stephen Winkworth, his uncle William (Billy) Winkworth, another important collector of Chinese Ceramics. The seeds of his interest were sown early, Stephen Winkworth presented him with a netsuke when he was only eight years old. His interest in Japanese and Chinese art led him to collect, he purchased his collection from a range of sources, including many pieces from his grandfather's (Stephen Winkworth) collection when they were sold by Sotheby's in the early 1970's. While his taste was eclectic it was highly educated, the cultural history of the objects in his collection was something that fascinated him. He wrote extensively about oriental art, including the private printing of an important reference book in 1995, The Index of Inro Artists. Stock n. 21088 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
YUAN DYNASTY 1279 - 1368. Yuan Mingqi PotteryA Massive Yuan Mingqi Pottery Tomb Guardian. This Substantial Yuan Pottery Figure is Depicted Standing and Wearing a Uniform with a Helmet. His Hair is Tied in a Plat and is Constructed Separately, Fitting in to an Aperture on Top. His Ugly Ferocious Face is Designed to Warn Off Evil Spirits. This piece is an example of Mingqi, objects made specifically for burial, to be taken with you to the afterlife. The 'Terracotta Army' is the most famous example of this type of burial object. Mingqi ceramics were not the only goods to appear in early Chinese tombs, objects that did function were also buried, some of these had clearly been worn or even damaged, presumably these were things belonging to the deceased that might have been used on a daily basis. Stock n. 21395 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
NYMPHENBURG c.1770 - 1780. German Hard-Paste PorcelainAn 18th Century Nymphenburg Porcelain Teapot. The Base with an Impressed Shield Mark. Stock n. 21600 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
KANGXI 1662 - 1722. Chinese Export Porcelain.A Kangxi Blue and White Porcelain Hookah Base (reduced) with a 19th Century Silver Mount. A hookah (Arabic: حقہ) is a multi-stemmed, often times glass or ceramics based water pipe device for smoking, originating from India. From India, it was made popular as the form we now see it in today in Turkey. A hookah operates by water-filtration and indirect heat. It can be used for smoking many substances, such as herbal fruits, tobacco, or cannabis. Stock n. 16957 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
CHONGZHEN 1628 - 1644 or SHUNZHI Period 1644-1661. Transitional PorcelainA Transitional Blue and White Porcelain Vase, Chongzhen or Shunzhi Period c.1640-1650. Decorated with a Fan Shaped Panel with a Scholar's Rock and Insects. The Rest of the Body Decorated with Fruit, Plants and Lotus in Vases and Other Containers. The Neck Decorated with Large Orchids and Branches of Orchids and other Flowers. The Flat Base is Unglazed. Scholar's Rocks. Chinese scholars' rocks, also known as scholar stones or viewing stones, are small shaped or naturally-occurring rocks appreciated by Chinese scholars from the Song dynasty onwards, and quite frequently found in traditional Chinese gardens. The most highly regarded stones are lingbi rocks, from Lingbi County of Anhui Province, with the finest examples dating from the Ming dynasty and Song dynasty. Taihu rocks are also prized, and are commonly used as garden stones. They influenced the development of Korean stone art and Japanese suiseki aesthetics and styles and were an important part of Confucian art. Natural stone and rock formations, with no artificial carvings, are preferred. Rocks would sometimes be carved and then thrown back into a lake so that any markings could be washed away. Scholars rocks can be any colour, and contrasting colours are not uncommon. Sometimes they feature painted patterns, which can be of any subject, either natural or abstract. The size of the stone can also be quite varied: scholars rocks can weigh either hundreds of pounds or less that one pound. Subtlety of colour, shape, and markings is also desired, as is beauty of texture and shape. Scholars stones are usually reminiscent of someone or something, or it may convey a spiritual nature that moves viewers in some way. They are usually set upon a stable surface, such as a rosewood pedestal that has been carved specifically for the stone. The Transitional Period. The roots of this unsettled period starts during the later part of Wanli's reign (1573-1620). At the begging of his reign China was doing very well, new crops from the Americas such as peanuts, maize and sweet potatoes increased food production, while simplified taxes helped the state run smoothly. But this was not due to Wanli's enlightened reign, but to his Mother championing a man that was to become the Ming dynasties most able minister, Zhang Zhuzheng (1525—1583). Wanli became resentful of Zhuzheng's control but upon his death became withdrawn from court life. Between 1589 to 1615 he didn't appear at imperial audiences, leaving a power vacuum that was filled by squabbling ministers. Mongols from the North raided as Japan invaded Korea. Wanli re-opened the silver mines and imposed new taxes but the money was lost due to corruption, as well as being frittered away by the indulgent Emperor himself . The next emperor of Ming China, Tianqi (1621-1627), was bought up in this self indulgent disorganised environment, at the very young age 15 his short reign started. He didn't stand a chance. Tianqi made the mistake of entrusting eunuch Wei Zhongxian (1568-1627) who Anna Paludan in her excellent book "Chronicle of the Chinese Emperors" (Thames and Hudson, 1998) describes as "a gangster of the first order". Tianqi was deemed to have lost the Mandate of heaven by the Ming people. Tianqi's younger brother, the last of the Ming Emperors, Chongzhen (1628-1644), was not able to save the situation. The systems of administration had broken down, corruption was rife and so when a sever famine broke out in 1628 nothing much could be done. Anna Paludan describes the tragic end to the great Ming Dynasty "The final drama was worthy of a Greek tragedy. The emperor called a last council in which 'all were silent and many wept', the imperial troops fled or surrendered, and the emperor, after helping his two sons escape in disguise, got drunk and rushed through the palace ordering the women to kill themselves. The empress and Tianqi's widow committed suicide; the emperor hacked off the arm of one daughter before killing her sister and the concubines. At dawn he laid his dragon robe aside and dressed in purple and yellow, with one foot bare, climbed the hill behind the now silent palace and hanged himself on a locust tree". The Great Wall of China, started 2,000 years ago was built to protect China from the Northern barbarian hoards, it was often tested and sometimes failed. The Jin people invaded China, ruling the North between 1115 and 1234, it was their descendants the Manchus, Jurchens from south east Manchuria that took full advantage of the problems of the Ming dynasty. In 1636 they adopted a Chinese dynastic name, the 'Great Qing' (Qing meaning pure). The first of the Qing emperors was Shunzhi (1644-1661) but for most of his reign his uncle ran the state. War raged on during this period and it wasn't until the second Qing emperor Kangxi (1662-1722) that true peace was achieved. Kangxi was a wise and educated man, he became a highly successful emperor bringing China a long period of wealth and stability. References : For a Similar Late Ming or Early Qing Porcelain Vase See : L'Odyssee De La Porcelaine Chinoise (Editions de la Reunion des Musees Nationaux,2003) Page 121 Item 53. For Transitional Porcelain vases of this type see : Fine and Important Late Ming and Transitional Porcelain, Recently Recovered From The South China Sea, The Property of Michael Hatcher (Christie's Amsterdam, March 1984) Lot 181. For a further Blue and White Transitional Porcelain vase of this form see our Archive stock number 18943. Stock n. 21372 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
SUI or TANG DYNASTY 7th or Early 8th Century Tang PotteryA Sui or Early Tang White Stoneware Stem-Dish or Tazza from Henan Province. Tang ceramic tazza were used for a variety of purposes, they might be stands for cups or jars but could equally well be used for offerings. For a Tang Pottery tazza see : Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection Volume 1 (Regina Krahl, Azimuth Editions, 1994) Page 153 Item 273. For a further Tang stem-dish with a sancai glaze described as unusual see : Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Sotheby's Hong Kong, 20th November 1985, lot 4. The catalogue sites several other Tang sancai examples and also mentions a gilt-bronze stem-dish of the same form excavated from the tomb of Zheng Rentai in Shaanxi province, this was dated 664. Stock n. 21177 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
HAN DYNASTY 206 B.C. - 220 A.D. Han Bronze A Han Dynasty Bronze Spoon. Stock n. 21471 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
NORTHERN SONG 960 - 1127 or JIN DYNASTY 1115 - 1234. Yaozhou Celadon.A Small Yaozhou Celadon Dish from the Yaozhou Kilns in Shaanxi or Henan Province, Northern Song or Jin Dynasty. The Center with Carved and Combed Stylised Foliage. Celadon is a term used to describe several types of Chinese stoneware and porcelain, as well a ceramics from other countries, notably from Korea and Japan. The term is a imprecise one, applying to various types of green glazed ceramics, but not all ceramics with green glazes, there are several wares that have a green glaze that are not refereed to as celadon. For example Green Jun and Ge Ware. For this reason there has been a move to try to clarify the situation by using the term 'Green Ware'. But for now Celadon is a more familiar and therefore useful term. The origins of the term Celadon are not clear, one theory is that the term first appeared in France in the 17th century and that it is named after the shepherd Celadon in Honoré d'Urfé's French pastoral romance, L'Astrée (1627), who wore pale green ribbons. (D'Urfe, in turn, borrowed his character from Ovid's Metamorphoses.) Another theory is that the term is a corruption of the name of Saladin, the Ayyubid Sultan, who in 1171 sent forty pieces of the ceramic to Nur ad-Din, Sultan of Syria. Yet a third theory is that the word derives from the Sanskrit sila and dhara, which mean "stone" and "green" respectively. Celadon ware originated in Zhejiang Province in the Eastern Han Dynasty, however green monochrome glazes can be found on stoneware much before that date. Zhejiang is were the famous Longquan Celadons were made but Celadon wares were also produced at Jiangsu, Hubei, Hunan and Jiangxi. The production of Celadon Ware required a reducing atmosphere of around 1300 degrees C., the colouring agent was a mixture of iron oxide and titanium. The glaze was applied very thickly, and was full of tiny bubbles which defuse the light giving the appearance of richness and softness. Stock n. 21186 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
CHANTILLY c.1735. French Soft-Paste Porcelain.An 18th Century Chantilly Soft-Paste Porcelain Saucer in the Kakiemon Style c.1735. The Base with an Iron-Red Hunting Horn Mark for Chantilly and an Indentation in the Base Painted with Red Dots Around the Edge. Kakiemon Porcelain : Sakaida Kakiemon (1596-1666) is popularly credited with being one of the first in Japan to discover enamel decoration on porcelain, known as Akae or persimmon red, it is said to have been developed by the potter Sakaida Kakiemon from 1643. The name 'Kakiemon' was bestowed on Sakaida by his overlord, the development of this distinctive palette of soft red, yellow, blue and turquoise green with the use of black for outlines and shading typifies Kakiemon porcelain. Kakiemon is sometimes used as a generic term describing wares made in the Arita factories using the characteristic Kakiemon overglaze enamels and decorative styles. However, Kakiemon porcelain is supposed to have been produced by direct descendants of kakiemon, now Sakaida Kakiemon XIV (1934-). Shards from the Kakiemon kiln site at Nangawara show that blue and white as well as celadon wares were also produced. Kakiemon decoration is usually of high quality, often delicate and with well-balanced asymmetric designs. The designs were normally quite sparse emphasizing the fine white porcelain body known in Japan as Nigoshide (milky white). The opaque white milky Nigoshide body was used on the finest pieces, it appears that it was reserved for fine quality enamelled decoration. Kakiemon porcelain was decorated with a great variety of imaginative designs which include elements such as the 'banded hedge', 'flying squirrel', and the 'Quail and Millet' design. The 'Three Friends of Winter' were also a very popular group of designs, other subject taken from nature include flowers (especially the chrysanthemum, the national flower of Japan) as well as birds and rockwork. Figural subjects such as the 'Hob in the Well' were also popular. This design illustrates a Chinese folk tale where a sage saves his friend who has fallen into a large fishbowl by throwing stones at it, braking open the pot. Banded-Hedges were a formal device within Japanese traditional gardens, they were often incorporated in designs, includes 'The Three Friends of Winter' (Pine, Bamboo and Prunus). These three plants signify perseverance, as neither the pine nor the bamboo shed their leaves in winter and the plumb (Prunus) flowers at the very end of the winter, heralding the arrival of spring. For a very similar 18th Century Chantilly Porcelain saucer see : Porcelaine Tendre de Chantilly au XVIIIe Siecle (Genevieve le Duc, Hazan. ISBN 2-85025-459-Z) page 112. Stock n. 21583 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
KANGXI 1662 - 1722. Chinese Export Porcelain.A Kangxi Blue and White Export Porcelain Mug. The European Silver Shape Decorated with Scholar's Rock and Flowers. Stock n. 18501 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
KANGXI 1662 - 1722. Chinese Export Porcelain.A Pair of Unusual Chinese Export Porcelain Plates, Kangxi Period c.1700-1710. Decorated in a European Style with a Palm Wreath Tided with a Loveknot (liefdeknoop) the Center with a Passion Flower. The Border with Flowering and Fruiting Passion Flowers. This unusual design is normally found on large Blue and White Kangxi Porcelain plates such as the present examples, the European style of the border is similar to that found on the reverse side of the 'Canal House' vases of the Vung Tau Cargo (Kangxi c.1690-1700). For a similar Blue and White Kangxi Porcelain plate with initials in the center see : Chinese Armorial Porcelain For The Dutch Market (Dr Jochen Kroes, Waanders Publishers,2007.ISBN978-90-400-83310) Item 3. The author states that palms and loveknots, liefdeknoop in Dutch, were particularly used by married women and that plates such as the example with initials were from an unknown commission from a woman, probably for the Dutch market. Stock n. 18912 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
NORTHERN CHINA or The EASTERN EURASIAN STEPPES c.5th - 2nd Century B.C. Bronze PlaqueA Northern Chinese, Zhou Dynasty or Mongolia or Eurasian Steppes, c.5th - 2nd Century B.C. Bronze Ornamental Plaque in the Form of a Grazing Horse Tethered to a Post. Provenance : The Arthur M. Sackler Collection of Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Acquired prior to 1978. Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987) was an American psychiatrist, entrepreneur and philanthropist. In 1960 Sackler started publication of Medical Tribune, a weekly medical newspaper. He established the Laboratories for Therapeutic Research in 1938. He earned his fortune by gaining the rights to import and sell Valium in the United States. He established a wide range of medical institutions bearing his name. Arthur M. Sackler was also a scholar of the arts. He endowed galleries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Princeton University, the Arthur M. Sackler Museum at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the Arthur M. Sackler Museum of Art and Archaeology at Peking University in Beijing, the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution, in Washington, D.C., and the Jillian & Arthur M. Sackler Wing at the Royal Academy, London. His brother, Mortimer Sackler, endowed the Sackler Library at the University of Oxford, England. The Sackler Gallery opened in 1987 after Arthur M. Sackler donated some 1,000 Asian art objects to the Smithsonian, as well as $4 million toward the gallery's construction. The highlights from his gift include early Chinese bronzes and jades, Chinese paintings and lacquer ware, ancient Near Eastern ceramics and metal ware, and sculpture from South and Southeast Asia. Stock n. 21134 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
KANGXI 1662 - 1722. Chinese Export Porcelain.A Chinese Export Blue and White Porcelain Ewer and Cover, Kangxi Period (1662-1722). In the Islamic Style. For a similar Kangxi Blue and White Porcelain ewer See : Pronken Met Oosters Porcelein (Stephen Hartog, Uitgeverij Waaders b.v. 1990) Page 73 Item 61. Stock n. 19336 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
NORTHERN CHINA or The EASTERN EURASIAN STEPPES c.7th - 1nd Century B.C. Bronze Plaque.An Early Bronze Plaque of Feline Form. Northern China or Eastern Eurasian Steppes c.7th to 1st Century B.C. Provenance : The Arthur M. Sackler Collection of Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art. Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987) was an American psychiatrist, entrepreneur and philanthropist. In 1960 Sackler started publication of Medical Tribune, a weekly medical newspaper. He established the Laboratories for Therapeutic Research in 1938. He earned his fortune by gaining the rights to import and sell Valium in the United States. He established a wide range of medical institutions bearing his name. Arthur M. Sackler was also a scholar of the arts. He endowed galleries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Princeton University, the Arthur M. Sackler Museum at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the Arthur M. Sackler Museum of Art and Archaeology at Peking University in Beijing, the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution, in Washington, D.C., and the Jillian & Arthur M. Sackler Wing at the Royal Academy, London. His brother, Mortimer Sackler, endowed the Sackler Library at the University of Oxford, England. The Sackler Gallery opened in 1987 after Arthur M. Sackler donated some 1,000 Asian art objects to the Smithsonian, as well as $4 million toward the gallery`s construction. The highlights from his gift include early Chinese bronzes and jades, Chinese paintings and lacquer ware, ancient Near Eastern ceramics and metal ware, and sculpture from South and Southeast Asia. Stock n. 21126 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
SEVRES c.1772 French Soft-Paste PorcelainAn 18th Century Sevres Porcelain Plate with an Indented Rim with Scallop Moulding, Decorated with Flowers. Interlaced LL's for Sevres, Script 'T' for 1772 and the Painters Mark (Possibly an 'L' with a dot) for Joyau (No biographical details are know according to Erikson and De Bellaigue, Sevres Porcelain, Faber and Faber 1987). He was a Flower Painter who worked from 1766 to 1775. Stock n. 19081 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
CHANTILLY c.1735. French Soft-Paste Porcelain.An 18th Century Chantilly Soft-Paste Porcelain Saucer in the Kakiemon Style c.1735. The Base with an Iron-Red Hunting Horn Mark for Chantilly. Published: Porcelaine Tendre de Chantilly au XVIIIe Siecle (Genevieve le Duc, Hazan. ISBN 2-85025-459-Z) page 112. Stock n. 21582 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
SHUNZHI 1644-1661 or KANGXI 1662-1722. Blanc de Chine Porcelain.A Moulded 17th Century Blanc de Chine Porcelain Wine Cup in the Form of a Veined Lotus Leaf Stem from the Outside with a Flowering Peony Overlaid on Each Side. The Recessed Base has Five Spur Type Feet on which the Cup sits. Blanc de Chine cups of this type have been traditionally referred to as 'Libation Cups'. This is unlikely to be correct but their shape follows that of rhinoceros horn cups which was made locally, it is interesting baring in mind the important powers that the Chinese attach to this material. By having a Blanc de Chine cup of this form some of the powers of real rhinoceros horn might be conveyed to the drinker. Stock n. 20479 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
QIANLONG 1736 - 1795. Chinese Export Porcelain.A Chinese Export Porcelain Famille Rose Armorial Buttertub and Cover c.1785. This piece was produced right at the end of main production of Chinese export to England and Europe. Decorated in a sparse Neo-Classical style with an unidentified coat of arms with the motto 'Per ardua ad astra'. This is mentioned in Howard as being the motto for two families, one of which does not have this coat of arms. The other is unillustrated but is said to be the Stibbert family. Provenance : From a English Private Collection. Stock n. 19619 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
KANGXI 1662 - 1722 Blanc de Chine PorcelainA Kangxi Blanc de Chine Porcelain Model of a Fo Dog or Buddhist Lion with Cub, from the Dehua Kilns in Fujian Province c.1700. The Lion and Cub are Moulded with Additional Porcelain Details Added. The Base is Constructed of Four Slabs of Clay that are Lutted Together, the Sides Contain Low Relief Moulding Including an Archastic Dragon and Prunus, Inside the Finger Marks of the Potter can be Seen on the Unglazed Porcelain Body. When Buddhist priests, or possibly traders, brought stories to China about stone dogs guarding the entry to Indian Buddhist temples, Chinese sculptors modelled statues after native dogs for use outside their temples. The mythic version of the animal, was known as the Dog of Fo, the word Fo being Chinese for Buddha. The Buddhist version of the dog was originally introduced to Han China as the protector of dharma and these dogs have been found in religious art as early as c.200 BC. Gradually they were incorporated as guardians of the Chinese Imperial dharm. However, Chinese sensitivity metamorphosed the dog into a lion, even though lions were not indigenous to China, since this seems more appropriate to the dignity of an emperor when he used the beasts to guard his gates. The mythic dog is sometimes associated with feng shui, and are often called Fu Dogs. Fu means 'happiness' in Chinese; however, the term 'Fu Dog' and its variant Foo Dog, are not used in Chinese. Instead, they are known as Rui Shi ('auspicious lions') or simply Shi (lions). There are various styles of imperial guardian lions reflecting influences from different time periods, imperial dynasties, and regions of China. These styles vary in their artistic detail and adornment as well as in the depiction of the lions from fierce to serene. Stock n. 20520 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
VUNG TAU CARGO c.1690 - 1700. Kangxi PorcelainAn Unusual Kangxi Blue and White Porcelain Tazza from the Vung Tau Cargo Shipwreck. This rare form is almost unknown apart from the pieces recovered from the Vung Tau shipwreck of c.1690 to 1700. Stem cups and footed dishes are shapes used in China, however the present example is a European form, it would have been based on Dutch glass or pewter. Jorg states that these blue and white Kangxi tazza were probably used for serving sweets or lumps of sugar, he also states that it has been suggested that they were used for wine. This appears an unlikely use. Provenance : Christie's Amsterdam, The Vung Tau Cargo, Chinese Export Porcelain, April 1992. Label to base lot 17. A Private collection. For a very similar Kangxi Porcelain tazza see : Porcelain From The Vung Tau Wreck - The Hallstrom Excavation (By Christian J.A. Jorg and Michael Fletcher.Sun Tree Publishing Ltd, U.K. ISBN 981-04-5208-X.) page 71 figure 62. Stock n. 21493 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
LIAO DYNASTY 916 - 1125 Liao PotteryA Square Sancai Liao Pottery Dish. Thickly Potted with a Moulded Design Which Includes a Chrysanthemum Flower-Head to the Center. The Liao Dynasty 907-1125, was an empire in East Asia that ruled over the regions of Manchuria, Mongolia, and parts of northern China proper. It was founded by the Yelü clan of the Khitan people in the same year as Tang Dynasty collapsed (907), even though its first ruler, Yelü Abaoji, did not declare an era name until 916. Although it was originally known as the Empire of the Khitan, the Emperor Yelü Ruan officially adopted the name "Liao" (formally "Great Liao") in 947 (938?). The name "Liao" was dropped in 983, but readopted in 1066. Another name for China in English, Cathay, is derived from the name Khitan. This is also the origin of the Russian word for China, Китай or Kitay, and that of several other East European languages. The Liao Empire was destroyed by the Jurchen of the Jin Dynasty in 1125. However, remnants of its people led by Yelü Dashi established Xi (Western) Liao Dynasty 1125-1220, also known as Kara-Khitan Khanate, which survived until the arrival of Genghis Khan's unified Mongolian army. For a similar Liao Pottery dish see : The Arts of the Sung Dynasty (The Oriental Ceramics Society 1960) plate 48 item 125. Stock n. 21346 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
QIANLONG 1736 - 1795. London Decoration.A Chinese Export Porcelain Saucer, Qianlong Period 1736-1795. The Plain White Chinese Saucer Decorated in London c.1758-1763, Possibly at the James Giles Workshop. The Rustic European Scene Depicts a Man Chopping Wood in Front of Farm Buildings. The Colour Scheme of a Deep Translucent Green Over a Black Outline is Typical of James Giles and his Workshop. Provenance : Bernard Watney Collection. Phillips' Auction : Bernard Watney Collection Part II, 10th May 2000, lot 450. Anthony Wood Collection. Stephen Hanscombe Collection. Exhibited : James Giles (Stockspring Antiques 2005). Early James Giles (Stockspring Antiques 2008) Published : James Giles, China and Glass Painter, 1718-1780. (Stephen Hanscombe, Stockspring Antiques. 2005) no page number, plate 104. The Early James Giles and his Contemporary London Decorators (Stephen Hanscombe, Stockspring Antiques. 2008) page 130, illustrated on page 131 plate 144. Stock n. 20788 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
HATCHER CARGO c.1643. Transitional Porcelain.A Transitional Porcelain Vase Decorated in Blue and White, from the Hatcher Cargo. Well Painted with Bamboo and Rocks. This slender Transitional Porcelain shape is rarely, if ever, encountered apart from blue and white Porcelain from the Hatcher Cargo. The dating of the Porcelain from the Hatcher Cargo is based on several elements. Firstly, the ceramics recovered are of a coherent group, in other words they appear to all have been made at the same time. Blue and white Porcelain dishes with a coiled serpent that have been recovered from the Hatcher Cargo match an important dish from the fall of the Ming dynasty, formerly in the Percival David Foundation, now at the British Museum London, which can be dated to 1644 - 1645. However, the most important dating reference are the two cover recovered from the wreck datable by inscription to the spring of 1643. The Ming dynasty officially ended in 1644. Provenance : The Hatcher Cargo, Christies's Amsterdam (No label). An English Private Collection, From an 18th Century House in Cheyne Walk, Chelsea, London. Stock n. 20112 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
SHUNZHI. c.1645 - 1660. Transitional Porcelain.A Transitional Porcelain Vase, Shunzhi Period 1644-1661. This Wucai Gu-Shaped Vase is Decorated with Plants Pomegranate and Scholars Rocks. The Cracked Ice Border Below the Rim in Under-Glaze Cobalt Blue. Wucai Means Five Coloured Enamels. These are Red, Green, Yellow, Blue (underglazed) and the White of the Porcelain Itself. SHUNZHI 1644-1661 : The Shunzhi emperor (lived 1638 to 1661) was the second emperor of the Manchu Qing dynasty, and the first Qing emperor to rule over China proper. He ascended to the throne aged five (six sui according to traditional Chinese count) in 1643 upon the death of his father, Hong Taiji, but actual power during the early part of his reign lay in the hands of the appointed regents, Princes Dorgon and Jirgalang. With the Qing pacification of the former Ming provinces almost complete, he died still a young man, although in circumstances that have lent themselves to rumour and speculation. In the midst of much upheaval, the Manchus seized control of Beijing in June 1644, and in October of the same year the Shunzhi emperor's uncle, the chief regent Prince, proclaimed the Qing dynasty to be the legitimate successor to the Ming dynasty. Therefore, although the Shunzhi emperor was not the founder of the Qing dynasty, he was the first Qing emperor of China. His mother was Empress Dowager Xiao Zhuang Wen who was an excellent politician during the period. The young emperor disliked his uncle, the chief regent Prince Dorgon, and after Dorgon's death in 1650 the emperor stripped both him and Dorgon's brother, Prince Dodo, of their titles, although he was only 12 years old at the time. During his short reign, the Shunzhi emperor encouraged the Han Chinese to participate in government activities. He was a scholar and employed Han Chinese to teach his children. The emperor married his mother's niece, but demoted the empress several years later. Four months after his favourite concubine passed away, he died of smallpox. Before he passed away, he appointed four regents to help his son, Hiowan Yei. They were Oboi, Sonin, Suksaha and Ebilun. It was believed that the young emperor did not pass away but left the palace to become a monk. For a similar Shunzhi Porcelain Gu vase See : Shunzhi Porcelain, Treasures from an Unknown Reign (Butler, Curtis and little, University of Washington Press,2002) Page 43. Stock n. 17682 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
SEVRES 1792 French Hard-Paste PorcelainAn 18th Century Sevres Porcelain Open-Work Basket, 1792. The Raised Moulded Decoration with Hand-Cut Diamond Pattern Sides , Moulded Intertwined Rim and Handles Give the Impression of this Piece Being a Woven Basket. Decorated with Garden Flowers, Blue and Gilding. The Base with Interlaced L's for the Sevres Porcelain Factory, 'OO' for 1792 an 'L' Probably for Louis-Françoise Lecos (Worked at Sevres 1763-1764 and 1773-1802)and an Unidentified Sevres Painters Mark. A pair of Sevres Porcelain sauceboats from this service of 1792 can be found at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London see : Sevres Porcelain, Vincennes and Sevres 1740 1800 (Erikson and De Bellaigue, Faber and Faber, 1987) page 353 plate 158. Stock n. 21335 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
JAPANESE c.1600 - 1650. Japanese Kiln-Waster.A Rare Early Japanese Kiln-Waster, Miss-Fired Shoki-Imari Porcelain or Japanese Pottery c.1600-1650. The Blue and White Design is of Trailing Vine. This misshapen kiln-waster is an interesting example of early Japanese blue and white pottery or miss-fired porcelain. The body and painting technique are close to some Japanese pottery of the period. Initially I assumed this was a porcelain body, however it is not translucent. Stock n. 21426 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
NORTHERN SONG 960 - 1127. Cizhou Type StonewareA Cizhou Type Cream Glazed Stoneware Bottle Vase with a Rolled Top. Northern Song 960-1227. Provenance : The Carl Kemp Collection of Early Chinese Ceramics. Johan Carl Kempe (1884 – 1967) was one of the greatest collectors of Early Chinese Ceramics, like many he started off with Ming and Qing polychrome Porcelain before becoming interested in the more restrained palette of Early Chinese Stoneware and Porcelain. Johan Carl Kempe (8 December 1884 – 8 July 1967) was one of the greatest collectors of early Chinese ceramics, like many he started off with Ming and Qing polychrome porcelain before becoming interested in the more restrained palette of early Chinese stoneware and porcelain. Carl Kempe was ideally placed as a collector of early Chinese ceramics, Sweden was at the forefront of research and collecting during most of the 20th century, Swedish academics and archaeologists had direct links with China, helping out with the excavation of Neolithic sites as well as kilns from the Song dynasty. King Gustav VI of Sweden (1883-1973) headed a very active circle of native scholarly collectors including Kempe. From 1929 academics contributed information to collectors and others interested in Chinese ceramics through the publication of 'Bulletin of the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities'. Jan Wirgin author of 'Sung Ceramic Designs' and Bo Gyllensvard, who in 1964 wrote 'Catalogue of Chinese Ceramics In the Carl Kempe Collection' were just two of the many people contributing to the knowledge of Chinese ceramics at the time. Stock n. 20361 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
QIANLONG 1736 - 1795. Chinese Export PorcelainA Chinese Export Porcelain Famille Rose Jug and Cover, Qianlong c.1770-1780. This is Possibly a Coffee Pot. Stock n. 20979 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
NORTHERN SONG 960 - 1127 or JIN DYNASTY 1115 - 1234. Yaozhou Celadon.A Small Yaozhou Celadon Dish from the Yaozhou Kilns in Shaanxi or Henan Province, Northern Song or Jin Dynasty. The Center with Carved and Combed Stylised Foliage. Celadon is a term used to describe several types of Chinese stoneware and porcelain, as well a ceramics from other countries, notably from Korea and Japan. The term is a imprecise one, applying to various types of green glazed ceramics, but not all ceramics with green glazes, there are several wares that have a green glaze that are not refereed to as celadon. For example Green Jun and Ge Ware. For this reason there has been a move to try to clarify the situation by using the term 'Green Ware'. But for now Celadon is a more familiar and therefore useful term. The origins of the term Celadon are not clear, one theory is that the term first appeared in France in the 17th century and that it is named after the shepherd Celadon in Honoré d'Urfé's French pastoral romance, L'Astrée (1627), who wore pale green ribbons. (D'Urfe, in turn, borrowed his character from Ovid's Metamorphoses.) Another theory is that the term is a corruption of the name of Saladin, the Ayyubid Sultan, who in 1171 sent forty pieces of the ceramic to Nur ad-Din, Sultan of Syria. Yet a third theory is that the word derives from the Sanskrit sila and dhara, which mean "stone" and "green" respectively. Celadon ware originated in Zhejiang Province in the Eastern Han Dynasty, however green monochrome glazes can be found on stoneware much before that date. Zhejiang is were the famous Longquan Celadons were made but Celadon wares were also produced at Jiangsu, Hubei, Hunan and Jiangxi. The production of Celadon Ware required a reducing atmosphere of around 1300 degrees C., the colouring agent was a mixture of iron oxide and titanium. The glaze was applied very thickly, and was full of tiny bubbles which defuse the light giving the appearance of richness and softness. Stock n. 21185 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
WANLI or TIANQI c.1600 - 1625. Ming PorcelainA Wanli or Tianqi Kraak Porcelain 'Crow Cup' Bowl, Late Ming c.1600-1625. Decorated with a Bird in the Well of the Thinly Potted Bowl. Kraak Porcelain is a Type of Chinese Export Porcelain Produced from the Wanli period (1573-1620) until the end of the Ming Dynasty in the 1640's. Kraak ware or Kraak porcelain was the first Chinese Export Ware to arrive in Europe in large quantities. Its name does not, as had been previously thought derived from the name of Portuguese trading ships, it is possible its name derived from Irish ships called Curachs. These trading ships worked between Ireland and England, they were know to the Dutch traders who used a similar word, craquen, to describe Portuguese trading ships. However in the 16th and early 17th centuries the word Kraak was not used in the V.O.C. record or inventories to describe porcelain. The first known time Kraak was first used as a term to describe a type of late Ming blue and white porcelain was in 1673. This was over 100 years after what we now know as Kraak porcelain was first produced, however there is some evidence that it was a term that had been in use for some time. Blue and white porcelain was exported to Europe in large quantities from the mid 16th century. It was highly prized and the Portuguese fort hard against the Dutch to keep control of this lucrative trade, but in 1602 the Dutch sold the cargo they captured from the Portuguese Carrack 'San Tiago' and two years later they sold the cargo of the 'Santa Catarina'. These ships caused a sensation, it was the first time such large amounts of Chinese blue and white porcelain had been avalible in Northern Europe, many of the pieces were 'gifts' rather than to be sold on the open market . All Kraak porcelain was made at the main ceramic centre in China, Jingdezhen. It does vary in style and quality to quite a large extent, and some scholars include pieces as kraakware that others do not, so a definitive description is, I feel, rather difficult. The main group of kraak porcelain is less controversial. Normally thinly potted, often moulded, it's designs are divided into decorative panels, with reserves that might include flowers and animals, taotie masks and stylised tulips. The bases often show 'Chatter Marks'. These are ridges, that radiate from the centre of the base to the foot rim, they are caused by the potters finishing tool catching on the leather hard clay prior to glazing. When one looks at the construction, painting techniques and glazing of kraak porcelain it appears similar in many ways to some of the late Ming porcelain made for the Japanese market. I think it is quite possible that they were both made within the same kilns at Jingdezhen. Kraak porcelain also includes a few rare pieces that have the addition of underglaze copper red and there are a very few know examples of polychrome kraakware. Kraak porcelain went out of fashion at the end of the Ming Dynasty but was later revived during the reign of Kangxi (1662-1722). Swatow porcelain (c.1580-1640) was made in the kraak style but this is thicker and much cruder, the bases often show grit adhering. For similar Ming kraak 'Crow Cups' see : Kraak Porcelain, a Moment in the History of Trade (Maura Rinaldi, Bamboo Publishing Ltd, 1989) Pages 153-155. Stock n. 21313 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
ARITA c.1680 - 1720. Japanese PorcelainA Japanese Blue and White Porcelain Dish in the Kraak Style. Produced at the Arita Kiln in North-Western Kyūshū c.1680-1720. Decorated with a Deer in a Landscape Next to a Pine Tree Growing Out of the Rocks. The Borders Include Taotie Masks and Flowers. Kraak Porcelain is a type of Chinese Export Porcelain produced from the Ming Dynasty reign of emperor Wanli (1573-1620) until the end of the Ming Dynasty in the 1640's. Kraak ware was exported to Japan, Europe and the Near East, hardly any pieces were retained in China. It was copied at Japanese Porcelain factories from as early as c.1660. For a Japanese Kakiemon enamel dish of this shape and design, previously from R & G McPherson Antique, now in a private Australian collection see : The Japanese Aesthetic, Three Centuries of Japanese Porcelain Design and Western Interpretations (The Ceramic and Glass Circle of Australia, 2006)pages 18 and 19 item 33. Stock n. 21149 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |