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Period: Early 20th Century
Chinese Monumental Mill Wheel, circa 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Hewn from pine and held together with iron hardware, this provincial wooden wheel is a remarkable example of turn-of-the-century craftsmanship. Its monumental scale suggests it was u...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Architectural Elements
Materials
Iron
Chinese Monumental Mill Wheel, circa 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Hewn from pine and held together with handmade iron nails, this provincial wooden wheel is a remarkable example of turn-of-the-century craftsmanship. Its monumental scale suggests it...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Architectural Elements
Materials
Iron
Green Guilloche Enamel Vanity Set, circa 1930
Located in Chicago, IL
This charming set of brushes and jars was once used by a well-to-do lady to store her cosmetics and maintain an elegant updo hairstyle. Also known as a toilet service...
Category
Early 20th Century British Decorative Art
Materials
Silver, Enamel
Chinese Brown Drip Glaze Vessel, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Tracing its roots back into the Han dynasty, this early 20th-century vessel emulates the full-bodied shapes and unusual glazing found in ancient ceramics...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Ceramics
Materials
Ceramic
Guatemalan Child's Chair, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Crafted in the early 20th century, this petite Guatemalan children's chair charms with its playful asymmetry and richly textured surface. Influenced by Spanish Colonial furniture design, the angular chair has a slatted back and tapered seat resting on square legs. We love this diminutive chair...
Category
Early 20th Century Guatemalan Rustic Children's Furniture
Materials
Wood
Set of Three Provincial Chinese Wine Jugs, circa 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
These early 20th century ceramic jars from China's Shandong province were formed with a bottle-neck shape meant for storing vinegar or rice wine. We suspect these jars were created to store wine for commercial sale, and were likely stoppered with a cork or wax seal. Left unglazed, the jugs are decorated only the irregular, organic smoke patterns created during the firing process. We love the neutral color story told by this set of vessels...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Jars
Materials
Ceramic
Provincial Chinese Stacked Stretcher Console Table, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Crafted in China's Shanxi province in the late Qing dynasty, this charming wine table was once a gathering spot for guests to pour wine and make toasts. T...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Side Tables
Materials
Elm
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 can become a truly beautiful work of art. This bent handle basket was made i...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Decorative Baskets
Materials
Wood, Fabric, Willow
Guatemalan Child's Chair, circa 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Crafted in the early 20th century, this petite Guatemalan children's chair charms with its playful asymmetry and richly textured surface. Influenced by Spanish Colonial furniture design, the chair has a slatted back and square seat resting on two short, hand-turned legs. The low seat is the perfect height for a youngster, but we love this petite chair as a low side table or tabletop display Stand...
Category
Early 20th Century Guatemalan Rustic Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood
Japanese Iron Tetsubin with Chrysanthemum Blossoms, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Decorated with stylized chrysanthemum blossoms, symbols of longevity and rejuvenation, this Japanese teapot was used to boil water for traditional tea ceremonies. Known as tetsubin, ...
Category
Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Metalwork
Materials
Bronze, Iron
Pair of Chinese Double Happiness Pewter Candle Stands, circa 1920
Located in Chicago, IL
These early 20th Century pewter candle stands convey blessings of joy and good fortune. The stem of each stand is shaped as the ? symbol for "double happiness," a traditional motif o...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Candelabras
Materials
Pewter
Pair of French Deco Sunflower Wall Sconces, c. 1930
Located in Chicago, IL
This delightful pair of early 20th Century wall sconces exemplifies French Art Deco lighting with sculptural form and a soft, delicate appeara...
Category
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Wall Lights and Sconces
Materials
Metal
Chinese Speckled Tri-Leg Stool, circa 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This rustic stool from Shanxi province charms with its simple form and fantastic texture. The wooden stool embraces the notion of "wabi-sabi" with its irregular surface textured with...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Stools
Materials
Pine
Chinese Slatted Turn Chair, C. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This unusual early 20th-century chair can be raised or lowered with just a turn of the seat. A chair in two parts, the slatted seat and high back are connected to the square base by ...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Furniture
Materials
Iron
Provincial Farm Tray, C. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This wooden farm tray from northern China charms with its rustic finish and asymmetrical form. Hand-carved from a single block of wood, the large tray is truly one-of-a-kind, shaped ...
Category
Early 20th Century Rustic Serving Pieces
Materials
Metal
Bronze Wrathful Deity Ring, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This sculptural bronze object is a charming example of 19th-century metalwork. The bronze figure is formed as a Buddhist wrathful deity, weari...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Mounted Objects
Materials
Bronze
Provincial Chinese Farm Tray, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This wooden tray from northern China charms with rustic texture and asymmetric form. Hand-carved from a single block of wood, the tray has an oval shape with rounded corners and shor...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Decorative Dishes and Vide-Poche
Materials
Wood
Chinese Studded Stone Mortar, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This stone mortar from the early 20th century was once used in a provincial kitchen to grind herbs, spices, rice, and other foods. Hand-carved from a solid block of limestone, the mortar has a rounded body with a square base and a flattened rim. A studded border patterns the top rim and raised elements at each corner add intrigue to the otherwise simple design. With minimalist appeal and natural textures, the mortar is fantastic as a decorative vessel or a tabletop planter...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Planters, Cachepots and Jardinières
Materials
Limestone
Large Provincial Chinese Farm Tray, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This wooden tray from northern China charms with rustic texture and asymmetric form. Hand-carved from a single block of wood, the tray has an oval shape with rounded corners and tape...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Decorative Dishes and Vide-Poche
Materials
Wood
Petite Chinese Tea Tray, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Simple lines, a modest form, and a layer of hand-brushed lacquer give this petite Qing-dynasty tray a provincial charm that recalls the warmth of home. The dark, red-brown lacquer finish has weathered with time to reveal the light brown coloring of its pine wood construction. A tray like this would have been used to serve tea or food to friends and family...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Decorative Dishes and Vide-Poche
Materials
Wood, Pine, Lacquer
Provincial Chinese Farm Tray, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This wooden farm tray from northern China charms with its rustic finish and asymmetrical form. Hand-carved from a single block of wood, the large tray is truly one-of-a-kind, shaped ...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Decorative Dishes and Vide-Poche
Materials
Wood
Chinese Etched Stone Mortar, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This stone mortar from the early 20th century was once used in a provincial kitchen to grind herbs, spices, rice, and other foods. Hand-carved from a solid block of limestone, the mortar has a tiered shape that transitions from a square base to a rounded top. Etched lines pattern the mortar on all sides except for the smoothed interior, where daily use has eroded the original texture over time. Used as a decorative vessel or tabletop planter...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Planters, Cachepots and Jardinières
Materials
Limestone
Large Provincial Chinese Farm Tray, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This wooden farm tray from northern China charms with its rustic finish and asymmetrical form. Hand-carved from a single block of wood, the large tray is truly one-of-a-kind, shaped ...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Decorative Dishes and Vide-Poche
Materials
Wood
Chinese Glazed Kitchen Jar, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Coated inside and out with a rich, dark brown glaze, this 19th-century jar was originally used for fermenting foods and condiments in a provincial Chinese kitchen. The wide-mouth jar...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Jars
Materials
Ceramic
Provincial Chinese Farm Tray, C. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This wooden farm tray from northern China charms with its rustic finish and asymmetrical form. Hand-carved from a single block of wood, the large tray is truly one-of-a-kind, shaped ...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Decorative Dishes and Vide-Poche
Materials
Wood
Burmese Yun Lacquer Tray, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This round tray dates to the early 20th century and is a simple example of Burmese lacquerware. The tray is formed of thin bamboo strips that have been woven and coiled into shape, h...
Category
Early 20th Century Burmese Decorative Dishes and Vide-Poche
Materials
Bamboo
Pair of Chinese Bronze Ho Ho Boy Candle Stands, C. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
These early 20th century candlesticks are cast of bronze in the form of two young boys dressed in flowing garments and standing on square pedestal bases. Each boy holds a dish for ta...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Metalwork
Materials
Bronze
Chinese Lotus Leaf Snuff Bottle, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
A mixture of finely powdered tobacco, herbs, and spices, snuff was introduced to China in the 17th century by Western diplomats. Initially reserved for ranking members of Qing-dynast...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Glazed Kitchen Jar, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Originally used for fermenting foods and condiments in a provincial Chinese kitchen, this early 20th century terracotta jar is cloaked in a thick mustard yellow glaze. The jar has a ...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Jars
Materials
Ceramic
Provincial Chinese Courtyard Stool, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Dated to the turn of the century, this provincial stool would have been used throughout a courtyard home as versatile everyday seating. Hand-crafted of pine, the tapered stool...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Stools
Materials
Pine
Provincial Chinese Tapered Stool, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
More portable than chairs, stools were a versatile seating option for Qing-dynasty scholars, nobles, and peasants alike. The balanced proportions of this tapered stool...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Stools
Materials
Pine
Burmese Yun Lacquer Container, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
In many southeast Asian cultures, offering guests a betel quid to chew was the fundamental symbol of hospitality. A blend of leaves, nuts, seasonings, and sometimes tobacco, betel was kept in finely worked and decorated boxes. This round container was originally the lid to a Burmese betel box...
Category
Early 20th Century Burmese Folk Art Lacquer
Materials
Bamboo
Chinese Interlocking Tri-Leg Stool, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Deceptively simple, this early 20th century stool from Shanxi province shows off the ingenious joinery methods traditionally used by Chinese carpenters. The stool's three splayed leg...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Stools
Materials
Pine
Pair of Chinese Famille Rose Plates with Garden Scenes, 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 opaque overglaze enamels that favored roses and pinks, famille rose porcelain ware was crafted with the same technical virtuosity as imperial porcelain but designed for Western tastes.
This pair of fine porcelain dishes is a beautiful example of famille rose, decorated with pastel enamels in a palette of purple, turquoise, and pink. The center of each plate is decorated with a calm scene of a woman and a young boy in a garden, surrounded by flowering plum branches and lingzhi fungi of immortality. The scene is bordered by an all-over purple fish...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Ceramics
Materials
Porcelain
Green Glass Fisherman’s Float, C. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This beautiful green sphere is an early 20th century glass float used by fishermen to keep their fishing nets or droplines afloat in the ocean. The hollow float would have been encased by a rope netting and used just like a modern buoy. Because these floats were commonly produced from recycled bottles, most antique glass floats...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Blown Glass
Burmese Gilt Musician Figure, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This seated Burmese figure captures a musician in eternal song. The wooden figure is hand-carved with a seated posture, legs crossed and arms outstretch...
Category
Early 20th Century Burmese Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Glass, Wood
Ethiopian Carved Headrest
Located in Chicago, IL
So as not to muss their intricate hairstyles while sleeping, Ethiopian women would traditionally rest their heads on these petite wooden stands. The combination of conic base and con...
Category
Early 20th Century Ethiopian Primitive Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Wood
Chinese Blue and White Fu Lion Headrest
Located in Chicago, IL
This small ceramic block is actually a form of Chinese headrest or neck pillow. Popular during the Qing dynasty, rigid headrests such as this were used by upper-class women to protec...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Ceramics
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Blue and White Fu Lion Headrest
Located in Chicago, IL
This square ceramic block is actually a form of Chinese headrest or neck pillow. Popular during the Qing dynasty, rigid headrests such as this were used by upper-class women to prote...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Ceramics
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Blue and White Fu Lion Headrest, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This large ceramic block is actually a form of Chinese headrest or neck pillow. Popular during the Qing dynasty, rigid headrests such as this were used by upper-class women to protect their elaborate hairstyles by elevating the head during slumber. This example dates to the early 20th century and is glazed in the blue-and-white style with rich, cobalt-blue color.
The headrest is decorated on all sides with mythical fu lion dogs playing with ribbon-tied brocade balls, a motif that evokes the idiom "may you and your descendant achieve high rank." A powerful and benevolent guardian, the fu lion (shizi) is the perfect force to protect against nightmares and bad energy. A geometric meander trims the corners and small dragon-like bats frame coin...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Ceramics
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Celadon Glazed Temple Headrest, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
To keep her elaborate hairstyle intact while sleeping, a well-to-do Qing-dynasty woman would use a rigid headrest or neck pillow to keep her head elevated. Whether functional or pure...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Ceramics
Materials
Porcelain
Painted Chinese Rice Measure, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This rustic container was made over a hundred years ago to measure and hold a dou of rice, an ancient Chinese measurement. The wooden vessel has a sq...
Category
Antique Early 1900s Chinese Qing Antiquities
Materials
Iron
Chinese Blue Glazed Tripod Censer
Located in Chicago, IL
Censers have been used for thousands of years in Chinese culture as an element of prayer, ritual, and funerary rites. Placed within a shrine and filled with burning incense, the censer issues fragrant smoke that the duration of the ritual and acts as an offering to one's ancestors or religious deities. This round ceramic incense burner...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Ceramics
Materials
Ceramic
Chinese Peking Glass Bok Choy Charm, c. 1920
Located in Chicago, IL
Although practiced for centuries, Chinese glass-making gained prominence during the Qing-dynasty with the introduction of Peking glass. Adapting European technologies, workshops in the Imperial Palace began creating layered and intricately-carved glass pieces that mimicked the translucency of jade, semiprecious stones, and rare jewels.
This Peking glass charm is sculpted as a tiny bok choy...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Glass
Chinese Lucky Girl Headrest, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
To keep her elaborate hairstyle intact while sleeping, a well-to-do Qing-dynasty woman would use a rigid headrest or neck pillow to keep her head elevated. Whether functional or purely decorative, such headrests were crafted from a variety of materials and were often decorated with elaborate patterns or symbolic motifs.
This porcelain headrest...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Ceramics
Materials
Porcelain
Pair of Petite Chinese Collector's Shelves
Located in Chicago, IL
Dated to the early 20th century, these petite collector's shelves are seamlessly constructed with clean lines and open sides. Once the centerpiece of a scholar’s studio, these open s...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Shelves
Materials
Elm
Chinese Yangliuqing New Year Painting of Peace & Prosperity
Located in Chicago, IL
Chinese New Year paintings (nian hua) are colorful folk paintings created to celebrate the annual Spring Festival. Drawn or printed by folk artists in regional studios, nian hua pain...
Category
Vintage 1920s Chinese Folk Art Paintings and Screens
Materials
Paper
Chinese Yangliuqing New Year Painting of Beauty and Baby, c. 1920
Located in Chicago, IL
Chinese New Year paintings (nian hua) are colorful folk paintings created to celebrate the annual Spring Festival. Drawn or printed by folk artists in regional studios, nian hua pain...
Category
Vintage 1920s Chinese Folk Art Paintings and Screens
Materials
Paper
Pair of Chinese Blue and White Qilin Vases, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
A parade of Qilin, Chinese mythical creatures symbolizing magnificence, joy, and benevolence, march around these hand-painted contemporary porcelain fantail vases. These particular f...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Ceramics
Materials
Porcelain
Nigerian Nupe Gourd-Form Water Vessel, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Inspired by the natural world, Nupe ceramicists fired this water vessel in the shape of a gourd. The vessel's varied surface textures and colors come from its functional design. The ...
Category
Early 20th Century Nigerian Tribal Vases
Materials
Terracotta
Large Rustic Chinese Tray, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Carved from pine, this hundred-year-old tray made in northern China charms with its rustic character and simple shape. Marked with use and distinguished by t...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Primitive Decorative Dishes and Vide-Poche
Materials
Elm
Chinese Famille Rose Bowl with Offering Fruits, 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 opaque overglaze enamels that favored roses and pinks, famille rose porcelain ware was crafted with the same technical virtuosity as imperial porcelain but designed for Western tastes.
This famille rose bowl...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Bowls
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Ten-Drawer Lacquered Sideboard, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Intricately constructed with traditional mortise-and-tenon joinery, this lacquered coffer was crafted by an artisan in northern China during the late Qing dynasty. Popular in China s...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Sideboards
Materials
Brass
Chinese Yangliuqing New Year Painting of Beauty and Baby, c. 1920
Located in Chicago, IL
Chinese New Year paintings (nian hua) are colorful folk paintings created to celebrate the annual Spring Festival. Drawn or printed by folk artists in regional studios, nian hua pain...
Category
Vintage 1920s Chinese Folk Art Paintings and Screens
Materials
Paper
Nupe Spiral Support Post
By Nupe
Located in Chicago, IL
Hand-carved with an abstract design, this tall wooden post is an architectural support beam attributed to the Nupe people of central Nigeria. Like much of Nupe art, support posts...
Category
Early 20th Century Nigerian Tribal Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Wood
Nupe Spiral Support Post
By Nupe
Located in Chicago, IL
Hand-carved with an abstract design, this tall wooden post is an architectural support beam attributed to the Nupe people of central Nigeria. Like much of Nupe art, support posts...
Category
Early 20th Century Nigerian Tribal Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Wood
Korean Wedding Chest, c. 1920
Located in Chicago, IL
This lacquered wedding chest dates to the early 20th century and was likely originally used as a bridewealth chest during a traditional Korean wedding ceremony. The exterior is finished with red and black lacquer and decorated with two round medallions conveying blessings of luck (?) and longevity (?). The medallions are surrounded by raised decoration resembling folk paper-cuts in the shape of floral wreaths and phoenixes. The chest opens from the top, secured with a brass lock plate in the form of a butterfly, a traditional symbol of a life of prosperity and joy. Vintage newsprint...
Category
Early 20th Century Korean Trunks and Luggage
Materials
Brass
Chinese Double Steamed Wine Jar
Located in Chicago, IL
This early 20th-century ceramic jar is formed in a traditional shape meant for storing wine and spirits made from rice and grains. Known as cheng, these jars are defined by having a ...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Ceramics
Materials
Ceramic
Korean Wedding Chest, c. 1920
Located in Chicago, IL
This lacquered wedding chest dates to the early 20th century and was likely originally used as a bridewealth chest during a traditional Korean wedding ceremony. The exterior is finished with red and black lacquer and decorated with two round medallions conveying blessings of luck and longevity. The chest opens from the top, secured with a brass lock plate in the form of a butterfly, a traditional symbol of a life of prosperity and joy. Vintage newsprint...
Category
Early 20th Century Korean Trunks and Luggage
Materials
Brass
Chinese Famille Rose Phoenix and Peony Baluster Jar, 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
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