Alabaster Antiquities

18th/19th century Buddha Statue carved of Alabaster. Burmese Shan Buddha Statue 1800ca, collected in Myanmar Shan State 1998. Legs crossed, the left hand in the lap, and the right ha...

Standing Stickman from the Han Dynasty. Original ancient Chinese tomb attendants sculpture of a tall, thin standing man wearing a short tunic. Beautifully crafted in grey earthenw...

Compelling, large Burmese Buddha. It is unique in many ways.  First, it looks like a specific person (as opposed to a sculpture of a generic figure), which is never ever done when sculpting a Buddha statue.  Second, is it figure looks European. the facial features look European, the body shape and the way the body is sitting look European, and the tunic the figure is wearing looks more European than it looks Asian.  It has a rare and beautiful "lotus" cap finial that I've never seen on a Burmese Buddha(or any Buddha) before. A real mystery. Looks to be at least 18/19thC. Everyone has a strong reaction when they see him-they smile.  Sits a full 19 inches tall-extremely large for this type of bronze. Retains an almost untouched chocolate brown patina.  My gut tells me that at some time during the English occupation in the 18th or early 19th century either had this Buddha specially commissioned, or was given this Buddha as a special gift by either a major Temple or spiritual leader, or by a significant political leader of that time and place. in breaking with long spiritual tradition, they had the person's image and Anglo heritage melded with a  Shan style Buddha...

A Chinese hand carved and hand painted wooden effigy of a fantastic Bixie dating to before Song dynasty 1279 AD. Please enjoy the beautiful remnants of its aged original swirling painted surfaces. It has been traditionally carved and assembled in three sections. The tail may be a later replacement. Period: Song dynasty Dimensions: 6 inches high and 15 inches wide About Bixie The “bixie” is a mythological creature commonly thought to be able to ward off evil forces with its magical powers. In fact, its name means “to ward off evil” in Chinese. In the Han dynasty, “bixie” were commonly represented as winged, four-legged beasts, a form that was probably transmitted from Western Asia. Provenance: This is from a private collection and were acquired by us along with a larger wooden horse...

A Chinese hand carved and hand painted wooden effigy of an extraordinary unicorn dating to the Song dynasty before 1279 AD. Please enjoy the beautiful remnants of its aged original ...

Standing horse from the Tang Dynasty 618-907 AD. Beautiful sculptural piece of art from the Chinese ancient period of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) featuring the finely sculptural figure of a horse, carefully made of earthenware clay pottery. The horse is standing in a very elegant and majestic position striding the four legs crossed. The animal has a slightly arched neck to the left looking forward and its extremely well modeled. The body is embellished with a beautiful saddle and intricate harnesses. The surface is treated with applications of natural color pigments such; white, light red and grays. Has a measurements of 343 mm by 140 mm by 356 mm (13.5 x 5.5 x14 Inches) (34.3 x 14 x 35.6 Cm). Tang dynasty or Tang Empire, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Tend Kingdoms period. Historians generally regard the Tang as a high point in Chinese civilization, and a the golden age of cosmopolitan culture. Tang territory, acquired through the military campaigns of its early rulers, rivaled that of the Han dynasty. The Li family founded the dynasty, seizing power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire and inaugurating a period of progress and stability in the first half of the dynasty's rule. The dynasty was formally interrupted during 690–705 when Empress Wu Zetian seized the throne, proclaiming the Wu Zhou dynasty...

Exceedingly rare Chinese pottery caparisoned horse from the Northern Qi region. A beautiful sculptural piece, created in China during the Northern Qi dynasty period, between the 549 and 577 AD. This horse statue is extremely finely modeled of earthenware pottery, standing in a very elegant and majestic position striding on a trapezoidal shaped base. The animal has a gracefully arched neck to the left and its extremely well modeled. The head is adorned with a large detailed tassels of plumes and the body is embellished with a beautiful saddle and intricate harnesses. The trapping around the chest and rump is adorned with elaborated tassels and the straps are accented with multiples florets and bosses in high relief. The surface is treated with applications of natural pigments such; red, white and others. Has a measurements of 394 mm by 343 mm by 257 mm (15.53 x 13.52 x 10.15 Inches) (39.4 x 34.3 x 25.7 Cm). Northern Qi, was the successor state of the Chinese Xianbei state of Eastern Wei...

Extremely rare Chinese pottery caparisoned horse from the Northern Qi region. A beautiful large sculptural piece, created in China during the Northern Qi dynasty period, between the 549 and 577 AD. This horse statue is extremely finely modeled of earthenware pottery, standing in a very elegant and majestic position striding on a trapezoidal shaped base. The animal has a gracefully arched neck to the left looking forward and its extremely well modeled. The head is adorned with a large detailed tassels of plumes and the body is embellished with a beautiful saddle and intricate harnesses. The trapping around the chest and rump is adorned with elaborated tassels and the straps are accented with multiples florets and bosses in high relief. Decorated with dotted and circles patterns. The surface is treated with applications of natural color pigments such; red, white and others. Has a measurements of 435 mm by 319 mm by 243 mm (17.10 x 12.55 x 9.55 Inches) (43.5 x 31.9 x 24.3 Cm). Northern Qi, was the successor state of the Chinese Xianbei state of Eastern Wei...

Ancient Indus Valley cup bearer Fertility figurine Circa (2800-2600 BC). A rare female pottery cup bearer figurine in terracotta with pointed facial features and applied diamond sha...

Stunning and one of a kind Buddha sculpture. There are only very few people in the world who can accurately date this hand carved marble or granite Japanese Buddha head...

This impressive bust is depicted with head turned slightly to the right and gaze lifted. His eyes are articulated, with the pupils indicated with a drill, giving the face a striking realism. The shoulders are draped with a cloak. Straight brows sit beneath a mass of thickly curling hair, which continues to a full beard. It is worked with great skill, evident in the heavy drill work articulating and highlighting the voluminous curls, and the highly polished surfaces, giving the appearance of soft skin. The contrast between these textures gives a chiaroscuro affect which is one of the main traits of the best Antonine busts. Roman marble portraits reached their apotheosis of craftmanship and technique under the Antonine emperors, as is evidenced in this masterful bust. The evolution of the style may be traced back to the emperor Hadrian, who was the first emperor to wear a full beard. The articulation of pupils and iris appears on busts of his lover Antinous, a novelty which continued in later Antonine portraits, such as this one. The features of this bust point to a possible identification of Emperor Lucius Verus...

This pottery has a bulbous body with two small, protruding handles near its widest part. The pottery features horizontal bands of patterns, which include a sequence of geometric shap...