Peter and Mary White © Bonhams 2026

Bonhams was delighted to present the remarkable collection of Peter and Mary White, long-time members of The Oriental Ceramic Society. Formed over many decades, the collection reflects the Whites' deep interest in world history, human civilisation, and their fascination with a medium that transcends cultures: ceramics. Comprising over 3,000 pieces, the Whites have assembled a museum-like collection of world ceramics, from China and Japan to Europe, ranging from Antiquity to the 19th century. 

"The collection of Peter and Mary White is one of the finest to illustration the meeting of East and West in ceramics." - Professor Christiaan Jörg

Lot 35. Property from The Peter and Mary White Collection. A painted pottery storage jar, Neolithic period; 38.7cm high. Sold for £1,536 © Bonhams 2026

The sloping upper body painted with four medallions enclosing geometric patterns surrounded by repeating circular bands, flanked by a pair of loop handles.

Provenance: Acquired in 1995 (collector's notes)

Published and Illustrated: M. White, Eating at the Whites' House: Ceramics from the Mary and Peter White collection, vol. 3, n.p., 2022, p.3

Note : See a similar jar, Neolithic, in the Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, accession number 47.109, and another sold at Bonhams New York, 17th March 2025, lot 78.

Lot 38. Property from The Peter and Mary White Collection. A group of six pottery jars, Neolithic period. The tallest: 15.5cm high. (6). Sold for £460.80 © Bonhams 2026

Comprising: a jar rising from a tapering foot to a round body and waisted neck, flanked by a pair of loop handles; a bowl with flared rim and decorated with black geometric patterns on reddish-brown to the interior and exterior; a pottery jar with four medallions enclosing square patterns, set with ring handles; a li with moulded triangular design and a pair of loop handles; a jar painted with black geometric patterns on red, loop handles; and a jar painted with lozenge-shaped panels in black on red, set with a pair of loop handles.

Provenance: Acquired 1990-1995 (collector's notes)

Published and Illustrated: M. White, Eating at the Whites' House: Ceramics from the Mary and Peter White collection, vol. 3, n.p., 2022, p.2 (the bowl); p.3 (the medallions jar); p.4 (the handled lozenge pattern jar); p.8 (the li)

Lot 37. Property from The Peter and Mary White Collection. Three pottery jars, Warring States. The largest: 17.5cm wide. (4). Sold for £128 © Bonhams 2026

Comprising: a rounded jar with flaring neck with an overall linear design, metal stand; a squat jar decorated with an overall geometric design; and a miniature jarlet with an impressed fabric design.

Published and Illustrated: M. White, Eating at the Whites' House: Ceramics from the Mary and Peter White collection, vol. 3, n.p., 2022, pp.6-7 (the large jar and miniature jar)

Lot 36. Property from The Peter and Mary White Collection. Three glazed storage jars, Warring States-Han Dynasty. The tallest: 27cm high. (3). Sold for £1,920 © Bonhams 2026

Comprising: a large olive green glazed globular jar with a meshed pattern around the body, below a short flaring rim; a mid-sized jar of compressed globular form, the wide shoulders set with taotie-mask ring handles below the short everted neck; and a small celadon-glazed jar with four lug handles to the shoulders over a cross-hatched band.

Provenance: Acquired from Sandra and David Dykes, London, 1995 and 2000 (the smallest jar and largest jar)(collector's notes)

Acquired from Christie's South Kensington, March 2000 (the middle jar)(collector's notes)

Published and Illustrated: M. White, Drinking at the Whites' House: Ceramics from the Whites' House collection, vol. 2, n.p., 2021, p.55 (the large jar); p.56 (the mid-sized jar)

Lot 40. Property from The Peter and Mary White Collection. . A grey pottery model of an ox-drawn cart and a painted grey pottery incense burner and cover, Han Dynasty. The incense burner: 21cm high; the cart: 31.7cm  long. (5). Sold for £384 © Bonhams 2026

The ox-drawn cart modelled in separate sections with a canopied cart, large wheels joined by an axle and an ox standing foursquare and facing forwards; the incense burner raised on a tall stem, the cover modelled as mountain peaks, decorated in red and black pigments.

Published and Illustrated: M. White, Eating at the Whites' House: Ceramics from the Mary and Peter White collection, vol. 3, n.p., 2022, p.15 (the ox and cart)

Note ::See a comparable ox and cart model, Han to Six Dynasties, at the Chinese University of Hong Kong Art Museum, Hong Kong, accession number 1992.0063.

Lot 39. Property from The Peter and Mary White Collection. A group of pottery animals and weights, Han Dynasty and later. The horse: 15.5cm long. (17). Sold for £1,664 © Bonhams 2026

Comprising: a grey pottery circular weight with impressed geometric patterns, Han dynasty; a pottery figure of a mermaid; a pottery figure of a sitting duck, Han dynasty; a small pottery figure of a standing duck, circa 800; two brown-glazed tortoise weights, Tang dynasty; a brown splash-glazed Changsha 'bird' whistle, Tang dynasty; a green-splashed Changsha 'bird' whistle; a brown-glazed Changsha 'pig' whistle; a sancai-glazed 'humanoid face' whistle; a brown-glazed 'owl' whistle; an ochre-glazed figure of a toad, Song dynasty; a brown-glazed model of a standing horse, Song dynasty; a stoneware model of a standing dragon, Yuan dynasty; a pottery standing figure of a corpulent horse, Yuan dynasty; a pottery figure of a greyhound, Yuan dynasty; and a pottery figure of a porcupine.

Provenance: Acquired in 1990 (the two tortoises)

Acquired in 1995 (the weight and sitting duck)

Acquired in 2000 (the mermaid)

Acquired in 2002 (the two bird whistles, pig whistle and owl whistle)

Acquired from Sandra and David Dykes, London, 2002 (the greyhound)

Acquired from R & G McPherson Antiques, London, 2003 (the dragon)

Acquired from R & G McPherson Antiques, December 2004 (the porcupine)

Acquired from R & G McPherson Antiques, London, November 2005 (the humanoid face whistle)

Acquired from R & G McPherson Antiques, London, May 2007 (the brown-glazed horse)(label and collector's notes)

Acquired from Sandra and David Dykes, London, 2010 (the standing duck)

Acquired from R & G McPherson Antiques, London (the toad)(label)

Published, Illustrated, and Exhibited: The Oriental Ceramic Society, The World in Colours, London, 2006, no.16 (the brown-glazed 'bird' whistle)

M. White, Beasts at the Whites' House: A selection of ceramics from the Whites' House collection, vol.1, n.p., 2020, p.104 (the 'pig' whistle) (Published and Illustrated)