Porcelain & Works of Art

Chinese Blanc de Chine incense burner in the form of an archaic bronze gui, with two elephant-head ring handles, gently flared rim and splayed raised foot with ribbed edge, covered overall in an even cream glaze extending to the base, the well of the interior unglazed, the underside with a four-character impressed seal mark Ding Shui Qi Zhen, “Rare treasure of Ding Shui”.

Chinese Blanc de Chine incense burner in the form of an archaic bronze gui with two mythical animal-head handles, each side applied beneath the rim with a central animal mask, taotie, dividing a band of alternating cloud roundels and flowerheads, the tall foot incised with a double-band of leiwen, key-fret above the splayed flattened footrim, covered overall in a rich and even cream glaze extending to the interior and base.

Chinese Blanc de Chine incense burner in the form of an archaic bronze gui with two mythical animal-head handles, each side applied beneath the rim with a central animal mask, taotie, dividing a band of alternating cloud roundels and flowerheads, the tall foot incised with a double-band of leiwen, key-fret above the splayed flattened footrim, covered overall in a rich and even pale cream glaze extending to the interior and base.

Chinese Blanc de Chine brushpot, bitong, of slightly tapered form with recessed base and unglazed footrim, incised on the exterior with a twelve-character inscription and a two-character mark yu ren “jade man”, the very slightly elliptical body covered overall in a rich and even cream glaze continuing to the well of the interior and base.

Large Chinese Blanc de Chine cylindrical incense burner of lian form on three ruyi-head bracket feet, impressed with a central band of archaistic kue dragons on a liewen, key-fret ground, between raised ribs and above a further rib, and beneath a wide lipped rim, the base unglazed, covered overall in a rich and even cream glaze.

Chinese Blanc de Chine incense burner of archaic bronze lian form, on three ruyi-head bracket feet, impressed with a central band of archaic animals on a leiwen, key-fret ground between horizontal ribs, covered in a white glaze.

Chinese Blanc de Chine openwork brushpot, bitong, of cylindrical form, decorated with three incised peony blooms amongst branches and leaves issuing from rockwork, between a raised wide band at the rim and footrim, covered overall in a rich and even white glaze.

Chinese Blanc de Chine fluted libation cup of rhinoceros horn form, moulded with overhanging rocks beneath the rim, covered overall in a rich and even cream glaze, the tip of the horn unglazed.

Chinese porcelain blue and white circular mizusashi, water vessel, with flat rim, painted on the exterior with two blue-ground panels, each of a large flowering peony amongst leaves and branches on a hexagonal diaper ground, between stylised ruyi-head and tassel painted handles, above a wide scroll band and beneath two pairs of double pomegranate and peach reserves on a geometric ground of keyfret and flower heads, the wide flat inverted blue-ground rim with chrysanthemum flower heads on a continuous scrolling branch with leaves, the slightly everted foot with two lines, the base glazed.

Chinese porcelain blue and white moulded ewer in the form of a cat in a seated position with long curved striped upright tail, with hairwork down the spine, upright ears and strap-form handle, the short cylindrical spout issuing from the cat’s mouth, all on an oval short unglazed knife-cut foot rim with unglazed base.

Chinese porcelain blue and white incense burner in the form of a seated Buddhist lion with an openwork ribbon-threaded brocade ball under its front left paw, with upright blue-washed tail, laidback ears and densely speckled body heightened with flames, wearing a bell suspended from a neck collar and with a double gourd on its back bearing da ji, ‘great fortune’ characters, all on a rectangular raised plinth decorated on each panel with a ruyi-head with geometric design of scales and fretwork.

Chinese porcelain blue and white rectangular tea jar with four flat sides painted with the characters, fu gui chang chun, ‘wealth, honour and eternal spring’, beneath a flat shoulder with branches on a blue ground and a short cylindrical neck, the foot and base unglazed.

Chinese porcelain blue and white dish with flat everted rim, painted in the centre with two bearded scholars seated on a rocky promontory looking out to the distance, beside an overhanging willow tree with birds in flight beneath the sun, encircled by a double ring, the border with thirteen roundels each of three leaves, the underside with three jewels.

Chinese porcelain blue and white dish painted with two sages standing beside an overhanging pine tree in a cloudy mountain setting all within double rings, the gently rising flat upturned lipped rim decorated with roundels of alternating prunus blossom on a blue ground and cross design, the underside with four stylised pearls.

Chinese porcelain blue and white zhadou painted with a fisherman’s net design, the interior and base glazed white.

Chinese porcelain blue and white nightlight modelled as a crouching tiger with head raised, open mouth, biscuit tongue, bulging eyes and upright ears, with a wang character on his forehead, the body striped and painted with hairwork on a pale blue-washed ground, the dappled spine extending to a long relief tail along its back with a cash-form aperture, the base unglazed with large open rectangular section to hold the candle.

Chinese porcelain blue and white moulded saucer dish in the form of a chrysanthemum flower with two registers of individually outlined petals and petal-shape rim painted in the centre with sanyou, the Three Friends of Winter, pine, prunus and bamboo, beneath stylised clouds, the underside with three registers of outlined petals, the base with a ‘fu’ mark within a double square, within a double ring.

Chinese porcelain blue and white cake basket with upright flat sides and strap handle, painted on the interior with four horses amongst grass, the exterior painted with branches of fruiting pomegranates, the upright handle with a flowerhead and scrolling branch.