Ming Antiquities

17th Century Ming Dynasty carved marble garden seat with Foo Dog handles, floral reliefs and bat wing decoration. The Chinese symbol for bat and fo...

Magnificent Lady Guanyin Bodhisattva seated in Royal Relaxation pose hand-carved in Gilded Wood with traces of paint still visible. This expressi...

Small green-glazed boxes from the late Ming dynasty cargo. Identical pieces are included on page 142, 143 of the Bin Thuan catalog titled 'The Age of Discove...

This tabletop altar with scrolled edges, a scalloped apron, and turned legs from China's Shanxi province is a rare find. We conservatively estimate it to be late Ming dynasty (circa ...

This is a unique pair of painted Chinese terra cotta gentlemen in native costumes on horseback, purported to be Ming.

Statues of Chinese horse and rider, featuring glazes in green, amber, are set on rectangular bases. Period: Ming Dynasty Medium: Green-glaze...

A Pair of Chinese Ming Period Patinated Bronze Enameled Elephant Vases/Censors. The elephant has a Buddhistic caparisoned dress with pearl harness, tassels, and high-relief dragon p...

Statues of Chinese horse riders, featuring glazes in green, are set on rectangular bases. Period: Ming Dynasty Medium: Green-glazed Pottery Typ...

One side of the vase showcases a panel with the Shou character at its center, symbolizing longevity, while the opposite side displays the Fu character, signifying luck. The neck of the vase is adorned with leaves. There are similar types and decoration but varying in shape, resembling a pear, all from the same era and crafted in celadon, often referred to as 'fu shou' vases. Period: Yuan-Ming Dynasty (1271-1644) Region: Longquan, China Medium: Celadon Type: Ewer Provenance : Acquired in late 1990s from Hongkong Reference 1) British Museum - Museum number 1931,1118.5 (Type : Closely related) 2) Christies NEW YORK 24–25 MAR 2022 - Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art - Lot 1105 (Price realised : 9,450 USD / Type : Related) 3) Sotheby's New York 19 March 2024 - Chinese Art - Lot 172 (Price range : 15,000 USD - 20,000 USD / Type : Related) * Ming Dynasty Longquan Celadon Longquan celadon from the Ming Dynasty typically exhibits a more robust and heavier stoneware body compared to its Song Dynasty predecessors. The Ming era saw an evolution in celadon glaze, achieving a wider spectrum of green hues, from olive to bluish-greens. Ming celadons...

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...

This piece is an example of Mingqi, items specifically crafted for burial to accompany the deceased into the afterlife. The terracotta army is the most renowned example of such buria...

Stoneware painted with underglaze cobalt blue and remnants of overglaze enamel. Valuable piece housed in a few major museum collections in the United States. Year/Period : 15th century Region : North Vietnam, Vietnam Type : Ewer Found/Acquired : Southeast Asia , South China Sea, Hoi An Ship Reference : 1) Phoenix Art Museum - OBJECT NUMBER 2000.108.1 2) Asian Art Museum of San Francisco - Annamese Collection 3) Butterfield Treasures Hoi An Hoard Auction Catalogs / San Francisco Butterfields 2000 * Vietnamese trade ceramics Around the mid-14th century, Vietnam developed its ceramics production technology by producing blue and white porcelain, and began to export it overseas. During this period, China Ming Dynasty implemented a policy of lifting the ban from 1371 to 1657 and restricted foreign trade. This served as a good opportunity in the trade history of Vietnamese ceramics, and ceramic exports...

A magnificent pair of male and female courtiers from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 CE) in excellent condition. They are wearing traditional Daopao robes in green and black garments wit...

Chinese Jin Dynasty 12th Century Cizhou Ware Crouching Tiger Pottery Pillow .Tiger pillow, Jin dynasty, 12th century (circa 1150) The pillow is assembled ...

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...

- Sold individually or as a pair - 17th Century Ming Dynasty carved stone barrel, with Foo Dog handles, floral reliefs and bat wing decoration. The Chinese symbol for bat and for go...

Impressive Funeral Ensamble of 10 Terracotta Glazed Figures in green and caramel colors depicting a votive procession with a palanquin, his four carriers, a horse, a stableman, two musicians, and an offering carrier. This ensemble is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity, and Certificate of Expertise by Jean-Yves Nathan - Specialist in Asian Arts for 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...

Wonderful celestial deity head with a jovial expression in stone with a finely engraved cap. It is mounted on a custom lucite base. This piece is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity, and Certificate of Expertise by Jean-Yves Nathan - Specialist in Asian Arts for the CEDEA (The European Confederation of Art Experts). The Ming dynasty was the ruling dynasty of China – then known as the Empire of the Great Ming...

A stunning set of 5 graceful terracotta figurines from the Ming Dynasty '1368-1644' AD. These elegant attendants are standing on a yellow glazed lotus flower over a high hexagonal green plinth and wear fine robes in matching green and yellow glazes. The unglazed areas have pigmented colors in red, black and white. Each is carrying essential offerings for the royal family. The head is detachable as often seen on the larger figures from this period. Meticulously detailed facial expressions have been hand-painted. Condition: Mint, finely preserved glaze and pigment, undamaged and no repairs. Provenance: Ex. Danish Collection. This set is guaranteed authentic and comes with a Certificate of Authenticity and TL Test from Laboratory Kotalla in Germany (The Oldest Thermoluminescence Testing Laboratory in the World). Dimensions: Average 54 H cms 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...