This month we are launching our new Asian Art Curator page where we will feature selected Asian art auctions currently on eBay, as well as other resources for eBay buyers including saved searches and recommended sellers. We hope that our curator’s corner will help dealers and collectors navigate through this very busy marketplace. Let us know your thoughts and suggestions!

We are also happy to announce our participation in this year’s Asia Week Paris in collaboration with Catawiki. Auctions will be published 8 July.

See the list below for current eBay auctions and a selection of recently sold Catawiki items.

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eBay auction – Antique Chinese 18th Century Export Porcelain Dish With Geese. Qianlong Period

Wonderful Qianlong period porcelain dish with grisaille and gilt decorated central scene featuring eight geese, framed by cavetto with nicely preserved floral sprays in blue enamels and with gilt border running along the rim. For similar example decorated with goldfish see collection of The Metropolitan Museum in New York – object 79.2.721.

Diameter: 23 cm

eBay auction closing 5 July 2022

Original woodblock print – Paper – Toyohara Kunichika (1835-1900) – Pampas Grass – Ichikawa Kuzo III as Hakamadare no Yasusuke – Japan – 1865

Beautiful rare original Japanese woodblock print by Toyohara Kunichika – Pampas Grass (Obana): Actor Ichikawa Kuzô III as Hakamadare no Yasusuke, from the series Thirty-six Selected Flowers and Grasses (Sanjûrokkasô no uchi), 1865. In good antique condition with only minor signs of aging as per photographs.

Porcelain Brush Rest Depicting a Horse Among Rolling Waves – China – Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)

Fantastic Chinese porcelain brush rest in the form of a reclining horse among rolling waves. In excellent condition with only some minor original firing flaws and iron oxide marks. Height: 6 cm; length: 9 cm.

Original Chinese Stone Rubbing of Yangzhi Guanyin Stele From Putuoshan Fayu Temple – China – 20th century

Beautiful and rare original ink rubbing of Yangzhi Guanyin 楊枝觀音 taken from a stone stele dating to the Wanli Period, Ming Dynasty and based on a painting by Tang Dynasty mater Yan Liben. Very nice example mounted on a silk hanging scroll. Dimensions: scroll measures 183×63 cm, area of the rubbing is 116×52 cm

Antique Japanese Sukashi Openwork Iron Tsuba With Gilt Decoration – Japan – Edo Period (1600-1868)

Fine Japanese sukashi tsuba of quatrefoil form depicting intertwined flowers or branches with buds and further embellished with gold. Unsigned. In very good condition with some age-related marks and minor wear to gilt decoration as per photographs. Dimensions: 6.9×6.2 cm

Large Pair of Chinese Original Paintings on Silk. Framed and Glazed – China – 19th century

Lovely pair of large Chinese original paintings on silk depicting maidens and immortals emerging from the mountain fog. Nicely framed and glazed. Dimensions: each frame measures 57×19 cm; each artwork measures 43×10 cm.

Antique Japanese Gilt Lacquer Game Storage Box with Original Lacquered Stand. Meiji period (1868-1912)

Beautifully shaped Japanese black lacquered box finely decorated with subtle gilded floral motifs and insects. Domed lid features partially gilded design with flowers, butterflies and miniature framed scene. Complete set of removable compartments inside. Originally intended for storing playing cards but would make a great jewellery or trinket box. Comes with its original detachable and fully lacquered stand. Very elegant example of Japanese lacquerware.

Large Antique Japanese Natural Form Burr Wood ‘Tabako-bon’ Holder. 19th century

Stunning antique Japanese scholar’s object made out of solid burr wood with beautiful surface texture and dark patina. Originally designed to hold smoking implements of traditional ‘Tabako bon’ set: hi’ire – container for lit charcoal and haifuki – tall container or a piece of bamboo for used tobacco ash. Could be also used for calligraphy brush pots or as a display stand for other scholar’s objects. Apocryphal Chinese four-character ‘Da Qing Qian Long’ mark carved to the base.

Another month has gone by and here we are again with our regular update. We’ve decided to include this list of new exclusive arrivals in our eBay shop at the end of each month to keep our website customers and newsletter subscribers up to date. Easiest way to get all the latest updates is to follow our instagram and facebook pages.

We regularly offer Chinese and Japanese antiques in auctions on both eBay and Catawiki. See the list below for new auctions and products added to our shop this April.

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Antique Chinese Ink Rubbing of Luohan Nakula Stone Stele Commissioned by Emperor Qianlong

Very rare original ink rubbing of a stone stele from the Shengyin Temple (destroyed between 1850-1864 during the Taiping Rebellion). Depicting luohan Nakula, one of the 16 luohans (arhats) originally portrayed by the Chinese painter Guanxiu 貫休 (832-912). Guanxiu’s paintings were already considered rare in 1757, when the Qianlong emperor encountered a set of 16 luohans in a monastery in Hangzhou. To preserve their appearance, the emperor commissioned copies and had them carved in stone so that rubbings like these could be made. 

The original paintings and stone steles are now lost, making these copies some of the most important surviving evidence of Guanxiu’s style.

Dimensions: area of the rubbing measures 113×47 cm; overall dimensions are 120×59 cm

References
Harvard Library – object W348704_1 – Sixteen Arhats at Shengyin Temple– the 5th: Nakula Arhat
Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art – Object FSC-R-431 (Freer Gallery of Art Study Collection)  
Penn Museum – object number 2010-26-5 (Gift of K. Z. Tung, 1918)

Large Chinese Blue & White Export Porcelain Plate With Floral Decoration. 12.5″

Very nicely decorated and well used large 18th century export plate decorated with various floral sprays in underglaze blue and framed within a diaper border. Skilfully drawn example that displays beautifully! 

Diameter: 12.5 inches (just under 32 cm)

Antique Chinese 18th Century Clobbered Export Porcelain Dish With Dragons. 9″

Antique 18th century Chinese blue and white export plate that has later been decorated or ‘clobbered’ in England with bright overglaze enamels. Faturing a large central medallion with bamboo, peonies and pierced scholars rock and a cavetto with three dragons and more floral sprays on red and lime green ground. Red pseudo-Chinese mark typical for clobberware of the period.

Diameter: 22.5 cm

Antique Japanese Bronze Silver Inlay Usubata Ikebana Flower Arrangement Vase 6″

Antique Japanese bronze or similar copper alloy usubata vase for ikebana flower arrangement. Beautifully embellished with silver inlaid decoration featuring rolling waves around the foot and floral sprays around the body and inside the neck. Unusual openwork lotus-shaped handles cast in low relief.

Height: 15 cm, diameter: 13 cm

Antique Japanese Kutani Porcelain Koro Incense Burner With Foo Lion Finial

Lovely and colourful Japanese lozenge-shaped Kutani porcelain incense burner with floral decoration. Raised on four feet and covered with a pierced lid featuring a seated blue foo lion (shishi). Signed to the base with green square maker’s mark reminiscent of Fuku or Yoshidaya style marks.

Height: 15 cm

Antique Japanese Gilt Lacquered Jewellery Cabinet With Bird & Flower Decoration. Meiji Period

Lovely Japanese jewellery cabinet featuring one large and six smaller drawers behind hinged doors with beautifully hand-painted panels depicting bird perched on a blossoming tree.

Dimensions: 23x23x11 cm

Antique Japanese Bronze Brass Art Nouveau Style Vase With Lily Pad Handles. Meiji Period

Beautiful decorative Japanese vase in Art Nouveau style with large twin handles in the shape of lily pad leaves. Looks like it originally had typical Japanese bronzed finish that has over the years worn off. Square makers mark and some incised numbers to the base. Nice heavy piece with a lot of character.

Height: 22 cm

Catalogue de la Collection de Porcelaines Anciennes de la Chine et du Japon appartenant à A. Revilliod de Muralt

Published 1901 by CH. EGGIMANN ET CIE. Fantastic antique reference book, profusely illustrated with each photographed piece numbered and described. 192 pages + 40 photographic plates of which 31 represent porcelain. 2461 pieces of Chinese and Japanese porcelain listed in total.

Antique Chinese Painting on Silk With Calligraphy Inscription. Early 20th century

Charming antique Chinese silk painting depicting a scene with three figures on a balcony. Inscription and seal to the upper left corner. Nicely framed and glazed. In good antique condition with some usual browning and signs of aging.

Dimensions: frame 28×23 cm; artwork measures 22×17 cm

Antique Chinese Carved Bamboo Incense Holder. Tongzhi Mark. Qing Dynasty Censer

Very nicely carved Chinese bamboo incense stick holder depicting a congregation of scholars under a large pine tree, some playing Go and others in conversation. They are surrounded by impressive rocky outcrops and openwork carved bamboo groves. Inscribed with Tongzhi reign mark at the top.

Height: 28.5 cm

We’ve had a busy month this March. Our home page has now been fully updated and streamlined, giving you better access to some of our resource pages. You can now acces our Japanese marks identification guide and Recently sold items directly through the ‘Quick Links’ section. You can also access our external Reference photo archive with high-resolution photographs of Asian works of art in our collection.

We keep adding new exclusive items to our eBay shop and regularly offer Chinese and Japanese antiques in our no reserve auctions. See the list below for upcoming auctions and newly added products.

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive monthly updates with newly listed products and auctions.

Chinese Famille Rose Porcelain Covered Bowl. Dragon & Fenghuang. Marked Guangxu

Beautifully hand-painted porcelain bowl and cover decorated in Famille Rose enamels featuring dragon and fenghuang (Chinese phoenix) among colourful clouds chasing after the flaming pearl. Both stamped with red six-character Guangxu reign mark. Nice example of its type. In excellent condition with only minimal surface wear to overglaze enamels as per photographs. No hairlines. Diameter: 15.5 cm Height: 9 cm

Fine Antique Japanese Blue-Ground Satsuma Vase by Kusube Sennosuke. Meiji Period

Fine antique cobalt-ground Satsuma vase by Sennosuke Kusube. Decorated with two beautifully painted figural scenes – one depicting a samurai with his horse, the other depicting landscape with a fisherman. Surrounding areas heavily gilded with diaper patterns and floral sprays. In very good antique condition with some age-related rubbing to the gilding as per photographs. Marked ‘楠部’ to the base. Height: 15.5 cm

Fine Antique Chinese Gilt Black Cloisonne Lidded Trinket Box. Early 20th century

Stunning rectangular cloisonné box with slightly domed hinged lid, decorated with beautiful floral sprays set against against a black diaper ground of foliate interconnected spirals. Elegant design raised on four ball feet. Dimensions: 10x6x4.5 cm

Fine Antique Chinese Gilt Black Cloisonne Monochrome Floral Vase. Height 23.5 cm

Large early 20th century Chinese black cloisonné vase decorated in minute detail all over with fish scale pattern around the foot, ruyi-head design with hanging tassels around the neck and the main body with floral motives set against a diaper ground of foliate interconnected spirals. Height: approx. 23.5 cm

Antique Syrian Enamelled Inscribed Copper Pot. Damascus Sarraf Workshop 19th century

Gorgeous and rare 19th century Syrian copper pot enamelled with stylized Islamic script and geometric patterns in stunning blue enamels. Style of the enamels suggests that this was produced by the Sarraf workshop, Damascus. Typical losses and surface marks consistent with age and usage as per photographs. Dimensions: height 10 cm, diameter 10 cm. References: For very similar example see Science Museum, London – Ethnography & Folk Medicine Collection – object A121028

Antique Chinese Clobbered Kangxi An Hua Porcelain Dish. Dutch Amsterdams Bont

Beautiful late Kangxi period blue and white porcelain dish with secret ‘an hua’ relief decoration that was later in the 18th century over-painted or ‘clobbered’ in colourful enamels by Dutch artists. Clobbered decoration is a European interpretation of typical Chinese flower basket patterns found on blue and white porcelain of the period. Diameter: approx. 22 cm

Antique Japanese Arita Aoki Kyodai Shokai Blue & White Porcelain Scalloped Dish

Nicely painted antique Japanese scalloped dish / shallow bowl decorated in underglaze blue with an imposing Buddhist lion with fierce expression, climbing over a fence (indicated by a Greek key) and surrounded by several rocky outcroppings with flowers. Typical Aoki Kyodai-Shokai (Aoki Brothers Company) mark in underglaze blue to the base. Diameter: 18 cm

Antique Chinese Famille Rose Export Porcelain Plate. 18th c., Yongzheng Period

Wonderful 18th century Chinese export porcelain plate decorated in Famille Rose enamels. Depicting a scene with pierced scholars rock, bamboo and peonies framed within a scroll and surrounded by additional floral sprays and scholars objects. This is a well-known border that can be found on highly collectable plates depicting scenes from “The Romance of The Western Chamber” of the same period. Diameter: approx. 22.5 cm

Fine Antique Japanese Kutani Porcelain Vase by Watano. Quails Pattern. Meiji Era

Fine Japanese Kutani porcelain vase with a beautifully painted continuous scene depicting quails among flowers and weeds. Shoulder and neck of the vase embellished in heavily gilded patterns featuring various Japanese fans, flowers and foliate scrolls. Marked “Watano Sei” for Watano Trading Company. Height: 18 cm

Antique Chinese 18th Century Wucai Decorated Export Porcelain Dish. Diameter 23 cm

Rare early 18th century Chinese wucai decorated export porcelain plate with central scene depicting bamboo and oversized peony behind a fence and cavetto decorated with additional floral sprays. Great early example with nicely preserved blue and aubergine enamels. Diameter: approx. 23 cm or 9 inches