We have indicated several items as “Gifts” since that was their original intent when they were created. The Chinese often presented marriage gifts with symbols of fidelity, marital harmony and, most often, fertility and a wish for many male children. Other gift items are uniquely suited for specific purposes such as house warming items or objects that reflect specific interest or passions.
Showing 1–12 of 47 results
This ancient pottery lekanis is from Apulia in Magna Graecia, the Roman name for the South Italy coastal area colonized by the Greeks in the 6th century B.C.E. Greek settlers arrived with their Hellenic culture intact and had much influence on Italian civilization. A lekanis was a highly decorated low shallow bowl with close-fitting top…
Finely crafted antique boxes like this were often used to store jewelry and valuables in the top and money in the side drawer with a teardrop metal pull. Told it was a lucky money box, it was likely a gift to wish newlyweds a harmonious, successful and happy life. Auspicious carved images are symbols for…
While most families have had prints or paper-cuts of the Kitchen God (Zao Shen) with or without his wife above their stove, carved images were owned by wealthier families. The Kitchen God is syncretic as a Taoist, Popular Religion and Buddhist tutelary deity, protector of the home who was responsible for making sure there was…
This lacquered confection-mold was likely made in Fujian province where small vernacular furniture, decorative accessories and functional utilitarian items were made for the new wealthy merchant class of nouveau riche dissociating themselves from the imperial court about 1850-1920. Qing furniture and accessories were more flamboyant than Ming ones and often decorated with gold leaf, ornate pierced…
Representations of wood food offerings with a lacquer coating are often part of the array of images spread on a temple or home altar and shrines and are substitutes or additions to what is ordinarily fresh fruit and food. This one was an auspicious ornament for a Chinese bed. Very auspicious, food offerings are to communicate…
Cast iron Tetsubin are teaware kettles produced for hundreds of years and admired by tea aficionados worldwide. These hand-crafted teapots were developed for the Japanese tea-ceremony (chanoyu) and are metalwork pieces used only to boil water. One-of-a-kind finely crafted Japanese antiques like this are made using clay molds and are renowned for their zen simplicity…
Cast iron Tetsubin are tea kettles produced for hundreds of years admired by tea aficionados worldwide. These hand-crafted teapots are metalwork pieces used only to boil water traditionally part of the Japanese Tea Ceremony (chanoyu). Their iron content makes the taste of water boiled for tea richer, sweeter and more mellow; the iron provides additional…
Smoking tobacco in Burma/Myanmar and Thailand has been an integral part of Southeast Asian cultures for centuries and are usually found underground by hill-tribe farmers when ploughing their fields in Northern Thailand and Burma. They usually have small chips on the bowl, body and stem and are otherwise very good condition. The bowl often has…
Shiwan stoneware wall pockets were used to hold functional items like flowers and chopsticks and were in most Chinese homes by the late Qing Dynasty. Chopsticks holders were symbols for fertility and traditionally part of a dowry as the word for chopsticks (kuizi) is a pun for ‘speedy arrival of sons’ Perhaps having a two-part…
Smoking tobacco has been an integral part of Northern Thailand and Burma/Myanmar Hill-Tribes culture for centuries. Unglazed mould made black earthenware clay pottery pipes like this are found buried by farmers when preparing their fields. This pipe was made in two parts, a rounded bowl on a flat-footed base and an extended stem. The bowl…
Smoking tobacco in Burma/Myanmar and Thailand has been an integral part of Southeast Asian cultures for centuries and are usually found underground by hill-tribe farmers when ploughing their fields in Northern Thailand and Burma. They usually have small chips on the bowl, body and stem and are otherwise very good condition. The bowl often has…
This delicately carved and beautiful antique document holder was probably a wedding gift as it is decorated auspicious symbols for the newly married couple. The high openwork backing in a hill-like form has two lotuses in gold extending from its side and there is another on the bottom border. The words for lotus in Chinese have…
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