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Period: 20th Century
Chinese Gilt Carved Bed Panel, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This gilt carved panel began its life as a decorative addition to a 19th-century Chinese cabinet or canopy bed. Set within a mica-encrusted square f...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Wood
“Fanning the Fire” Japanese Tetsubin Kettle, c. 1924
Located in Chicago, IL
Decorated with a raised fan motif, this aptly named teapot was used to boil water for traditional tea ceremonies. Known as tetsubin, the kettle’s cast-iron construction is said to ch...
Category
Early 20th Century Japanese Taisho Metalwork
Materials
Iron
Rustic Wooden Tray, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Carved from a large length of northern elmwood, this primitive tray charms with its humble rustic finish and simple form. Marked with use and traces of ...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Primitive Platters and Serveware
Materials
Elm
Bambara Jidaga Water Vessel
Located in Chicago, IL
Formed by pounding flattened clay around a convex mold, this oblong footed vessel is a water storage jar known as a jidaga, created by women of the Bambara people of Mali. The body o...
Category
Early 20th Century Malian Tribal Ceramics
Materials
Ceramic
Chinese Wooden Headrest, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Made of Chinese northern elmwood, this smooth block of wood was once used by an upper-class woman as a headrest. The soft curve and height of the block not only supported her head an...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic More Asian Art, Objects and Furniture
Materials
Elm
Chinese Wooden Headrest, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Made of Chinese northern elmwood, this smooth block of wood was once used by an upper-class woman as a headrest. The soft curve and height of the block not only supported her head an...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Natural Specimens
Materials
Elm
Nupe Incised Water Vessel
By Nupe
Located in Chicago, IL
The Nupe people of Nigeria were touted as some of the finest ceramicists in Africa. Everyday objects, like this water vessel, received detailed attention. The vessel's varied texture...
Category
Early 20th Century Nigerian Tribal Vases
Materials
Ceramic
Chinese Gilt Carved Bed Panel, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This gilt carved panel began its life as a decorative addition to a 19th-century Chinese cabinet or canopy bed. Set within a mica-encrusted rectangu...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Wood
Japanese Raised Tea Tray, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
After a period of excess under the shogun, traditional aesthetics of the tea ceremony returned to the classic roots of simplicity and tranquility during the Meiji period. This darkly...
Category
Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Platters and Serveware
Materials
Wood
Chinese Woven Bamboo Birdcage
Located in Chicago, IL
This elegant birdcage is beautifully woven of thin strips of bamboo in the spirit of fine decorative basketry. The horizontal weft wraps around the cage with graceful curves, mirrore...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Bird Cages
Materials
Bamboo
Provincial Footed Tray, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This rustic container has an unusual hourglass shape, with a square base and a tapered upper half divided into three compartments. The exterior is co...
Category
Early 20th Century Southeast Asian Rustic Decorative Dishes and Vide-Poche
Materials
Wood
Tibetan Flint Striker with Leather Strap, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
In 19th-century Tibet, many men carried a fire striker to help ensure survival in the often-harsh climate of the Tibetan Plateau. Known as mechag, such strikers would hang from one's...
Category
Early 20th Century Tibetan Tibetan Mounted Objects
Materials
Steel, Gold Plate, Brass
Chinese White Apothecary Jar, circa 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
In traditional Chinese healing, medicine alone could not cure a person’s illness. A physician would strive to balance a patient's vital energy, their yin and yang, as a person is bel...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Ceramics
Materials
Ceramic
Japanese Red Lacquer Hibachi, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Designed to hold glowing embers, hibachi vessels were used for cooking or as a source of heat in Japanese homes. Placed under a low wood kotatsu table wi...
Category
Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Lacquer
Materials
Copper
Chinese Ceramic Spotted Cat Headrest, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
To keep her elaborate hairstyle intact while sleeping, a well-to-do Qing-dynasty woman once used this ceramic headrest as a pillow. The headrest is shaped as a crouching house cat, w...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Ceramics
Materials
Ceramic
Vintage Chinese Fashion Advertisement, c. 1920
Located in Chicago, IL
In tandem with a growing number of newspapers and periodicals, print advertising proliferated during China’s Republic Era. A bathing beauty is the star attraction of this print ad fr...
Category
Vintage 1920s Chinese Art Deco Posters
Materials
Paper
Chinese Slatted Bamboo Headrest, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Made out of dexterous lengths of sliced bamboo this headrest enabled contour comfort—quite luxurious for 19th-century China. Lightweight and low-profile, it was the perfect accessory...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Antiquities
Materials
Bamboo
Pair of Chinese Squared Fantail Vases with Egrets Beneath Lotus
Located in Chicago, IL
Defined by angular shoulders and a flared lip, this pair of tall porcelain vases offer a charming variation of the classic Chinese phoenix-tail vase form. Each vase is patterned with...
Category
Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Ceramics
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Bronze Tripod Censer with Strap Handles, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
For many centuries, people in China have burned incense in shallow censers such as this, placed within a shrine or atop a home altar. An essential element o...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Metalwork
Materials
Bronze
Chinese Drip Glaze Relief Planter, c. 1930
Located in Chicago, IL
This lovely ceramic planter dates to the early 20th century and features low relief decoration colored by blue, green, and light brown overglaze. The basin has a footed base, a flat ...
Category
Vintage 1930s Chinese Rustic Planters, Cachepots and Jardinières
Materials
Ceramic
Chinese Drip Glaze Relief Planter, c. 1930
Located in Chicago, IL
This lovely ceramic planter dates to the early 20th century and features low relief decoration and an irregular, blue-green drip glaze. The basin has a footed base, a flat lip, and r...
Category
Vintage 1930s Chinese Rustic Planters, Cachepots and Jardinières
Materials
Ceramic
Provincial Chinese Rice Measure, circa 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This square container was made over a hundred years ago to measure and hold a dou of rice, an ancient Chinese measurement. It is handcrafted with thin finger joints, iron-finished edges, and a gently arched handle. Marked by painted Chinese characters on each side, this antique measure...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Decorative Baskets
Materials
Iron
Chinese Woven Top Square Table, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Curving spandrels, a stepped apron and subtly splayed legs epitomize the simple grace of this 19th century square stool, known as a feng deng. Handcrafted from Chinese elmwood, this ...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Side Tables
Materials
Reed, Elm
Chinese Painted Footed Tray, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Dated to the early 20th century, this painted wooden tray has a rectangular form raised by a simply carved footed base. The top is painted with a s...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Decorative Dishes and Vide-Poche
Materials
Wood
Beaded Ndebele Ceremonial Doll
Located in Chicago, IL
A rare imported commodity, glass beads have been a symbol of wealth and importance in south African cultures for centuries, and were exclusively distributed by the region's oba (king). As beads become gradually more accessible throughout the 19th century, they began to displace the organic materials used in traditional art and attire.
This colorful example of African beadwork is a ceremonial doll...
Category
Mid-20th Century South African Folk Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Twine, Cotton, Wood
Beaded Ndebele Ceremonial Doll
Located in Chicago, IL
A rare imported commodity, glass beads have been a symbol of wealth and importance in south African cultures for centuries, and were exclusively distributed by the region's oba (king). As beads become gradually more accessible throughout the 19th century, they began to displace the organic materials used in traditional art and attire.
This colorful example of African beadwork is a ceremonial doll...
Category
Mid-20th Century South African Folk Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Cotton, Wood
Chinese Blue and White Plate, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
An everyday example of Chinese blue-and-white porcelain, this petite footed dish charms with expressive sweeps of blue atop a blue-grey underglaze. Once used for serving food and dri...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Decorative Dishes and Vide-Poche
Materials
Ceramic
Chinese Blue and White Plate, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
An everyday example of Chinese blue-and-white porcelain, this petite footed dish charms with expressive sweeps of blue atop a blue-grey underglaze. Once used for serving food and dri...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Decorative Dishes and Vide-Poche
Materials
Ceramic
Chinese Blue and White Plate, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
An everyday example of Chinese blue-and-white porcelain, this petite footed dish charms with expressive sweeps of blue atop a blue-grey underglaze. The tapered sides are loosely brus...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Ceramics
Materials
Ceramic
Chinese Persimmon Squared Fantail Vase, c. 1920
Located in Chicago, IL
With bright color and sculptural form, this squared vase combines the centuries-old phoenix tail vase form with a rich persimmon-orange glaze, popularized during the Art Deco movemen...
Category
Vintage 1920s Chinese Art Deco Ceramics
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Famille Rose Bowl with Pheasant and Chrysanthemums, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
During the 18th century, Europeans provided an eager market for Chinese export porcelain, especially the colorful and fanciful ware known as “famille rose.” Named for a palette of op...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Ceramics
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Gilt Black Lacquer Carrying Box, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This early 20th century painted box was originally used as a portable traveling container, especially used for meals, snacks, and food offerings. The wooden box is crafted with eight sides, a lucky number believed to bring prosperity. Brushed atop layers of red and black lacquer, gilt linework decorates the sides with scrollwork, ruyi, and chrysanthemums, symbols of autumn and longevity. The lid is painted with a young boy carrying a lantern, conveying a blessing of abundance. Dense with symbolism, this painted carrying box...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Decorative Boxes
Materials
Wood
Beaded Ndebele Ceremonial Doll
Located in Chicago, IL
A rare imported commodity, glass beads have been a symbol of wealth and importance in south African cultures for centuries, and were exclusively distributed by the region's oba (king). As beads become gradually more accessible throughout the 19th century, they began to displace the organic materials used in traditional art and attire.
This colorful example of African beadwork is a ceremonial doll...
Category
Late 20th Century South African Folk Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Cotton, Wood
Beaded Ndebele Fertility Doll
Located in Chicago, IL
A rare imported commodity, glass beads have been a symbol of wealth and importance in south African cultures for centuries, and were exclusively distributed by the region's oba (king). As beads become gradually more accessible throughout the 19th century, they began to displace the organic materials used in traditional art and attire.
This colorful example of African beadwork is a fertility doll...
Category
20th Century South African Folk Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Cotton, Wood
Beaded Ndebele Fertility Doll
Located in Chicago, IL
A rare imported commodity, glass beads have been a symbol of wealth and importance in south African cultures for centuries, and were exclusively distributed by the region's oba (king). As beads become gradually more accessible throughout the 19th century, they began to displace the organic materials used in traditional art and attire.
This colorful example of African beadwork is a fertility doll...
Category
20th Century South African Folk Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Cotton, Wood
Set of Three Beaded Ndebele Fertility Dolls
Located in Chicago, IL
A rare imported commodity, glass beads have been a symbol of wealth and importance in south African cultures for centuries, and were exclusively distributed by the region's oba (king). As beads become gradually more accessible throughout the 19th century, they began to displace the organic materials used in traditional art and attire.
This colorful example of African beadwork...
Category
20th Century South African Folk Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Cotton, Wood
Antique Chinese Diamond Lattice Carpet, c. 1930
Located in Chicago, IL
Taking months or even years to create, this gorgeous carpet was painstakingly crafted by tying pieces of vegetable-dyed wool around a cotton warp in thousands upon thousands of indiv...
Category
Vintage 1930s Chinese Chinese and East Asian Rugs
Materials
Wool, Cotton
Pair of Chinese Painted Wall Mirrors, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This pair of rectangular wall mirrors feature early 20th-century frames crafted of a fine-grained hardwood. At some point in their sto...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Wall Mirrors
Materials
Mirror, Hardwood
Tibetan Meditation Carpet with Dorje Medallion, c. 1920
Located in Chicago, IL
Beautifully knotted of vegetable-dyed wool, carpets by the nomadic peoples of Tibet, Mongolia, and northern China decorated every aspect of life with bright color and rich symbolism. Unlike those of the Chinese weaving...
Category
Early 20th Century Tibetan Tibetan Textiles
Materials
Cotton, Wool
Antique Five Medallion Samarkand Carpet, c. 1920
Located in Chicago, IL
One of the most remote locations in Asia, the area known as East Turkestan was a pivotal stop along the Silk Road, uniting the cultures of India, Persia, and China. This rich multicu...
Category
Early 20th Century East Turkestani Khotan Central Asian Rugs
Materials
Wool, Cotton
Tibetan Saddle Carpet with Floral Medallions, c. 1930
Located in Chicago, IL
This unusually-shaped carpet is known as a "makden" and was originally used by a nomadic traveler as an artful covering for his horse. Placed between the saddle and the horse, the makden cushioned the rigid saddle and kept the horse warm in cold climates. Most under-saddle carpets...
Category
Early 20th Century Tibetan Tibetan Chinese and East Asian Rugs
Materials
Fabric, Wool
Chinese Opera Puppet, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Dressed in fine silks trimmed with embroidered bands and tassels, this puppet brought the glory of the imperial court to the small stage as part of an early 20th-century puppet opera. Complete with songs, acrobatics, farce, and drama, Chinese puppet...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Toys and Dolls
Materials
Silk, Wood
Chinese Robed Puppet, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Hand puppets, like this one from China’s Zhejiang region, have been a popular form of entertainment for centuries. In the late 19th early-20th century this tiny robed gentleman proba...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Toys and Dolls
Materials
Silk, Wood
Chinese Bent Handle Fisherman's Basket, circa 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Basket making is an ancient and humble craft, but in the hands of a skilled weaver a simple willow basket becomes a truly beautiful statement. The artisan’s mastery is evident in thi...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Decorative Baskets
Materials
Fabric, Wood, Willow
Antique Pomegranate Tree Samarkand Carpet, c. 1920s
Located in Chicago, IL
One of the most remote locations in Asia, the area known as East Turkestan was a pivotal stop along the Silk Road, uniting the cultures of India, Persia, and China. This rich multicultural mix is reflected in the exquisite carpets created in the region, which combine Turkoman designs with Islamic motifs and Chinese color palettes. For centuries, nomadic weavers from all across East Turkestan have travelled to the oasis towns of Samarkand, Kashgar, and Khotan to sell their woven wares.
Dated to the early 20th century, this beautifully knotted Samarkand carpet is patterned with a traditional design of branching red pomegranate trees...
Category
Early 20th Century East Turkestani Khotan Chinese and East Asian Rugs
Materials
Wool, Cotton
Tibetan Saddle Carpet with Five Blessing Medallions, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This unusually-shaped carpet is known as a "makden" and was originally used by a nomadic traveler as an artful covering for his horse. Placed between the saddle and the horse, the makden cushioned the rigid saddle and kept the horse warm in cold climates. Most under-saddle carpets include two to four holes near the center, through which the girth straps of the saddle were threaded.
Dated to the late 19th century, this Tibetan saddle carpet...
Category
Early 20th Century Tibetan Tibetan Chinese and East Asian Rugs
Materials
Fabric, Wool
Antique Saddle Carpet with Peonies, c. 1920s
Located in Chicago, IL
This unusually-shaped carpet is known as a "makden" and was originally used by a nomadic traveler as an artful covering for his horse. Placed between the saddle and the horse, the makden cushioned the rigid saddle and kept the horse warm in cold climates. Most under-saddle carpets...
Category
Vintage 1920s East Turkestani Chinese and East Asian Rugs
Materials
Fabric, Wool
Chinese Famille Rose Ginger Jar with Ancient Censers, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Beautifully commemorated on this oval ginger jar, censers have been used for thousands of years in Chinese culture as a part of funeral rites or prayer offerings. Filled with dried a...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Jars
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Round Grain Container with Offering Fruits, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This hand-crafted wood container dates to the early 20th century and was used to store rice and other grains. The lidded container has a rounded body with a short footed base, constr...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Decorative Baskets
Materials
Iron
Chinese Bent Handle Fisherman's Basket, circa 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Basket making is an ancient and humble craft, but in the hands of a skilled weaver a simple willow basket becomes a truly beautiful statement. The artisan’s mastery is evident in thi...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Decorative Baskets
Materials
Wood, Willow
Petite Square Woven Basket
Located in Chicago, IL
This petite woven basket dates to the early 20th century and is crafted of thin bamboo strips that have been carefully hand-woven in a twill pattern. The...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Decorative Baskets
Materials
Bamboo
Provincial Chinese Wine Jug, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This ceramic jar from China's Shandong province has a bottle-neck shape meant for storing vinegar or wine made from rice and grain. Dated to the early 20th century, the jar was likel...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Ceramics
Materials
Ceramic
Chinese Autumn Moon Stool, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
The stool is a central fixture of Chinese furniture culture. Found in a variety of materials and forms, the stool transcends class lines, as much at home in the provincial courtyard ...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Stools
Materials
Elm
Chinese Bamboo Teapot with Arched Handle, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Tea drinking has been an integral part of Chinese culture for centuries, resulting in a wide range of social customs and material traditions. In addition to tea leaves, water, and he...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Antiquities
Materials
Bamboo
Chinese Bamboo Cloth Teapot with Arched Handle, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Tea drinking has been an integral part of Chinese culture for centuries, resulting in a wide range of social customs and material traditions. In addition to tea leaves, water, and he...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Bamboo
Chinese Bamboo Cloth Teapot, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Tea drinking has been an integral part of Chinese culture for centuries, resulting in a wide range of social customs and material traditions. In addition to tea leaves, water, and heat, the art of drinking tea (chayi) calls for a variety of teaware and utensils - both practical and decorative.
This charming teapot dates to the late Qing dynasty and is hand-carved from a hollow length of bamboo to appear as though parceled by a cloth strung with tassels. The teapot has a squat, rounded form and a dark brown finish, reminiscent of Yixing red clay teapots...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Bamboo
Chinese Bamboo Pomegranate Teapot, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Tea drinking has been an integral part of Chinese culture for centuries, resulting in a wide range of social customs and material traditions. In addition to tea leaves, water, and heat, the art of drinking tea (chayi) calls for a variety of teaware and utensils - both practical and decorative.
This charming teapot dates to the late Qing dynasty and is hand-carved from a hollow length of bamboo in the shape of a ripe pomegranate. The handle is carved to resemble a thin branch, which forks to either side of the teapot bearing long, slender leaves. The teapot has a squat, rounded form and a dark brown finish, reminiscent of Yixing red clay teapots...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Bamboo
Chinese Famille Rose Ginger Jar with Ancient Censers, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Beautifully commemorated on this oval ginger jar, censers have been used for thousands of years in Chinese culture as a part of funeral rites or prayer offerings. Filled with dried aromatic plants and essential oils, the censer issued fragrant smoke that forged a connection to the spiritual realm.
This late Qing-dynasty jar...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Ceramics
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Lacquered Fang Deng Side Table, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Stools have been a favored form of seating in Chinese culture for centuries and were used indoors and out at mealtimes and during social gatherings. This style of low square stool is...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing End Tables
Materials
Elm
Kuba Beaded Laket Prestige Cap
By Kuba
Located in Chicago, IL
This petite cone-shaped cap, known as laket, was created by an artisan of the Kuba peoples of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The base is made of a simple woven raffia fabric, ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Congolese Tribal Mounted Objects
Materials
Shell, Fabric
Read More
A Pair of Monumental Stone Tigers Protect and Guide Wandering Souls
The Qing dynasty beasts honored the dead and warned off malicious spirits.
Chicago’s Pagoda Red Has a Spirited Mix of Asian Antiques and Bold New Art
For 25 years, gallerist Betsy Nathan has leveraged her keen eye and key connections to bring a unique selection of rare finds to the market.