Chinese Ming Dynasty Green Glazed Attendant Figure, 16th-17th Century, China

Ming Dynasty stone foo dog from the revered Beijing Summer Palace, dating back to the end of the 17th century. This magnificent sculpture depicts a powerful lion, imbued with the myt...

An Important Chinese Carved Wood Figure of Guanyin, Ming Dynasty, 17th Century Description: A dignified portrayal of the bodhisattva, respl...

This imposing figure is the head of an Arhat, a Buddhist devotee who has attained enlightenment, also called a “Luohan.” The eighteen original Arhat are the personal disciples of Buddha and the guardians of Buddhist adherents. Each is represented with a unique disposition, posture, and distinctive symbol. This exquisitely formed monumental ceramic Arhat dates to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) and has likely been separated from its original full body sculpture...

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...

A carved wood Budda from the Shanxi region, made during the Ming Dynasty. The carved figure has an ancient polychrome finish.

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...

This petite ceramic bust is the head of a Han dynasty (206 B.C. to 220 A.D.) figure of a personal attendant. A type of burial figurine known as míngqì, the attendant would have been ...

A stoneware figure depicting a seated armored warrior with a striking pose circa 15th-17th century. He is likely one of the four heavenly kings, th...

This hand carved Chinese wooden horse is a type of centuries-old burial figurine known as míngqì. Depicting the pleasures of daily life, míngqì f...

Fine cast bronze figures created over 400 years ago during China's Ming dynasty are rare and highly appreciated. In this exceptional example, a spirited young boy stands on a lotus b...