 POLYCHROME |
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 EARLY CHINESE |
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NORTHERN SONG 960 - 1127. Northern Whiteware.Northern Song Miniature Whiteware Ewer. Although this is similar in proportion to a normal sized Song ewer, the spout has been made too large so that it can be hollow. Provenance : Purchased at Sydney Moss on the 16th of July 1956 for £15.00. Enid and Brodie Lodge Collection. R & G McPherson Antiques (stock number 17343). The Margaret Goldney Collection of Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art. Stock n. 20632 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
HATCHER CARGO c.1643. Transitional Porcelain.Hatcher Cargo, Transitional Porcelain c.1643. A Hatcher Cargo Kraak Porcelain Blue and White Dish. Label to Base : The Hatcher Collection Christie's Amsterdam 14-03-1984. The Hatcher Cargo was the first shipwreck cargo to come on to the market. It was sold in three auctions in Christie's Amsterdam in 1984 and 1985. It is a very important cargo of shipwreck ceramics, despite the lack of historical evidence recorded by the salvage team. A porcelain cover dated to the Spring of 1643 helps confirm the date of the wreck. The Ming dynasty ended in 1644 and the period of chaos between between the end of the Ming and the beginning of the Qing dynasty is referred to as the Transitional period. The Hatcher Cargo is a vital dating tool for late Ming and early Qing porcelain. 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. It appears the earliest recorded use of the word Kraak relating to porcelain is in the 1670's. For similar Hatcher Cargo Kraak porcelain dishes see : Fine And Important Late Ming And Transitional Porcelain, recently recovered from an Asian vessel in the South China Sea. Property of Captain Michael Hatcher. Christie's Amsterdam 14th March 1984. Hatcher label The Hatcher Collection 14-03-1984 Stock n. 19276 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
QIANLONG 1736 - 1795. Chinese Export PorcelainA Pair of Large Chinese Export Porcelain Famille Rose Meat Dishes, Late Qianlong c.1785. Decorated in the Neo-Classical Taste, with Initials, Probably I.J.S. Within a Shield Devise with a Phoenix Arising From Flames. The Famille Rose Borders are of Flower Swags. The Family Who Ordered this Chinese Export Porcelain Service is as yet Unidentified The story of the survival of these pieces of Chinese Export Porcelain, as told by the family who owed them, is extraordinary. Apparently they were protected by Georgian table, that had it's top tipped up, from a landmine dropped by an airship in the First World War. Presumably the table was destroyed by the blast. For a saucer-shaped dish from this service see : Chinese Armorial Porcelain (David Sanctuary Howard,Faber and Faber,1974) Page 635. S9. Stock n. 21107 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
KANGXI 1662 - 1722. Blanc de Chine Porcelain.A Kangxi Blanc de Chine Porcelain Figure of Budai Holding the 'Sacred Pearl' of Wisdom. Produced at the Dehua Kilns in Fujian Province, Late 17th or Early 18th Century. Made in a Two Piece Moulded the Porcelain is Quite Thin and Shows Finger-Marks on the Unglazed Interior of the Figure. Standing Blanc de Chine figures of Budai are unusual, he is normally shown seated grinning over his large belly. Budai (Hotei in Japanese) is a Chinese deity. His name means 'Cloth Sack', and comes from the bag that he carries. According to Chinese tradition, Budai was an eccentric Chinese Zen monk who lived during the 10th Century. He is almost always shown smiling or laughing, hence his nickname in Chinese, the Laughing Buddha. In English speaking countries, he is popularly known also as the 'Fat Buddha'(For more information click on the image). Stock n. 20675 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
NANKING CARGO c.1752. Qianlong Porcelain.A Nanking Cargo Porcelain Plate Decorated with the 'Boatman Pattern'. Qianlong Period (1736-1795). The Geldermalsen built in 1746 was one of the newest and finest Dutch East Indiamen. It is one hundred and fifty feet long and forty-two feet wide. Captain Jan Morel, 33 years old, his many Dutch sailors and sixteen Englishmen set sail from Canton. On Monday January 3rd 1752 the Geldermalsen on its way to Holland hit a reef and sank. The survivors struggle on in a barge and long boat and reach Batavia in eight days. The wreck held a most valuable cargo of tea, as well as Chinese silks and textiles. All now lost. The vast porcelain cargo, as well as gold has survived. Tea was the real reason for the journey, ceramics accounting for only five per cent of the total value. The loss of the Geldermalsen cost the Dutch East India Company 900.000 guilders. However the porcelain from the sister ship the Amstelveen sold for far more than normal because it now carried all the porcelain to be sold in Holland that year. See 'History' for more information about the Geldermalsen and other shipwrecks. Provenance : Christie's Amsterdam, The Nanking Cargo, Chinese Export Porcelain and Gold, 28th April-2nd May 1986. Label to the Base Nanking Cargo, Christie's, Lot 1741 Stock n. 14928 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
TANG DYNASTY 618 - 907. Early Chinese PotteryA Tang Sancai Glazed Pottery Stem-Dish or Tazza from Henan. This Tang Pottery Tazza has a Streaky Lead Glaze, the Center of The Dish Shaped Top is Unglazed, Part of the Glazed Top Shows Iridescence. For a similar Tang Pottery tazza see : Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection Volume 1 (Regina Krahl, Azimuth Editions, 1994) Page 153 Item 273. For a further similar Tang Sancai stem-dish 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. Provenance : An English Private Collection. Stock n. 19849 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
TANG DYNASTY 618 - 907. Tang Mingqi PotteryA Tang Pottery Court Lady, Early to Mid 8th Century. Red Pottery with a Cream Coloured Slip and the Remains of Some Original Cold-Painted (Un-fired) Pigment, Possibly from the X'ian Area. The Figure Depicts a Robustly Built Lady in a Relaxed Posture Wearing a Long Loose Fitting Robe Which Gathers Near Her Ankles. Her Large Mass of Hair is Carefully Controlled with a Part of it Tied to One Side. Tang figures of this type are often, rather unfalteringly, referred to as 'Fat Ladies'. These voluptuously shaped pottery figures reflect changing tastes in female beauty during the early 8th century. As well as being based on a fuller figured woman, these Tang pottery sculptures show a new ease, being almost informal in there depiction but with a strong sense of presence. Perhaps reflecting a new confidence in women during the high point of the Tang dynasty. For a similar Tang Court Lady see : Bronze, Clay and Stone, Chinese Art in the C.C. Wang Family Collection (Annette L.Juliano, Hsi An T'ang,1988. ISBN 0-295-96805-2) plate 50. For another Tang figure of this type from a tomb dated to 748 in Gaolou village, Xi'an, Shaanxi province now in the Shaanxi Provincial Museum see : The Quest For Eternity, Chinese Ceramic Sculpture From The People's Republic Of China (Editor Susan L. Carolli, Thames and Hudson, 1987) Page 140 plate 84. Together with a Thermoluminescence test from Oxford Authentications supporting the dating of this piece. Stock n. 20952 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
MEISSEN c.1740. German Hard-Paste PorcelainAn 18th Century Meissen Porcelain Pot Au Fard. Decorated with Rustic Scenes and One 'Harbour Scene' on the Cover, all Within an Asymmetrical Gilt Borders Against a Turquoise Ground. The Base with Crossed Sword Marks in Underglaze Blue for the Meissen Porcelain Factory. Meissen Harbour Scenes : '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. 21595 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
MEISSEN c.1740 - 1750. German Hard Paste PorcelainAn 18th Century Meissen Teabowl and Saucer in the 'Blanc de Chine' Style. Decorated with prunus spriggs in relief, the bases with a crossed swords mark in underglaze blue for the Meissen porcelain factory. The saucer with an impressed 'P' the teabowl with a '67'. Stock n. 18831 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
MEISSEN, MARCOLINI PERIOD 1774 - 1814 ? Hard-Paste Porcelain.A Late 18th Century Porcelain Oval Plaque in the Neo-Classical Style After Wedgwood Jasper Ware. Although we Previously Attributed this piece to France it has been Suggested to us that this Plaque is Probably Maroclini Meissen as Noted on the Reverse of the Object, we Would be Grateful for any Further Comment. The Plaque Depicts a Sleeping Cupid with His Bow About to be Stolen by a Child Satyr. The reverse has an old ink inscription "Marcolini Dresden" but the back also has several marks including an incised 'B' which could indicate it comes from the Boissette Porcelain factory which started in 1778 at Seine-et-Marne near Paris. The other incised mark is 'ZZ' which is probably a workman's mark. Marks of this type are also found on Marcolini Period Meissen Porcelain plaques. Stock n. 20811 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
CHONGZHEN 1628-1644. Transitional Porcelain.A Transitional Porcelain Blue and White Jar, Late Ming, Chongzhen Period 1628-1644. Decorated with Flowers in a Landscape with a Bird. The present Transitional Blue and White Porcelain jar is from a well known group which share many Kraak Ware characteristics. The shoulder decoration, quality of porcelain as well as the finish relate closely to kraak ware of the period, however this does not necessarily mean they were made at the same Jingdezhen kilns as Kraak Ware. For two similar Transitional Porcelain jars recovered from the Hatcher Cargo see : Catalogue of Late Yuan and Ming Ceramics in the British Museum.(Jessica Harrison-Hall.The British Museum Press, 2001. ISBN 0-7141-1488-X.) page 377. Stock n. 21529 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
Late MING DYNASTY or Early QING DYNASTY. c.17th Century. Chinese BronzeA Chinese Bronze Gu Vase, Late Ming Dynasty or Early Qing in the Archaic Style with Stiff Leaves Issuing from a Central Raised Section. Stock n. 21055 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
LIAO or JIN 11th or 12th Century. Early Chinese StonewareA Rare Liao or Jin Mingqi Stoneware Model of a Cup and Stand. The Cup of Cizhou Type with White Slip and a Clear Glaze, the Stand with a Dark Iron-Oxide Glaze. This cup and stand is unusual in that it has been made as a model of a bowl and saucer rather than being one. The bowl was attached to its saucer during its manufacture, therefore it is a representation of a bowl and saucer, rather than being anything that could have been functional. 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. For a very similar pair of cups with stands see : Nobel Riders of the Plains and Deserts - Artistic Legacy of the Qidan (Art Museum and the Department of Fine Arts of The Chinese University of Hong Kong on 25 October 2004). Stock n. 21184 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
ARITA c.1670 - 1690. Japanese Porcelain.A 17th Century Japanese Blue and White Plate in the Transitional Style. Thickly Potted and Painted with Figures in a Landscape. Transitional Porcelain refers to Chinese porcelain made between c.1620 and about 1670. The term Transitional Porcelain is used in the West to describe Chinese porcelain made during the turbulent times that befell China in the 17th Century. It is a description used about porcelain made in the transition between the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Although the style of the present example is that of 17th Century Chinese Transitional Porcelain it is not as simple as that, because this piece is copying a Dutch Delft plate which its self was based on Transitional Porcelain. This indirect root is given away by two main clues, the thick potting and shape are much more in keeping with the heavy potting of Delft pottery, also the composition is not found in Chinese porcelain but in Chinoiserie Dutch Delft based on Chinese Transitional Porcelain. Stock n. 154041 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
YONGZHENG 1723 - 1735 or QIANLONG 1736 - 1795. Turquoise Glazed Porcelain.A Pair of 18th Century Chinese Turquoise Glazed Porcelain Archaistic Style Libation Cups, Yongzheng or Qianlong c.1730-1760. Decorated with Two Small Supporting Archaistic Dragons with Ruyi Shaped Heads to the Squared Cut Handles. Under the Lip of these Libation Cup are are Further Pair of Dragon Appliqué. Stock n. 21225 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
SONG DYNASTY or JIN DYNASTY 12th - 13th Century. Cizhou TypeSong or Jin Dynasty Pottery Bowl of Cizhou Type from the Henan-Hebei Area. Decorated with Three Iron Oxide Black-Brown Markings Glaze on a Brown-Black Glaze. Stock n. 21198 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
LUDWIGSBURG c.1770. German Hard-Paste PorcelainAn 18th Century Ludwigsburg Porcelain Tureen and Cover c.1770. The Circular Form with a Domed Cover and a Large Strawberry Shaped Finial. The Painting in the Rococo Style is of Classical Figures in Landscapes. The Base of the Tureen with Back to Back Interlaced C's with a Crown in Underglaze Blue. The Ludwigsburg Porcelain factory was located in Wurttenberg, Germany. The factory started under the patronage of Duke Carl Eugen of Wurttenberg in a barracks in 1758. From 1758 to 1793 the Monogram of Duke Carl Eugen of Wurttenberg was used as a factory mark ; back to back interlaced C's with a crown. From 1760 the porcelain factory was located in a small ducal castle Jagerhaus. Stock n. 20663 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
SOUTHERN SONG or YUAN DYNASTY 12th to 14th Century. Black PotteryA Southern Song or Yuan Black Pottery Vase 12th to 14th Century. This Pottery Vase was Made in Imitation of a Bronze Original. Stock n. 21485 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 an Ibex. 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. 21131 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
COZZI c.1770 - 1790. Italian Soft-Paste Porcelain.A Late 18th Century Cozzi Porcelain Coffee Can with Chinoiserie in the Imari Style. The Base Marked with a large Anchor in Red. Cozzi Porcelain : A Porcelain Factory was started in Venice by the businessman and imaginative entrepreneur Geminiano Cozzi in 1764. The soft-paste porcelain produced was greyish in colour, production varied from figures to teawares. The fashion for drinking tea, coffee, and chocolate from porcelain cups in Venice's new coffeehouses, along with the general popularity of porcelain during the 1700s, fueled tremendous demand for Cozzi's wares. These useful wares propelled the Cozzi Porcelain factory to become the most successful of all the Venetian porcelain factories in the 18th Century. However, the factory, like so many others closed as a result of the French Revolution. The factory was closed in 1812. Stock n. 21273 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
MENNECY c.1750 - 1760. French Soft-Paste PorcelainAn 18th Century Mennecy Porcelain Sugar-Box and Cover Decorated with Bouquets of Garden Flowers Including Tulips and Roses. The Base Incised 'D.V.' for the Duc de Villeroy. Produced at the Mennecy porcelain factory of of Francois Barbin under the protection of the Duc de Villeroy. The factory was started in Paris in 1734 but had to move to Mennecy in 1748 because Francois Barbin did not have letters of patent from the king and so was refused permission to produce porcelain in Paris. Stock n. 21591 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. 21347 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
KANGXI 1662 - 1722. Six Character Kangxi Mark and of the Period.A Large Kangxi Blue and White Porcelain Dish. The Thickly Potted Shaped Circular Form Boldly Decorated in a Strong Cobalt Blue with a Flowering Plant Issuing From Rockwork. The Border and Back with Further Flowering Plants. The Base with a Six Character Kangxi Mark and of the Period (1662-1722). Despite having a six character Kangxi mark this piece is not imperial, indeed it was not even made for the Chinese market. This is a Chinese export porcelain dish that was made for the European market, possibly for the Dutch. In earlier periods a six character reign mark would not have been allowed on none imperial porcelain, but Kangxi export porcelain does occur with the six character mark of Kangxi quite regularly. However, the marks from previous emperors occur far more frequently on Kangxi porcelain, especially that of the Ming emperor Chenghua 1465-1487. It is interesting to note that 19th century copies of Kangxi porcelain often use a four character Kangxi mark rather than the standard six character mark. Four character Kangxi marks are hardly ever found on genuine Kangxi porcelain. Provenance : From a Private English Collection of Chinese and Japanese Porcelain. Stock n. 21370 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
CHONGZHEN 1628-1644. Ming Blanc de Chine Porcelain.A Late Ming Blanc de Chine Porcelain Stem Cup from the Dehua Kilns in Fujian Province, Chongzhen 1628-1644. The porcelain known in the West as Blanc de Chine was produced 300 miles south of the main Chinese kiln complex of Jingdezhen. The term refers to the fine grain white porcelain made at the kilns situated near Dehua in the coastal province of Fujian, these kilns also produced other types of porcelain. A rather freely painted blue and white ware, porcelain with brightly coloured 'Swatow' type enamels as well as pieces with a brown iron-rich glaze. However it is the white blanc de Chine wares that have made these kilns famous. The quality and colour achieved by the Dehua potters was partly due to the local porcelain stone, it was unusually pure and was used without kaolin being added. This, combined with a low iron content and other chemical factors within the body as well as the glaze, enabled the potters to produce superb ivory-white porcelain. Stock n. 20481 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
HATCHER CARGO c.1643. Transitional Porcelain.A Transitional Porcelain Blue and White Kraak Ware Dish from the Hatcher Cargo of c.1643. Decorated with a Vase of Flowers and a Ornamental Rock in a Square Stand within a Garden Setting.The Border Panels Somewhat Blurred Due to the Glaze Running in the Firing. 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. Stock n. 20399 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
HATCHER CARGO c.1643 Transitional Porcelain.A Finely Potted Transitional Porcelain Blue and White Cup Decorated with Cranes in Flight. Of the 25,000 recovered pieces from the Hatcher Cargo, most were blue and white porcelain from Jingdezhen. However a few Swatow and Blanc de Chine items were found. It seems apparent that this cargo was going to be trans-shipped, some for the local South East Asian market, including bird feeders, cricket cages and pickled dishes. However there were many items made for the West, including western shapes. The Dutch East India Company ( The V.O.C.) had been sending wooden shapes out for copying from the 1630’s.Transitional period porcelain (between the end of the Ming and the beginning of the Qing) is often of very good quality with wonderful landscape and paintings of plants. Indeed the quality of this cargo is generally very high. It dates from the very end of the Ming dynasty. A cover with a cyclical date of Spring 1643 has been recovered. It is one of the most important shipwrecks recovered. Stock n. 19933 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
KANGXI 1662 - 1722. Chinese Export Porcelain.A Pair of Chinese Export Porcelain Plates in the Kraak Style, Kangxi c.1700-1720. Decorated with Islamic Style Motifs Including Stylised Pomegranate. The first time Kraak was first used as a term to describe a type of blue and white porcelain 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 us 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 sales caused a sensation, it was the first time such large amounts of Chinese blue and white porcelain had been sold in Northern Europe. The porcelain that was captured from the porcelain Carracks has become known as kraak porcelain or kraak ware. It was all 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 kraak 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 porcelain made for the Japanese market. I think it was 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 kraak ware. 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. Later copies of Kraak porcelain were made in Japan (especially c.1660-1700 and c.1820-1850). Provenance : Edbert Antiques, Brussels, Belgium. 3rd March 2000 The Tom Lurie Collection of Chinese Export Porcelain. Stock n. 21021 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
SOUTHERN SONG 1127 - 1279. Song StonewareA Southern Song Stoneware Bowl with a Iron Rich Dark Glaze and a Cream Coloured Rim, Possibly from the Maodian Kilns in Guangze County, Fujian Province or Possibly the Baishe Kilns in Nanfeng County, Jiangxi Province. Song stoneware of this type was previously attributed to the Jizhou kilns, however a number of kilns used this teabowl profile with similarly produced footrims created around a countersunk base. The Maodian Kilns in Guangze County specialised in chocolate brown or chestnut glazes with white rims, although the bowl profile and footrim construction are similar to Jizhou there are some differences. Jizhou glazes are also, I think rather different, they often adhere poorly to the stoneware body and can be very friable, unlike the present example. I am not able to distinguish whether the present example comes from the Maodian Kilns, Baishe Kilns or maybe even another kiln. Stock n. 21479 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
WESTERN INNER MONGOLIA 1st B.C. Mongolian Bronze.A Unique Mongolian Bronze Plaque of a 'Double Horse', Western Inner Mongolia, 1st Century B.C. Made Using the Lost Wax Technique. Provenance : William Mayer Collection. 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. Published : Ancient Bronzes of the Eastern Eurasian Steppes from the Arthur Sackler Collection (Emma C. Bunker with Trudy S. Kawami, Katheryn M. Linduff, Wu En, Published by The Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, 1997. ISBN 0-8109-6348-5) page 267 item 234b. Stock n. 21127 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 a Dragon. 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. 21137 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
SOUTHERN SONG 1127 - 1279. Jian WareA Southern Song Black Stoneware Teabowl with Brown Markings, Probably from the Jian Kilns. This Stoneware teabowl bowl has been double dipped, in other words it has been glazed twice. This for fills two main functions, the rich deep black colour is difficult to achieve with only one glaze application, it also means any small area missed by the first application are dealt with in the second. The first, thinner layer, is of a coffee colour, this can clearly seen on the back of the bowl. The thicker rich black second layer can be seen dribbling over the thinner paler coffee coloured glaze on the back. This first layer could be seen as an undercoat to add intensity to the second rich black glaze layer. The Jian kilns specialised in the production of teabowls with brown and black glazes. These teabowls are thickly constructed with stout shallow footrims, the other black ware to come from Southern China is Jizhou ware, which can be identified by their poorly formed footrims and the fact that the glaze doesn't fit the body as well as Jian ware, it frequently crazes and can look 'dry'. Southern black wares are constructed of a clay rich in iron oxides, this gives the stonewares a distinctive dark purple-black or blackish-brown appearance which contrasts with the Northern black wares that have less iron oxide in their body. The body colour of these Northern wares is paler, often a 'putty' colour, grey or buff. For more about this type of stoneware see : Hare's Fur, Tortoiseshell, and Partridge Feathers, Chinese Brown And Black Glazed Ceramics, 400-1400 (Robert D. Mowry, Harvard University Art Museum Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1996). Stock n. 21475 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
KANGXI 1662 - 1722. Blanc de Chine Porcelain. A Pair of Blanc de Chine Porcelain Baluster Shaped Vases. The Bases of these Lightly Potted Blanc de Chine Vases are Unglazed and the Lutting Line Shows Clearly as the Glaze has not Taken on the Lutting Line, this is Visible Just Above the Baluster of the Vases. The porcelain known in the West as Blanc de Chine was produced 300 miles south of the main Chinese kiln complex of Jingdezhen. The term refers to the fine grain white porcelain made at the kilns situated near Dehua in the coastal province of Fujian, these kilns also produced other types of porcelain. A rather freely painted blue and white ware, porcelain with brightly coloured 'Swatow' type enamels as well as pieces with a brown iron-rich glaze. However it is the white blanc de Chine wares that have made these kilns famous. The quality and colour achieved by the Dehua potters was partly due to the local porcelain stone, it was unusually pure and was used without kaolin being added. This, combined with a low iron content and other chemical factors within the body as well as the glaze, enabled the potters to produce superb ivory-white porcelain. Stock n. 18712 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |