PAGODA RED
to
12
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
1
Period: 19th Century
Tibetan Damaru Drum on Stand, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Vibrantly colored and intricately decorated, this small two-headed drum is a 19th-century Tibetan damaru, a hand-held instrument used in tantric practi...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Tibetan Tibetan Mounted Objects
Materials
Steel
Incised Copper Currency Anklet
Located in Chicago, IL
Time-honored texture and form define this Nigerian copper sculptural object. The intricate geometry was achieved through a process known as scarification. The artisan would meticulou...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Nigerian Tribal Mounted Objects
Materials
Copper, Steel
Monumental Chinese Ancestral Portrait, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Reflecting the role that ancestor worship played in Chinese culture, this Qing-dynasty painting depicts several generations of family, dressed in intricately-detailed and brilliantly...
Category
Antique Late 19th Century Chinese Qing Paintings
Materials
Linen
Four Seasons Chinese Phoenix Tail Vase, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
The form of this 19th century porcelain vase is called "phoenix tail" for the way its flared mouth and slender waist mimic the shape of the auspicious bird. The vibrant painted scene...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Ceramics
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Trailing Clouds Altar Sideboard, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Topped with offerings of food, burning incense, and painted images of the deceased, this enchanting coffer played a central role in Chinese ancestor worship. Handcrafted of northern elmwood in China's Shanxi province, this 19th century coffer...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Furniture
Materials
Elm
Chinese Double Stretcher Wine Table, c. 1800
Located in Chicago, IL
A tradition dating back to the northern Song dynasty, wine tables have been used in China for centuries as a spot to converse, sip wine, and make...
Category
Antique Early 19th Century Chinese Qing Center Tables
Materials
Elm
Low Chinese Kang Table with Spiral Spandrels, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Traditionally, a low table such as this would have been used as a daybed, providing not only a place to sleep but also a space to drink tea, play a game, or share an intimate moment....
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Bamboo, Elm
Chinese Scholarly Lacquered Offering Table, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
This mid-19th century console table was likely used as an offering table bearing incense. Appealing to the rarified taste of China’s literati, this Qing-dynasty table depicts auspici...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Furniture
Materials
Elm
Chinese Journey to the West Hitching Post, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Created in the mid-19th century, this charming limestone post likely once stood outside a building in China's Shanxi province as a spot to hitch livestock. Carved in reference to the Ming dynasty novel "Journey to the West," the monkey atop the post depicts Sun Wukong, the Monkey King...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Limestone
Pair of Chinese Red Lacquer Cabinets with Birds in Flight, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
This pair of early 19th century red lacquer cabinets is an extraordinary find. When placed beside each other, what remains of the finely-painted decoration comes together to form a s...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Furniture
Materials
Elm
Chinese Baitong Etched Folding Hat Stand, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
A Qing dynasty official proclaimed his rank through badges and accessories including his hat. This ingenious folding white brass hat stand, covered in intricately etched scrollwork, ...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Hat Racks and Stands
Materials
Brass
Finely Carved Chinese Console Table, c. 1800
Located in Chicago, IL
Altar tables with everted ends seen in Chinese paintings and prints are typically depicted in a grand context, and so it is thought that the upward-ending surface signifies status an...
Category
Antique Early 19th Century Chinese Qing Furniture
Materials
Elm
Chinese Mustard Jade Archer's Ring, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Hand-carved of the highest quality jade, this 19th century Archer's ring was likely worn by a gentleman-scholar in Northern China. Traditionally, Chinese archers wore these rings to ...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Collectible Jewelry
Materials
Jade, Sterling Silver
Chinese Pearl of Wisdom Valance, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
This architectural valance from the 19th century is beautifully carved in multiple dimensions with lotus, flora, and fruits on the vine and centered with a pearl of wisdom. It beauti...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Wall-mounted Sculptures
Materials
Elm
Chinese Curved Leg Chrysanthemum Foot Console Table, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
This highly unusual 19th century table has a solid elmwood plank top, two drawers, and graceful, fluid carved legs that end in blossoming chrysanthemum carved feet. Chrysanthemums, a...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Console Tables
Materials
Elm
Chinese Black Guanmaoyi Chair, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
With its strong lines and upright stature, this imposing piece of furniture was the chair of choice for a 19th-century administrator in northern China. Made of northern elmwood, the ...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Furniture
Materials
Elm, Lacquer
Chinese Erotic Album Leaf, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Despite its explicit content, this intimate scene conveys a sense of tenderness and romantic love characteristic of Chinese erotic art. Known as “sp...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Paper
Framed Chinese Erotic Miniature Painting, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Despite its explicit content, this intimate scene conveys a sense of tenderness and romantic love characteristic of Chinese erotic art. Known as “sp...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Paper
Framed Chinese Erotic Album Leaf, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Despite its explicit content, this intimate scene conveys a sense of tenderness and romantic love characteristic of Chinese erotic art. Known as “sp...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Paper
Framed Chinese Erotic Album Leaf, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Despite its explicit content, this intimate scene conveys a sense of tenderness and romantic love characteristic of Chinese erotic art. Known as “sp...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Paper
Framed Chinese Erotic Album Leaf, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Despite its explicit content, this intimate scene conveys a sense of tenderness and romantic love characteristic of Chinese erotic art. Known as “sp...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Paper
Chinese Square Weiqi Table, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
By the most modest estimates, the Chinese game of weiqi, more commonly known as Go, predates chess by over 800 years. Skill in the "Encircling Game" was considered one of the four cu...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Furniture
Materials
Stone
Pair of Chinese Floral Chainlink Lattice Panels, c. 1800
Located in Chicago, IL
This pair of elaborately carved early 19th century Chinese courtyard panels feature intricately carved lattice comprised of chain links connected with floral blossoms. This complicat...
Category
Antique Early 19th Century Chinese Qing Screens and Room Dividers
Materials
Elm
Tibetan Thangka of Vaishravana, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Thangkas are devotional paintings displayed by Buddhists in monasteries, temples, and even their homes. This 19th-century Tibetan Thangka is rich with historical figures and symbolism arranged around the Viashravana in the painting's center. This lesser deity is the god of wealth...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Tibetan Paintings and Screens
Materials
Fabric, Paint
Pair of Chinese Stone Fu Dogs, c. 1800
Located in Chicago, IL
This pair of limestone Fu dogs once protected a grand courtyard home in 19th century, China. Skilfully carved in attentive postures, the lion-like dogs are “shizi,” symbols of power ...
Category
Antique Early 19th Century Chinese Qing Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Limestone
Pair of 19th Century Chinese Stone Fu Dogs
Located in Chicago, IL
This pair of 19th century carved limestone Fu dogs with sinister smiles and furled brows once guarded the entrance to one of provincial China's grand homes. One peers up and the othe...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Limestone
19th Century Tibetan Thangka of Chenresi
Located in Chicago, IL
Thangkas are devotional paintings displayed by Buddhists in monasteries, temples, and even in their homes. The rich red, orange, green, and blue hues are still incredibly vibrant on ...
Category
Antique Early 19th Century Tibetan Tibetan Paintings and Screens
Materials
Brass
Pair of 19th Century Chinese Quatrefoil Doors
Located in Chicago, IL
This pair of doors is over a century old and originally decorated a Qing dynasty home in China’s Fujian Province. The thin cedar slats mimic bamboo and overlap the quatrefoil windows...
Category
Antique Late 19th Century Chinese Qing Furniture
Materials
Cedar
Provincial Chinese Elmwood Bench, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
During the Qing dynasty, long benches such as this were used as shared seating and were often found in public spaces like temples, theaters, or courtyards. Crafted in China's Shanxi province over 150 years ago, this low bench has a timeless form that highlights the organic beauty of northern elmwood (yumu). We love this traditional bench...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Materials
Elm
Chinese Etched Baitong Brass Hat Stand, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
In 19th century, China government officials wore different hats to show their various ranks of office—the styles and designs changed depending on the season. A one of a kind folding ...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Metalwork
Materials
Brass
Chinese Baitong Etched Brass Folding Hat Stand, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
In 19th century China government officials wore different hats to show their various ranks of office—the styles and designs changed depending on the season. A hand-crafted, one of a ...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Hat Racks and Stands
Materials
Brass
Chinese Painted Altar Cabinet, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Made of Chinese northern elm, this altar cabinet once contained the essentials for ancestor rituals. Although darkened with age, the cabinet’s two doors ...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Furniture
Materials
Brass
Nigerian Mofu Patterned Metal Shield, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
The Mofu tribe of Nigeria was particularly famed for their metal shields. Expertly forged, the defenses provided by metal far outstripped the wood and ree...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Nigerian Tribal Wall-mounted Sculptures
Materials
Metal
Chinese Woven Top Canopy Bed, c. 1800
Located in Chicago, IL
A Chinese canopy bed was typically part of a bride's dowry or a gift to a courtesan. It grew to be an important household status symbol, and the sub...
Category
Antique Early 19th Century Chinese Qing Daybeds
Materials
Rattan, Elm
Japanese Meiji Hanging Scroll of Ayu Fish, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Although Western painting was initially embraced during Japan’s Meiji period (1868–1912), artists brought on a revival of traditional painting styles as they sought to create a moder...
Category
Mid-19th Century Folk Art Landscape Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Paper, Ink, Silk
Korean Buddhist Guardian Mural Taenghwa Painting, c. 1800
Located in Chicago, IL
Evolving from the Korean tradition of tomb mural painting came the Buddhist practice of “taenghwa,” or hanging-painting, a form of religious painting that included hanging scrolls, framed paintings and wall murals. Influenced by Chinese and Central Asian Buddhist art...
Category
19th Century Folk Art Figurative Paintings
Materials
Pigment, Paint, Cotton
Chinese Mythical Immortal Screen Painting, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Since the 12th century, people in China have used folding screens and doors to partition and decorate their homes - the vivid scenes backing the screens added life and color to a roo...
Category
Mid-19th Century Figurative Paintings
Materials
Fabric, Ink, Pigment
Chinese Mythical Immortal Screen Painting, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Since the 12th century, people in China have used folding screens and doors to partition and decorate their homes - the vivid scenes backing the screens added life and color to a roo...
Category
Mid-19th Century Figurative Paintings
Materials
Fabric, Ink, Pigment
Chinese Mythical Immortal Screen Painting, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Since the 12th century, people in China have used folding screens and doors to partition and decorate their homes - the vivid scenes backing the screens added life and color to a roo...
Category
Mid-19th Century Figurative Paintings
Materials
Fabric, Ink, Pigment
Chinese Mythical Immortal Screen Painting, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Since the 12th century, people in China have used folding screens and doors to partition and decorate their homes - the vivid scenes backing the screens added life and color to a roo...
Category
Mid-19th Century Figurative Paintings
Materials
Fabric, Ink, Pigment
Oil Portrait of a Victorian Lady, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Painted in the 19th century, this exquisite miniature portrait wonderfully exemplifies realism in traditional oil painting. The small artwork is painted in the conventional portraiture style of the Old Masters, and achieves soft realism with fine brushwork and a subdued, neutral palette. The half length portrait depicts a fine Victorian woman dressed in all black with a delicate lace collar and bonnet. She wears a ruby broach...
Category
Mid-19th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Oil
Taoist Ceremonial Scroll Painting, c. 1870
Located in Chicago, IL
This colorful painted scroll is a Taoist ceremonial painting attributed to the Yao or Mien minority culture of southern China, northern Vietnam and other neighboring regions. The small scroll depicts two lesser Taoist deities riding animal mounts, possibly representing the pantheon of gods known as the Administration or Heng Fei. Such scrolls were commissioned by Taoist priests and would have been displayed during ritual ceremony to communicate with the gods residing in each painting.
From the collection of Frances...
Category
Late 19th Century Qing Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Paper, Pigment
"Boys Beneath Lotus, " Paint on Panel, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
This folk hand-painted panel, laden with meaning, was originally an interior painted panel of a large storage cabinet. The panel is painted with ...
Category
Mid-19th Century Qing Figurative Paintings
Materials
Wood, Ink
Chinese Eternal Youth Sign of Honor, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
This monumental lacquered elmwood sign of honor was carved in northern China during the mid-19th century. The large central characters read as "Wu Zheng Ever Green", and - loosely tr...
Category
Mid-19th Century Qing More Art
Materials
Wood, Paint
Pair of Framed Chinese Ancestor Portraits, Ink and Pigment on Paper, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Believing that the departed continue to hold influence over the lives of the living, many Chinese households honor their ancestors in private family rituals, invoking their spirits for long life, health, and prosperity. Commemorative portraits, which came into vogue in the late Ming and Qing dynasties, were commissioned specifically for ancestor worship and were believed to house the spirits of the deceased. When properly cared for, one's ancestors were believed to be a powerful source of honor, protection, and good luck.
This pair of ancestor portraits was hand-painted in the mid-19th century and beautifully depicts a Qing-dynasty couple. While some ancestral portraits offer a more stylized representation of one's ancestors, this particular pair is painted with incredible realism and life-like expressions. Rather than depict the pair in a regal hall wearing elaborate finery, the couple is shown in a quiet home environment, seated at either end of a square tea table. Their surroundings are minimal, practically undecorated, and they wear simple, matching blue silk robes...
Category
Mid-19th Century Qing Portrait Paintings
Materials
Ink, Pigment, Paper
Chinese Carved Architectural Panel with Fruit and Flora, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
It’s difficult to pinpoint what makes this handcrafted panel so impressive: the artful relief carvings of seasonal fruit and lush, foliage-filled vases ...
Category
19th Century Qing Mixed Media
Materials
Wood
Chinese Reverse Glass Portrait of a Young Woman, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
With exquisite detail and sparkling color, this portrait of a young woman is a remarkable example of reverse glass painting. Lending the finished work a subtle three-dimensional effe...
Category
Late 19th Century Qing Portrait Paintings
Materials
Glass, Paint
Chinese Floral Longevity Bed Canopy Painting, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Thoughts of a long, happy life greeted the young couple who gazed up from their bed on this canopy panel. Adorned with chrysanthemums and peaches, both symbols of longevity, the lyri...
Category
19th Century Qing Figurative Paintings
Materials
Paint, Wood Panel, Lacquer
Chinese Bed Canopy of Phoenix and Fruits, Paint on Wood Panel, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
The owners of this work of art were likely the only two people in the world lucky enough to have access to its beauty. The experience of art itself can be an intimate one, and this bed canopy, hand-painted 100 years ago by an artist in Canton, was more intimate than most. It brings to life symbols of prosperity and good fortune for a married couple...
Category
19th Century Qing Animal Paintings
Materials
Paint, Wood Panel
Chinese Erotic Album Leaf, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Despite its explicit content, this intimate scene conveys a sense of tenderness and romantic love characteristic of Chinese erotic art. Known as “spring palace paintings,” these ink and watercolor illustrations imagined the sensual delights of courtly life.
Taken from an album of erotic paintings, this framed leaf departs from a tradition of depicting lovers in risqué outdoor settings by picturing an amorous coupling in a distinctly Qing-dynasty interior. The uniquely detailed surroundings shed light on the prevailing aesthetic tastes in decor and furniture of 19th-century China. Note the carved wooden headrest, blue and white censer...
Category
Mid-19th Century Qing Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Paper, Ink, Watercolor
Chinese Bed Canopy Painting of Peonies and Pheasants, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
The experience of art itself can be an intimate one, and this bed canopy, hand-painted over 100 years ago by an artist in Canton, was more intimate than most. Delicately painted pheasants...
Category
19th Century Qing Figurative Paintings
Materials
Paint, Wood Panel
Tibetan Thangka of Sakyamuni, c. 1880
Located in Chicago, IL
Historically in Buddhist Tibet, patrons and monks commissioned thangka art, or sacred painting, to focus their meditations and prayers. This 19th-century Tibetan Thangka, painted in rich red, green, and blue pigments, still maintains incredible vibrancy. The central figure is the Sakyamuni Buddha, seated in the diamond position with alms bowl...
Category
19th Century Figurative Paintings
Materials
Linen, Silk, Pigment
Chinese Reverse Glass Painting of Scholars' Objects, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
This colorful floral still life is a charming example of Chinese reverse glass painting. Popularized during the Qing dynasty, reverse glass painting requires an artist to essentially...
Category
19th Century Qing Still-life Paintings
Materials
Glass, Mirror, Paint
Chinese Folk Drawing of Mythical Qilin, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Beautifully detailed and masterfully painted, this painting dating from the turn of the 20th century centers its expressive composition upon a rondel of Chinese symbols. Representing...
Category
Mid-19th Century Qing Animal Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Cotton, Wood, Ink
Red Lacquer Architectural Fragment, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
This antique architectural fragment beautifully exemplifies the textured wear and soft patina that only time can achieve. Given its cusp...
Category
19th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Materials
Lacquer, Pigment, Wood
"Love and Lotus Boys, " Ink on Linen Panels, 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Drawn with a fine line and fresh, sketched quality, this folk hanging unites two scenes of lucky hoho lotus boys circumscribed in frames punctuated with fruits such as pomegranate, symbolic of prosperity and good fortune. On top, the two explore the natural wonders of the world...
Category
Mid-19th Century Qing Figurative Paintings
Materials
Fabric, Linen, Wood, Ink
Tibetan Thangka of Vaishravana
Located in Chicago, IL
Thangkas are devotional paintings displayed by Buddhists in monasteries, temples, and even their homes. This 19th-century Tibetan Thangka is rich with ...
Category
Mid-19th Century Figurative Paintings
Materials
Paint, Pigment, Fabric
Set of Four Chinese Immortals Screen Paintings, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Since the 12th century people in China have used folding screens and doors to partition and decorate their homes—the vivid scenes backing the screens added life and color to a room. ...
Category
Mid-19th Century Qing Figurative Paintings
Materials
Fabric, Ink, Gouache
Chinese Ancestor Portrait
Located in Chicago, IL
This intricately detailed composition is a late-Qing dynasty ancestor portrait depicting several generations of a family's male ancestry. Or...
Category
Late 19th Century Qing Figurative Paintings
Materials
Fabric, Silk, Paint, Pigment
"Scholars' Treasures, " Ink on Fabric, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
A scroll and a small lantern depicted in this 19th-century painting suggest the romantic notion of a Chinese scholar painting in the evening hours. Re...
Category
Mid-19th Century Qing Still-life Paintings
Materials
Silk, Ink, Pigment
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.