China Finely Cast Big Bronze Mirror Han Dynasty, 2nd Century

Impressive terracotta warrior representing a banner bearer gripping a wooden staff with his hands (dematerialized through the ages); his gaze is ser...

A massive Chinese Han dynasty Sichuan terracotta pottery figure of a horse Han dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) Powerfully modelled in a pose of alert attention, its strong neck and head pois...

A massive pottery horse with separately made head and tail, standing on all fours and striding with its right hoof forward. Extended snout ends in parted lips showing teeth beneath i...

Presenting a stunning little piece of Southeast Asian Indian Antiquity, namely, a Double-sided 2nd Century Red Sandstone Fragment of a Woman. From India, Uttar Pradesh, Mathura. This piece has impeccable Provenance ! It was purchased by a Private Dallas Collector at Christie’s New York Auction on 31st March 2005. Sale Number 1492, Lot No. 43. Christie’s operate a twice yearly auction of Southeast Asian Art & Antiquities in New York in the months of March and September. The sculpture was described as “Property of a European Estate. A Double-sided Red Sandstone Fragment of a Woman. India, Uttar Pradesh, Mathura, Circa 2nd Century.” “Both sides similarly depicting the lower body with a flared sash at left and remains of chained belt: marked with an accession number 1931 on reverse. 8 in (29.2 cm.) high” Provenance: Collection of Prince and Princess Aschwin zur Lippe-Biesterfeld, acquired on 1958?. It carried an Auction estimate of USD 3,000 to USD 5,000 and Sold for USD 2,880 (not including Buyers Premium). Allowing for inflation alone this would be over $6,300 in today’s value. It has substantially increased in value over the years as a RARE piece from a prestigious Collection and a RARE piece of antique Asian antiquity...

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...

Slab pottery constructed Model of a Paper Mill, in Green and Cream Color Glazed Terracotta having a peaked roof – open walled form with a mechanical pounder and a large round storage container. Light blue-green mottled glazed surface with some iridescence patina to the glaze. The Iridescence is a refraction of the layers on the glass that produces multicolor hues & metallic luster, and only develops after one thousand years of being buried in the ground. An unquestionable mark of antiquity, impossible to falsify. Han Dynasty, dated 206 B.C-220 A.D. Condition: Excellent, wear commensurate with age, an unusual example. This fantastic piece is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. 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. 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 records...

Chinese pottery attendant figurine. Age: China, Han Dynasty, 206 B.C. - A.D. 220 Size: Height 22 C.M. / Width 12 C.M. Condition: Well-preserved old burial condition overall. 100% s...

A sublime Chinese archaic bronze wine vessel, called a bianhu, Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD), China. The bianhu with a flattened oblong body,...

A remarkable Chinese life sized painted stucco head of a luohan, Song, Liao or Jin Dynasty, circa 11th century, China. The amazingly life-like figure depicts a luohan (sometime spelled lohan), also known as an arhat, one of the original disciples of the Buddha. The elderly man has been molded in stucco with inset glass eyes and painted with idealized, if slightly exaggerated features. The unidentified luohan sports a bald, or perhaps shaved, domed head above a bulging forehead, symbolizing his vast wisdom. The wrinkles in his furrowed brow, and creases around his eyes add to his realism. The learned man stares out wisely from deep set, heavily lidded inlaid glass eyes that catch the light. The luohan has high cheekbones and a prominent jawline. His lips full and pursed as if about to speak. The corners of his mouth turned up ever so slightly in a faint smile, causing his gaunt cheeks to dimple charismatically. A series of dots above the upper lip indicate he may originally have sported a mustache of real hair. This life sized head with extremely realistic features fits into a very narrow time frame of Chinese Buddhist art. Perhaps the most recognized group of large, finely molded Chinese luohan...

Extremely rare Chinese model of a countryside villa for the royal courtiers and ministries of the Ming Dynasty -1368-1644 AD- showing three guest houses and one main entry. The villa is surrounded by a cuadrangular wall painted with bucolic scenes of garden, mountains, and bamboo forests. The roof tiles are glazed in green enamel with yellow finials – as the ones in the forbidden city – typical from the Ming epoch. Truly a museum piece. The doors swivel and are painted in ochre. State of preservation: impeccable mint condition with original paintings, all of the original parts are complete, except for one house which is missing part of the plinth (broken during transport). Each part has been tested for authenticity, consisting of eight separate TL tests...