In China, high rank (Guì rén 贵人) is a wish for noble status. During the Qing dynasty the highest rank of nobility was the gentry or the literati (scholars) who were Imperial Court Officials a position which could be inherited by their sons who passed the difficult series of Imperial Civil Service Examinations that granting immediate status as an imperial or government official. As a result of the Qing dynasty’s expansion and changing ethnic composition, a re-definition of inherited ranks resulted in 14 ranks and 20 sub-ranks for all court officials and the Manchu family. A lesser gentry status of Civilian Official was attainable by anyone who passed the Imperial Civil Service Examinations. Those of high status in most cultures had the means to purchase more expensive, well-made clothing and other items, many of which were emblems of their wealth, influence and high status.. An example of this in Western culture is the difference between every day utilitarian unndecorated pottery for Roman common folk, where the emphasis would be on a piece’s utility and not its beauty and higher quality ceramics such as ARS (African red slip wares) and even more epensive, higher quality pottery and other status symbols only the rich could afford.
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Dressed in a red robe with a high neck collar, extremely wide sleeves extending below the knees and a belt around his waist, this ancestor figure portrayed as a civilian official standing on a rectangular base with hands together wearing a long civil official’s robe that extends to his shoes but has no rank badge indicated.
This delicately carved seated female attendant probably accompanied a religious image on a home altar. She holds an offering plate with three offerings of dumplings or pieces of fruit, possibly a peach trio, Chinese longevity symbols. A three-item offering is a pun for a group of three ancient coins known as tael a symbol of wealth and a wish for high status.
This masterfully carved ancestor as a mandarin official sits on horseshoe chair set on a footed high decorated plinth dressed in a well-appointed formal 3-button Mandarin long coat and pointed rattan hat. His face is uniquely and unusually individualized with heavy lidded eyes, in a benevolent expression and his advanced aged indicated by the wrinkles clearly depicting a loved individual. This exquisitely carved image in excellent condition with a fine patina was true homage to a revered family member and is one of our finest ancestor figures.
This well-carved and remarkable ancestor figure is a lower-level Mandarin Civilian official seated on an armless yoke-back chair mounted on a plain rectangular base. He wears a traditional Mandarin jacket, an ankle-length skirt and a black velvet cap for winter or rattan woven hat in summer. His left hand is on his knee while the clenched right rests on the other one in an iconic Mandarin official pose. He is extremely well-carved with facial details showing his advanced age and he exudes an air of authority and status. In contrast to idealized ancestors, he is more individualized reflecting aspects of the actual person portrayed.
This brilliant set of three Ming dynasty attendants – one male and two female – are in a unique category of refinement and elegance that reflects the importance and high status of the tomb, the deceased and the family that commissioned them. Standing on hexagonal bases with arms folded below their chests and presenting offerings to the deceased, their clothing and parts of the bases have a rare cobalt blue glaze for burial objcts, two have yellow glazed areas and all have painted unglazed areas. Their removable heads are highly detailed and beautifully modeled fitting inside high collars. These figures are presented and sold as a remarkable set reflecting their original presentation and condition.
This finely carved ancestor wears official’s attire and hat and sits in a horseshoe chair with his feet on a pedestal to emphasize his power and status, although he appears to be a lovwer level civilian official. It is masterfully carved and lacquered and is painted on front and back in red with traces of gilt – all propitious colors of “fu” as a wish for wealth, health, good fortune, long life and long life – that has faded over it years of use into a great patina.
First developed in the Shang dynasty, the Chinese dagger-axe (ge) was used as a military weapon through the Han dynasty. A dagger-shaped blade was mounted to a pole or shaft and secured using its tang (shank) and the holes on the sections of its body. It is very similar to the other ge on our site (3154B-BHK).
An ancient military weapon, bronze dagger-axes like this were used for millennia. It consists of a pointed blade, rear and low protrusions with openings for attaching to a shaft to allow it to be used as a thrusting and swinging-motion weapon. It was mounted and secured to a pole or shaft through the openings on its two perpendicular sections. This ge is a fascinating piece of military history and is in very good condition with minor losses and some verdigris expected in an ancient and roughly used bronze pieces.
This Han bronze belt hook is fashioned as a dragon with intense eyes. A button-like extension on its underside affixes to a belt hole, and the hook is positioned horizontally to attach to clothing. Belt hooks were used in life and then buried with the diseased to accompany him on his journey to the afterlife. In very good condition, it has not been cleaned and has normal pitting and surface losses due to its two millennia-old burial in a humid tomb that has heavily oxidized over the years and, therefore, has beautiful verdigris deposits.
This earthenware brick tile bordered with a deep scalloped frame depicts a vase with a bouquet of propitious flowers: a chrysanthemum and a peony wrapped with an elegant ribbon. Tiles like this were made to decorate the large numbers of buildings created during the prosperous Song dynasty and to adorn tombs. This elegant brick is in good condition for its age with expected chips and cracks, some restoration of background and a re-glued frame break on each side. It has earth adherents from its burial in a tomb.
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