Chinese Ming Dynasty 15th or 16th Century Glazed Terracotta Funeral Table Mingqi

A Chinese Ming dynasty period glazed terracotta funeral table mingqi from 15th-16th century with food in dishes. Created in China during the Ming Dynasty, this terracotta funeral table showcases a typical Chinese altar, painted in green with tempera and adorned with a lovely variety of modeled and painted miniature foods such as cakes and breads. Called Mingqi, these kinds of terracotta models were traditionally placed in Chinese burials...

A Chinese Ming Dynasty period temple roof tile from the 17th century, with turquoise glaze, bird and flower motifs. Created in China during the Ming Dynasty which ruled from 1368 to ...

A Chinese Ming Dynasty period temple roof tile from the 17th century, with turquoise finish, bird and flower. Created in China during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), this ancient templ...

A Ming dynasty period 15th or 16th century painted stone sculpture of the Bodhisattva of Compassion Guanyin in a seated position. Created in China during the Ming dynasty, this marble statue features Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, depicted in a seated position, wearing a large Chinese monastic dress and a headscarf. Her clothes are accented with the red color that is characteristic of Guanyin representations. The drapery demonstrates the undeniable mastery of the Chinese stone carving...

A petite Chinese Ming Dynasty glazed pedestal from the 15th or 16th century with polychrome finish. Crafted in China during the prestigious Ming Dynasty, this petite pedestal table c...

A Chinese Ming Dynasty period miniature terracotta armoire with green glazed finish and bracket feet. Created in China during the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), this miniature terracott...

The table bearing pig head, rice cakes, dishes of meat, fish and fruit. Known as Mingqi, these terracotta models were customarily included in Chinese burial practices, particularly among the affluent, to aid the deceased in their journey through the afterlife. This tradition extends back to the Neolithic Period. A unique terracotta funeral table...

A fine and large Chinese brown ochre glazed stoneware storage jar, commonly known as a Martaban or Martavan jar, Ming dynasty, 15th-16th century. The elegant ovoid jar with a slen...

This exquisite vase is a fine example of Ming Dynasty cloisonné, an era renowned for revolutionizing the cloisonné technique with intricate design and vibrant enamel work. The cylind...

Rare and well-preserved 16th century cupboard / cabinet. Detailed carved top section depicting a floral leaf design and people in polychrome lacquer. Front with red lacquer, pair o...

A fine set of a six court attendants as in the Forbidden City of Beijing, elegantly dressed in a Green & Red Daopao – a traditional men’s formal attire from the Ming Dynasty dated 1368-1643 A.D. – with glazed robes and Red Pigment remains in their hat and belts. They stand in an honorary posture atop a red plinth, some with orifices in their hands, where spirit objects were placed to comfort or satisfy the deceased. The heads are detachable, as often seen on the larger figures from this period. They are accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity, and Certificate of Expertise by Jean-Yves Nathan - a leading authority specialized in Far East Archaeology from the CEDEA (The European Confederation of Art Experts). Burial figurines of graceful dancers, mystical beasts, and everyday objects reveal both how people in early China approached death and how they lived. Since people viewed the afterlife as an extension of worldly life, these figurines, called mingqi, sometimes referred as “spirit utensils” or “vessels of ghosts” disclose details of routine existence and provide insights into belief systems over a thousand-year period. The Ming dynasty was the ruling dynasty of China – then known as the Empire of the Great Ming – for 276 years (1368–1644 AD). Founded by Chu Yuan-chang, the rebel leader that was successful in removing the mongols from the throne. Chinese control was re-asserted in China and eastern Asia. Literature became more important, schools were created, and the justice system was reformed. The Ming dynasty is described by some as "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history,” was the last imperial dynasty in China ruled by ethnic Han Chinese. The practice of burying ceramic objects with the deceased went into decline from the 10th to the 14th Century AD. There was a revival in placing miniature representations of glazed terracotta objects such a furniture, food offerings, horses, miniature statues...

A carved stone pillar from Shanxi, China, circa 1560. Mounted on a heptagonal wood base.