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Chinese Calligraphy Brush, circa 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Along with paper, ink, and inkstone, the brush was part of the Four Treasures found in a scholar’s studio. Arguably the most important tool, the brush served as a direct link to the ...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Elm
Chinese Quilt Warmer Vessel, circa 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This unusual squat vessel would have been kept near a Kang platform to warm one's blankets before bed. Much like a hot water bottle, the ceramic vessel was filled with hot water thro...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Vases
Materials
Ceramic
Chinese White Glazed Baluster Jar
Located in Chicago, IL
Defined by its rounded body, high shoulders, and domed lid, the time-honored form of the Chinese baluster jar takes on a streamlined look in this contempo...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Minimalist Ceramics
Materials
Porcelain
"Xizhimen, Haidian District, Beijing" Photograph by Sze Tsung Leong
By Sze Tsung Leong
Located in Chicago, IL
Part of his "History Images" series, this framed print by photographer Sze Tsung Leong records a construction site in Beijing, one of many Chinese citites undergoing rapid change. En...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Photography
Materials
Paper
Chinese Bai White Meiping Jar
Located in Chicago, IL
Meiping vases were traditionally used to hold the branches of plum trees, celebrated in China as symbols of strength. This contemporary update made in Jiangxi province streamlines th...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Minimalist Vases
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Gourd-Form Presentation Box, circa 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
This finely lacquered box was once presented as a gift, filled with popular snacks like roasted melon seeds, dried fruit, and cinnamon-toasted soy beans. The lightweight box is formed in the shape of a melon, a traditional symbol of perpetuity. Cloaked in layer upon layer of rich red lacquer, the box is intricately decorated with paintings of ruyi-framed lotus...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Decorative Boxes
Materials
Wood
Chinese Square Display Table with Scroll Corners, circa 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
A flourish of curves adds graceful counterpoint to this table’s square profile, each straight leg topped by decorative scroll corners. Crafted in the mid-19th century, the table is modeled after summer...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Furniture
Materials
Elm
Chinese Hanging Scroll of Prunus Branches, circa 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Chinese scholars used natural imagery and scenery to aid in contemplation within the walls of their studios. The complex beauty inherent to landscapes and natural forms inspired clea...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Paper
Chinese Ming Stone Table, c. 1600
Located in Chicago, IL
This stone table was carved over 400 years ago from a solid piece of limestone. With time, the stone develops particular undeniable characteristics: beautiful wear, patina, and oxida...
Category
Antique Early 17th Century Chinese Ming Furniture
Materials
Limestone
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, Fabric, Willow
Chinese Springtime Phoenix Tail Vase, circa 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
The phoenix tail vase dates from the bronze age and has remained a popular shape for its clean lines and graceful curves. Dating from circa 1900, this vase depicts a peacock in a lovely garden setting. Lavishly detailed and masterfully painted, the vase demonstrates the high level of craft obtained by Qing-dynasty ceramic...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Vases
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Springtime Phoenix Tail Vase, circa 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
The phoenix tail vase form dates back as far as the bronze age and has remained a popular shape for its clean lines and graceful curves. Created in the early 20th century, this parti...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Ceramics
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Brown and White Cat Headrest, circa 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 Animal Sculptures
Materials
Ceramic
Chinese White Glazed Ginger Jar
Located in Chicago, IL
Defined by its rounded body, high shoulders, and domed lid, the time-honored Chinese baluster jar takes on a streamlined look in this contemporary interpretation made in Zhejiang pro...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Minimalist Jars
Materials
Porcelain
Vintage Chinese Shanghai Deco Glass Pendant, c. 1920
Located in Chicago, IL
In the early 20th century, major Chinese cities such as Shanghai and Tianjin were swept up in the Art Deco design movement. Design, architecture, art, fashion, and furniture were all influenced by the Deco aesthetic, which permeated every aspect of life in the bustling, vibrant city. This petite glass pendant is a product of the era and a beautiful example of deco glass work. Sculpted of a milky white opaque glass, the ruffled pendant...
Category
Vintage 1920s Chinese Art Deco Chandeliers and Pendants
Materials
Art Glass
Pair of Ornate Chinese Lacquer Display Tables, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
The perfect way to call attention to a plant, special vase or piece of art, these tall display tables date from 1850 during the Qing dynasty. Made of oak, the tables are expertly detailed with elaborate hoof feet and recessed base and tabletop. A stunning combination of red and black lacquer draws attention to the tables’ architectural richness. Made from tree sap...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Furniture
Materials
Oak
Japanese Meiji Riverside Scroll Painting, c. 1900
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 modern Japanese style with roots in the past. This exquisite hanging scroll demonstrates the preference for soft layering of gray tones with judicious use of color. The landscape is rendered in soft ink washes that subtly distinguish between water, mountain, and sky. The scroll painting...
Category
Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Paintings and Screens
Materials
Paper
Chinese Bent Handle Fisherman's Basket, c. 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. Th...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Decorative Baskets
Materials
Willow
Chinese Phoenix and Auspicious Fruit Canopy Painting, circa 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 b...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Pine
Large Blue and White Tea Leaf Jar with Mountain Landscape
Located in Chicago, IL
Tea drinking has been an important part of Chinese culture for at least a thousand years. Emulating traditional blue-and-white porcelain, this contempora...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Chinese Export Ceramics
Materials
Porcelain
"Akshobhyavajra" Painting by Liu Yi
By Liu Yi
Located in Chicago, IL
This work, which required months to complete, features the central figure of Akshobhyavajra, a Tibetan Buddha. Liu Yi, a Beijing-based painter and practicing Buddhist, paints each of...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Tibetan Paintings and Screens
Materials
Canvas
Chinese Quilt Warmer Vessel, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This unusual squat vessel would have been kept near a kang platform to warm one's blankets before bed. Much like a hot water bottle, the ceramic vessel was filled with hot water thro...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Jars
Materials
Ceramic
Vintage Chinese Shanghai Deco Glass Pendant, c. 1920
Located in Chicago, IL
In the early 20th century, major Chinese cities such as Shanghai and Tianjin were swept up in the Art Deco design movement. Design, architecture, art, fashion, and furniture were all influenced by the Deco aesthetic, which permeated every aspect of life in the bustling, vibrant city. This petite glass pendant is a product of the era and a beautiful example of Deco glass work. Sculpted of a milky white opaque glass, the ruffled pendant...
Category
Vintage 1920s Chinese Art Deco Chandeliers and Pendants
Materials
Art Glass
Chinese Gnarled Brush Pot, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
A brush pot, such as this one made in Hainan province, may once have sat on the desk of a learned scholar next to his brushes, inkpot, and ink stone. Made of rustic, gnarled wood...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Scholar's Objects
Materials
Elm
Chinese Cloud White Onion Jar
Located in Chicago, IL
Drawing on a long Chinese tradition of monochrome ceramics, this round porcelain jar is glazed in serene, cloud-inspired white with celadon undertones. Sculpted by artisans in China'...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Minimalist Jars
Materials
Porcelain
Provincial Chinese 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 Qing More Asian Art, Objects and Furniture
Materials
Elm
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 tran...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Elm
Chinese Dragon Scale Tea Table, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This early 20th century tea table is crafted from a fine hardwood, revered by collectors for its rarity and unusual grain pattern. The detailed carvings on the legs and apron create ...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Furniture
Materials
Hardwood
19th Century Chinese Spirit Screen with Duan Stone
Located in Chicago, IL
This 19th century spirit screen from northern China is inset with a duan stone, similar to stones used to create many inkstones for calligraphy. The stand i...
Category
Antique Early 19th Century Chinese Qing Furniture
Materials
Stone
Chinese Footed Stone Basin, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This petite footed basin carved of solid limestone was likely once used in the courtyard of a wealthy Qing-dynasty home. Unusual decorative elements elevate...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Planters and Jardinieres
Materials
Limestone
Chinese Finely Woven Lacquered Trunk, c. 1800
Located in Chicago, IL
This finely woven circa 1800 trunk is a work of art in itself and was possibly used to store prized painted scrolls. A skilled artisan painstakingly wove thin-as-hair reeds to cover ...
Category
Antique Early 19th Century Chinese Qing Furniture
Materials
Reed, Elm, Lacquer
Chinese Citron Yellow Round Onion Vase
Located in Chicago, IL
The striking bright yellow of this vase draws on a long Chinese tradition of glazing sculptural forms with a single, statement-making color. This contemporary take cloaks the round curves of the onion...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Modern Vases
Materials
Porcelain
Tall Chinese Blue and White Qilin Fantail Vase
Located in Chicago, IL
A parade of Qilin, Chinese mythical creatures symbolizing magnificence, joy and benevolence, march around this hand painted porcelain fantail vase. It is a wonderful example of conte...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Urns
Materials
Porcelain
White Glazed Chinese Baluster Jar
Located in Chicago, IL
Defined by its rounded body, high shoulders, and domed lid, the time-honored form of the Chinese baluster jar takes on a streamlined look in this contemporary interpretation made in ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Minimalist Ceramics
Materials
Porcelain
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. Hand-crafted with dovetail joints, the vessel has gracefull...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Decorative Baskets
Materials
Iron
Fine Chinese Blue and White Porcelain Spoon, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
A delicate example of the time-honored practice of blue-and-white ceramics, this 19th century porcelain soup spoon was likely used as an everyday ...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Ceramics
Materials
Porcelain
White Glazed Bottleneck Vase
Located in Chicago, IL
Drawing on a long Chinese tradition of ceramics, this striking long-necked vase is cloaked in an all-over milky white glaze. Sculpted by artisans in China's Jiangxi province, the vas...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Minimalist Vases
Materials
Porcelain
"Scholar's Treasures" Chinese Painting, 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
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Fabric
"Treasures of the Scholars' Studio" Chinese Painting, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
With careful brushwork, this 19th century painting honors the four treasures of the scholar's studio - paper, calligraphy brush, ink, and inkstone. Essenti...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Fabric
Chinese Round Hitching Stone, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Unlike many objects of its kind, this limestone hitching stone was carved into a simple rounded shape without any figural references. Used to secure a horse by rope or reins, the sto...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Garden Ornaments
Materials
Limestone
Chinese Scrolling Vines Mirror, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
This 19th century framed mirror was carved by hand in northern China and likely hung on the wall of a Qing Dynasty home, perhaps in a lady’s sleeping quarters. The carved scrolling v...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Wall Mirrors
Materials
Softwood, Mirror
Chinese Quilt Warmer Vessel, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This unusual squat vessel would have been kept near a kang platform to warm one's blankets before bed. Much like a hot water bottle, the ceramic vessel was filled with hot water thro...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Vases
Materials
Ceramic
Chinese Blue and White Rice Bowl, c. 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 Ceramics
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese Blue and White Headrest with Guardian Lion, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
In order to keep her elaborate hairstyle intact while sleeping, a well-to-do Qing-dynasty woman once used this ceramic box as a pillow. Lavishly decorated in the traditional blue-and...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Ceramics
Materials
Porcelain
Chinese New Year Painting, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
In celebration of the lunar New Year festival, it was traditional all over China to hang special decorations. In a city called Wuqiang, local artists made lacquer scroll paintings laden with symbolism. This framed and finely rendered early 20th century folk painting from Wuqiang features an imperial court official and his family dressed in their best silks. The young boy is dressed in a wonderfully patterned yellow robe to offer Shou Xing...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Paintings and Screens
Materials
Paper
Reclining Ho Ho Boy Charm Weight, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
This 19th century weight originally used its heft domestically to protect a child. A simple yet ingenious concept, the stone anchored the baby’s swaddling cloth to the bed so the chi...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Ceramic
Miniature Chinese Hardwood Bookcase
Located in Chicago, IL
A full size bookcase with this level of workmanship and detail would be an incredible find, but this beautiful piece of furniture—at only nine inches tall—is perfectly constructed down to the tiniest minutia. The bookcase was made in northern China out of zitan, a wood prized by furniture makers for its strength and beauty. The joinery...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Qing Models and Miniatures
Materials
Hardwood
Chinese Charm Token Shoe with Compartment, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Originally tucked in a pocket as a charm, this tiny shoe was kept close at hand as a talisman for marital happiness. Meticulously carved from wood, the shoe is decorated with a double happiness symbol, the traditional symbol for conjugal bliss. A lovely Valentine’s Day or anniversary gift, the charm has a compartment ready to be filled with a note or small gift...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Pine
Chinese Faceted Wine Jar, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
In Qing-dynasty China, large glazed jars such as this were used to store wines, foods, and other consumable items. The combination of high shoulders textured by an irregular, faceted...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Ceramics
Materials
Ceramic
Vintage Chinese Cigarette Advertisement Poster, c. 1930s
Located in Chicago, IL
This poster from the 1930s draws from a well known Chinese opera scene. It melds the meticulous detail of traditional Chinese painting with the craft of color lithography. These advertisements, influenced by the Art Deco movement in the west, recall the economic boom of early 20th century Shanghai, an international center of business and trade. Layered with imagery of traditional Chinese life, the poster is nonetheless an advertisement for the modern cigarette industry, with several brands displayed in the top left corner, including Lan Ting, Hong Chun, and Jade Rabbit...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Art Deco Prints
Materials
Paper
Chinese Blue and White Hat Stand with Treasured Objects, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Accented with quatrefoil cutouts to provide airflow, this 19th century porcelain hat stand was once used by a Qing-dynasty gentleman to display his cap while it wasn't being worn. The six-sided hat stand is painted with fanciful arrangements of stacked display stands laden with vases, censers, and treasured objects. Behind each vignette stands an ornate lamp...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Ceramics
Materials
Porcelain
Pair of Japanese Abumi Samurai Stirrups with Dragons, c. 1800
Located in Chicago, IL
Inlaid with brass and silver, this extraordinary pair of Japanese bronze stirrups, known as Abumi, were crafted in the Edo period (1603-1868) for use on a Samurai's horse. Each is wo...
Category
Antique Early 19th Century Japanese Edo Metalwork
Materials
Silver, Bronze, Iron
Japanese Edo Festival Screen, c. 1750
Located in Chicago, IL
This 18th century folding screen is a stunning example of Japanese artistry. Beautifully painted with delicate brushwork, the evocative screen depicts a lively festival during the Ed...
Category
Antique Mid-18th Century Japanese Edo Paintings and Screens
Materials
Paper
Chinese Shanghai Deco Perfume Bottle
Located in Chicago, IL
In the 1920s and 1930s, Shanghai, China was swept up in the Art Deco design movement. Design, architecture, art, fashion, and furniture were all influenced by this modern movement, permeating every part of life in the bustling, vibrant city. This blue glass perfume bottle...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Art Deco Historical Memorabilia
Materials
Glass
Chinese Triple Bat Book Cabinet, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
This book cabinet was likely originally commissioned for a scholar's study to store important texts. The quality and craftsmanship is clear in the bold lines, elegant hardware, and t...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Bookcases
Materials
Brass
Chinese Ruyi Wine Table, c. 1800
Located in Chicago, IL
This early 19th century Chinese inset leg wine table is characterized by the lightness of its proportions, its finely executed detailing and the lustrous...
Category
Antique Early 19th Century Chinese Qing Furniture
Materials
Elm
Chinese Interlocking Ring Stone Table, c. 1600
Located in Chicago, IL
Created over 400 years ago, this low table from the late Ming/early Qing dynasty was carved by hand from a single block of limestone. The table has aprons carved with interlocking rings...
Category
Antique Early 17th Century Chinese Ming Furniture
Materials
Limestone
Chinese Ming Celestial Mingqi Horse Figure
Located in Chicago, IL
This hand carved Chinese wooden horse is a type of centuries-old burial figurine known as míngqì. Depicting the pleasures of daily life, míngqì f...
Category
Antique 16th Century Chinese Ming Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Wood
Chinese Folk Painted Wall Mirror
Located in Chicago, IL
The painted frame of this wall mirror originally bordered a reverse glass painting, a traditional art that required the artist to paint an image in reverse, beginning with the detail...
Category
Mid-20th Century Chinese Wall Mirrors
Materials
Wood, Mirror
Thai Woven Linen Pillow with Chinese Pearls
Located in Chicago, IL
This artisan-made pillow is sewn by hand of hand-loomed linen from Thailand. It is finished with black Chinese pearls and filled with feather inserts.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Pillows and Throws
Materials
Other
