Bactrian Alabaster Cup

Carved from the shell of a coconut, this enchanting Chinese cup exhibits exceptional artistry. An elegant floral design encircles the entire cup, while the interior is fully lined with silver. In addition to the poison detecting powers attributed to coconuts, the Chinese believed that silver would tarnish when in contact with poison. In fact, many wealthy Chinese used silver lined cups and chopsticks tipped with silver fittings as an assurance against poisoning. To find a silver-lined coconut cup...

Bactrian ritual object, Bactrian culture, Quetta, Afghanistan 3rd or early 2nd Millennium B.C.

Bactrian culture, Afghanistan. 3rd or early 2nd Millennium B.C.

China, a large votive model of a stone ram, Han dynasty (206BC-220AD) Dimensions: 45cm, 18 inches high and 65cm, 26 inches length and 25cm, 10 inches wi...

China, a carving of a canine “Pug”, Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644 CE Dimensions: 38 cm, 15” High Photographs taken indoors and out of doors for your viewing pleasure. The hand carved limestone beast shown on its haunches with naturalistic joyful expression and a well defined compact head, ears, noes, eyes, feet, and tail parted to one side on reverse with distinctive collar ornament seated four square on a thick base all-over showing a weathered surface from significant age. Formerly exhibited “Asia Week” New York City, Fuller Building, Hutton Gallery 2006. Provenance: ex collection luoyang, Henan Province, China. Includes custom display base as shown Catalog reference: 35 years collecting 35 treasures, Number 35, p.76 (photo) In ancient China, it is a well-known fact that several types of small dogs were bred and were favored pet gifts between emperors and kings including Lion Dogs, Pekingese and Lo-sze breeds. Some Lo-sze are pictured wearing collars with bells a frequent combination fancied by European royalty of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Lo-sze or pugs were prized for their compact body, good bones, flat face, square jaw, short coat, curled tail, side set back ears, and temperate disposition. History: Placing stone animals in important tombs can be traced back at least to the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE), some two thousand years ago. In ancient times, stone animals and human figures placed before imperial tombs symbolized royal power and privilege in addition to decorative functions. The first Ming tomb...

China, a fine archaic male effigy hand carved from a granular medium to dark gray stone. Neolithic period, Hongshan culture (circa 4700-2900 BC) Likely a fertility fetish. Note the pecked surfaces and the stone carved hair line top knot. Quality: Fine original condition, no repairs, as collected. Dark varied patina from appropriate age. Dimensions: 13.5 inches tall and 6 inches width. About Hongshan Culture: The Hongshan culture was a Neolithic culture in northeastern China. Hongshan sites have been found in an area stretching from Inner Mongolia to Liaoning, and dated from about 4700-2900 BC. The culture is named after Hongshanhou, a site in Hongshan District, Chifeng. The Hongshanhou site was discovered by the Japanese archaeologist Torii Ryuzo in 1908 and extensively excavated in 1935 by Kosaku Hamada and Mizuno Seiichi. Provenance: Our private collection and accompanied by our Lifetime Guarantee of Authenticity. Originally collected in the area of Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia. In addition, our Hongshan stone effigy...

China, a fine archaic conjoined bust sculpture of a male and female hand carved from a granular medium to dark gray stone. Neolithic period, Hongshan culture (circa 4700-2900 BC) Likely a fertility - progeny sculpture. Please note the pecked surfaces and the stone carved hair line particularly on the back head area. Quality: Fine original condition, no repairs, as collected. Dark varied patina from appropriate age. This is likely a unique carving. Dimensions: 12.25 inches tall and 4.25 inches width. About Hongshan Culture: The Hongshan culture was a Neolithic culture in northeastern China. Hongshan sites have been found in an area stretching from Inner Mongolia to Liaoning, and dated from about 4700-2900 BC. The culture is named after Hongshanhou, a site in Hongshan District, Chifeng. The Hongshanhou site was discovered by the Japanese archaeologist Torii Ryuzo in 1908 and extensively excavated in 1935 by Kosaku Hamada and Mizuno Seiichi. Provenance: Our private collection and accompanied by our Lifetime Guarantee of Authenticity. Originally collected in the area of Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia. In addition, our Hongshan stone effigy...

China, a fine archaic human effigy hand-carved from a granular medium to dark gray volcanic stone with six (6) "V" sections carved front. Neolithic period, Hongshan culture...

This is a guaranteed authentic ancient Chinese jade bi cache of ninety four (94) discs from the Qijia culture, Northwestern China, circa 3000-2000 BCE. Including Our Certificate of ...

Slab pottery constructed barn workshop having a peaked roof – open walled form with a mechanical pounder and a large round covered storage container. Light blue-green mottled glazed surface with some iridescence patina to the glaze. Condition: Intact, excellent condition, an unusual example. Provenance: The Living Torah Museum, Brooklyn; ex. Sands of Time, 2002. Sculptural effigies of domesticated animals were often interred in the tombs of nobility and elite members of the social hierarchy. Models like this one were made to represent everything from simple goat or pig pens to the most elaborate towers and palaces. Because very few ancient Chinese buildings have survived intact, these models, along with descriptions from ancient texts, give a good representation of what the buildings might have looked like. This fantastic piece is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. Burial figurines of graceful dancers, mystical beasts, and everyday objects reveal both how people in early China approached death and how they lived. Since people viewed the afterlife as an extension of worldly life, these figurines, called mingqi, sometimes referred as “spirit utensils” or “vessels of ghosts” disclose details of routine existence and provide insights into belief systems over a thousand-year period. For the first time in Chinese history, we have images of rural and daily life during the Han in the form of contemporary...