Important Monumental Ancient China Ming Tomb Treasure Sculpture, 1368-1644

China, a carving of a canine “Pug”, Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644 CE Dimensions: 38 cm, 15” High Photographs taken indoors and out of doors for your viewing pleasure. The hand carved limestone beast shown on its haunches with naturalistic joyful expression and a well defined compact head, ears, noes, eyes, feet, and tail parted to one side on reverse with distinctive collar ornament seated four square on a thick base all-over showing a weathered surface from significant age. Formerly exhibited “Asia Week” New York City, Fuller Building, Hutton Gallery 2006. Provenance: ex collection luoyang, Henan Province, China. Includes custom display base as shown Catalog reference: 35 years collecting 35 treasures, Number 35, p.76 (photo) In ancient China, it is a well-known fact that several types of small dogs were bred and were favored pet gifts between emperors and kings including Lion Dogs, Pekingese and Lo-sze breeds. Some Lo-sze are pictured wearing collars with bells a frequent combination fancied by European royalty of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Lo-sze or pugs were prized for their compact body, good bones, flat face, square jaw, short coat, curled tail, side set back ears, and temperate disposition. History: Placing stone animals in important tombs can be traced back at least to the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE), some two thousand years ago. In ancient times, stone animals and human figures placed before imperial tombs symbolized royal power and privilege in addition to decorative functions. The first Ming tomb...

China, a carved antique stone Penjing or painting form garden table, middle Qing dynasty (1644-1911), limestone, three pieces Dimensions: 34 inches high and 55 inches long and 16 in...

China, a monumental pair (2) of 500 year old lime stone “Spirit Path” Equine horse head sculptures. Ming dynasty, (1368-1644 CE). A pair of near life size and robust head sections with fine, wavy combed manes, well defined mouths, ears, nostrils, and ornamental bridles, all carved in a medium to dark gray limestone with considerable weathering to surfaces. The smaller head with a later inscription on bottom and signed “Zhuang”. Formerly exhibited “Treasures from Asia”, Shelburne Vermont, Shelburne Art Center, 2006. Originally found in the vicinity of the village of Chuan near Luoyang City, Henan Provance, China. Each mounted on a custom iron display stand. Dimensions: A the smaller 32.5cm, 13” high and 62.5cm, 25” in length and with display stand, 60cm, 24” high; b the larger 37.5cm, 15” high and 67.5cm, 27” in length and with display stand 65cm, 26” high. Please view additional photographs from our Chinese antiquities catalog 35 Years Collecting 35 Treasures, page 60. History: Placing stone animals and human figures along spirit paths in front of important tombs can be traced back at least to the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE), some two thousand years ago. In ancient times, stone animals and human figures placed before imperial tombs symbolized royal power and privilege in addition to decorative functions. Life size “spirit path” stone horse sculptures are known and can be viewed from Ming dynasty tombs including thirteen imperial tombs of the Ming Dynasty scattered over an area of forty square kilometers in Changping District to the northwest of Beijing. The first Ming tomb...

An attractive Chinese pair (2) of richly crackle glazed garden stools (garden seats), ornately black hand painted with a handsome leaf design . Beautifully executed and ready for y...

China, Ancient Bronze “Money Tree” Yaoqian Shu with original pottery base, Han dynasty (25 BCE – 220 CE) Dimensions: 155cm, 62 inches high A sculpted terracotta pottery base in the form of a tortoise with attendants and inserted with five individual bronze pole segments with twenty four individual hanging bronze open work money “branches” attached in tiers, four per tier and topped with a figure of a bronze phoenix as apex most bearing varying degrees of malachite and azurite encrustation from ancient burial. Important Description Details: Pottery "tortoise" base: 14.5" high and 11" wide Bronze sections: 7pcs pole bronze sections approximately 8" length each 1pc top "phoenix" bronze section approximately 7" high and 6" wide 20 pcs long bronze hanging wings approximately 10" long and 5" wide each 4 pcs short bronze hanging wings (near top) approximately 7" long and 4" wide each Total 32 pcs with ancient green and blue azurite patina. Catalog reference: Schneible Fine arts catalog - 35 Years Collecting Treasures- Number 11p. 28 (see photos) Provenance: Provenance: Private family collection formerly exhibited “Asia Week” New York City, Fuller Building, Zabriskie Gallery, 2008. History of money trees: In the late Han Dynasty tombs...

China, a large votive model of a stone ram, Han dynasty (206BC-220AD) Dimensions: 45cm, 18 inches high and 65cm, 26 inches length and 25cm, 10 inches wi...

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...

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...

A Chinese stoneware day bed model circa Ming dynasty (15th-17th century). The miniature models were traditionally made as burial offering objects. Pottery models of daily life necess...

A Chinese stoneware day bed model circa Ming dynasty (15th-17th century). The miniature models were traditionally made as burial offering objects. Pottery models of daily life necess...

This is a very old interesting Chinese stoneware Longquan Celadon bowl or plate with incised decoration, which we date to the Yuan Dynasty, circa 1300. The bowl is well potted on a low foot.  The bowl is an olive green colour having a celadon glaze with incised decoration to its centre of what looks like a flower stem and additionally three incised string lines to the outer wall. Unglazed parts fire to a terracotta brown colour as with the base section The piece is unmarked but for similar pieces see the superb book: Chinese Ceramics by He Li published by Thames & Hudson, 1996; pages 164 to 184. NOTES Longquan is a city in South west China. These wares were produced over a long time period from 959 to 1550; which covers the Northern Song, Southern Song...

This is a very old interesting provincial Chinese stoneware Celadon Jar, probably Longquan, with fluted or ribbed decoration, which we date to the Ming Dynasty, between the 14th and 16th Centuries. The Jar has an interesting circular baluster shape with an open everted rim and low foot. It has been decorated with moulded vertical flutes or ribs to its lower half. The base is concave and fairly deep. The Jar has a mossy-olive green colour having a celadon glaze which runs from the base to the upper rim as it would have been glazed upside down, with some glaze around the top section of the inner rim. Unglazed parts fire to a terracotta brown colour at the rim, lower body and the foot rim. The piece is unmarked but for similar pieces see the superb book: Chinese Ceramics by He Li published by Thames & Hudson, 1996; pages 164 to 184. NOTES Longquan is a city in South west China. These wares were produced over a long time period from 959 to 1550; which covers the Northern Song...