Two Gold Painted Shipwrecked Plates, China, 16th Century

16th century Thailand Sawankhalok ceramic vase from the old city of Sawankhalok known for its pottery. Beautiful and abundant fossil growth from being submerged under water. Natural ...

16th century Chinese Ming Dynasty set of three hand painted plates on stands. Plate sizes. 7 x. 14.5 7. x. 14. 7. x. 13.5 Stands measure. 5. x. 3. and. 4. x. 3

16th century Thailand Sawankhalok small shipwrecked parfum bottle. Beautiful and abundant fossil growth from being submerged under water. Natural original patina. Part of a very larg...

16th century Vietnamese Animist ceramic vase. Beautiful and abundant fossil growth from being submerged under water. Natural original patina. Part of a very large collection of shipw...

In the heart of ancient China, within the resplendent Ming dynasty, a masterpiece was cast in bronze, a testament to a culture steeped in mysticism and spirituality. This Taoist bron...

A striking pair of large Chinese glazed and painted pottery figures, Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644), circa 16th century, China. The impressive and realistically modeled figures each portrayed standing upright upon a sancai (three color) glazed pedestal of kang table form. The man is dressed in a short black surcoat over a long robe and pants, a smart cap upon his head. His face is warm and welcoming, with wide eyes and a slight smile on his lips. He holds his hands out in front of him, palms up, almost as if shrugging, though presumably originally holding an object or offering, now lost. The woman of slightly smaller stature, and dressed in a longer surcoat over a long robe and skirt. She wears a fitted cap upon her head. Her hands also held out in front, grasping long lost objects. Her face is slightly more severe, with a somewhat pinched look, and slight frown upon her lips. The size of these figures is remarkable, as is the realism and attention to detail, almost as if they were modeled after real people, as opposed to the more common and generic Ming Dynasty pottery...

A tall Chinese green and amber glazed figure of an attendant, Ming Dynasty, 16th-17th century, China. The figure stands upon an integral plinth, dressed in long robes...

Base of a carved wooden candelabrum, polychrome and gilded; cross painted on both sides. Umbria or Tuscany, 16th century 136 x 43,5 x 30 cm (The cross and the base of the candelabrum were later assembled) The base of the candelabrum is intricately carved and adorned with polychrome and gilded finishes. The shafts take on the shape of balusters reminiscent of ancient columns, feature ornate foliage decorations, garlands and winged cherub faces. The feet are crafted in the likeness of lion paws. The base is further embellished with depictions of four saint martyrs, among them Saint Barbara and Saint Catherine of Alexandria. The plasticity of the figures, outlined with strong contour lines, the clear and vibrant colors, are stylistic elements linked to the Umbrian tradition of the sixteenth century.The precisely defined and elegant drawing, along with the clear color palette applied with refined chiaroscuro modulations, became the signature of a style that would leave a lasting mark on the era to come. This is exemplified by a preference for vibrant, multicolored images, accentuated in this case by the use of red and pink in the saint's attire. A notable addition, introduced later, is a polylobed cross painted on both sides. On one side, the Crucifixion is vividly portrayed:The treatment of the corpus itself is in line with High Medieval practice, emphasizing pathos by showing Jesus dead, his arms sagging from the weight of the body. The upper section displaying a pelican pecks at her breast to feed her young with her own blood; a symbol of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross whose body and blood similarly nourishes the celebrant during Mass. The lower part depicts Golgotha. On the reverse side, the Resurrection is artistically presented in a Renaissance iconography, reminiscent of the renowned composition painted by Piero della Francesca, now housed in the Civic Museum of Sansepolcro. In terms of composition, with the frontal depiction of Christ holding the banner, this motif became particularly widespread in central Italy, spanning from Tuscany to Umbria throughout the 16th century.. The double-sided construction suggests that it may also have been carried in liturgical processions. In Umbria from the 14th century, the use of portable crosses painted on both sides had become a widespread practice, aimed at satisfying the monastic clientele that had significantly increased following the establishment of new religious communities. The earliest surviving Tuscan painted crucifix represent Christ as Christus Triumphans, or the “Triumphant Christ” with his head up and eyes open. This form was supplanted in the 13th century with the Christus Patiens, or “Suffering Christ” type who is shown often with his head fallen on his shoulder and his eyes closed, as In our cross. The iconography of the suffering Christ appears to have developed out of a new interest in Christ’s human nature, the development of the feast of Corpus Christi and with increased importance given to the Eucharist. The process of humanizing the figure of Christ reaches its peak with the abandonment of all the previous expressive conventions in favor of more realistic details we can observe in this Crucifix, such as the swollen belly, the arms stretched to the limit of muscle tearing, the body falling heavily forward, the abundant blood on the wounds, and the cross firmly embedded in the rock of Calvary. It's worth noting that Renaissance candelabra...