16th Century Sculptures and Carvings

A Chinese Ming Dynasty period stucco head of a court lady from the 15th or 16th century, mounted on a wooden stand. Crafted in China during the Ming Dynasty, this stucco head is moun...

A stoneware shrine model with a figurine made in Ming dynasty (15th-17th century) in China and used as funeral burial objects. It is not known whether the two objects were originally associated, but they display similar glaze and oxidation and were in the same collection. The stoneware building is an architectural rendering of a typical ancestor shrine used at the time. It features a single room behind an elaborate front with double doors, under a multiple layered eaves. There are great architectural and decorative details throughout. The green glaze shows a wonderful silvery oxidation, an indication that the piece was buried in the ground. The side appears to be glazed lightly originally and some scrape marks and oxidized glaze residues remains. The back is unglazed. The figure is a typical tomb figurine...

16th century Japanese sculpture of a Buddhist Tenbu, Late Momoyama period (1333-1598) sculpture dated "Bunroku 3", or 1594, in ink on the back. T...

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...

A lovely northern Thai cast bronze seated meditating Buddha statue with shell inlaid eyes, style of Wat Chedi Luang, Lan Na Kingdom, region of Chiang Mai, 15th-16th century.  The statue of the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is portrayed in dhyanasana, seated upon a double lotus pedestal atop a raised platform. His legs in virasana, the half lotus position, hands in dhyana mudra, the gesture of meditation. The Buddha's face is youthful and pleasant, reminiscent of faces of contemporaneous Sukhothai Buddha...

A striking Japanese late Muromachi Period (1333-1573) lacquered and giltwood figure of Yakushi Nyorai, the Medicine Buddha, seated upon an elaborate car...

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...

The Amitabha (Amida in Japanese) Buddha is shown standing with his hands forming the Amida raigo-in mudra. The face has a serene expression, with closed eyes under delicately arched brows and a severe face. The hair is arranged in rows of coils that also cover the "ushnisha", the protuberance on the head. The drapery is folded in elegant pleats falling from the shoulders to the feet. The antique sculpture is placed on a lotus flower which is located on a richly decorated base. Faith in Amida Buddha remained largely confined to a small segment of the Japanese population until the Kamakura Era (1185-1333) when it was popularized by new Pure Land sects committed to bringing Buddhism to the illiterate commoner. These sects expressed concern for the salvation of the ordinary person and stressed pure and simple faith over complicated rites and doctrines. Amida Nyorai...

This Chinese terracotta group of figures is made up of three figures of Chinese dignitaries in glazed green and ocher terracotta on hexagonal bases and removable heads. From the d...

China, a monumental pair (2) of 500 year old lime stone “Spirit Path” Equine horse head sculptures. Ming dynasty, (1368-1644 CE). A pair of near life size and robust head sections with fine, wavy combed manes, well defined mouths, ears, nostrils, and ornamental bridles, all carved in a medium to dark gray limestone with considerable weathering to surfaces. The smaller head with a later inscription on bottom and signed “Zhuang”. Formerly exhibited “Treasures from Asia”, Shelburne Vermont, Shelburne Art Center, 2006. Originally found in the vicinity of the village of Chuan near Luoyang City, Henan Provance, China. Each mounted on a custom iron display stand. Dimensions: A the smaller 32.5cm, 13” high and 62.5cm, 25” in length and with display stand, 60cm, 24” high; b the larger 37.5cm, 15” high and 67.5cm, 27” in length and with display stand 65cm, 26” high. Please view additional photographs from our Chinese antiquities catalog 35 Years Collecting 35 Treasures, page 60. History: Placing stone animals and human figures along spirit paths in front of 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. Life size “spirit path” stone horse sculptures are known and can be viewed from Ming dynasty tombs including thirteen imperial tombs of the Ming Dynasty scattered over an area of forty square kilometers in Changping District to the northwest of Beijing. The first Ming tomb...

A set of six green glazed pottery statue of attendants, Ming dynasty 1368-1644.

Antique Thai Sandstone carving of the head of a Buddha, 16 th Century, Ayuthaya period, fine hand carved sculpting of the face, traces left of the Polychrome Coverings, nice and weat...

Ananda is portrayed in a typical fashion, as a youthful monk with a shaved head and dressed in simple robes. He stands upon a double lotus pedestal with hands clasped in front of him...

A lovely carved sandstone torso of the Buddha, Ayutthaya period (1350-1767), Thailand. Wonderfully simplistic, the only ornamentation this torso displays...

Antique bronze Burmese Buddha statue Material : bronze 9,1 cm high 4,6 cm wide and 4,6 cm deep The sizes are measured including the base Ava style Bhumisparsha mudra 16-17th century ...

A fine and well cast 16th-17th century Tibetan gilt copper alloy statue of Shantideva, the great 8th century Indian teacher and scholar.  The gilt bronze figure expertly cast, with wonderful detail and rich gilding. The face cold painted gold with polychrome details. Shantideva sits upon a double lotus pedestal, a Vajra before him, an overflowing kapala skull cup...