Chinese & Japanese Works of Art

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.

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.

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 Export Blue and White Tea Caddy and Cover, Qianlong period circa 1760

Price: £450

This is one of the most appealing of the porcelain forms made for export by the Chinese during the eighteenth century. Deriving its name from a Chinese unit of weight, the small tea ‘caddy’ was an integral, indeed essential, part of the tea services supplied to an enthusiastic Western clientele. The example featured here represents Chinese work at its very best and is preserved in mint condition making it an iconic collector’s item. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………............................................................................

The European love of tea began in the mid seventeenth century after it had been introduced to the West by the Dutch East India Company. It was at first an expensive luxury item to be enjoyed by the select few including the diarist Samuel Pepys who wrote in 1660 that he was at a meeting attended by, amongst others, Sir Richard Ford, who ‘…talked like a man of great reason and experience. And afterwards did send for a Cupp of Tee (a China drink) of which I never had drank before) and went away.’ Pepys seems not to have been very fond of ‘tee’ which was fortunate because it could cost up to a hundred times more than the sherry for which he had a much greater liking. The consumption of tea demanded the receptacles to brew it in and drink it from and the Chinese happily obliged. At first they sent over bowls and saucers (the tea cup was only to follow around a hundred years later), tea pots and tea ‘caddies’, which, bearing in mind the extremely high cost of the tea, were designedly small. The word is thought to be derived from ‘catty’, the Chinese pound, equal to about a pound and a third in the English standard of weight. The earliest tea caddies were rectangular with four small feet, soon to be followed by a flattened octagonal form with a plain bottom, in both cases being fitted with a round ‘cap’ cover.

During the eighteenth century the repertoire of the tea service expanded considerably to include a teapot, teapot stand, spoon tray, sugar basin and cover, cream or milk jug and cover, a saucer dish for serving small biscuits, tea bowls and saucers and, of course, the small tea caddy and cover itself, all decorated in the same colourings and design. At the same time, the form of the tea caddy was considerably altered and the examples now produced had a flattened rectangular body with an arched top, slightly overhanging. The circular neck was completed by a circular cover with a broad rim and a knob finial above an unglazed central ‘stopper’ which fitted inside the top of the piece. Earlier examples were extremely well defined while the later ones were slimmer and of a less precisely formed shape.This piece, therefore, probably dates to the middle years of the Qianlong period (1736-1795).

Accordingly, we have here an example of the Chinese potter’s work at its best. As the seams at the side indicate, the body of these caddies was mould made in two parts and then joined together with the neck added. An additional attraction here is the fluting to the body which is much less common. The decoration is in underglaze blue, the colour being applied to the body before glazing and firing, and the design is a typical stylised landscape scene, a rocky outcrop in the foreground with trees and pavilions and behind a lake with flying birds and another mountainous range in the background again with buildings. As often, small figures can be seen occupying the nearer pavilions. The shoulder is decorated with a classic stylised geometric pattern border with diaper work and key pattern, the neck has two small floral sprays and the lid has a stylised floral border with cell work. To add opulence to the effect, the caddy (and indeed doubtless all of its companion pieces) was given the enhancement of gilt decoration on its arrival, most likely in one of the London workshops.

Truly, then, this was a luxury item at the time and it has survived in a remarkable state of preservation to the present day, intact and with its original cover, which is quite uncommon. Doubtless now to be admired rather than used, this tea caddy is a true collector’s gem and an outstanding example of Chinese Export ware at its best.

Chinese lotus form Water dropper, C20th

Price: £25

The form here, a compressed globular body with a narrow aperture at the top, suggests that this piece was intended as a water dropper, although there are no ready parallels. Water droppers were used by Chinese scribes to moisten the dried ink before application with a brush. Sometimes the forms take their inspiration from animals and sometimes from nature, as here. The theme of the decoration is lotus, seen flowering at the front and represented by modelled overlapping leaves below the opening at the top. The decoration combines ‘famille verte’ colourings with detail in underglaze blue. The combination is pleasing and this would have been an attractive desk accessory. The paste of the foot suggests a dating to the early twentieth century which is quite consistent with the style of decoration.

Chinese Soapstone Seal with Shou Lao, C20th

Price: £45

A Chinese soapstone seal of cylindrical tubular form with the figure of Shou Lao on a pedestal, the base with incised script characters. 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) and then beyond into the twentieth century. The style of carving here, fairly coarse and lacking in detail, suggests fairly late work but is expressive, nevertheless. The figure represented is the famous god of immortality, Shou Lao. As often he is represented as an old man with a long beard, a high forehead and a bald head, carrying a peach (which represents immortality) and a staff. The pedestal is decorated with an incised stylised landscape scene and to the reverse is a circular panel containing the character ‘shou’ which means longevity. The seal characters, which unfortunately cannot be translated but probably represent the name of the owner, are stained with the red ink which would have been used when the seal was stamped.

Chinese Shoushan Soapstone Seal with the characters A.H., C20th

Price: £45

A Chinese soapstone Seal of slender square form, the top with a relief carved figure of a sage dressed in flowing robes and holding two scrolls in his left hand, set in a niche with a curved top, the base with two raised carved letters ‘A.H.’ The stone used here with its burnt orange, finely mottled surface is an example of ‘Shoushan’ soapstone which was very commonly used in the production of seals. It was mined in the Fujian province at or near the village of Shoushan in the North, from which it takes its name. Seals made from Shoushan stone in this burnt orange colouring, often found as pairs, were made from the nineteenth century onwards. The rather sketchy carving of the figure here suggests the mid to late twentieth century work, though, and, with its two European letters below, this was clearly a special commission. But the form and the quality of the material used are pleasing making this a useful addition to a collection of Chinese desk ornaments.

Chinese Bone Inkwell in the form of a Chair, early 20th century

Price: £25

An amusing Chinese Bone Inkwell in the form of a Chair, the base with an incised design in black of stylised flowers and waves and with spreading feet, the top in the form of a high chair back with carved floral decoration and piercing, the seat with a lightly incised design resembling a cushion. The cover lifts off to reveal the inkwell below and the profile of the original bone can be clearly seen with the inset 'plug' at the base and the separate cover of the seat. Style of decoration and indeed the object itself suggest a dating to the early 20th century.

Pair of Chinese Soapstone Seals in a fitted box, C20th

Price: £45

A pair of Chinese Soapstone Seals of typical elongated square form, carved at the top with stylised dragons pursuing the flaming pearl above a plinth represented by three carved lines, the bases with incised seal form characters which can be printed to show two presumably complementary four character seals, both contained in a matching fitted box. Style of carving suggests a circa date in the mid twentieth century. Truly a desk ornament for the executive who has everything!

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.

A Japanese Hichozan Shinpo Brushwasher circa 1880

Price: £20

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.

Chinese Blue and White Vase decorated with flowering Prunus circa 1900

Price: £55

A Chinese porcelain vase of baluster form with an ovoid body flaring at the base and a short cylindrical neck, decorated with two branches of flowering prunus or plum blossom on a blue wash ground, the base glazed white with two concentric circles to the centre.

Flowering prunus or plum blossom is one of the most iconic of the decorative designs used by Chinese potters and first appears in the Kangxi period (1662-1722). Kangxi ginger jars in the pattern were highly prized by Victorian collectors with one example, the legendary ‘Huth’ jar, fetching 5900 guineas, a little over £6000, at auction in 1905, a price equivalent to over a quarter pf a million pounds today. The tree symbolises perseverance and renewal and was usually shown against a pattern of ‘cracked ice, representing the end of Winter and the beginning of Spring. Branches of plum blossom convey the ‘Five Blessings’ : longevity, wealth, health, love of virtue and a peaceful death. The number five was an auspicious number for the Chinese and is reflected in the five petal form of the prunus flower.

Once evolved, the design was continuously repeated by Chinese potters and is even produced today. Many of late nineteenth century pieces display a rather more slapdash interpretation of the pattern as here where the ‘cracked ice’ of the eighteenth century pieces is replaced by the repeated brush strokes of a blue wash ground and the painting of the tree itself is sketchy. The style of decoration and the paste of the foot indicate a circa date to around 1900, but this modest interpretation of centuries old pattern still possesses a charm of its own.

Pair of Japanese Arita small Dishes circa 1880

Price: £40

A pair of small dishes of typical shallow saucer form decorated in underglaze blue with polychrome enamels, the centre with a roundel of a chrysanthemum flower with black petals which is surrounded by four irregularly shaped panels, two also with chrysanthemum and two with trailing willow, all with black leaves, alternating with abstract organic designs incorporating ‘ju’i’ lappets, the reverse plain with two concentric circles in underglaze blue next to the foot rim.

The town of Arita in the former Hizen Province, northwestern Kyūshū island, was a major centre for the production of porcelains in Japan. Best known for blue and white pieces it also produced polychrome wares as well, including the familiar imari colourings. While similar to Imari, the wider palette of colours used here is usually termed ‘Arita’ and the decorative appeal of the style is clear. These bowls probably come from an original set of five and with slightly coarser decoration than usual were probably made for the domestic market. The paste of the foot implies a dating to the Meiji era (1868 - 1912) probably around 1880.

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.

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.

Japanese Kutani Part Tea Service circa 1920

Price: £75

This is a set of three serving items (teapot, sugar basin and cover and cream jug and cover) originally from a tea service decorated in the same pattern which would also have included six or eight cups and saucers. Many tea services in similar florid designs were made and exported by the Japanese in the early years of the twentieth century and examples today are found with a wide variety of manufacturers’ marks. The makers here came from the Kutani district, home to a wide variety of potteries with a history of production extending back to the seventeenth century. Kutani wares, finely painted in gold and orange were a staple export commodity in the second half of the nineteenth century but after 1900 the quality dropped and also a wider palette of colours was used. Thus we have here landscape scenes in grisaille and gold and elaborate handles, finials and spouts in the form of scaly dragons and enamelled in green and gold with a hint of orange and yellow. Each of the three pieces, and doubtless the rest of the service, carries a two character gilt mark identical to that often found in iron red on nineteenth century work. The characters read ‘Ku’ ‘tani’ standing for the place of manufacture and translating as ‘nine valleys’. Presumably popular in their time, these pieces might be an acquired taste now but there is no denying a certain virtuosity displayed in their manufacture.

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.