PAGODA RED
to
13
874
640
611
548
358
93
87
87
76
41
28
26
23
22
18
15
13
13
6
3
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
3
2
1
1
Period: Early 20th Century
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
Mythical Beast Coconut Splitter, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This sculptural early 20th century coconut splitter was carved into the form of a crouching beast ready to pounce. It was likely a merchant's tool in a Southeast Asian market used to...
Category
Early 20th Century Southeast Asian Primitive Animal Sculptures
Materials
Steel
Chinese Famille Verte Hat Stand with Ancient Censers, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Dated to the late 19th century, this porcelain hat stand was once used by a Qing-dynasty gentleman to display his cap while it wasn't being worn. The hat stand is decorated in the fa...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Ceramics
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Terracotta Soup Pot, circa 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Based on vessels fired in ancient Chinese kilns, this jar's perfect proportions haven't changed much since the Bronze Age. Keeping in the tradition of its predecessors, this early 20th century ceramic vessel is glazed with a slip of red clay, yielding a warm, terracotta coloring. Two small strap handles sit on the high shoulders of the jar's otherwise unadorned round form. Originally used as a soup...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Planters, Cachepots and Jardinières
Materials
Terracotta
Chinese Well Bucket, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This vintage water bucket conjures up images of water-bearing figures illustrated in painted scrolls. Beautifully aged with a warm patina, this Qi...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Decorative Baskets
Materials
Iron
Chinese Famille Rose Bowl with Floral Arrangements, c. 1920
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.
Dated to the early 20th century, this large porcelain bowl is a wonderful example of the intricate painted linework characteristic of famille rose ware. The base of the bowl features an arrangement of precious scholars' objects and auspicious symbols, including a ruyi scepter, a handscroll, and rhinoceros horns...
Category
Vintage 1920s Chinese Qing Ceramics
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Low Kang Table, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
During winter in the colder provinces of China, life revolved around the kang, a heated brick platform that household members would sit or recline upon. Placed on top of the kang, lo...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Furniture
Materials
Elm
Pair of Chinese Black Lacquer Ladies' Chairs, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
These unusual ladies' chairs exemplify the beauty of exaggerated proportions. Each chair features a small, round seat, charmingly counterbalanced by wide back panels. A black lacquer...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Side Chairs
Materials
Elm
Pair of Chinese Art Deco Oval Stools, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
When the Art Deco movement reached major Chinese cities like Tianjin and Shanghai, the design aesthetic that emerged was the perfect intersection of European modernism and Ming-dynasty refinement. This oval stool is a product of the era, crafted in turn-of-the-century Shanghai with simple geometries and supple, flowing lines. Minimally decorated to highlight the natural beauty of its hardwood construction, the stool features four legs ending in rounded hoofed feet...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Art Deco Stools
Materials
Hardwood
Chinese Squared Famille Rose Ginger Jar with Ritual Vessels, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Beautifully commemorated on this squared ginger jar, tripod censers and bronze ritual vessels have been used for thousands of years in Chinese cultur...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Ceramics
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Famille Rose Scholarly Gathering 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
Chinese Famille Rose Bowl with Scholars' Objects, c. 1850
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 Qing Decorative Bowls
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Low Waisted Kang Table, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
During winter in the colder provinces of China, life revolved around the kang, a heated brick platform that household members would sit or recline upon. Placed on top of the kang, lo...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Furniture
Materials
Elm
Pair of Chinese Famille Rose Rouleau Vases, 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.
These rouleau-shaped vases date to the early 20th century and beautifully showcase the intricate decoration characteristic of famille rose ware. Also known as bangchuping (纹棒槌瓶), or 'grain mallet vase', rouleau vases...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Ceramics
Materials
Porcelain
Provincial Chinese Porch Stool, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Deceptively simple, this rustic stool from the early 20th century shows off the ingenious joinery methods traditionally used by Chinese carpenters. The stool's three splayed legs are...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Stools
Materials
Elm
Chinese Famille Rose Baluster Jar with Ancient Censers, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Beautifully commemorated on this lidded baluster 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 Famille Rose Scholarly Gathering 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
Chinese Walnut Handscroll Table, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Dated to the early 20th century, this long table has a Minimalist appeal, with clean lines and a darkly lacquered finish. The walnut table exemplifies Classic Chinese furniture desig...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Chinese Melon Leg Wine Table, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
An elegant example of the clean lines of Qing-dynasty furniture, this table from Hebei province celebrates the traditional wine table form with design that is simple and refined. Crafted of northern elm (yumu) using time-honored woodworking techniques, the table has a floating-panel top and four round legs linked by giant's arm braces. Each leg is carved in the shape of a melon or gourd, symbols of prosperity and perpetuity. This scalloped shape is echoed in the ridged apron and braces, a reference to older traditions of bent bamboo furniture...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Furniture
Materials
Elm
Framed Chinese Deco Advertisement Poster with Mirrored Back, c. 1930s
Located in Chicago, IL
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...
Category
Vintage 1920s Chinese Art Deco Prints
Materials
Paper, Mirror
Chinese Gilt Ancestor Figure, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
An integral part of traditional Chinese home life, ancestor worship before a domestic altar often featured painted ancestral portraits or tabletop ancestor figure...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Wood, Lacquer
Tibeto-Chinese Seated Lama Figure, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Cast in brass with a rich patina, this seated figure is a Lama, a spiritual master and teacher of the Dharma in Tibetan Buddhism. The figure likely de...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Tibetan Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Brass
Miniature Chinese Altar Display Stand, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Dated to the early 20th century, this petite display stand is crafted of northern elmwood (yumu) with clean lines and perfect proportions. Once used as a tabletop altar for ancestor worship, we love this low stand...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Minimalist Pedestals
Materials
Elm
Chinese Calligraphy Brush, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Dated to the early 20th century, this fine calligraphy brush would have been an essential tool for a Qing-dynasty scholar-official, used to draft official documents or compose poetry...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Hardwood
Yoruba Egungun Headdress Mask
By Yoruba People
Located in Chicago, IL
Attributed to the Yoruba people of western Nigeria, this wooden headdress was worn during a masquerade known as egungun. A widespread Yoruba ritual, egungun performances honor a comm...
Category
Early 20th Century Nigerian Tribal Masks
Materials
Wood
Kuba Currency Spear, circa 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
While shield and spear were central to African combat, this example by the Kuba People of Central Africa was most likely made to serve as a piece of trade currency. Many pre-coloniza...
Category
Early 20th Century Congolese Tribal Arms, Armor and Weapons
Materials
Iron
Chinese Lattice Window Panel, circa 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This early 20th century lattice window panel likely originated in a northern Chinese home with neutral and balanced interiors. The geometric lattice pattern is linear and open, and was designed to allow light and air into a room while maintaining privacy. Assembled by carefully joining long strips of carved wood, this lattice window has an even, squared pattern that reveals a large diamond formation. Crafted of pine wood, we love this vintage lattice...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Wall-mounted Sculptures
Materials
Pine
Pair of Chinese Round Leg Courtyard Benches, circa 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
These early 20th century elmwood benches would have originally resided in the courtyard of a Qing-dynasty home to provide much-needed outdoor seating on hot summer days. The benches ...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Benches
Materials
Elm
Pair of Provincial Chinese Courtyard Stools, circa 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 pair of early 20th century tapered stools...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Stools
Materials
Elm
Chinese Calligraphy Brush, circa 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Along with paper, ink, and inkstone, the brush was among the four treasures found in a traditional scholar’s studio. The brush served as a direct link to the artist’s creative spirit...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Elm
Petite Chinese Seven-Drawer Desk, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This petite elmwood desk charms with its unusual blend of east and west styles. Made in Northern China, the desk dates to the late 19th century, a period that saw great cultural exch...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Elm
Framed Chinese Calligraphy Scroll, circa 1920s
Located in Chicago, IL
Set against a silk brocade backing, this early 20th century paper scroll is brushed with a work of painterly calligraphy. Expressing notions of endurance and moral fortitude, the scr...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Paper
Chinese Stone Garlic Mortar, circa 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Hand carved from a single block of limestone, this round stone vessel is an early 20th century mortar once used daily in a Provincial kitchen to grind herbs, spices, and other foods. Used as a decorative vessel or tabletop planter...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Organic Modern Planters, Cachepots and Jardin...
Materials
Limestone
Chinese Literati Tea Tray, circa 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This petite 19th century tray reflects the Qing-dynasty literati's taste for fine materials and balanced proportions. Once used to serve tea or hold scholarly implements, the tray is...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Hardwood
Pair of Chinese Lotus Stools, circa 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Deceptively simple, these early 20th century stools from Hebei province show off the ingenious joinery methods traditionally used by Chinese carpenters. The stool's three splayed leg...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Furniture
Materials
Elm
American Turned Newel Finial Post
Located in Chicago, IL
Dated to the early 20th century, this antique turned newel post was crafted from American oak with a simple ball finial top. The original dark finish...
Category
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Mounted Objects
Materials
Oak
Chinese Blue and White Rice Bowl, circa 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This late 19th century footed bowl would have been offered by Chinese traders traveling along the Silk Road in exchange for spices or gems. The Chinese a...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Decorative Bowls
Materials
Porcelain
Geometric Ashanti African Stool
Located in Chicago, IL
An indicator of status and family, stools play an integral role in traditional Ashanti culture. Believed to be the resting place for a person's soul, a stool is given to a child when they first learn to crawl and used in personal milestones throughout the rest of their life.
Carved from a solid block of wood, each stool has a rectangular base and a distinctive curved seat supported by a central column and four corner posts. While some ceremonial stools are carved to convey particular proverbs, this stool is simply decorated with scalloped edges, geometric patterns, and a small cross. The combination of shapes and curved lines makes this Ashanti stool...
Category
Early 20th Century Ghanaian Tribal Stools
Materials
Wood
Chinese Split Bamboo Headrest, circa 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Crafted from lengths of split bamboo, this headrest enabled contour comfort, quite luxurious for 19th century, China. Lightweight and low-profile, it was the perfect accessory for a ...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Antiquities
Materials
Bamboo
Pair of Chinese Red Lacquer Cabinets with Poetic Pairings, circa 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Set within a simple black lacquer frame, the three drawers of these early 20th century upright cabinets are brilliantly colored with rich red lacquer t...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Furniture
Materials
Elm
Chinese Art Deco Persimmon Vase with White Cranes, circa 1920s
Located in Chicago, IL
Drawing on the enduring phoenix tail form that dates to China’s Bronze Age, this porcelain vase from the 1920s exhibits the sinuous lines and gilded refinement that helped to define ...
Category
Vintage 1920s Chinese Art Deco Ceramics
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Art Deco Persimmon Vase with White Cranes, circa 1920s
Located in Chicago, IL
Drawing on the enduring phoenix tail form that dates to China’s Bronze Age, this porcelain vase from the 1920s exhibits the sinuous lines and gilded refinement that helped to define ...
Category
Vintage 1920s Chinese Art Deco Ceramics
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Art Deco Persimmon Vase with White Cranes, circa 1920s
Located in Chicago, IL
Drawing on the enduring phoenix tail form that dates to China’s Bronze Age, this porcelain vase from the 1920s exhibits the sinuous lines and gilded refinement that helped to define ...
Category
Vintage 1920s Chinese Art Deco Ceramics
Materials
Porcelain
"Poets in the Garden" Chinese Blue and White Vase, circa 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
One of the primary functions of the Chinese garden was to provide a setting for literary gatherings, places where poets and scholars convened with nature and commemorated the affair ...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Ceramics
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Generous Square Stool with Cane Seat, circa 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Lightweight and portable, stools were popular in Qing dynasty homes for their simplicity and convenience. This elegantly proportioned stool features an inset handwoven seat, providin...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Cane, Elm
Chinese Smoky Black Clay Basin, circa 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Sculpted in the early 20th century in southern China, this charcoal-black basin has a darkened exterior and bears the smoky traces of its fiery creation on...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Planters, Cachepots and Jardinières
Materials
Clay
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.