Miniature Chinese Herb/Medicinal Fitted Case with Two Glass Bottles

Lot of two Chinese inside-painted Glass snuff bottles Together with Inside painted glass vase 20 - 21st Century. From left: Glass vase on segmented facet cut foot support...

A Chinese hexagonal cast brass tea caddy, early 20th century. Each rectangular side with a shou symbol surrounded by five stylized bats on blue enamel ...

TWO CHINESE BLUE AND WHITE PORCELAIN GLOBULAR 'PRUNUS' JARS Late Qing Dynasty Each painted with prunus branches against a mottled blue 'ice' ground both with hardwood covers, doubl...

A seven-piece Japanese Arita Sweetmeat set and matching lacquer box, Meiji period (1880-1890). Comprising of a central hexagonal dish and six-fan shaped ...

VERY DECORATIVE VIZAGAPATAM BOX Vizagapatam, India, 19th Century. Rustic workmanship will only add to the decorative appeal of this Anglo-Indian footed domed casket in ebonized woo...

A large brass pandan box North India, 19th century The body with rounded profile and hinged raised lid with engraved and punched decoration centering ...

An exceptional, fine and impressive antique Chinese Export Silver cigar case; part of our diverse Asian silverware collection This exceptional antique Chinese Export Silver (CES) ci...

A treasure of a chest, this charming miniature cabinet is named for the narrow, rounded molding that surrounds the frame and resembles noodles. Lacquered rich red, the small cabinet exhibits the same high level of craftsmanship found in larger such cabinets made in the Qing dynasty with exquisitely painted floral decorations and handcrafted hardware. The cabinet opens to a single shelf, making it just the place to stow jewelry...

Rectangular table cigarette case with rounded corners in sterling silver 925/1000 gold plated with beautiful miniature fire enamelled and hand painted by the painter Beatrice Mellana reproducing a "still life" by the Flemish painter Willem Claes Heda. Dimensions cm. 5.7 x 9 x 1.7. Weight gr. 174. Designed by Franco Salimbeni in 1969 and manufactured in Florence in numerous specimens with various subjects and different colors, in the headquarters of the Salimbeni Company with completely manual execution by artisan artists with thick slab and large reinforcements suitable for withstanding numerous enamelled firings at about 800° C. Miniature is a very ancient technique which consists of painting works in small proportions. It was born for the decoration of the first letter of the paragraph of the books. Over the years, however, this technique is refined and enriched, then moving on to precious personal items. Hand-painted miniatures can be done with multiple different techniques. The most important that we use on our articles are of three kinds: 1) Fire enamel. 2) Water tempera on an ivory plate. 3) Painted on mother-of-pearl. Fire enameled miniatures: On a first layer of enamel generally white or very clear or even transparent suitably liquefied at a temperature of about 750 ° C, the chosen subject is painted using miniature colors which are as many colored crystals, ground and reduced to a very fine, almost impalpable powder washed and purified in distilled water with the addition of small quantities of deoxidizing acids which, diluted with essential oils (usually essential oil of solder), can be mixed to form a palette of colors. With very fine sable hair brushes you draw the subject starting from the perimeter and then gradually adding various layers of color. It is necessary to carry out various firings very often so that the colors harden and are not absorbed by the underlying glaze as, during the subsequent firings at 750 ° C, during liquefaction, it would spread irremediably. Hence the need to form the painting a little at a time, cooking it numerous times. Therefore it is necessary to proceed with numerous retouching, often overlapping different colors that only the painter's experience knows. A beautiful miniature needs from 20 to over 50 firings and is finished when the painter deems he does not have to further intervene. Some colors must have darker tones than others because then, by superimposing the transparent enamel placed at the end of the miniature, they fade. This transparent layer, called “fondant” in jargon, must be smoothed and polished like all other translucent enamel colors. The miniatures with water tempera colors are painted on real ivory...

Featuring a sleek contemporary design, this piece showcases smoked walnut veneer over a solid walnut structure, complemented by sturdy stainless steel hinges and a lock adorned with ...

A miniature chest with secret for Your jewels: a little brass rod closes all drawers from the top of the first drawer. Outwarding it is a perfect ornament. Suitable for collection. M...

This Chinese spectacle case is carved from wood with a striking shagreen covering. The case dates from the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911), still in wonderful condition with a rich deep col...