 POLYCHROME |
 MONOCHROME |
 BLUE and WHITE |
 EARLY CHINESE |
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 S. EAST ASIAN |
 EUROPEAN |
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YUAN or Early MING 13th to 15th Century. Chinese PotteryA Yuan or Early Ming Pottery Flask. The Circular Black Pottery Body with Impressed Designs, the Sides with Two Loop Handles and Two Corresponding Holes in the Base for a Cord. The Top with a Double Spout. This Yuan or Ming flask is based on leather flasks that were attached to the saddles of horses. Stock n. 21477 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
FURSTENBERG Early 19th Century. German Hard-Paste PorcelainAn Early 19th Century Furstenberg Porcelain Model of a Female Street Vendor. The Base with an Underglaze Blue Script F For the Furstenberg Porcelain Factory. Stock n. 20691 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
KANGXI 1662 - 1722. Chinese Export Porcelain.A Pair of Blue and White Kangxi Porcelain Dishes. These Kangxi Porcelain Dishes Depicts the Five Ancients in the Form of Chinese Sages. The Border with the Eight Trigrams ( ☰ Qián Heaven ☱ Duì Lake/Marsh ☲ Lí Fire ☳ Zhèn Thunder ☴ Xùn Wind ☵ Kǎn Water ☶ Gèn Mountain ☷ Kūn Earth ; click on the image for more information about trigrams) and Buddhist Emblems Tied with Ribbons. The Base with an Apocryphal Chenghua Mark (Ming Dynasty 1465-1487). The Five Ancients are the human embodiment of the Wu Xing, the 'Five Elements' : earth, fire, water, metal and wood. The power of yin and yang keep the cosmic balance of all earthly and heavenly phenomena which in turn are composed of the 'Five Elements'. The Five Ancients are looking at a scroll illustrating the emblem for yin and yang. These two forces together form the Taoist Taiji, 'Supreme Ultimate', which are simultaneously the sign of the unity of the Tao and its duality : male and female, hot and cold, light and dark, hard and soft, wet and dry as well as heaven and earth. Apocryphal marks are frequently encountered on Kangxi Blue and White Porcelain, the mark of the Ming Emperor Chenghua who reigned from 1465 to 1487 being by far the most common, other Ming marks include Jiajing (1522-1566) and less frequently Wanli (1573-1620). These marks were not added to the piece to deceive, but more as a sign of reverence to earlier potters of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Occasionally they are used on pieces copying Ming Porcelain, these objects were probably made for collectors who could not afford the Ming original. Provenance : Robert McPherson Antiques. The John Drew Collection of Chinese and Japanese Ceramics. Stock n. 20722 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
TANG DYNASTY 619 - 906. Tang Stoneware.A Late Tang Dynasty White Stoneware Bowl, Probably from Hebei Province, 9th Century. Since the Tang dynasty (618-906) writers have paid homage to the beauty of white wares leaving tangible evidence of their value. However, the class and refinement displayed in wares of complete whiteness had been sought after hundreds of years before the Tang dynasty and would be cultivated for hundreds of years after its demise. This infatuation generated a variety of white wares which vary in degree of whiteness, refinement of materials, and decoration as a large number of kilns produced white wares even if it was not their specialty. Importantly white wares are not confined to one way of production or from one kiln or geographic area. Until the Southern Song dynasty white wares were considered a product of northern China, however, white wares were still manufactured in the south. Thus, within this commentary, white wares are loosely defined as a body (porcelain or stoneware), slip, glaze, or any combination therein, that creates a white or white-toned ware. Additionally, only a few of the most influential white wares produced during the Song dynasty (960-1279) are discussed as scholars are still debating over the many types of white wares. Future excavation and research hold many exciting discoveries for this discipline. Stock n. 21468 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
Probably 1920's. A 20th Century CopyIn the Style of Early Bronze from Northern China or Eastern Eurasian Steppes. This is Probably a Copy or Forgery. For a similar copy attributed to the 1920's see : 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 335 item F26. 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. 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). Stock n. 21130 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
HAN DYNASTY 206 B.C. – 220 A.D. Han PotteryAn Unusual Han Pottery Jar. The Roughly Formed Grey Pottery Cylindrical Body Tapers to a Waisted Neck Which Supports a Top that has Been Carefully Flattened to Create a Narrow Opening. For a group of three very similar Han pottery jars which have 'cold-painting' see : Fine Chinese Archaic Bronzes, Ceramics and Works of Art, Christie's New York, 20th September 2002, lot 245. Stock n. 21363 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
TANG DYNASTY 618 - 907. Tang Stoneware.A Tang Stoneware Jar with a Rich Brown Glaze. Probably from a Kiln in Henan Province, 8th or 9th Century. 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. 21085 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
KAKIEMON. c.1690. Japanese Porcelain.A Kakiemon Porcelain Dish. Decorated with Chrysanthemum Flowers in the Center and Flowering Prunus Among Blue and White Rocks around the Rim. 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. The Nigoshide (milky white) body was a new whiter porcelain body introduced between about 1660 - 1680, solely for use on Kakiemon Wares. Indeed the Kakiemon Palette evolved at the same time. It has recently been proposed that the Nigoshide Body is not a new body at all, rather it is just made from a clay that has been levigated and washed more thoroughly. For a similar Kakiemon plate see : Japanese Export Porcelain, Catalogue of the Collection of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford (Oliver Impey, Hotei Publishing,2002). Page 130, Item 174. Stock n. 12101 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
TRANSITIONAL c.1620 - 1650. Blanc de Chine Porcelain.A Transitional Blanc de Chine Porcelain Dish (Ming or Early Qing c.1620 - 1650) from a Serving Set. The Base with a Small Seal-Mark. 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. Provenance : From the Collection of The Counts of Cao Di San Marco. Remains of an old label with the initials 'R.M.C.' and 'Ming', another label with the number 27. Stock n. 19136 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
KANGXI 1662 - 1722. Famille Verte Porcelain.A Famille Verte Chinese Export Porcelain Model of a Standing Boy with One Foot on a Lotus Design (Pillow?), Kangxi Period c.1680-1690. Modelled Holding a Vase of Lotus, with Painted Lotus, Buddhist Emblems and Fabric Designs. This Famille Verte model is undoubtedly Export Porcelain, however the meaning conveyed by a boy holding lotus would have been lost to a Western audience. Lotus was used as a symbol of purity as well as fertility, growing out of muddy water its blooms looked all the purer, the flowers and seed-heads are often used to symbolise a multitude of offspring. Boys among lotus are recurring theme among Song ceramics. For social, religious, as well as economic reasons boys were what families hoped and indeed prayed for. In China, porcelain, bronze and pottery figures of boys were used at family alters. In 17th century Europe such figures would have been seen as exotic amusing curios from the other side of the world, perfect for decorating a Chinoiserie room. Stock n. 21119 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's Head. 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. 21132 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
HOI AN HOARD c.1450 - 1500. Vietnamese Pottery.Vietnamese Pottery Box and Cover From the Hoi An Hoard Shipwreck. Decorated in Blue and White With Rocks and Grass. Stock n. 13973 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
HOI AN HOARD c.1450 - 1500. Vietnamese Pottery.A Small Fruit Formed Pottery Box and Cover Recovered from the Hoi An Hoard Shipwreck. The Top of the Box has a Small Moulded Stork . The Sides are Decorated in Under-glaze Blue with Bamboo. Items from this Shipwreck as well as Pieces from the Hatcher and Nanking Cargo can be Seem at the British Museum in London. Stock n. 13378 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
YONGZHENG 1723 - 1735. Chinese Export Porcelain.An Unusual Yongzheng Blue and White Porcelain Plate Copying a Dutch Delft Original. Painted with a Central Urn of Flowers Surrounded by other Urns Within Panels. Both the Design and the Painting Style are very Close to the Dutch Delft Pottery Original. Stock n. 17524 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
KANGXI 1662 - 1722. Chinese Export Porcelain.A Pair of Chinese Export Porcelain Vases, Kangxi Period c.1690-1720. The 'Cafe Au Lait' Ground has Four Reserved Panels Decorated with the 'Hundred Antiques' Pattern Alternating with Plants and Rocks. For More Information About the 'Hundred Antiques' Pattern Click on the Image. The 'Cafe Au Lait' ground is created with iron oxide but in a lower concentration than the darker brown of 'Batavia Ware'. Both ground colours were used extensively in the first half of the 18th century. Stock n. 19645 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
FRENCH c.1760 -1785. French Hard-Paste Porcelain.An 18th French Porcelain Toilet Pot and Cover. Decorated in Cobalt Blue of a Slightly Sooty Tone with Sprigs of Flowers. While the shape and design of this 18th Century Porcelain cosmetics box and cover relate to St.Cloud from the first half of the 18th Century this piece is rather later, and was possibly produced in Paris. Stock n. 20138 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
NORTHERN SONG 960 - 1127. Northern White WareA Northern Song Dynasty Miniature White Ware Ewer. Provenance : The Carl Kemp Collection of Early Chinese Ceramics. 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. Exhibited : Mostra D'Arte Cinese, Venezia 1954. Stock n. 20363 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
TANG DYNASTY 618 - 907. Yue Celadon.A Miniature Tang Dynasty(618-907)Yue Celadon Ware Waterpot. The Compressed Circular Form Divided into Four by Impressed Lines which Terminate at Four Stumpy Legs. The Illustrated Side Shows Light Brown Markings where no Glaze was Applied. Without a Carl Kempe Label. Celadon Ware. 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. For a very similar Tang Yue Celadon waterpot from Brodie Lodge Collection, bought at Bluetts on the 7th of June 1961 for £15.00. See 17345, enter this number in the search box on the Home page. This piece is in our Archives. Provenance : The Carl Kemp Collection of Early Chinese Ceramics. Johan Carl Kempe (8 December 1884 – 8 July 1967) was one of the greatest collectors of Early Chinese Ceramics, his main areas of interest were early Chinese monochrome Stoneware and Porcelain, until recently the most of the collection was displayed in the Ulrichamn Museum of Asian Art. The Ulricehamn East Asian Museum, Sweden. Stock n. 20393 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
HONGZHI 1488 - 1505 to JIAJING 1522 - 1566. Ming DynastyA Ming Pottery Mingqi Model of a Table with Food Offerings, c.1500 - 1640 from a Kiln in Northern China. Mingqi pottery objects were designed specifically for use in tombs. Most Han 'Mingqi' pottery consists of copies of bronze or lacquer vessels or models of architecture forms, figures as well as animals. Food was an important element of Han burials, as with ancient Egypt foodstuffs were believed to provide sustenance for the next life. Richer tombs were generously supplied with raw agricultural products. Ming tombs also contain models of furniture, day beds, clothes hangers as well as tables and chairs reflecting the comfortable life led by the owners. A very similar Ming dynasty Mingqi pottery table with offerings purchased from Robert McPherson Antiques can now be seen at the Victoria and Albert Museum London. Stock n. 20614 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
HAN DYNASTY 206 B.C - 220 A.D. Mingqi PotteryA Large Han Pottery Object, Possibly a Cover for a Massive Funerary Vase. Decorated with Applied as Well as Carved Decoration. The Decoration Including Three Human Figures on the Top, Four Loops, Six Leaf Shaped Ornaments, as well as Horsemen Moulded in Relief Around the Base. This Unusual Object has the Remains of Degraded Glaze in Places. Stock n. 20914 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
ARITA c1700 - 1740. Japanese Porcelain.A Small 18th Century Japanese Arita Porcelain Plate Decorated with Four Seated Figures. The Borders of Flowers. For a very similar 18th Century Arita plate see : The Commemorative Exhibition For The Contribution, The Shibatas Collection Part 5, The Creation and Development of the Enpo Style (Akihiko Shibata and Yuko Shibata and others, The Kyushu Ceramic Museum, 1997) page 183 plate 255. Stock n. 20687 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
WANLI 1573 - 1620 . Ming Porcelain.An Early Wanli Blue and White Dish c.1580. This Late Ming Export Porcelain Dish was Possibly Made for the Japanese Market. Decorated with a Toad Amidst Plants and Possibly Sitting on Toad-sporn. For a Similar Example, but with the Toad Facing the other Way, See : Transitional Wares and their Forerunners ( The Oriental Ceramic Society of Hong Kong, 1981 ) page 66, item 11. Also See : Loan Exhibition, The Animal In Chinese Art (The Arts Council of Great Britain and The Oriental Ceramic Society 1968) , number 485. Blue and white porcelain known as Qinghua in China, meaning Blue decoration refers to Chinese porcelain decorated with Cobalt prior to glazing. It is painted on as a muddy black/brown colour, it is them given a layer of transparent glaze and fired. The process of firing turns the cobalt into a blue colour, varying in tone depending on the quality of the cobalt and the way it is fired. It was first used in the Tang Dynasty as an additional colour for Sancai pottery, it was also used occasionally for decorating pottery without any other colours. It was not until the Yuan Dynasty that Blue and White became a popular colour scheme for Chinese Porcelain. Stock n. 18890 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
SEVRES 1792 French Hard-Paste PorcelainA Large 18th Century Sevres Hard-Paste Porcelain Dish 1792. Decorated with Garden Flowers, Blue and Gilding. The Base with Interlaced L's for the Sevres Porcelain Factory, 'OO' for 1792 and 'DT' for Nicholas Dutenda (worked at Sevres 1765-1802). For a Sevres Coffee Can Painted by Nicholas Dutenda in 1791 see our 'Archives', Stock Number 20430. 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. We have one other large Sevres dish of this size and pattern, the blue is slightly paler and has run very slightly, this is £620 and has the painter's mark 'FM' in gilt capitals. Stock n. 21332 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
17th CENTURY. Blanc de Chine Porcelain.A Late Ming Dynasty or Early Qing Miniature Blanc de Chine Bombe Form Censer. Based on a Bronze Form with Lion Mask Handles. Blanc de Chine Porcelain from Dehua in Fujian Province. For a Similar but Larger Examples See : Blanc de Chine (S.Marchant & Son, 2006) Page 110 and 111, Items 73, 73a, & 73b. Provenance : From the Gerald Davison Collection CP187. Stock n. 17793 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
KAKIEMON. c.1680 - 1700. Japanese Porcelain.A Pair 17th Century Japanese Kakiemon Porcelain Shallow Bowls. Decorated on a 'Nigoshide' Body with a 'Shishi' and Flowering Branch. 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. The Nigoshide (milky white) body was a new whiter porcelain body introduced between about 1660 - 1680, solely for use on Kakiemon Wares. Indeed the Kakiemon Palette evolved at the same time. It has recently been proposed that the Nigoshide Body is not a new body at all, rather it is just made from a clay that has been levigated and washed more thoroughly. Stock n. 18945 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
QIANLONG 1736 - 1795. Chinese Export Porcelain with Dutch or English Decoration.A Chinese Export Porcelain Blue and White Bowl, Qianlong (1736-1795). Over Decorated in England or Holland in c.1780. Provenance : Dr Bernard Watney. The Watney Collection of Chinese Porcelain Decorated in Holland and England. Bonhams, New Bond street, London 7th November 2003. Part Two of a Two part Lot. Lot 79 Illustrated on page 48. When Bernard Watney purchased this bowl from us we thought it was Dutch decorated but the Bonham's catalogue of the Watney sale puts forward an interesting theory "The bowl painted with 'bubblehead figures reminiscent of New Hall. This could be an early example of Staffordshire clobbering". We purchased the bowl in Amsterdam, which while not excluding the possibility of it being decorated in England, does make it less likely. Stock n. 18987 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
TRANSITIONAL c.1640 - 1680. Blanc de Chine Porcelain.A Transitional Blanc de Chine Beaker Shaped Vase. The Central Section with Incised Decoration. The Unglazed Base Inscribed in Black Ink with a Single Chinese Character, this is Probably Contemporary with the Piece. 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. Provenance : Private Collection. Stock n. 20354 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
NORTHERN SONG 960 - 1127. Yaozhou CeladonAn Unusual Yaozhou Celadon Bird Form Whistle. The Moulded Form has a Large Hole Made Through the Center of the Bird Which is Mirrored on the Other Side, there is a Similar Sized Hole at the Front. Yaozhou celadon ware comes in many forms, but small crisply moulded or carved bowls were a popular product, as were miniature press-moulded figures or animals, toys and everyday utensils. The Yaozhou kilns main production at Shaanxi was celadon, but they also produced black and brown wares as well. Stock n. 20465 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
KAKIEMON c.1670 - 1690. Japanese Porcelain, The Decoration 19th Century.A 17th Century White Kakiemon Porcelain Plate with Moulded Borders, Decorated in Japan in the Late 19th Century. The decoration on the present examples is not in keeping with 17th century Japanese Kakiemon porcelain decoration, it is not painted in a true 17th century style, it is a later invention based on 17th century Kakiemon enamel painting. White Kakiemon porcelain was often 'overdecorated' at the end of the 19th and even early 20th century in Japan, this made it more commercial. The Dutch and English enamelled white Japanese and Chinese porcelain in the 18th century for exactly the same reason. Later decoration on Japanese Kakiemon is not well understood, many pieces pass through auction and are entered in museum catalogues with no reference to the fact that the enamels were added later. The 'Nigoshide' Body was a New Whiter Porcelain Body Introduced Between about 1660 - 1680, Solely for use on Kakiemon Wares. Indeed the Kakiemon Palette Evolved at the Same Time. It has Recently been Proposed that the Nigoshide Body is not a New Body at all, Rather it is Just Made from a Clay that has been Levigated and Washed more. Stock n. 20724 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
DOCCIA 19th Century. Italian Hard-Paste Porcelain.A 19th Century Doccia Porcelain Sugar Bowl and Cover c.1800 - 1850, Possibly Using 18th Century Moulds. Moulded in Bass-Relief in the Istoriato Style. The Design is Possibly Based on Ovid's Metamorphoses by Giglielmo Della Porta of 1560, which was Reproduced by Anton Filippo Selvi for Marquis Carlo Ginori in the Period Between 1745 and 1747. The Present Example is a Later Version of the Original 18th Century Porcelain, it is Very Similar to the 18th Century Pieces but Differs in the Painting Style and Palette. Istoriato is a type of High Renaissance pottery (Maiolica) decorated with historical, mythical, Biblical or genre scenes that was produced less for use than for decoration. For Examples of 18th Century White Doccia Porcelain with similar Istoriato bass-reliefs see : Lucca e le Porcellane Della Manifattura Ginori (Fondazione Centro Studi Sull'arte Licia E Carlo Ludovico Ragghainti,2001) Pages 300-302. An 18th century Doccia porcelain box and cover with similar decoration in coloured enamels is illustrated on page 242. The Doccia Porcelain factory was located at Doccia near Florence, it was started by Marchese Carlo Ginori (1702–1757), who was a gifted and enlightened politician. He reclaimed the marshes of cecina on the Tuscan coast for use in agriculture and even introduced goldfish from China to the Austrian court. But his great passion was for porcelain, his factory at Doccia started in 1735, although the early period was experimental. Commercial production didn't start until the early 1740's, the factory is still in production today. Carlo Ginori shared Augustus the Strong's love of large sculptural ceramics, wonderful large white porcelain figures and groups were produced, but the factory's main output was functional porcelain, tea and coffee services as well as dinner services, fork and knife handles, vases, bottle coolers and many other objects. Doccia Porcelain is a type of hybrid hard-paste, the so-called masso bastardo. The paste is somewhat grey, frequently showing 'firing cracks'. The lead-glaze that was used in the 18th century is also rather grey, sometimes this greyness can be quite pronounced, the tin-oxide glaze can sometimes have an orange-peel effect caused but tiny burst bubbles, this gives a slightly dull appearance. Towards the later part of the 18th century a fine cold white paste was developed for finer quality pieces. The Doccia factory is especially important for the introduced a new technique called Stampino in the 1740's, this is the earliest attempt at mechanical decoration on European porcelain, the technique involves a type of stencilling in blue and white. Stock n. 20827 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
BERLIN c.1770. German Hard Paste Porcelain.An 18th Century Berlin Porcelain Leaf Shaped Dish. Naturalistically Moulded on the Front and the Back to Look Like a Leaf. The Base with a Underglaze Blue Sceptre Mark of the Berlin Porcelain Factory. The first porcelain factory established in Berlin was set up under the agreement of Fredrick the Great by the textile manufacturer Wlhelm Kasper Wedely in 1752. The King, who initially gave assistance lost interest as the porcelain was not of good enough quality. Wedely, who was hoping for information about porcelain production, as well as moulds and workmen from the Meissen factory after the Seven Years War was disappointed to receive nothing from Meissen and no help from the king. He gave up production in 1757. Fredrick the Great allowed a new porcelain factory to be started by Johann Ernst Gotzkolwsky. Secret information was purchased and the new factory started production in 1761. It was run by Johann Georg Grieninger who retained the position until his death in 1798. By 1763 the King had purchased the factory where 146 staff were now employed. This new ownership gave the factory enormous advantages, including free fuel, as well as protection from competition. Alarmingly Fredrick started a new scheme, the so-called "Jew's porcelain", by which his Jewish subjects had to buy and export 300 thalers worth of porcelain before they were allowed to buy property or marry. Stock n. 20786 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |
ARITA c.1680 - 1720 Japanese PorcelainA Japanese Blue and White Porcelain Plate from the Arita Kilns in North-Western Kyūshū, Late 17th or Early 18th Century. The Thickly Potted Moulded Porcelain Plate has a Foliate Edge with a Brown Iron-Oxide Dressing Kuchibeni (Which means lipstick in Japanese). The Sides of the Plate are Well Painted with Trailing and Fruiting Vines. The Back with Karakusa Scrolls. The Base has a Running Fuku Mark Meaning Happiness. Stock n. 211521 R and G McPherson dealers in antique Chinese porcelain |