Chine, Céramique /Chinese Ceramics

Measure with edict of the First Emperor of China, 221 BCE, Qin dynasty (221–207 BCE). Clay. H. 9.2 cm, Diam. (mouth) 20.5 cm. Excavated 1963 from the old city at Zhuguo, Zoucheng County. Collection of Shandong Provincial Museum. © China Institute Gallery In the year 221 BCE, after many years of subjugating competing kingdoms, Qin Shihuangdi succeeded in uniting China and proclaimed himself the First Emperor. As part of his political consolidation, Qin Shihuangdi unified the language, making the small... [Lire la suite]

  Lot 327. A rare iron-brown-decorated Qingbai 'floral' vase, Yuan dynasty (1279-1368). Height 6⅞ in., 17.5 cm. Lot sold: 25,200 USD (Estimate: 8,000 - 12,000 USD). © Sotheby's 2022 Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 30th May 1990, lot 91. Note: Although it is not uncommon to find qingbai vases modeled with an integral stand, the form of this particular piece is very rare. The present iron-painted 'stand' appears to simulate wood, illustrating how such vases may have been displayed.... [Lire la suite]

Lot 327. A 'Jizhou' 'papercut' 'phoenix' bowl, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279). Diameter 6⅜ in., 16.1 cm. Lot sold: 9,450 USD (Estimate: 4,000 - 6,000 USD). © Sotheby's 2022 Provenance: Collection of Stephen Junkunc, III (d. 1978). Christie's New York, 13th September 2018, lot 1153. Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, New York, 21 september 2022

Covered ding vessel, Western Han dynasty (206 BCE–9 CE). Lacquered gray clay. H. 19.2 cm, W. 26.3 cm. Excavated 1972, Tomb M4, Yinqueshan, Linyi County. Collection of Shandong Provincial Museum. Similar in form to the inscribed bronze covered ding (cat. no. 4), this gray clay version has a squat spherical body, three short cabriole legs, two solid square handles, and three solid comma-shaped handles or feet perched on the cover. While the body of the ding was wheel thrown, the... [Lire la suite]

Painted pottery horse-riding figurines, Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). Overall height 36 cm. Excavated from the Gongling tomb, Yanshui, Henan, 1998. Yanshi Mall Museum Collection. The terracotta figures are painted throughout, with ink-painted bearded brows and vermilion dotted lips. The head is covered with a red shawl, and the body is covered with a red, wide-sleeved robe, the hood and robe decorated with a white curly grass pattern on a red ground. The lower body is covered in trousers, with black pointed boots,... [Lire la suite]

Bird with ding vessels, Western Han dynasty (206 BCE–9 CE). Clay with natural pigments; H. 53.5 cm, L. 40 cm, W. 45 cm. xcavated 1969, Wuyingshan, Jinan Municipality. Collection of Jinan Municipal Museum. © China Institute Gallery The bird stands with its legs spread wide to support the ritual ceremony taking place on its outstretched wings. Plump calves and webbed feet anchor it to the square base. A carefully painted pattern of white feathers, each outlined with gray-black strokes and accented with a red dot, enlivens the surface... [Lire la suite]

Five horses pulling chariot, Western Han dynasty (206 BCE–9 CE). Clay with natural pigments.Chariot: H. 29.5 cm; Horses: H. 31–33 cm. Excavated 1969, Wuyingshan, Jinan Municipality. Collection of Jinan Municipal Museum. © China Institute Gallery This group of five horses pulling a chariot was excavated from Wuyingshan, as was the bird with ding vessels on its wings in this exhibition (cat. no. 3). The five horses are of slightly different sizes, three are white and two are reddish brown. One of... [Lire la suite]

Pottery manor, Han Dynasty (202 BC - 220 AD), 130cm long, 114cm wide. Unearthed from Yuzhuang Han Tomb in Huaiyang, Henan in 1981. Henan Museum Collection. This set of disassembled and assembled pottery manor consists of two parts: courtyard and pastoral. The courtyard is a three-entry courtyard, that is, the front yard, the atrium and the back yard. There is a gate in the front yard, stables on both sides, and a built-in manger in the yard; entering the atrium through the second gate, there is a two-storey... [Lire la suite]

Polished black pottery vase, Neolithic, Longshan Culture (about 2600 BC - 2000 BC). Height 28.7 cm, diameter 7 cm, bottom diameter 6.3 cm. Unearthed in Wadian, Yuzhou, Henan in 1997. Henan Museum Collection. This black pottery looks like it is made of two pottery pots glued up and down, the top is large and the bottom is small. Flared mouth, straight belly, lower belly turned outward, goble-shaped feet turned outward, belly and feet decorated with string patterns. Fine texture, polished surface. Among the... [Lire la suite]

Double painted pottery pot, Neolithic, Yangshao Culture (about 5000 BC-3000 BC), 21 cm high. Unearthed in Dahe Village, Zhengzhou, Henan in 1972. Henan Museum Collection. This pot is made of clay and red pottery. The whole vessel is in the form of two pots side by side. The two belly are connected by an oval hole, and the outer sides of the two pots each have a vertical ear. The body of the pot is painted in black color, with vertical or oblique lines inside the parallel lines. According to ethnological... [Lire la suite]