Chinese Prints

Mandarin Taoist Chinese ceremonial scroll portrait painting in custom plexiglass frame. Exuding an air of spiritual significance and artistic mastery, this Mandarin Taoist Chinese ce...

This framed advertising poster for Nanyang Brothers Tobacco dates to the 1920-30s and melds the meticulous detail of traditional Chinese painting with the nuanced color and fine resolution of color lithography. Known as yuefenpai, or calendar posters, these advertisements depicted fashionable women and intriguing scenery alongside annual calendars and product placements. Evolved from traditional nianhua paintings (New Year pictures), these advertising posters were strongly influenced by the Art Deco movement in the west and recall the economic boom of early 20th century Shanghai, an international center of business and trade. In this example, a young woman dressed in fine clothing and jewelry strolls through a traditional courtyard garden, surrounded by stone statues and towering pagodas. In the lower left corner is an open pack of Golden Dragon Cigarettes and below an array of cigarette brands, each a product of Nanyang Brothers Tobacco. The scene is surrounded by trailing vine scrollwork and text suggesting the poster may have been given as a corporate gift...

A Chinese framed print offers mixed media depiction of ceremonial deity mask, 20th century Measures - 18" H x 14.25" W x 1" D. Catalogue Note: Ask about D...

Here's a rare find from a collector we visited in Japan. A very unusual treasure.... This is a cache of old Chinese and Japanese bamboo paint and calligraphy artist brushes dating ...

Chinese ink rubbing printing depicting Panthaka Arhat, no.4 of the 16 arhat images immortalized in stone at the former stupa at Shengyin Temple. Depicted here sitting on a rock with a book in his left hand and snapping his fingers in his right hand, symbolic of the speed at which he obtained enlightenment, accompanied by a beggar’s bowl and an incense burner, complete with colophons and silk scroll mounting. The Emperor Qianlong ordered the stone stele to be carved in 1764 after the arhat designs painted by the famed artist Guanxiu (832-912). Even though the temple was destroyed in the Taiping rebellion, the steles remain and have been reinstalled at the Hangzhou Stele Forest. Condition: Creases from rolling, otherwise fine condition. Mounting: 58” x 22”. 19th Century. Ex Collection: Frank “Till” & Peggy Durdin, San Diego. For other rubbings of this stele see: Penn Museum, object number 2010-26-4 The Metropolitan Museum of Art AN#: 59.195.15 Fine Arts Library of Harvard University, record id: W280021_urn-3:FHCL:478850 For another example of this image rendered in jade and lacquer see: “Screen Paintings of Guanxiu’s Sixteen Arhats in the Collection of the Palace Museum” Luo Wehhua translated by Bruce Doar, Orientations, September 2010, p. 104. In this article the image is identified as the sixteenth arhat Abheda, It is explained in this article that Qianlong re-identified the arhats, thus the 16th Arhat attribution for this image. Also in this article the identical colophon by Qianlong above the image is translated as: “These accurate portraits of the Sixteen Arhats were created by the Tang Dynasty painter Guanxiu, as recorded in Xuanhe Huapu (Record of paintings in the Xuanhe Reign), and during the millennium from the Guangming reign period to the present day, the original works were to be found in Zhejiang, where they were housed in the collection of Shengyin Temple in Qiantang (Huangzhou). In spring of the dingchou year (1757) of his reign, the Qianlong emperor undertook a southern tour of inspection and stayed at an imperial lodge on the West Lake. He went to the temple to pay his respects and there he saw the arhats on display and wrote a description of these marvels. The sequence of the arhats and their names had been passed down since ancient times, but they did not correspond to their Sanskrit titles; the sequence of the arhat names conformed instead to the interpretation of the Sanskrit classics by the Zhangjia State Preceptor. The emperor penned the original names and positions in the sequence below each of the figures in accordance with the readings supplied in Tongwen Yuntong (Unified Rhymes), and below each he penned an encomium, which he signed. Then the images were returned to the collection, to be passed down as a perpetual treasure. Now, the fourth great arhat had long gone missing and we did not know where his painting was. But it was merely a trifling matter of matching the images with the names, and now surely we have found him! This I, the emperor, believe.” All 16 of these rubbings can be found in the Rubel Chinese Rubbings Collection at the Fine Arts Library of Harvard University with the following descriptive historical note: “Rubbing from stele depicting No. 4 of 16 arhats (Lohans, Buddhist saints) -- Nan ti mi duo luo qing you, Panthaka Arhat. Original painting attributed to Guanxiu, 832-912. Inscriptions written by Hongli, Emperor Qianlong (Gaozong, 1711-1799) of Qing Dynasty. 7 seals of Qianlong follow the inscriptions. Script style: in xing shu. Shi liu zun zhe -- "The 16 noble ones" are 16 lohans. Lohans are also called "a-lo-han" based on the transliteration of the Sanskrit term "arhat." (Japanese: Rakan; Chinese: Lohan; Tibetan: Gnas-brtan). Arhats or Arahants are saints or sages said to have renounced nirvana (freedom from the cycle of suffering and rebirth), vowed to remain in the world to protect the Dharma and propagate the Law of the Buddha in order to devote themselves more effectively to the relief of human misery, like the Bodhisattvas. These 16 Arhats, personal disciples distinguished by the Buddha, formed part of the 500 claimed by tradition to have attended the First Council in Rajagrha. The names and abodes of these 16 arhats are given in a work entitled "Record on the Duration of the Law, spoken by the Great arhat Nadimitra," which was translated into Chinese by the famous pilgrim Xuanzang (596-664) in 654. 16 lohans are quite often represented, especially in China and Japan, in sculpture and painting, in poses and with attributes. Every lohan can be easily with special icongraphic characteristics. Guanxiu (Jiang Deyin or Deyuan, a Buddhist monk also named Master Chan Yue, 832-912) -- painter during late Tang to Five Dynasties, specialized in painting lohan figures. Legend has it that the first portraits of the 18 Lohans...

Asian Chinese horse print in a red wood frame. Chinese lithograph print study of a horse. Well framed, no glass. Size: 21" x 15". From an esta...

This framed advertising poster for Nanyang Brothers Tobacco dates to the 1920-30s and melds the meticulous detail of traditional Chinese painting with the nuanced color and fine reso...

This 1930s advertising poster for the Gold Bar Cigarettes company draws from a well known Chinese opera scene. It melds the meticulous detail of trad...

A Chinese Qing Dynasty period print from the 19th century, depicting birds in a tree on turquoise ground, with custom frame. Created in China during the Qing Dynasty period, this lar...

This advertising poster from the 1930s for a Japanese company operating in China melds the meticulous detail of traditional Chinese painting with the ...

This calendar advertisement poster for White Horse cigarettes was produced by Hu Boxiang, a famous commercial advertising artist in Shanghai during the 1920s-1930s. Framed in a highly ornate floral border, a fashionable woman poses while gathering plum blossoms, emblems of winter and eternal beauty. Dressed in a traditional qipao but with Western hairstyle and accessories, the woman reflects the rising influence of Western advertising and the Art Deco movement during the economic boom of early 20th century Shanghai. Beneath this scene is a calendar for the year 1936, surrounded by packs of prominent cigarette brands...

This commercial advertisement poster from 1930s Shanghai melds the meticulous detail of traditional Chinese painting with the craft of color lithography. Large companies often presen...

Influenced by Western advertising, commercial posters featuring beautiful women in modern settings gained popularity in China in the 1920s and 1930s. Commercial companies presented posters, like this one, to their clients for Chinese New Year. This poster depicts a woman luxuriously dressed in a western style fur-trimmed coat holding a purse that also indicates Art Deco influences. This brand of Chinese advertisement draws on the classic American advertisements...

Mixing Western and traditional pictorial styles, this vintage ad depicts a young family on a garden stroll. A cheongsam-clad woman nods to tradition in cont...

With its product discretely located on the lower left, this early 20th century Shanghai poster for Hatamen cigarettes uses a dramatically rendered imag...

This poster from the 1920s melds the meticulous detail of traditional Chinese painting with the craft of color lithography. The poster depicts two young girls gathered by an ornate stool...

This vintage poster for Double Crane cigarettes from the 1930s melds the meticulous detail of traditional Chinese painting with the Craft of color lithography. These advertisement ...

This commercial advertisement poster from 1930s Shanghai melds the meticulous detail of traditional Chinese painting with the craft of color lithography. Large companies often presented posters such as this to their clients to commemorate the Chinese New Year. This poster depicts a young woman luxuriously...

This is an early 20th Century poster from the art deco period. This vintage poster melds the meticulous detail of traditional Chinese painting with the Craft of color lithography. ...

This vintage poster for Hatamen cigarettes from the 1930s melds the meticulous detail of traditional Chinese painting with the Craft of color lithography. These advertisement poste...

This is an early 20th Century poster from the art deco period. This vintage poster melds the meticulous detail of traditional Chinese painting with the Craft of color lithography. ...

This framed advertising poster for Hatamen Cigarettes from the late 1920s melds the meticulous detail of traditional Chinese painting with the nuanced color and fine resolution of co...

Chinese framed print detail of larger painting. Expertly framed with double mats of linen and simulated bamboo featuring gold leaf edging on both mats. "Han-Kan Bringing Tribute" New...

Chinese stone rubbing of calligraphy. Old stone stele rubbed with ink on paper Conservation framed

Beautiful Chinese silk scroll painting of a peacock surrounded by stunning foliage with calligraphy on the upper left side. Housed in its original...

Extraordinary natural work, one of a kind. Custom Chinese framed. Rare red flower marble stone- a Chinese Favorite This Chinese extraordinary natural stone "painting" of an ima...

This vintage poster for Gold Bar cigarettes from the 1930s melds the meticulous detail of traditional Chinese painting with the Craft of color lithography. These advertisement post...

This framed advertising poster for Hatamen Cigarettes from the late 1920s melds the meticulous detail of traditional Chinese painting with the Craft of color lithography. These adver...

Rare Chinese Export School. 24 miniatures in watercolor and bodycolor on pith paper. Album of pith paintings depicting trades and professions. 19th century Chinese, bound with silk t...

Chinese extraordinary natural stone "painting" with hardwood frame Sea and Mountains IV This Chinese extraordinary natural stone "painting" of a mountain range in white and gray colors is called a dream stone Shih-hua. They are cut from historic Dali marble found in the Cangshan mountains of western China. These mysterious mountains, unique in the world, are known for yielding incredible and fantastic natural landscaped works of art created over tens of millions of years from mineral inclusions that affected the process of ancient organic material which transformed into limestone and finally resulted in marble- a metamorphic hard stone. This art form is centuries of years old since the Ming dynasty. Dream stones became favored art in the west particularly since the 19th century when French collectors named them Pierres de reve. This thin marble stone "painting" is approximately 1/4" thick and is cut from a large slab of rough material revealing incredible patterns in soft white and gray colors. Its weight is surprisingly modest- easily hung with standard hardware. On occasion, private collectors would invite an artisan to inscribe a poetic description onto their more important dream stones and in this case the artists' seal mark and calligraphy translation reads: Dimensions: Frame 12 inches high and 20 inches wide. Site 7.5 inches high and 16.25 inches wide. Provenance: Private Chinese collection, Yunnan, China. History of "White and Gray" dream stone paintings...

Influenced by Western advertising, commercial posters featuring beautiful women in modern settings gained popularity in China in the 1920s and 1930s. Posters like this one came to symbolize prosperity and fortune and were often purchased by Chinese consumers to decorate their homes. This 1930s advertisement...

Pair of Antique Chinese Prints, Genre & Lake Scenes, Framed, C1920 Measures - 12.75"H x 10.5"W x 1"D

This vintage poster from the 1930s features a fashionably dressed young mother posing with her son and daughter. The poster may have been given as a g...

This poster from the 1930s melds the meticulous detail of traditional Chinese painting with the craft of color lithography—and a side of risque. The poster features a young woman dressed in a fur-trimmed coat with Western accessories...

This poster from the 1930s draws from a well known Chinese opera scene. It melds the meticulous detail of traditional Chinese painting with the craft of color lithography. These advertisements, influenced by the Art Deco movement in the west, recall the economic boom of early 20th century Shanghai, an international center of business and trade. Layered with imagery of traditional Chinese life, the poster is nonetheless an advertisement for the modern cigarette industry, with several brands displayed in the top left corner, including Lan Ting, Hong Chun, and Jade Rabbit...

The famous commercial advertising artist Hu Boxiang created this advertisement calendar poster for the British American Tobacco Company in 1931. Unlike other poster artists, Hu was k...

This poster, a advertisement calendar for excel cigarettes from the 1930s, melds the meticulous detail of traditional Chinese painting with the craft of color lithography. This advertisement depicts a fashionable woman in traditional Chinese dress...

This advertising poster from the 1930s melds the meticulous detail of traditional Chinese painting with the craft of color lithography that was popularized in China during the econom...

This is an early 20th Century poster from the art deco period. This vintage poster melds the meticulous detail of traditional Chinese painting with the Craft of color lithography. ...

This vintage poster from the 1930s melds the meticulous detail of traditional Chinese painting with the Craft of color lithography. These advertisement posters, depicting fashionab...

This vintage poster from the 1930s melds the meticulous detail of traditional Chinese painting with the Craft of color lithography. The serene landscape print depicts a young woman d...

This framed advertising poster from the 1930s melds the meticulous detail of traditional Chinese painting with the Craft of color lithography. These advertisements, influenced by the...

This vintage poster for cigarettes from the 1930s melds the meticulous detail of traditional Chinese painting with the Craft of color lithography. These advertisement posters, depi...

This advertising calendar poster dated from 1920 for the "Chinese and Western Medicine Pharmacy" melds the meticulous detail of traditional Chinese painting with the craft of color lithography. Compared to other Western influenced advertisements of the era featuring seductive women, posters like this one captivated consumers with the latest fashion trends. We see a woman with a Western hair cut...

Five posters from Chinese cultural revolution era circa 1970s. Four depicts scenes from modern revolutionary opera, two with music scores and lyrics. Two from "the Story of Red Lanten", one from "The Red Female Army" and one from "Sha Family Village". Some with publication date and origin. These are from a New England Collection purchased directly in Beijing in the 80s. They are in a simple black poster frame. These stylized posters served as a wide range of propaganda during the cultural revolution in China. For history and background as well as many similar posters, see" Chinese Posters...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this stunning original Meiji period circa 1880 Japanese print of Shiga Shigeaki’s family estate in the origi...

Part of his "History Images" series, this framed print by photographer Sze Tsung Leong records a construction site in Beijing, one of many Chinese citites undergoing rapid change. En...