Ming Dynasty, A Pair of Antique Chinese Painted Pottery Court Man and Court Lady

A fine set of a six court attendants as in the Forbidden City of Beijing, elegantly dressed in a Green & Red Daopao – a traditional men’s formal attire from the Ming Dynasty dated 1368-1643 A.D. – with glazed robes and Red Pigment remains in their hat and belts. They stand in an honorary posture atop a red plinth, some with orifices in their hands, where spirit objects were placed to comfort or satisfy the deceased. The heads are detachable, as often seen on the larger figures from this period. They are accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity, and Certificate of Expertise by Jean-Yves Nathan - a leading authority specialized in Far East Archaeology from the CEDEA (The European Confederation of Art Experts). 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. The Ming dynasty was the ruling dynasty of China – then known as the Empire of the Great Ming – for 276 years (1368–1644 AD). Founded by Chu Yuan-chang, the rebel leader that was successful in removing the mongols from the throne. Chinese control was re-asserted in China and eastern Asia. Literature became more important, schools were created, and the justice system was reformed. The Ming dynasty is described by some as "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history,” was the last imperial dynasty in China ruled by ethnic Han Chinese. The practice of burying ceramic objects with the deceased went into decline from the 10th to the 14th Century AD. There was a revival in placing miniature representations of glazed terracotta objects such a furniture, food offerings, horses, miniature statues...

A magnificent pair of male and female courtiers from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 CE) in excellent condition. They are wearing traditional Daopao robes in green and black garments wit...

Painted pottery figure of an opulent Chinese court woman with up-swept hair and standing in a simply draped robe from the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). Her beauty is illuminated by the ...

Magnificent Lady Guanyin Bodhisattva seated in Royal Relaxation pose hand-carved in Gilded Wood with traces of paint still visible. This expressi...

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...

Ancient Chinese collection of twelve (12) acrobatic entertainers each performing a unique twisting profile , some with with cymbal and drum attributes, Ming Dynasty 1368-1644. Unmi...

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...

Very serene depiction of a Lohan carved in wood, eroded with the pass of time. Lohan is the Chinese term, derived from the Sanskrit word Arhan, for a disciple or follower of Buddha w...

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...

A set of very refined green glazed attendants and one sedan chair, each with benevolent facial expression, beautiful colors and lines, Ming dynasty 1368-1644. Three glazed attendants...