Unusual Chinese banded agate chopstick rest
Price: £25
This is a very unusual chopstick rest made from beautiful banded agate
Beautiful long jade necklace with lapis lazuli and large carved jade pendant
Price: £950
This is a stunning constructed necklace with a large carved jade pendant with alternating stations of jade and lapis lazuli beads. The jade beads and carving are 1920s/30s, the lapis is 1960s.
Chinese four panel Table Screen with embroidered silk panels, signed and boxed, C20th
Price: £110
A fine quality table screen each of the four panels made from rosewood, joined with brass hinges and set with glazed delicately embroidered silk panels, the first panel with a seal character signature. Small screens with four or six panels, usually termed table screens, were made for export by the Chinese in fairly large quantities in the twentieth century, but mostly the panels display paintings on silk. Embroidered pieces are much less common and the fine silk embroidery seen here is much less common and of excellent quality. The composition is a linked design of two birds amidst flowering prunus or plum blossom. The colourings are mostly greens and browns with the addition of light purple for the flowers. The first panel has a six character seal mark signature which may indicate the artist or be a mark of commendation. The screen comes with its original silk fabric covered box with two bone clasp fasteners and probably dates to the mid twentieth century. It is highly attractive and an example of later Chinese export work at its best. A restful distraction for the scholar at work!
Strand of Chinese ceramic beads c1950
Price: £25
This is a lovely necklace comprising 19 barrel shaped ceramic beads with vulcanite spacer beads. The ceramic beads are chinese porcelain with Famille Rose style decoration. This necklace has not clasp but will fit over the head.
Impressive Chinese crystalline glaze bottle Vase, Jingdezhen mark, second half C20th
Price: £350
A large and imposing vase of bottle form the broad globular body with a short foot, below a concave neck flaring outwards to the rim, the glaze with crystalline effects in blue, light green and off white, the base glazed white with a four character mark in underglaze blue reading (from right to left and top to bottom) ‘Jing-de-zhen-made’.
The striking glaze effects seen here are usually attributed to the kilns at Shiwan, a district of the provincial town Foshan which is located near to Guangzhou, better known in the West as Canton, in the Guangdong province. But the place of manufacture is here clearly advertised by the mark on the base which attributes it to the well known potteries of Jingdezhen, for centuries one of China’s most prolific producers of porcelains for both the domestic and export markets. This particular glaze, though, seems to be a late twentieth century creation with no obvious precedents from the past. Just possibly it derived from an accident of the firing process which was then deliberately imitated. Certainly, the ‘look’ is modern and the interior of the neck reveals one of the hallmarks of the very late pieces made at Jingdezhen where the small but regular potting rings indicate manufacture by machine rather than the hand of a potter (see image 8). The sandy and slightly coarse paste of the foot is fully consistent with this.
By repute, similar vases were bought new in the 1980s so there is, at least, a degree of age here and the overall effects combine sophisticated techniques with inventive decoration to produce a piece of considerable and striking appeal.
(As sometimes happened with the manufacture of larger ceramic items, this vase emerged from the kiln with a slight ‘lean’ when viewed from certain angles, probably due to irregular shrinkage of the clay body during the firing process. Images (11) and (12) are intended to highlight the ‘fault’ but the final image (13) shows how this can easily be corrected with the addition of a wood stand built up inside to provide corrective support.)
Japanese Polychrome Bowl, Shibata Toki ware, late c20th
Price: £45
A fine quality Japanese porcelain bowl with deep sides curving in towards the base and with ribbing in the lower section, the interior delicately decorated in polychrome enamels with a design of flowering peony, the exterior with gilt diaper work on an iron red ground above a border of repeating stylised leaves, the base with a four character mark in iron red reading ‘Shiba-ta-to-ki’, ‘Shibata Porcelain’. The porcelain manufacturer Shibata began production in 1948, based at Mizunami city, near to Nagoya in Japan. They were known for their fine quality porcelains whose work resembles that of the nineteenth century Fukagawa kilns. Their pieces are marked, as here, sometimes with the addition of their name in Western lettering. This bowl probably dates to the 1970s and is a fine example of their work. Since 2004, the company has also operated from workshops in China.
Chinese rice grain Dish with Jingdezhen Mark, late C20th
Price: £35
A small ceramic dish of saucer form, decorated in underglaze blue, red, green, black enamel and gold with a central roundel of a dragon amidst flames within a border of geometric design and bats, itself within a ground of stylised fans and flowers edged with a diaper border, the reverse with a four character seal mark in underglaze blue reading 'Jing-De-Zhen-Zi', indicating manufacture at the well known kiln town of Jingdezhen in the Jiangxi province. The rim of the plate has 'rice grain' decoration where the porcelain is pierced and the glaze allowed to cover the openings made so that the holes can be seen in a strong light. The mark here found on other pieces and seems first to have been used around 1950 but was still employed around forty years later. Dating is probably to the late twentieth century.
Massive lapis lazuli carved pendant necklace
Price: £125
This is a striking statement that features a large carved lapis lazuli pendant with a rooster design symbolizing perseverance and hard work. It is also a year on the Chinese calendar so this might have been carved to celebrate the New Year. It has been restrung with lapis and silver beads.
Striking Art Deco jade necklace
Price: £150
This is a lovely necklace comprising an Art Deco jade disc pendant with dragon motif together with a necklace of jade beads, this necklace has been restrung and the pendant was not originally together with these beads but it looks great!
Necklace with soapstone pendant and amber beads
Price: £65
This is a wonderful necklace comprising amber beads with a brown soapstone pendant. Finished with amber, bone and silver beads and a tassel. This is a constructed necklace from the 1990s although the elements are from various periods.
Large Chinese eglomise scent bottle 1950s
Price: £75
This is a very unusual large scent bottle with loose glass rings and a foo dog stopper. There are two eglomise scenes on either side depicting children playing
Japanese Samurai China Biscuit Box and Cover, C20th
Price: £25
A Japanese ceramic Biscuit Box and Cover with a wicker handle of squared octagonal form, the body slightly flaring outwards and with a flush fitting cover, decorated in bright satsuma style enamels with panels of a samurai and a geisha and two with landscape designs alternating with orange ground panels with stylised foliage in enamel and gilt, the design repeating onto the lid, the base marked ‘Genuine Samurai China’, ‘Japan’, ‘Hand Painted’, and a ‘Reg No’ which cannot be read, the lettering surrounding a shield like device with Japanese characters. The firm ‘Samurai China’ seems to have made modest ceramic items, mainly tea services, for export to the West. Dating is most likely pre war, perhaps to the 1930s.
Chinese blue ground Vase decorated Prunus, late C20th
Price: £25
A Chinese ceramic vase of ovoid form with a flaring neck, the blue enamel ground decorated with flowering prunus branches in grisaille and green, the base with the numbers ‘31’ in iron red. Flowering prunus or plum blossom is one of the most iconic designs used in the decoration of porcelain, occurring from the late seventeenth century onwards. This vase is a rather more modest version of the pattern and most likely dates to the late twentieth century. The paste of the foot is coarse and the painting perfunctory, not even wholly Eastern in appearance and similar pieces are sometimes catalogued as French. But as with Lot 3 in this sale, the explanation most likely lies in production further afield from the main porcelain factories at Jingdezhen. Perhaps, as with the jars shown in Lot 3, the source was Macau where poorer and more European influenced pieces were being made in the last years of the twentieth century. But, if not the work of Chinese potters at their best, this vase still has a naif charm to be enjoyed today.
Chinese Yellow Ground Famille Rose Charger, 1950s/early 1960s
Price: £55
A Chinese circular charger, stoutly potted and with a faintly everted rim, richly enamelled in the ‘famille rose’ palette with lotus, bats, shou symbols and a central chrysanthemum head surrounded by small peony blooms, all on a yellow ground with white enamel stylised scrolling foliage, the reverse glazed white with a glazed footrim surrounding an unglazed circular band, the centre with a seven character stamped mark in iron red ‘Jiangxi’ ‘Jingdezhen’ ‘Ming 5 Ci’, ‘made at Jingdezhen [in the] Jiangxi [province], place rank 5’.
This is a fine example of the porcelains made at Jingdezhen, for centuries the chief centre of ceramic production in China, in the early years of the People’s Republic of China (1949-). Soon after the communists took control, the kilns at Jingdezhen were organised into co-operatives, each with a number. Many of their pieces were marked and the form of the mark determines the date of production. The circular marks, as here, were the earliest allowing a dating of this charger to the 1950s or possibly the early 1960s. Some of these conglomerates, for the quality can vary, retained the skills of their predecessors and produced works of high quality. This is clearly seen here in the careful and precise enamelling and the general artistry of the design employing ‘imperial’ yellow with the symbolism of happiness (bats), longevity (shou symbols), friendship and a life of ease (chrysanthemum) and fruitfulness and offspring (lotus), all combining to produce a piece well worthy of its many predecessors.
Please note that the wood stand is for display purposes only and is not incuded with this lot.
Chinese painting on Silk, Storks and Pine, circa 1900
Price: £25
A Chinese painting on silk, the fine and detailed brushwork depicting a gnarled branch of pine with three cranes astride on a background of blue clouds with a full moon in the distance. Both the crane and the pine tree symbolise long life and longevity and so there is perhaps a hidden message here which might be uncovered in the elaborate calligraphic inscription at the top right with no less than three red artist’s seals. Great care has been taken with this composition and the overall style suggests earlier work than that found in many pieces perhaps dating to the late nineteenth or early twentieth century. The board mounting is considerably foxed but the painting itself much less so and if reframed it would provide an attractive if slightly enigmatic example Chinese decorative painting.
Very fine pair of vintage Chinese painted eggs in a pentagonal glass case
Price: £25
This is a beautiful pair of small eggs that are very finely decorated with birds and flowers, they are mounted on pink tufted fabric in a very unusual glass case
Lot of two vintage Chinese miniature Cork Groups
Price: £25
This a lot of two cork groups that are very detailed and unusual as there are not only the natural cork colours but also other stained colours that make them stand out. The square shaped group depicts a pagoda with foliage and cranes, the oval group also had a pagoda and cranes with a cherry blossom tree in addition.
Lot of 3 vintage Chinese miniature cork groups
Price: £25
These are very delicate cork groups that also have colour added. They depict cranes and well as birds in an cherry blossom tree.
Japanese Fukagawa Imari Vase of Sake Bottle Form circa 1880
Price: £180
A fine quality Japanese Imari Vase of Sake bottle form with a bulbous body narrowing towards a broad neck with a faintly everted rim, decorated in iron red, underglaze blue and gold with the addition of green enamel. The main body with two shaped panels of flowering chrysanthemum within underglaze blue borders on a ground of stylised flowering chrysanthemum, the shoulder with panels of lotus and stylised flower heads on an underglaze blue band, the neck with further stylised foliage below plantain leaves in iron red and underglaze blue, the rim gilt. The base with a four character mark reading Koransha Fukagawa Sei ('made by the Koransha Fukagawa [factory]'. The Fukagawa kilns produced the best quality Imari items made in Japan in the late nineteenth century for export to the West. Dating here is within the Meiji period (1868 - 1912) probably around 1880. The form is unusual and reflects Sake bottle shapes produced in a variety of mediums.
Japanese coiled Snake Netsuke
Price: £25
A Japanese boxwood netsuke sculpture of a coiled snake, seated with its tongue protruding, the eyes inset with small hardstones [CHECK] and the scale rendered in detail with an incised artist’s mark to underside next to the two attachment holes. Netsuke were carved toggles used to attach hanging objects, usually okimono, to the sash of a kimono and became the subject of the master carver’s art, sometimes of the very highest class. They were formed from ivory or wood, as here, and usually display the holes through which the fastening cord was threaded. While there is certainly skill in the carving, the artist’s signature cannot be identified. Netsuke began to fall out of fashion in the nineteenth century as European dress gradually became more popular but a dating to this period seems reasonable.
Chinese cloisonné Vase decorated birds, C20th
Price: £25
A Chinese cloisonné vase of baluster form, the ovoid body above a spreading foot and below a stepped concave neck, the top and bottom finished with gilt metal bands and the base in blue enamel, the decoration in the cloisonné technique of polychrome glass derived enamels set in wire outlines (the so called ‘cloisons’ from the French word), with birds in a stylised garden scene with lotus on a black ground with a wire inlay design representing clouds, between elaborate borders at the top and bottom including ‘ju’i’ lappets and stylised lotus leaves. The cloisonné technique was developed in China in the early Ming dynasty (1368-1644) and then used throughout, right up until the C20th; indeed pieces are still produced today. The later examples can have their own charm and often the quality of the work is excellent, as here, with an imaginative use of colours and shading effects to the enamels. Dating is most likely to the early twentieth century and this vase clearly shows that a high standard of workmanship was still maintained at this time.
Japanese Arita Brushwasher, C20th
Price: £25
A small deep bowl with high slightly incurving walls and a lightly scalloped rim, decorated in underglaze blue with small floral blooms, peony representing Spring and prunus representing Winter, the base unglazed. The form suggests a brush washer and the paste of the foot an early to mid twentieth century dating. A modest scholar’s desk ornament then which might find a home in a contemporary office.
Framed Chinese Silk Embroidered Runner Panel, garden scenes, C20th
Price: £15
The repeating design we see here (the figure on the left reappears on the right) indicates that this textile is a section from a longer piece which perhaps acted a ceiling border for a wall. Depicted in a fairly muted palette of silk threads with an emphasis on light green and turquoise is a stylised garden scene with labourers (hoe, wheatsheaves, fruit basket) and one figure seated at leisure, all within a border comprising a mixed assemblage of the common motifs of Chinese decoration including stylised flowers, dragons, elephants, shou medallions and the endless knot (one of the eight Buddhist emblems). The stitching is not particularly detailed suggesting mid C20th work but the design is pleasing nonetheless.
Small Chinese Bronze Vase of Ku Form with Elephant Head Handles, Qing Dynasty circa 1800
Price: £75
Chinese Bronze Vase of Ku Form with typical spreading foot, bulbous body and wide flaring neck and rim, set at the side with a pair of elephant head handles. The base decorated with a circling dragon, the body with two panels of peony, rocks and butterflies, the neck with repeating stylised plantain leaves with stylised floral decoration in an 'archaistic' style and the top rim with a band of repeating geometric designs. Note in particular the detail of the casting of the elephant heads and the dragon's head. This, combined with the quality of the bronze which has excellent weight and patina, suggests a circa date at least towards the middle of the Qing dynasty (1644-1912) if not perhaps before. The piece was probably conceived as part of a miniature altar set and was possibly intended as an incense burner.
Unusual Chinese Bowl decorated in the Japanese Kutani Style, early 20th Century
Price: £45
This is an unusual Chinese Bowl decorated in the Japanese Kutani Style. The form resembles a flower head with petals and the exterior is highlighted with narrow moulded ribbing. The inside and out are decorated with a wide variety of densely packed floral blooms including peony, lotus and chrysanthemum, the pattern closely resembling the well known 'millefiore' or 'mille fleur' designs painted in Famille Rose enamels which were produced in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. But the colours used here are iron red and gold with the addition of grisaille highlights which is typical of the palette used in Japanese Kutani wares. The Chinese did sometimes copy or adapt these wares and vases with the 'hundred sage' pattern copying the Japanese are well known. Even the form here is more Japanese than Chinese in style so the aim was clearly to make the adaptation as close as possible. The paste of the foot rim and the nature of the gilding suggest a circa date in the early 20th Century, perhaps around 1920.
Set of Four Chinese Plates, Beauties of the Red Mansion, Jingdezhen, 1980s
Price: £75
This is a partial set of four plates from a series comprising twelve plates in all, produced by ‘Imperial Jingdezhen Porcelain’ and titled ‘Beauties of the Red Mansion’. The plates were designed by the master artisan Zhao Huimin and depict characters from the famous Chinese romance novel ‘The Dream of the Red Chamber’ or ‘The Story of the Stone’ written by Cao Xueqin during the Qing Dynasty. Each plate depicts one of the court lady characters which appear in the work (Pao-chai, Yuan-chun, Hsi-feng, Hsi-chun, Mao-yu, Ying-chun, Tai-yu, Li-wan, Ko-ching, Hsiang-yun, Tan-chun, Chiao-chieh), all renowned not only for their physical beauty but also for their complex personalities and roles in the narrative of the novel. They are shown in a variety of settings, some in ornate interiors and others in landscape scenes. Each plate has an elaborate inscription on the back, doubtless describing the figure depicted on the front. There is also the factory name and the date of production - here 1985, 1986 (twice) and 1987. While the work is detailed it is not hand done but seems to have been produced by some form of printing process. The ‘micro dot’ detail of this can be seen in some of the images. Originally in boxes with a descriptive leaflet, these plates are now found singly, in part sets and occasionally as a complete series. This selection can provide an ensemble in itself or the source for additions to a growing collection.
Please note that the stands are for display purposes only.
Lot of 3 Chinese bangles
Price: £35
This is nice lot of three bangles, one cloisonné and two cinnabar. The larger cinnabar bangle is beautifully detailed on black ground, the thinner cinnabar is more typical and has more age, the cloisonné is lovely work on a blue ground.
Japanese wood Netsuke of a Cobra, signed, C19th
Price: £45
A Japanese boxwood netsuke sculpture of a cobra, seated coiled with its head upraised and mouth open with the tongue protruding, the scale naturalistically rendered even to the underside where there is an incised artist’s mark. The eyes are inset with small hardstones [CHECK] which is an additional sign of the quality of the work here which would have required no small amount of skill to create such an ‘open’ composition. Netsuke were carved toggles used to attach hanging objects, usually okimono, to the sash of a kimono and became the subject of the master carver’s art, sometimes of the very highest class. They were formed from ivory or wood, as here, and usually display the holes through which the fastening cord was threaded but this is not the case here because of the nature of the composition. While there is certainly abundant artistry, the carver’s signature cannot be identified. Netsuke began to fall out of fashion in the nineteenth century as European dress gradually became more popular but a dating to this period seems reasonable.
Small Chinese Cloisonné Dish decorated lotus, C20th
Price: £25
A small Chinese cloisonné enamel circular dish of typical form decorated with scrolling flowering lotus on a black ground with gilt stylised floral scrolls within a lobed edge blue border and a gilt metal rim, the reverse plain and in blue enamel. The cloisonné technique, in which glass derived enamels were set in wire outlines (the so called ‘cloisons’ from the French word), was developed in China in the early Ming dynasty (1368-1644) and then used throughout, right up until the C20th, indeed pieces are still produced today. The later examples can have their own charm and often the quality of the work is excellent, as here, with an imaginative use of colours and shading effects to the enamels, seen here in the lotus flowers and leaves. Some of the later examples can have paper labels indicating a date of manufacture during the era the People’s Republic of China’ (1912-1949) and a circa date of around 1930 seems reasonable here and is confirmed by the weight of the dish and its finish at the reverse.
Chinese Small Blue and White Potiche and Cover with wood stand, late C20th
Price: £45
A small Chinese porcelain potiche and cover, the straight sides curving out slightly to the top and the overhanging lid slightly domed with a wide knob finial, decorated in underglaze blue and white with a continuous scene of birds and flowers and rocks, the flowers repeated on the lid as floral sprays. The design here is unusual for Chinese ceramics and rather ‘modern’ in appearance which fits with a probable dating to the late twentieth century. While the porcelain is of good quality the paste of the foot suggests fairly recent manufacture (see image 9) and the painting appears to depend partly on stencilled outlines (see especially the bird in the first image). But the wood stand suggests at least some age and the ensemble can be enjoyed its own right as a modest decorative item with the potential for practical use.
Chinese Scroll Painting of a Merchant and his Client, C20th
Price: £45
A scroll painting depicting what appears to be a scene in a Chinese merchant’s shop where there can be seen scales and a box containing coins on a table in the background. The elderly trader is seated next to a younger gentleman, presumably his client. One attendant stands watching and another bears an object on a tray which may well be the subject of a bargain to be made. The painting is colourful and expressive, with the faces carefully delineated. The style looks to be early twentieth century work and resembles that of reverse glass paintings from the period. The scroll is offered with a complementary scroll box, European with chinoiserie scenes in gilt, which considerably enhances the decorative effect.
Japanese Imari Dish in the form of a Treasure Boat ‘Takarabune’, Meiji Period, circa 1900
Price: £250
A Japanese Imari Dish in the form of a Treasure Boat, the body shallow potted with a modelled stern and prow, the decoration in the typical ‘Imari’ palette of underglaze blue, iron red and gold with the addition of small areas of green enamel, the exterior sides decorated with stylised waves and sea spray in underglaze blue, the interior with a fabric derived ‘brocade’ design of floral panels with two ‘ho ho’ birds within a border of repeated roundels with lozenge on a blue and gilt ground, the flat base unglazed.
In Japanese folklore, the Takarabune or "Treasure Ship", is a mythical ship piloted through the heavens by the Seven Lucky Gods during the first three days of the New Year. Ceramic boat shape dishes were produced during the Meiji period (1868-1912) in both Arita and Imari porcelains. Paste of the foot rim and style of decoration suggest a circa date here towards the end of the nineteenth century.
Chinese Cloisonné Bowl with a wavy edge, 20th Century
Price: £25
A Chinese Cloisonné Bowl of shallow form with a short gilt metal foot and a wavy edge rim also finished in gilt metal, decorated with peony and rocks and a flying bird in bold polychrome enamels with shading effects on a black ground with a gilt wire design of repeating small stylised clouds, the base finished in blue enamel. The style of decoration suggests a circa date in the first half of the twentieth century.
Art Deco Chinese Export silver Buckle later converted to a Necklace
Price: £125
This is a beautiful necklace comprising a very detailed silver buckle that depicts a sinuous dragon encricling the characters for "Blessing", It has been converted to a necklace using a period belcher chain. Full import marks to the reverse and marked Silver.
Chinese Mandarin Pattern Spoon Tray, Qianlong period circa 1760
Price: £350
A Chinese Spoon Tray of typical form with lobed hexagonal sides and a flat unglazed base, decorated in 'famille rose' enamels to the centre with a court figure scene depicting a male courtier sitting on a low table surrounded by ladies and a child (the term 'mandarin' derives from the name of the male court officials who are so often seen in the scenes decorated in this style), the border with small vignette panels in puce and orange enamel depicting landscape scenes and flowers on a gilt stylised floral ground, the exterior plain.
This piece comes from an original tea service which would have comprised a wide variety of objects decorated in the same pattern to include a teapot, cover and stand, a caddy and cover, a sugar bowl, a cream jug and cover, bowls and saucers and so forth. The form can be seen (along with a matching teapot stand) at Lunsingh Scheurleer, Chinese Export Porcelain pl 149. Dating is to the middle of the Qianlong period (1736-1795) around 1760. The quality of the decoration speaks for itself and this piece has survived intact with very little wear to the decoration.
Pair of Chinese hand painted jade Eggs with modern stands
Price: £25
Each of these eggs is made from light green coloured jade formed into the shape of an egg. Both are attractively painted in bright colours with birds and flowers, the designs complementary rather than matching. They were made in China, doubtless as tourist souvenirs and are most likely quite recent in date but the combination of the stone shape and colour and the careful decoration make them attractive decorative items nevertheless.
Vintage Lacquer Box with an inset ceramic Shard, probably Persian C20th
Price: £25
A lacquer box of rounded square form with a concave, pillow form cover inset with a blue and white ceramic shard. The box is decorated with stylised scrolling foliage on a dark red ground and the ceramic fragment with a design of lotus flowers and clouds. The box was clearly designed to fit the shape of the shard which presumably derives from a vase of some form. Similar boxes are usually described as Chinese with inserts that are obviously Chinese as well, but the lacquer work on these looks more to be Persian and here, the ceramic fragment definitely has a Persian rather than Chinese style of decoration, suggesting that in this case, at least, both the box and its insert are, in fact, Persian. This was an ingenious way of recycling broken pieces of porcelain and these boxes seem to have been made as tourist souvenirs. Despite the aged appearance, dating is probably to the early to mid twentieth century.
Chinese boxwood carved figure with silver inlay of Li Tieguai circa 1900
Price: £55
A wood carving of Li Tieguai dressed in an elaborate robe, carrying a crutch in his right hand and holding his belt in his left, represented standing on a crab. Li Tieguai was one of the eight Daoist immortals and is often depicted as a beggar carrying a crutch. He was associated with medicine and while known for his irascible temper was benevolent to the poor and needy. By legend, a handsome scholar whose spirit left his body to meet with other immortals, it is said that on one occasion his apprentice cremated his body before his return to it, forcing him to inhabit instead the body of a lame beggar. He is associated with the crab, a deer, or a bat, the crab motif, seen here, perhaps being related to the story of the Eight Immortals crossing the sea and using their powers to traverse the waves. Li Tieguai was often the subject of the wood carvers’ art and this figure is a good example of the representations of him produced in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century. The carving is expressive and unusually inlaid with silver wire detail indicating considerable care in the manufacture. Most likely this figure was intended for the export market and would have been destined to stand on the mantle piece of a Victorian interior.
Japanese Imari Bottle Vase, circa 1900
Price: £30
A Japanese ceramic vase of slender bottle form with a near globular body rising to a narrow cylindrical neck, decorated in the ‘Imari’ palette of underglaze blue, iron red and gold with two red enamel ground stylised floral panels on a ground of scrolling peony, the neck with scrolling prunus above a band of repeating chrysanthemum heads and the base with a band of repeating stylised leaves. The paste of the foot and the style of the decoration suggest a dating to the end of the Meiji period (1868-1912) probably around 1900.
Fine Quality Cloisonne Box and Cover in the form of a Snail, Japanese circa 1880
Price: £95
A fine quality Japanese Cloisonne Box and cover in the form of a snail, the lid modelled with typical shell spirals and the base with a conforming shape, the decoration comprising small flower heads and butterflies on a blue enamel ground with gilt scroll work, the lid and base edged with a red enamel band highlighted with repeating gilt circles, the foot with a similar red enamel band highlighted with gilt semi circles and with two bands of gilt semi circles filled with a minutely speckled green enamel fill, the interior and the foot of the base finished in blue enamel.
The Japanese produced copies of natural forms in a variety of media. Carved ivory fruit and small animals are well known. Here, cloisonne enamel is used which is less common. The quality of the work speaks for itself and can be judged form the small butterflies on the cover and the green speckle enamel fill at the base. It is typical of the best Meiji period (1868-1912) work and a circa date towards the end of the nineteenth century is most likely.
A Matched Pair of Chinese Cloisonne Bottle form Vases circa 1900
Price: £25
A matched Pair of Chinese Cloisonne Vases of squat bottle form with broad bodies and a slender flaring neck, decorated with flowering peony on a blue enamel ground with a gilt wire design of stylised clouds, the bases with two bands of overlapping semi circles and the tops with a band of repeating ju'i lappets, the top interior rims finished in metal and the bases with a gilt foot rim enclosing blue enamel. The designs on these vases match very closely and the peony flowers are in mirror image but the vases are unlikely to have been an original pair. Weight and style of decoration suggest a circa date at the end of the nineteenth century.
Carved Chinese brown jade necklace
Price: £55
This is an intricately carved brown jade necklace with a large carved pendant with corresponding carved and round beads. It is strung on a brown silk cord with adjustable Chinese knot.
Chinese Rose Medallion Saucer circa 1860
Price: £45
A Chinese saucer with a lightly lobed edge decorated in the Cantonese style with ‘c’ border panels of ladies with attendants and birds and flowers on a gilt ground with green enamel scroll work, butterflies and peony blooms. This well known design is termed ‘Rose Medallion’ from its palette of colours and the use of vignette panel scenes (the ‘medallions’). It was one of the successors to the ‘Mandarin’ wares produced for export in the late eighteenth century and evolved around 1840, being produced in a varying range of qualities until the end of the century. It was used to decorate vases, bowls and table wares and this saucer, originally with a matching cup, would have come from a small tea service. The work is good quality with no flaking to the enamels and the gilt detail to the ladies’ hair well preserved, implying a circa date of around 1860. While it has become detached from its original companions it can stand today as a decorative item in itself and a fine recollection of a once popular style.
Pair of Japanese Arita Vases decorated with Oni, late C19th
Price: £95
A pair of ceramic vases of tapering ovoid form with a galleried rim, decorated in polychrome enamels with complementary scenes of oni, or demons, one offering a drink on a cushion to a terrified attendant and the other in pursuit of a fleeing maiden whom he holds fast by her left leg, both with scrolling lotus to the reverse, the bases glazed white but not marked. Oni were a fundamental part of Japanese folklore and were often represented in art, usually with exaggerated bodies and sometimes with three eyes, as is the case with one of the demons here. There is more humour than terror in these images but the work cannot be attributed with certainty to any of the known ceramics factories and is best termed Arita from its use of a wide palette of colours. The paste of the foot rim, though, clearly indicates late nineteenth century work, presumably made for export to the West.
Small Chinese Blue and White Brushwasher, C20th
Price: £25
The form here, a flattened broad body with curved walls and a wide opening at the top, is an example of one of the classic ceramic Chinese brush washer shapes and is found in a wide variety of decoration, often monochromes but there are also many pieces where underglaze blue and white was employed. The miniature size here is rather unusual; just possibly it was part of a set. The exterior is decorated with continuous scrolling lotus (perhaps an association with water was intended) below two concentric circles at the top with a single circle at the base. Underneath is the standard four character mark for the Qianlong period (1736 -1795), the characters reading from right to left and top to bottom ‘Qian’ ‘long’ ‘nien’ ‘chi’ (Qianlong years made). This is, of course wildly optimistic. The paste of the foot suggests a dating to the early years of the twentieth century, but this desk accessory has great charm, nevertheless.
Tibetan amulet necklace featuring Buddhist deity c1900
Price: £25
This is very interesting necklace that comprises a very large amulet or talisman in a flower shape, which is built up in steps and features a figure holding a sword. It is made from brass, that would have had bright gilding in its time. It is mounted with garnets and enamel work. There are some stones that appear to be turquoise and coral although these might be enamel. There is also an embossed lotus flower on the back.
The chain on this necklace is quite short for it to fit over a modern head so it would probably need a clasp in addition.
Compagnie des Indes style reticulated edge Armorial Plate, Chinese C20th
Price: £45
The general appearance here is that of a piece of Chinese Export porcelain dinner ware (the so called ‘Compagnie des Indes’ or ‘East India Company’ style) made around 1800. This plate essentially follows the late eighteenth century form, even in its openwork or reticulated edge which was not uncommon at the time although the lightly scalloped edge is anachronistic and the piece is far heavier than an original would be.. The centre is painted with an armorial crest but not, on this piece, one that can be identified indicating a ‘pseudo’ composition. The border has a repeating grape vine pattern and a band of blue enamel with stars, both typical of late C18th Chinese work, but if the front seems reasonably authentic the reverse betrays the date of manufacture with the printed wording in iron red which reads ‘For decorative purposes only’ ‘Not for food use’ [and as if that was not enough] ‘Article may poison food’. Similar wording is found on other C20th Chinese pieces and is probably indicative of a post war dating to the 1950s or 1960s. There was clearly no attempt to deceive here and the producers presumably sensed a demand for such pastiche pieces which do seem to be collectible, even today.
Constructed necklace with jade, egg yolk amber and cherry amber
Price: £250
This necklace is a wonderful design comprising cherry and egg yolk amber beads together with jade beads that end in a very large carved jade plaque. This is a vert fine example of Chinese carving with an allegorical motif of a dragons mouth around a smaller dragon. The jade is a golden spinach jade that is an unusual colour.
Japanese Fukagawa Imari Bowl, signed, circa 1880
Price: £380
A Japanese Imari Bowl of shallow lobed form, richly decorated in the Imari palette of underglaze blue, iron red and gold, the interior with a central circular panel with a vase containing peony and chrysanthemum within a blue ground border with gilt diaper work and small stylised floral panels and the sides with alternating shaped edge circular and oval panels filled with flowers and ho ho birds on a stylised floral red enamel and gilt ground, the exterior with circular floral panels in two sizes on a ground of stylised foliage, the base with a four character mark reading 'koransha' 'fuka' 'gawa' 'sei' ('Made by the koransha Fukagawa [factory]'.
The Fukagawa kilns produced the best quality Imari items made in Japan in the late nineteenth century for export to the West. Their history starts with Ezaiemon Fukagawa who in 1856 became head of his family's porcelain business and in 1875 founded Koransha (The Company of the Scented Orchid) in Arita, Japan, to produce tableware for export. In 1894 the modern Fukagawa company was founded by Chuji Fukagawa, with the Fukagawa trade mark of Mount Fuji and a stream, as its trade mark. Dating here is within the Meiji period (1868 - 1912) probably around 1880. This conforms with the script mark used as opposed to the later symbol design.
Chinese Verre Églomisé Snuff Bottle with landscape scenes, fitted box, C20th
Price: £35
A Chinese glass snuff bottle of typical flattened oval rounded form with a replacement domed stopper, the interior decorated with intricate landscape scenes depicting a riverbank and a lakeside market and employing the ‘reverse glass’ or ‘verre églomisé’ technique. Dating of these pieces seems to be in the second half of the twentieth century but the skill of the maker is self evident and has produced a true landscape in miniature.
Chinese celadon glaze sake cup with shou symbols, Qing dynasty (1644-1912)
Price: £55
A Chinese celadon glazed cup, the curved walls above a short foot and flaring outwards slightly at the rim decorated in underglaze blue with six identical auspicious characters, the base unglazed and with a recessed foot. There are no easy parallels for this bowl, although there are various straight sided bowls with underglaze blue Chinese characters, optimistically marked as from the Xuande dynasty (1425-1435), and most likely modern. The celadon glaze here is of fine quality with minute bubbles (see especially images 3 & 5) and the form of the foot, with its recessed base is most unusual, indeed seemingly without parallel. The underglaze blue characters are for ‘shou’ (壽), meaning ‘longevity’, and often used either in character or abstract circular form as a decorative motif. Care has clearly been taken here and the paste of the foot is most certainly Chinese but while dating is highly uncertain it is unlikely to be later than the early twentieth century. The base has two scratched marks ( ‘A’ ‘R’??) which might be those of the bowl’s one time owner. Perhaps its next owner will be lucky enough to discover rather more about it!
Decorative pair of Chinese ceramic figures of children, Yunu and Jintong , late C20th
Price: £45
This is an amusing pair of ceramic figures depicting the two children Yunu and Jingtong, Taoist deities well known from Chinese mythology and traditional religion. They are represented with hands clasped and attached to their arms are coins or ‘cash’ (to use the Chinese word, later adopted into the European language), considered to be good luck symbols. Yunu and Jintong were the favoured servants of the Jade Emperor and the martial God Zhenwu. They acted as guides to the underworld but also became known as the paradigm of happily married couples; pictures of them are sometimes displayed during the Chinese Sprig Festival. There are accordingly many associations with good fortune here and these pairs of figures were doubtless sold as lucky charms in the later years of the twentieth century.
Chinese Soapstone Double Brushwasher, C20th
Price: £45
A Chinese soapstone brushwasher carved in the form of two hollow bamboo stems standing between strands of trailing peach and resting on a rocky base with stylised foliage and a bird, the curved reverse plain and with three holes to facilitate the carving and the base recessed and with small holes. Various similar pieces can be found with one or more containers or vases surrounded by flowers or sometimes animals and presumably intended as brushwashers. Soapstone was first used by the Chinese over three thousand years ago but began its popularity in the Ming dynasty (1368 -1644) with the height of production during the ensuing Qing dynasty (1644 – 1911). Production continued into the 20th Century and even takes place now, but the style of work here, with fairly coarse hand carving but the evident use of a drill, and the colouring of the stone itself suggest a mid century dating, perhaps to the 1940s. But while not of the highest technical expertise, this piece certainly has a rustic charm and can act as a pleasing ornament with the potential use as a desk accessory.
Chinese blue and white porcelain Plaque with two horses, framed, C20th
Price: £250
A Chinese porcelain plaque decorated in underglaze blue with underglaze copper red detail depicting two horses galloping across a field with rocks, two calligraphic inscriptions to the top left. The theme of two horses in Chinese tradition refers to harmony, partnership, and swift success. They are associated with the motto ‘Ma Dao Cheng Gong’ (馬到成功), which translates ‘horses arrive, and with them success’ and the characters of this motto are contained in the left of the two calligraphic inscriptions, the right hand inscription possibly containing the name of the artist. The style of the drawing very loosely resembles that of the famous Chinese artist Wang Bu (1898-1968), known from many fine and original works by his hand but much copied by other porcelain painters in the twentieth century. The general effect of this piece and the flat mirror like finish to the tile itself suggest a dating to the Republican period (1912–1949) and the wood of the frame is not inconsistent with this. The scene here is not commonly found amongst porcelain tiles from this period and the addition of the underglaze copper red detail, again an unusual feature, indicates no small amount of care in the production.
Pair of Chinese Hand Painted Eggs in Case, 1970s
Price: £25
This is an excellent example of a type of souvenir model made in China, probably in the 1970s. The pair of eggs are delicately painted with ladies in a garden scene to the front which continues to the reverse. They are displayed on small stands set on a crushed fabric base and set within a purpose built case made from wood and glass. Underneath is a label reading ‘Made in China’ with four Chinese characters ‘Zhong Guo Zhi Zao’ which translate as the same. This type of mark seems to have been used on porcelains from the 1970s allowing an approximate dating here.
Pair of Japanese Blue and White Seto Ware Vases, early C20th
Price: £240
A pair of Japanese Vases of ovoid form with modelled concave necks, decorated in bright underglaze blue with densely flowering peony and chrysanthemum, the design continuing right round to the reverse, the necks with a band of repeating geometric design below a band of stylised clouds and waves, the bases glazed and each with indistinct markings in underglaze blue, more extensive on one vase than the other.
The finely drawn brushwork here and the distinctive bright blue are characteristics of pieces made at Seto in Japan in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The city of Seto is located in the Aichi Prefecture and was the location of one of the Six Ancient Kilns of Japan. Pottery was produced there from the 13th century onwards. The kilns took part in the export of decorative wares to the West from the second half of the nineteenth century onwards producing a wide variety of forms, in particular pairs of vases, but with a speciality in flat plaques and table tops, for which they gained something of a monopoly. Their pieces are usually marked, to include the characters for Seto, and this pair of vases may have originally been signed themselves but with the marks partially obliterated in the firing process. The quality here matches anything else produced by the factories but the light weight and thinly potted body suggests a dating to the early 20th century rather than before, probably during the Taisho period (1912-1926). Nevertheless the skill in craftsmanship is obvious and contributes to a highly attractive pair of ornaments for a contemporary interior.
Set of Japanese Plates decorated with Geisha in landscape scenes, late C20th
Price: £40
A set of four plates colourfully decorated with Geisha in a contrasting variety of landscape scenes, two in the countryside with ladies in attendance and two in a pavilion terrace setting, one with a male attendant and the other with a courtier whose intentions look less honourable. All have red seal marks with calligraphy in addition and possibly we are to see the four seasons here which may be indicated in the texts. While the work is detailed it is not hand done but seems to have been produced by some form of printing process. The ‘micro dot’ detail of this can be seen in some of the images, for example (4) and (5). A very modest taste of Japan then but not without its attraction.
Please note that the stands are for display purposes only.
Pair of Chinese Paintings on Silk, framed, C20th
Price: £45
A pair of Chinese paintings on silk, each rectangular panel with indented corners and finished with yellow ground patterned edging, the first depicting a lady in a garden with rocks and bamboo, the second with a mountainous landscape scene, a river bank and a man in a boat to the foreground with craggy tree lined rocky outcrops in the distance the further one surrounded by mist. Both pictures are signed in script with a red seal mark below, most likely denoting the artist or the artist copied by the painter. The style of the brushwork implies twentieth century work and the dating is probably to the 1960s. The paintings were later framed in Europe and provide a complementary pair of decorative items which accurately reflect the tradition of classical Chinese painting.
Japanese Blue and White Porcelain Bowl decorated with hydrangea, early C20th
Price: £25
A Japanese Bowl of shallow flattened conical form, decorated in underglaze blue and white with a central panel of flowering hydrangea to the interior surrounded by six hydrangea blooms, the exterior with bands of variegated blue wash above a band of white, the base also with a white glaze.
Hydrangeas flourish in Japan and also carry a hidden meaning of apology and gratitude based on a mythical story of an Emperor, who angered a woman he loved by neglecting her, and gave her in recompense a bunch of blue hydrangeas as a symbol of his deep emotion and gratitude. Used here as a decorative motif, the painting of the flowers is skilful and elegantly combined with the plainer exterior. The paste of the foot rim suggests an early C20th dating, perhaps to the late Taisho era (1912-1926).
Chinese Blue and White Snuff Bottle with Jade stopper, early C20th
Price: £45
A Chinese snuff bottle of flattened ovoid form, the stopper with a jade top above the cork sealed wand, decorated in underglaze blue with two birds amidst flowering peony or plum blossom, the base with a four character mark in underglaze blue. The paste of the foot and the fairly coarse style of the painting suggest a circa date to around 1900 or a little thereafter but the design is attractive and the bottle survives with its stopper and wand intact which is not always the case.
Japanese blue and white hat shape small Bowl with flowering prunus, C20th
Price: £25
An unusual tea bowl of inverted conical form with a short slightly flaring foot decorated in blue and white with a reverse outline design of flowering prunus in white on a blue ground, the base glazed white with a blue circle. The shape here, often termed ‘hat shape’ or ‘bamboo hat shape’ from its resemblance to an Oriental hat (see image 7), seems to have originated in China but was eventually taken up by Japanese potters whose work here is indicated by both the style of decoration and the paste of the foot. The decoration features branches of prunus rather differently represented to those on a Chinese vase to be found elsewhere in this sale with the white design of the branches and flowers almost employing a ‘reverse decoration’ effect, loosely imitating work found on Chinese pieces from the Ming dynasty. The result is elegant and this piece no doubt derives from a small set, probably of five pieces, made for the consumption of tea or perhaps sake. The paste and finish of the foot indicates a dating to the early twentieth century, probably in the 1920s or 1930s.
Chinese Watercolour Painting on Silk, framed, first half C20th
Price: £55
A watercolour painting on silk depicting two scholars in a stylised garden scene, one reading from a scroll while the other looks on, with a boy attendant pointing to a spray of prunus which he is holding in his right hand. In the foreground are rocks while in the background is the exterior of a pavilion with a flowering prunus tree behind. To the top right are lines of calligraphy and a four character stamped red seal. The calligraphy is possibly an extract from a poem by Li Ciming (1830-1894) whose work tended to focus on the prunus tree and its associations. If so, the seal mark might possibly be his. Certainly, prunus blossom, often known also in English as hawthorn or plum, seems to be the central theme here. Known as a symbol representing for resilience, purity, and perseverance because it blooms in winter, it was frequently depicted in Chinese Art. Here, the young boy seems to be directing the attention of the two gentleman scholars to the spray of it which he holds in his hand and perhaps the scroll in the hands of one of them describes the tree itself. The composition is appealing and the drawing skilful with the work most likely dating to the early twentieth century, some years after Li Ciming’s death.
Chinese Cloisonné Square Vase on Stand, C20th
Price: £25
A Chinese cloisonné enamel vase of slender squared baluster form flaring towards the base and with a concave neck, decorated with panels of a lady standing on a veranda reading a scroll and two ladies standing on a bridge over a river, the designs repeated, on a black ground with stylised scrolling foliage in blue, the base with a border of gilt repeating fish scale pattern and the rim with a border of repeating stylised lotus leaves, the interior and base in blue enamel. The vase is fitted with a matching wood stand which is probably contemporary.
The cloisonné technique, in which glass derived enamels were set in wire outlines (the so called ‘cloisons’ from the French word), was developed in China in the early Ming dynasty (1368-1644) and then used throughout, right up until the C20th, indeed pieces are still produced today. The style of enamelling here with fairly bold outlines to the decoration and the use of bright enamel colours suggests a dating here to the mid twentieth century which corresponds to the probable date of the accompanying wood stand. Perhaps intended as a desk ornament or possibly a flower vase, this piece could certainly find a home in a contemporary setting.
Chinese Fan, painting on silk, 1960s
Price: £15
A Chinese fan of irregular hexagonal shape with a bamboo effect handle, the silk panel edged with stitching and delicately painted with two goldfish and reeds in a pond setting. This lot is another example of the fans made by the Chinese as handicrafts exports to the West in the mid twentieth century, two other examples of which can be seen in the previous lot. The representation of the fish here is particularly pleasing.
Two Chinese Fans, painting on silk, 1960s
Price: £15
Two fans of circular form with bamboo effect handles, the silk panels edged with stitching and delicately painted, one with a landscape scene, signed, and the other with a bird seated on a branch of flowering lotus. These fans seem to have been made in China for export in the mid twentieth century as part of the many handicrafts items which were sent to Europe for sale. Each of the scenes depicted here has an attraction of its own and both are a modest reflection of contemporary Chinese painting. It is sometimes suggested that these might be 'wedding fans' but that may be apocryphal.
Chinese Blue and White Snuff Bottle circa 1900
Price: £45
A Chinese Blue and White snuff bottle of flattened rectangular form with a short round neck slightly flaring at the top, decorated on each side with boys, one writing on a tablet with a brush and two playing together, the sides with lotus petals and the base glazed inside an unglazed foot. The style of decoration, which is not without a naif charm, suggests late nineteenth century work and the paste of the foot rim does not conflict with this, indeed it could be a bit earlier. Similar pieces are found, usually more coarsely potted and painted, and were probably made for the local market rather than export to the West. Doubtless originally fitted with a stopper, perhaps with an attached spoon, this piece is still an amusing and decorative item for the collector.
Small Chinese Ginger Jar decorated in Famille Rose enamels, second half C20th
Price: £25
A small Chinese ‘Ginger’ jar of typical form with a near globular body and a short straight neck, decorated in Famille Rose enamels with a bird on a rock and flowering peony, a butterfly to the reverse and the neck collar with a border of repeating sylised leaves. The base with a seven character stamped mark in iron red.
The stamped mark to the base reads ‘Zhongguo Jingdezhen Zhi (China Jingdezhen Made)’ with the letter ‘V’ between two lines. In the early 1950s almost all the factories in Jiangxi, the province where the kiln town Jingdezhen is situated, were merged into larger units, each made up of ten to fifteen previously independent factories. From this time factory numbers such as we have here (=V=) came to be used and many pieces are found with a wide variety of letters and numbers indicating the various cooperatives. The quality of the productions varied and it is a reasonable assumption that increasing years witnessed a decline. While other examples of this type of jar exist, some with their original domed covers, this piece is of the very best quality, indeed the work matches earlier pieces in the style very closely, and a dating to the mid 1950s seems quite plausible. It shows that the Chinese potters continued to produce to a high standard when they chose to do so and provides a pleasing memento of the closing era of a tradition of porcelain production stretching back long into the past.
Japanese Arita Tea Set, boxed, late C20th
Price: £55
This is a Japanese porcelain tea set, comprising a teapot and cover, with an interior wire ‘sieve’ at the base of the spout, and five footed teabowls, all decorated in underglaze blue with enamel highlights in red and green and incorporating floral and landscape designs with geometric patterns. The teapot lid and all the five bowls are signed, presumably with the factory or decorator’s name, in underglaze blue and the lid of the box also has a calligraphic inscription. While made towards the end of the twentieth century, the style of decoration here reflects earlier pieces made at the kilns in Arita for export to the West. Certainly, the quality is a match for the older counterparts and the set has both practical and decorative appeal. Five cups are included since the Japanese ‘set’ contains one less item than the European one. The inscription on the lid, which is found elsewhere on similar sets, apparently contains the wording ‘Sweet smelling goods’ and ‘Arita Ware’.
Fine Quality Japanese Plate decorated Carp, signed, early C20th
Price: £25
A fine quality Japanese porcelain plate with a lightly scalloped edge, decorated to the centre with two carp swimming amidst reeds within an elaborate border of stylised floral sprays in blue between cloud form segments in brown and gilt, the reverse with a three character script mark. Unfortunately, the artist cannot be identified from his signature but there are elements here in common with various of the Japanese potteries producing pieces for export in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, including those at Kutani and Seto along with the ubiquitous output from Noritake. But the craftsmanship here is not in doubt and the representation of the two carp, symbols to the Japanese of good fortune and friendship, highly skilful. The style of painting and the paste of the foot suggests a dating to the early twentieth century, probably to the Taisho period (1912-1924).
Pair of Chinese hardstone plaques, early C20th
Price: £95
A pair of Chinese lacquer panels, the gold ground with painted decoration and hardstone inlay depicting four of the eight immortals, or Baxian, in a stylised garden scene. Amidst painted rocks and flowering prunus with lakes and mountains in the background stand, on the left plaque, Lan Caihe, the patron of florists and gardeners, and Lü Dongbin, a scholar and poet, and on the right plaque Zhongli Quan, associated with death and the power to create silver and gold, often depicted holding a fan, and Li Tieguai, associated with medicine and easing the suffering of the sick and needy, identified by his iron crutch and calabash bottle. The eight immortals are figures of legend which feature in Chinese mythology and are worshipped by Taoists as well as appearing in secular Chinese culture. They are often depicted in Chinese art and it is possible that we have here two plaques from an original set of four representing them all. That said, the compositions here are well balanced with perhaps a deliberate contrast between the attributes of the figures. Plaques with hardstone inlay are known amongst the items exported to the West in the early twentieth century and sometimes occur as furniture screens. The work here is both colourful and expressive and an excellent example of the genre. The frames with their silk border may be slightly later but are certainly Chinese and well complement the compositions which they surround contributing to a highly decorative ensemble for a contemporary interior.
Framed Chinese Embroidery Silk Textile, signed, second half C20th
Price: £45
A Chinese silk textile with an embroidered design of a phoenix standing on a rock at the edge of a river, flowering peony below and to the rear a prunus or plum blossom tree with bamboo. On the riverbank also stand a pair of cranes, ducks can be seen in the water and a pair of birds sitting on one of the prunus tree branches with another pair flying to the left. In the distance, the setting sun and at the top right a four character signature probably denoting the artist. There is a mixture of motifs here. The phoenix can denote the Empress, cranes represent long life, peony represents spring while prunus denotes winter. Ducks point to marital happiness and the flying magpies happiness and good luck, whereas the setting sun is often a metaphor for sadness and sorrow. Perhaps a deliberate contrast is intended here or perhaps the various motifs were simply chosen for their decorative elements. As with lots 2 and 3 in this sale, this is another excellent example of the genre and the frame provides a clearer indication of dating. The frame makers ‘Charles and Co’ had a business in Notting Hill, London in the post war years and the telephone number ‘PARk 6306’ indicates a date before 1966 when UK telephone numbers ceased to include letters.
Very finely carved soapstone pendant necklace
Price: £175
This is a wonderful necklace comprising a large carved soapstone plaque depicting the double fish, bat and heart symbols. These are symbols for good fortune, happy relationships and good luck. The are combined with jade and cherry amber beads which is a very striking combination. The is a silver clasp and the bale is brass.
Pair of Japanese Shaped Saucer Dishes, Maruku China, 1940s
Price: £25
A pair of fine quality porcelain saucers in the form of a leaf with a pierced handle, decorated in bright enamels with gilt dragons and flames amidst puce impressionistically represented waves, the edges gilt and the reverses plain with a painted blue mark ‘Maruku China’ beneath a crown.
The Maruku factory seems to have operated in Japan after the second world war producing modest but good quality wares for export, rather in the style of Noritake pieces. Usually their pieces are marked in addition ‘Made in Japan’ but for some reason not here. The forms, colourings and designs here are quite unusual and while modest, these are good quality decorative items suitable for a contemporary interior.
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A Japanese Hichozan Shinpo Brushwasher circa 1880
Price: £25
A Japanese brushwasher of squat cylindrical form with a short neck and a flat unglazed base, decorated in brightly coloured enamels with Samurai and banners. The style of painting and palette of colours resembles pieces made by the Tashiro factory in Japan, founded by Tashiro Monzaeman (1816-1900) in the late Edo period during the mid-1850s, and which were marked ‘Hichozan Shinpo’. This piece carries very feint traces of a red mark underneath which may have originally indicated the artist’s name, but even without this, the resemblance is very close and an attribution almost certain. The form suggests a brush washer, part of the scholar’s desk set.
Nesting Set of Four Small Brass Trays with an engraved designs of Bats, Chinese C20th
Price: £30
A set of four brass trays in graduating sizes of rounded rectangular form with indented corners each with an engraved design of four bats symbolising good fortune, longevity and happiness surrounding a central ‘shou’ symbol of simplified form, again representing longevity. The function of this set is unclear but care was taken in its manufacture so that the individual pieces fit precisely into one another. Perhaps for sweetmeats or other delicacies and probably made in the early twentieth century for the local market.
Marionette Puppet of a Dancing Lady or Princess, probably Burmese late C20th
Price: £45
This is a puppet figure of a lady dancer wearing an elaborately decorated robe, intricately decorated with sequins, stitching and bead work, her hands and head white with detailing in red and blue, her feet with gilt boots and her head with an elaborate gilt helmet. Multiple gilt strings are suspended from a double bar handle piece requiring no small amount of skill from the puppet master operating the figure.
The style of the dress suggests Burmese work and very similar fabric decoration can be seen in the cloth wall hangings also included in this sale. Burma has a tradition of marionette puppetry (marionettes are a specific form of puppet where the figure is controlled by strings or rods) which dates back to the late eighteenth century and is still popular today with visitors to the country, now called Myanmar. Termed ‘Yoke thé’, the Burmese marionette tradition allowed political commentary under the guise of of an entertainment display. The standard ‘troupe’ comprised twenty seven characters, both animal and human, and this lady figure is probably the ‘princess’ (‘Minthami’). She is a fine example of the genre and probably dates to the 1990s when General Khin Nyunt of the ruling junta lent official support to marionette actors and troupes in an attempt to revive a tradition which had fallen somewhat into decline.
Pair of Chinese Paintings on rice paper, C19th, later framed
Price: £110
A pair of Chinese paintings on rice paper of two figures, a lady and a gentleman, in traditional court dress. She holds a fan while he holds a quiver of arrows in one hand and a bow in the other, suggesting, perhaps fancifully, a contrast between war and peace. Finely detailed, almost jewel-like, cabinet paintings of this type were made in the 18th and 19th centuries for export to Europe, from the Chinese ports and in particular Canton. The subject matter included botanical studies, commercial and domestic scenes and, as here, people depicted wearing elaborate Chinese dress. These paintings were often issued in sets or albums either to be enjoyed as connoisseurs’ items or for framing to be used as wall decoration. The detail of the brushwork here, especially seen on the robes, and the expression of the faces represents the best of work which was exported and the rice paper ground is in remarkably good condition with little or no trace of foxing. Dating is fairly certainly to the nineteenth century and perhaps to the 1840s/1860s since the style of work resembles that seen on the porcelains produced at this time. The simple frames are doubtless a twentieth century addition and allow these two miniature masterpieces to be displayed with great effect.
Chinese Porcelain Teabowl and Spoon Tray with calligraphy insciptions, 1997
Price: £15
Probably a remnant from a rather larger more extensive tea service, these two pieces of Chinese porcelain comprise a tea bowl and a small spoon tray, white glazed with calligraphic inscriptions. The writing on the tray reads ‘Tea Ceremony’ ‘Tea for the lucky ones’ ‘Those who are rich drink tea and those who are rich drink tea exclusively’ ‘Xinhele Tea’ ‘National Treasure blessing’ with a stamped iron red four character mark to the reverse. The characters on the bowl indicate the ‘Ding Chou’ year, the Chinese year of the Ox recurring every sixty years and accordingly most likely 1997 here. The admonition on the tray should, perhaps, be taken to heart by tea drinkers!
Framed Chinese Embroidery Silk Textile, signed, second half C20th
Price: £25
A Chinese silk textile with an embroidered design of a peacock and a peahen (the male and female peafowl) standing on a grass embankment with a flowering peony bush behind them. There is a four character signature to the top left, probably denoting the artist. The style of the embroidery and the calligraphy of the signature suggest mid to late C20th work, perhaps dating to the 1960s or 1970s. Other embroidery panels with a similar design can be found which are much later. As with the previous lot the composition and the detail and colourings of the embroidery work are pleasing, combining to produce another excellent example of the genre. The frame is European and perhaps contemporary with the date of manufacture (see Lot 24).
Chinese Reverse Glass Painting of Two Ladies on a Garden Terrace, first half C20th
Price: £240
A reverse glass (or verre eglomise) painting depicting two ladies in elaborate court dress on a garden terrace with fencing at the front and a stylised garden scene at the rear with rocks, prunus and bamboo (symbolising longevity and renewal); one reads a book and the other holds a small library book box. Reverse glass paintings became a staple of the decorative items exported by China in the eighteenth century and production continued into the twentieth. The style of painting here, a little less detailed than that found in older counterparts but still with charm and skill in the brushwork, suggests a dating to the 1920s which would fit with the frame which is most likely original and retains its original fastening pegs at the back. The composition is well balanced and attractive and this is an excellent example of the genre in good and original condition.
Two Vintage Japanese Kokeshi Doll Groups, C20th
Price: £25
Kokeshi are simple wooden Japanese dolls that have been made in Japan for more than 150 years as children's toys. Originally from the Tohoku region in northern Honshu, kokeshi are handmade from wood, having a simple torso and head with a few thin, painted lines to define the face. One characteristic of kokeshi dolls is their lack of arms or legs. Production continues to this day and the dolls are regarded as highly collectible. These two groups are a variation on the traditional design. In one, two child dolls, a boy and a girl, sit in a wicker pannier basket, presumably expecting to be carried. The cylindrical objects on top may be intended to represent logs. In the other, two lady figures are seen wearing the traditional straw rain cape. Regarded as good luck charms, these dolls have a naif charm of their own and might well appeal to an adult as well!
Small Chinese Gilt Ground Cloisonné Bowl, C20th
Price: £35
A small bowl with a short foot and an everted rim, the gilt ground decorated in raised cloisonne enamel with prunus flowers, the base and interior finished in mottled turquoise enamel. The cloisonné technique, where glass derived enamels are inlaid between gilt metal outline designs, the so called 'cloisons' or 'partitions', was developed in China from as early as the fourteenth century and employed continuously thereafter, even until the present day. In the early twentieth century pieces were produced with a gilt ground onto which were applied raised cloisonne enamel designs, as here. The quality of the work is excellent and self evident but note in particular the shading effects in the enamels which are seen in images (3) and (4). Prunus is the emblem of Winter and the symbol of life because its blossom appears in springtime on an apparently lifeless tree. This small bowl or cup was probably intended for drinking tea or wine which explains the shape of the rim. Dating is most likely to the first half of the C20th.
Chinese Doll of a man dressed in traditional costume, early C20th.
Price: £95
Chinese Doll of a man, standing with his arms hanging down and dressed in elaborately embroidered Chinese costume with booted feet, the head detachable. This type of doll is believed to have been made in Shanghai by professional doll makers and then equipped with its dress in Christian missionary orphanages, in order to teach the girls there embroidery and raise money for the orphanage in general. Other examples are known and dating is generally made to the 1920s. The quality of the needlework here is exceptional and the young ladies were clearly extremely well taught! In this example the detachable head is signed which may indicate the doll maker's workshop.
Marionette Figure of a Prince, probably Burmese mid C20th
Price: £45
This is a puppet figure of a man wearing elaborate dress suggestive of the royal court with billowing sleeves and a flaring skirt, the bold and striking design elaborately worked with sequins, stitching and minute bead work studded at the front with large coloured glass beads representing gems, his hands and face gilt with red and black detail, his feet clad in gilt boots and his head surmounted by a gilt and beaded conical helmet. Eight gilt strings are suspended from a double bar handle piece allowing the puppet master to operate the figure.
The style of the dress suggests Burma which has a tradition of marionette puppetry (marionettes are a specific form of puppet where the figure is controlled by strings or rods) dating back to the late eighteenth century and still popular today with visitors to the country, now called Myanmar. Termed ‘Yoke thé’, the Burmese marionette tradition allowed political commentary under the guise of of an entertainment display. The standard ‘troupe’ comprised twenty seven characters, both animal and human, and this male figure is probably the ‘King’ (‘Mintayar gyi’). Dating is probably to the mid C20th and a little earlier than the female marionette figure also included in this sale. This figure is rather more majestic as befits his regal status.
Oriental porcelain European Style Heart Shape Box and Cover, OC & CO, late C20th
Price: £15
A ceramic box and cover of heart shape, gilt metal mounted with a hinge and clasp, the base plain and the lid with a geometric design in blue and gold, a stylised floral spray within a panel set on a tasselled cushion with geometric patterns and a repeating ‘C’ shape border, the base with a gilt mark of a crown above a twisted robe with the letters ‘O C & CO’. While European in appearance, this box is, in fact Oriental and possibly Japanese of fairly recent manufacture. Although many of the Staffordshire potteries used a three loop knot, often combined with a crown, as a factory mark, this version does not appear any English pieces and is a pastiche, so far removed from the parallels that it can hardly have been intended to deceive. Various European style pieces with the same mark (or a similar one incorporating the name ‘Roselle’) can be found in a variety of shapes and all with elaborate decoration in the style of their models. The boxes are particularly attractive and the shape and decoration here is appealing.
Japanese Kutani Teapot in a carrying Basket, circa 1900
Price: £45
A Japanese Kutani teapot, the body of broad ovoid form with two lug handles and a curved spout, fitted with a very faintly domed flush lid with a knob finial, set in a matching carrying basket of woven wicker with a metal hook and eye fastener, two ring hinges and two loop handles.
Kutani (the word means 'nine valleys') porcelain was made at various factories in the former Kaga province of Japan. The earliest pieces were in a completely different style employing a palette of colours emphasising green, the so called 'Ko Kutani'. Production of this ceased around 1730, and manufacturing was not revived until the early nineteenth century when the more familiar colourings of iron red and gold were introduced. Vases, bowls and plaques are found in this style but also teapots of which this is a typical example. The decoration is of birds and flowers on a faintly craquelure glaze ground and the lid has a complementary ‘brocade pattern’ design. The base has a two character mark reading ‘ku’ ‘tani’ as is often found. The basket is of tightly woven wicker with the metal fitments as described and is probably Chinese in common with many similar examples, although the Japanese did, of course, have a basket weaving tradition of their own. Slight damage means that the ensemble has to be of decorative value rather than practical use but it remains an interesting and entertaining souvenir item from the orient.
Framed Chinese Embroidery Silk Textile, signed, second half C20th
Price: £25
A Chinese silk textile with an embroidered design of a peacock and a peahen (the male and female peafowl) sitting on the branch of a pine tree with peony growing below in a stylised garden scene. There is a four character signature to the top left, probably denoting the artist. The style of the embroidery and the calligraphy of the signature suggest mid to late C20th work, perhaps dating to the 1960s or 1970s. The composition and the detail and colourings of the embroidery work are pleasing, combining to produce an excellent example of the genre. The frame is European and perhaps contemporary with the date of manufacture (see Lot 24).
Japanese Bone and Lacquer Plaque, Lady and Boy, signed, late C19th
Price: £45
A Japanese wooden rectangular plaque, the front decorated with on oval panel, the black lacquer ground inset with carved and incised bone decoration depicting a lady in formal dress, carrying a bag in her right hand, accompanied by a boy attendant who carries a sack. Above them hovers a butterfly and to the bottom right is a small signature tablet, the characters set in a red ground. The panel is surrounded by a border of gilt speckle on a brown ground, typical of the decoration on Japanese writing boxes.
These bone and lacquer plaques were produced in great quantities by Japanese artists in the late nineteenth century for export to the West and became a familiar feature of the European drawing room. The medium was easily subject to damage and loss, especially in respect of the bone inlay, and while this example has some slight damage this is confined to a crack in the lacquer ground of the panel itself and some chipping to the extremities of the panel. The decoration of the figures remains intact (the surround seems to have been cut away in some places to give added definition to the composition) and allows appreciation of the skill with which they were carved, presenting a genre scene of great charm.
Framed Chinese painting on silk, two Silk Dyers, C19th/C20th
Price: £15
This is a Chinese genre painting on silk of two men seemingly engaged in dying skeins of silk in a rocky landscape scene. To the right stands a man holding two loops of fabric thread, most likely silk and to his left, a boy stands in front of a vat filled with liquid, clearly twisting the threads into cord, perhaps having dipped them into liquid dye using the tool he is holding in his left hand. The strip of wood across the top of the vat may have been used to help removed excess fluid from the dyed thread. The significance of the rather desolate landscape setting is unclear. The two workers seem to have been banished by their companions! Silk dyeing was an old tradition in China which is still kept up today (see image 7). While there are many painted scenes of rural and craft activities, this particular manufacturing process does not seem to be illustrated elsewhere. The style of the brushwork suggests a dating to around 1900 and there is a stamped artist's seal mark in red at the bottom left but the frame and mount are clearly later, perhaps mid C20th. An unusual composition, then, for collectors of Chinese art.
Group of Three Chinese carved bone Horses with wood stands, probably mid C20th
Price: £30
This is a group of three bone horses carved in China most likely in the 1930s/1940s. The patina is attractive and the three different poses imaginatively created. One horse is shown grazing, another standing with his head turned back and the third galloping with his tail upraised. These are almost certainly three from an original set of eight which would have represented the famous 'Eight Horses of Wang Mu', so often depicted in Chinese Art. The Emperor Mu of the Zhou dynasty (1023-983 BC) was the subject of a romance legend in which he sought to visit the heavenly paradise and taste the peaches of immortality. A charioteer named Zaofu used his chariot drawn by eight horses to carry Wang Mu to his desired destination and the legend was then perpetuated in Chinese Art. As well as being found in Chinese painting and on Chinese porcelains, the horses were also the subject of Chinese sculptors working in ivory, bone and even wood. Many of these small groups exist and most are no more than a hundred years old. The style here and the form of the fitted wood stands suggests mid C20th work, probably as tourist souvenirs. While missing their companions, this group still enjoy a unity of their own and make a highly decorative ensemble.
Chinese carved wood Box decorated Dragons, early C20th
Price: £150
A Chinese wood box with a hinged lid of rectangular form, deeply carved with dragon designs , a large sinuous example on the lid, his scales graphically depicted, within a border of bats and floral rosettes, the sides with smaller companions, two confronting at the front and rear between a shield, with a circular geometric motif at the corners, the interior with another large example slightly stylised and wrapped round a large circular panel, perhaps intended to be carved to display the name of the owner. The richly coloured wood is a form of the rosewood used so often by the makers of the furniture and decorative items intended for export and the style of the carving, accomplished but not with the finest detail, suggests early twentieth century work. But this in no way detracts from a rather striking creation intended for the foreign market.
Set of six fine quality Satsuma cups and saucers, signed, early C20th
Price: £180
A set of six earthenware cups and saucers, the cups straight sided with loop handles and the saucers with an interior well, finely painted with six different genre landscape scenes, matching on each of the two pieces and within geometric pattern black and gilt borders, in a palette of colours emphasising browns, grisaille and gilt, on a cream ground with a very fine craquelure glaze which is repeated on the reverse of the saucers and the base of the cups, all twelve with a small central mark of three gilt characters on a black ground. The style of decoration here is that of the workshops from the province of Satsuma who produced a wide range of pieces, some of exhibition quality, for export to the West in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. While not by one of the best known artists, these cups and saucers are of very high quality and the identity of their maker, which unfortunately cannot be established at present, is probably contained in the signatures. The detail of the painting speaks for itself and all six scenes feature Mount Fuji in the background with a lake in front with figures on the bank engaged in a variety of activities including one scene of a figure contemplating the mountain itself - the artistry is sometimes combined with a wry sense of humour. While most likely part of a larger tea service, these six cups and saucers may possibly have been intended just as cabinet display pieces. Certainly, they could fulfil that function now. Dating is probably to the early twentieth century and within the Taisho period (1912-1926).
Chinese Straw Thread Picture on Silk, framed in original box, late C20th
Price: £45
This is an attractive picture of Chinese Junks moored by a river bank with birds settled on one and seen flying away in the distance. The technique is unusual. On a silk ground, the detail of the image is rendered in fine straw threads with some of the features coloured in underneath. Great skill would have been required to work in this medium and far fewer examples exist than of the more standard silk thread images. The composition is pleasing but the clean, almost ‘modern’ lines of the picture suggest mid to late C20th work. The picture is fitted into a contemporary Chinese fabric covered box suggesting that it was it is framed in China at the same time as its production.
Exceptionally large Chinese Blue and White Teapot with metal handle, C19th
Price: £350
A Chinese teapot of exceptionally large size, the globular body with a short neck, a curved spout, two lugs for a carrying handle and a flush fitting flat lid. Attached to the lugs is a carrying handle in brass, probably contemporary with the date of manufacture of the teapot itself. The decoration is in vivid underglaze blue with an overall pattern of scrolling lotus and repeating white dot borders to the top rim and edge of the lid.
The form here, without a ceramic handle but with an attached carrying handle, suggests a travelling teapot, a well known variation of the teapot type produced in China but rarely found on such an epic scale. Presumably this piece was intended for use at a rather large gathering or banquet so that a multitude of guests could be served at once! The paste of the footrim, style of decoration and clearly visible hand thrown potting rings (see images 8 and 9) all point to late nineteenth century work which is confirmed by the minute vertical lines seen on the exterior which are often found on blue and white pieces from that period. It is sometimes suggested that these brass handles, for similar examples can be found, were made in Thailand but there is little evidence for this. However, a local audience rather than an international one seems more than likely since there would have been little call for such a serving item in Western homes.
Pewter and brass box and cover in the form of a Mallard Duck, Gatco, Hong Kong, 1960s
Price: £25
This is a novelty box and cover, possibly for pills or more likely trinkets made from pewter and brass in the form of a mallard duck. The details are simply but amusingly modelled with an effective contrast of the two metals used. The base, in common with other examples of this model, has an engraved mark comprising a reversed ‘3’ below an ‘8’. Other examples carry a gold ground paper label which reads ‘Made in Hong Kong’ and this is sometimes found elsewhere on brass items which also have a label for the firm ‘Gatco’, implying that this was the manufacturer here (see image 11). These amusing boxes were made in Hong Kong in the 1960s and retain their charm today.
Chinese Crackleware Ginger Jar decorated with Warriors circa 1900
Price: £25
A Chinese Crackle glaze Ginger Jar of typical rounded ovoid form with a short neck, the beige ground with a feint and minute craquelure glaze and decorated in polychrome enamels with a continuous scene of a warrior on horseback with attendants, the shoulder and base with incised matt brown glaze bands intended to imitate bronze, the base with an apocryphal four character mark within a brown glaze square. Paste of the foot and style of decoration, in particular the rather coarsely decorated ‘bronze’ bands, suggest a circa date at the beginning of the twentieth century.
'Crackleware' glazed pieces, usually with 'bronzed’ bands, were a staple output of the Chinese potteries from the mid nineteenth century onwards and were produced in a wide variety of mainly vase shape forms, both in polychrome and blue and white and intended as decorative pieces for the Victorian rooms of the West. As with other ceramic types, the quality deteriorated and this piece is typical of the late productions with a more modest level of craftsmanship but still retaining a naif charm. As with many ginger jars, this one lacks its original domed cover which would have been decorated to match.
Chinese Blue and White Box and Cover with pierced lid, late C20th
Price: £25
A Chinese Blue and White Box and Cover, possibly intended as an incense burner, of rounded form, the base decorated in underglaze blue with panels of dragons and flames on a diaper ground above a band of stylised waves and the lid similarly decorated with piercing to the surface, the underneath with a broad flat foot rim. The paste of the foot and style of the decoration suggest later twentieth century work and some examples are found with an affixed label which reads ‘Andrea by Sadek’.
The Charles Sadek Import Company was founded in 1936 by the father and son Charles and Norman Sadek and began by importing decorative items from Japan later broadening their range to a wider variety of suppliers including China. These pieces were sold under the ‘Andrea by Sadek’ brand, named after Norman's daughter Andrea. The business continued to a third generation until it was taken over by Fitz & Floyd in 2015.
This box, then, is a typical example of their range of wares, good quality decorative items marketed at an affordable price. The quality of these boxes can vary and this piece seems to be an above average example.
Japanese Celadon Dish decorated basket of flowers, circa 1900
Price: £45
An unusual shallow dish of lobed and fluted circular form, the rich celadon glaze decorated in underglaze blue and overglaze enamels with a basket of flowering lotus, the design slightly off centre, the reverse with a blue transfer mark representing fungus (a plant traditionally symbolising long life).
Celadon glazed wares with enamel decoration in fairly muted colours are a familiar product amongst the ceramics produced by Japanese potters at the end of the nineteenth century but examples of this type of dish are rather less commonly found. The basket of flowers is a regular decorative feature of Chinese ceramics, but given here a slightly different interpretation with the depiction of lotus, the emblem of summer. The mark probably imitates Chinese ‘commendation’ marks inscribed within the foot rim, another nod on the part of the Japanese potters towards their Chinese counterparts.
Japanese Blue and White Sugar Bowl and Cover, first half C20th
Price: £25
A Japanese porcelain sugar bowl and cover of globular form, two modelled loop handles to the sides and a flush fitting lid with a squat knob, decorated in bright underglaze blue with stylised scrolling lotus, the design repeated on the lid. In common with many blue and white pieces exported from Japan in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the decoration here is not handpainted but applied with the use of a stencil which explains the slightly ‘mechanical’ effect. These sugar bowls are often paired with a cream or milk jug but do not seem to have formed part of a larger tea service. The slightly uneven profile of the handles is found elsewhere and while dating is most likely to the 1920s or 1930s this piece is still of either decorative or even practical use around a hundred years later!
Chinese Plate No 3 from the series Beauties of the Red Mansion, Jingdezhen, 1985
Price: £35
This is the third plate from the series ‘Beauties of the Red Mansion’ comprising twelve plates in all, produced by ‘Imperial Jingdezhen Porcelain’ and titled ‘Beauties of the Red Mansion’. The plates were designed by the master artisan Zhao Huimin and depict characters from the famous Chinese romance novel ‘The Dream of the Red Chamber’ or ‘The Story of the Stone’ written by Cao Xueqin during the Qing Dynasty. Each plate depicts one of the court lady characters which appear in the work (Pao-chai, Yuan-chun, Hsi-feng, Hsi-chun, Mao-yu, Ying-chun, Tai-yu, Li-wan, Ko-ching, Hsiang-yun, Tan-chun, Chiao-chieh), all renowned not only for their physical beauty but also for their complex personalities and roles in the narrative of the novel. The twelfth plate depicts Chiao-chieh, the daughter of Hsi-Feng who was eventually forced to abandon the luxury and wealth of court life as a result of the unscrupulous actions of her Mother. The plate has an elaborate inscription on the back along with the factory name and the date of production, 1985. While the work is detailed it is not hand done but seems to have been produced by some form of printing process. The ‘micro dot’ detail of this can be seen in some of the images. The plate comes with its original box and descriptive leaflet which gives extensive background detail and a translation of the inscription on the reverse. These are not always found, making this an interesting collector’s item.