Three Antique Chinese Cinnabar Lacquer Vases with Gorgeous Chinese Carvings

A monumental and unusual pair of antique 19th century Japanese porcelain poly-chrome lacquered vases. Each is beautifully designed with...

A large 20th century Chinese six panel Lacquered Hardstone and Jade Coromandel screen. This screen features intricately carved hardstone, soapstone, jade, lapis, quartz, and other ha...

A large Chinese four-fold hardwood screen inset with blue and white porcelain plaques. The hand carved wood frame is a very dense and n...

An extremely finely carved antique Chinese Qing dynasty, Celadon green triple vase/brush washer with an Imperial Dragon from behind attacking a bird in fro...

This intriguing Chinese zhadou is intricately carved of fine cinnabar lacquer. A work of exceptional artistry, this covered bowl is adorned with an intricately carved floral motif on all surfaces, including the cover and the wide rim. Also known as a cuspidor or spittoon, this rare container would have been used by members of the imperial family and scholar- officials at the court. Carved during the Kangxi period (1662-1722), this charming piece exhibits the high detail and charm associated with items from that period, making it a true treasure, Early 18th century (Kangxi dynasty) Measures: 6 ¼” wide x 3 ¼” high Cinnabar has been revered for its color all over the world. It has been found in the royal burial chambers of the Mayas, in the rituals of India, and in the ruins of ancient Greece and Rome. In China, cinnabar and gold were the two most important elements in alchemy. Mined since the Neolithic Age, cinnabar is the ore of mercury, and as such, it can be incredibly toxic, especially when mining. In fact, during the Roman Empire, miners at Spain’s Almadén mine in Spain were frequently exposed to mercury fumes, and the subsequent, often fatal, sickness was considered an occupational hazard. The most popular known use of cinnabar is in Chinese carved lacquer-ware, a technique that is believed to have originated in the Song Dynasty, in which cinnabar is ground to a powder and added to clear lacquer. As with mining, there was inherent danger of mercury poisoning for those who carved the lacquer, as mercury was also released into the air when artisans ground the pigments. Most antique cinnabar...

A fine antique Chinese red cinnabar lacquer lidded round box carved with a scene with a young boy and a seated elderly bearded sage within a rocky landscape with trees. The "dragon's...

This extraordinary Chinese cinnabar lacquer round box is very detailed in amazing quality. A technique of engraving pattern on thick layer of red...

This stunning Chinese hand carved cinnabar lacquered plate has Intricate lacquer carving arts of Chinese traditional archetecture and landscape design. It named The Sense of Tough, a...