Asian Antique Shop » Asian Antiques

Asian Antiques are a Sound Investment

admin — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:58:56 +0000

History has shown that whenever the financial economy has been really bad, whether caused by recession, or inflation, fine quality rare antiques have not only retained value but have remained in very high demand. The Asian antique market, as well as other good quality antiques and works of art, during financial slumps have tended to remain safe and even continued to increase in value.

While the world is experiencing an economic crisis, the Chinese in China having become wealthier and very keen to collect, or invest in, fine examples of their own heritage. The result is a growth of new antique auction houses all over China (many of these sell huge numbers of antiques, thousands at each auction, so much more than is normal in Europe or America). But added to this many of the Chinese outside China have become extremely wealthy too and they have added to this growing demand for the scarcest important Asian antiques whenever offered worldwide. We are now seeing record setting prices at the major auction houses for Chinese contemporary art.

The Internet too has been partly responsible for creating an even greater interest, introducing new collectors, or investors, from countries such as China, Japan, and India. It is still possible to find good deals and reasonably priced Chinese and other Asian antiques online at the Asian Antique Shop at http://www.asianantiquebargains.com. You will find antiques from China, Japan, India, Korea, Mongolia, Tibet and Southeast Asia. One of the many nice things about the Asian Antiques shop is the immense variety of antiques and a price range to fit all budgets. You can find antiques ranging from a few dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

These are some of the reasons for prices continuing to rise and for the large number of new record auction prices that have been achieved even over the last twelve months. The media always concentrates on the financial bad news and there is hardly ever any mention of these record prices that keep surprising us all. No one can guarantee what will happen in the future, but provided the following guidance is taken, then any of the risks involved in buying antiques will be greatly reduced.
(1) Study the subject carefully, obtain advice and be sure you are really interested and enjoy whatever you decide to collect.
(2) Only purchase the very highest quality that you can afford. High quality is far more important than quantity.
(3) Buy from the most reputable of specialists, as they will be prepared to guarantee the authenticity, the age and possibly even the provenance.

Regardless of any financial turmoil the best and most important antiques, or works of art, have always in the past remained a stable form of investment that continued to rise.

NGANG NGUNG KANANG LOVE ATTRACTION THAI BUDDHA AMULET R

0 Bid

US $9.99

1h 44m

Antique Japanese H Colored Original Woodcuts EXCELLENT

1 Bid

US $45.26

2h 8m

PHRA YA PALEE THAI WINNER AMULET MONEY RICH LUCKY CHARM

0 Bid

US $9.99

3h 44m

9 FACES BUDDHA THAI AMULET WIN ALL OBSTACLES LUCKY RICH

1 Bid

US $.99

3h 47m

LP Ngern Thai Buddha Buddhist Amulet Pendant LUCKY RICH

0 Bid

US $9.99

5h 44m

Superb Five Color Porcelain Kirin Vase

0 Bid

US $24.98

6h 10m

Superb Five Color Porcelain Dragon Vase

0 Bid

US $69.00

6h 12m

Superb Famille Rose Porcelain Butterfly Gourd Vase

0 Bid

US $79.00

6h 13m

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Examination of a Japanese Samurai Sword

admin — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 03:57:26 +0000

Antique Japanese Samurai Sword: Ko Gassan 1/3 Sword Examination

This video shows the examination of an antique Japanese samurai sword. The blade is tilted at angles to the light to reveal fine qualities in the hada (untempered area), hamon and hataraki.

3 SWORD FREE STANDING STAND FOR SAMURAI SWORDS

0 Bid

US $.99

30m

189Handforged JP tanto sword hualee sheath razor sha

0 Bid

US $4.99

56m

hand white JP sword tiger sharp blade

0 Bid

US $4.99

59m

Top Handforged jp dragon samurai katana

0 Bid

US $9.99

B 1000 TANTO SWORD TITANIUM ENCASED BLADE A

1 Bid

US $.01

1h 1m

B 1000 SAMURAI SWORD TITANIUM ENCASED BLADE 0

0 Bid

US $.01

1h 2m

jp tiger katana folded steel with tungsten coating bla

0 Bid

US $29.99

1h 4m

New Japanese Fantasy Aizen Samurai Sword Mirror Katana

0 Bid

US $34.99

1h 8m

Japanese Swordsmith Ono Yoshimitsu

admin — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 03:43:15 +0000

Japanese Swordsmith Ono Yoshimitsu

Some of Japan's top Japanese sword craftsmen, Tatara operator Kihara Akira, Mukansa Swordsmith Ono Yoshimitsu and Mukansa polisher Fujishiro Okisato appearing on Discovery Channel's Weapons Masters- The Katana

OMI no KAMI TSUNAHIRO JAPANESE SAMURAI SWORD

0 Bid

US $899.99

9h 41m

Yamato Den Koto Katana w Saya and Tsuba Japanese Sword

9 Bids

US $510.00

10h 19m

Japanese Sword Mumei Tanto Edo Period Very Beautiful

3 Bids

US $203.50

11h 6m

A japanese KOSHIRAE sword mount

0 Bid

US $360.00

12h 36m

A japanese YA NO NE arrow head

1 Bid

US $35.00

12h 41m

A japanese YA NO NE arrow head

0 Bid

US $25.00

12h 46m

Handmade Japanese Sword Commissioned officers Forged

0 Bid

US $49.79

17h 5m

JAPAN SAMURAI SWORD FUCHI KASHIRA SOTEN STYLE WARRIORS

0 Bid

US $375.00

17h 25m

Antiques Week in Philadelphia Starts Today

admin — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 00:04:33 +0000

By Karla Klein Albertson
Inquirer Antiques Columnist

The past is always with us in Philadelphia, but Antiques Week, beginning Friday, is an unmatched opportunity for collectors to examine the best furniture and decorative arts of previous centuries. So many experts on hand, so many specialties to explore - enjoy the feast.
The Philadelphia Antiques Show, now held at the Navy Yard, started it all 49 years ago. Antiques Week has been greatly enhanced by the ongoing 23d Street Armory Antiques Show and the excellent spring Americana sale at Freeman's. Museums display great things, but at these events, serious collectors can look over, under, and into museum-quality antiques. And ask questions to their heart's content.
Start shopping Friday morning at the historic 23d Street Armory, where show manager Frank Gaglio has assembled 45 well-known dealers who offer classic Americana, excellent folk art, and some eclectic surprises.

Exhibitors such as Chuck White, Mario Pollo, and Stephen-Douglas Antiques lay out beautifully integrated room settings of American furnishings and folk art. Gemini specializes in topline antique toys, Piccolo Art in dazzling miniatures.

New on board this year is John Chaski, a young dealer from Delaware. Also fresh to the show is New York jewelry dealer Sooky Goodfriend, whose wares include cocktail shakers and cuff links for modern Mad Men.

Gaglio tries to offer an eclectic selection that will appeal to new generations of collectors. He remembers that his daughter Ciara, now 22, came up with the slogan "Save Natural Resources, Buy Antiques."

"Young people are attracted by the visual impact of objects, by nostalgia, and by comfort and usability in a 21st-century lifestyle," he says. "The collecting bug is still there, but you have to present the right material."
Gaglio is a great believer in the Antiques Week concept. He runs a complementary shuttle on Saturday and Sunday between his show, 30th Street Station, and the Navy Yard. At www.barnstar.com, you can print out a coupon for $5 off the price of a ticket. Lunch is available at the on-site cafe.

The Philadelphia Antiques Show gets under way Friday night with the best preview gala of the year. The 2010 event, a mix of antiques, food, and fashion, benefits the new Penn Center for Ocular Imaging.

Party tickets are available at many levels at www.philaantiques.com. Basic tickets are $250, with a special deal for young collectors, 35 and under, at $125. The display of 50 distinguished exhibitors opens to the general public Saturday at 11 a.m.; tickets are $18 at the door, $15 online.

This year's special exhibit, "A Call to Arms: Chinese Armorial Porcelain for the British and American Markets, 1700-1850," is dedicated to the memory of longtime exhibitor Elinor Gordon (1918-2009). On Sunday, exhibit curator Ron Fuchs will present a lecture at 1:30 p.m.
Want to see this venerable show move a bit more firmly into the present century? Check out the new World Collectors Night at the Navy Yard on Saturday from 6 to 10 p.m., sponsored by Anthropologie. A $125 ticket includes cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, and access to exhibitors who will share expertise and some special finds. At 8 p.m., the crowd will move next door to Urban Outfitters for an after-party with dancing.

Connecticut folk-art exhibitor Allan Katz, whose offerings often sell in the first minutes of the show, will be one of the dealers on hand Saturday night. Happy to take part, he says: "I'm an educator. I love to spread the gospel. I'm not a hard-sell guy, I'm a passion guy."
"Young collectors have the opportunity to go to a show like this and ask questions. Pick up the objects, feel them, and there's a live person there to answer all your questions. They need to connect with the material visually, but also mentally."

Like so many of the exhibits at both weekend shows, Katz's folk art fits beautifully in classic or modern interiors. Why buy cheap new "design" that hits the trash pile five years later? Work out a payment plan to buy a worthwhile treasure that will last a lifetime.

NGANG NGUNG KANANG LOVE ATTRACTION THAI BUDDHA AMULET R

0 Bid

US $9.99

1h 44m

Antique Japanese H Colored Original Woodcuts EXCELLENT

1 Bid

US $45.26

2h 8m

KirihaZukuri Japanese Sword Kobuse Folded Steel 2396

0 Bid

US $298.74

2h 8m

PURSE RETICULE RARE CENTRAL ASIAN HANDMADE EMBROIDERY

0 Bid

US $46.97

2h 12m

ART DECO STERLING SILVER MARCASITE ONYX DROP EARRINGS

7 Bids

US $29.27

2h 21m

Large Long Indian Asian Ethnic Boho Earrings X87 SALE

US $3.05

2h 30m

Large Long Indian Asian Ethnic Boho Earrings X88 SALE

US $3.05

2h 34m

Large Long Indian Asian Ethnic Boho Earrings X89 SALE

US $3.05

3h 2m

China’s Antique Lovers Learn About Antiques on TV

admin — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 23:06:27 +0000

China has in the past few years begun to buy back the antiques and art works that have for centuries been spread all over the world, and at the same time the country's new generation of collectors is learning how to recognize exactly what is real and what is not.
And much of that newfound knowledge has come thanks to a series of television which lift the lid on the nation's antique industry.
China's State Administration of Cultural Heritage claims there were 70 million antique collectors in the country in 2005 - but there are around 90 million now. And that increased interest has seen TV programmers acting fast.

China's state-run station CCTV launched the country's first show to deal directly with the antique industry - Artwork Investment - in 2001 but the country's media has this week reported there are now 50 such programs screening across the nation.
The top-rated Xun Bao - or "Treasure Hunt'' - airs weekly on CCTV-2 and claims 27 million viewers per episode.
That show features a team of experts searching for treasures in far-flung corners of China. They then explain how to identify what the piece is, when it was made - and what it might be worth.

Another top-rated show takes a different tact.
Tian Xia Shou Cang - or "World Collection'' - often gets collectors to bring their antiques in to the studio for appraisal. If they are found to be fakes, down comes a hammer to smash the offending piece to smithereens.

And the show's host, actor Wang Gang, makes no apologies. "This is done so the fakes never reappear on the market,'' he told the China Daily newspaper.

The common theme among the shows' producers is that they are helping protect Chinese culture. And Chinese collectors are doing the same.

Auction house Sotheby's will launch its massive Hong Kong Spring Auctions (http://www.sothebys.com) April 3-8 with 2,400 pieces up for grabs - including a significant Chinese antique section that organizers say has helped lift the estimated value of the entire collection to more than HK$1 billion (95 million euros).

And most of these items will stay in the region after the sale.

"In buying antiques [Chinese collectors] have a fixation about buying their own history,'' Nicholas Chow, International Head of Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art at Sotheby's Hong Kong, told Chinese media this week.

China Contemporary Art Soars; Liu Ye Painting Sells for Record $2.5 Million

admin — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 22:52:54 +0000

By Le-Min Lim

April 6 (Bloomberg) -- A painting by Liu Ye made HK$19.1 million ($2.5 million) at a Hong Kong sale yesterday, the most for a Chinese contemporary artist in two years, in a sign that prices are returning to pre-credit-crisis levels.

Liu’s acrylic-and-oil “Bright Road,” showing a smiling couple with a flaming jet in the background, sold for an artist record. It was one of seven Chinese contemporary works that made $1 million or more at Sotheby’s sale, fueled by mainland and Indonesian money. During last year’s crisis, bidders passed on similar works offered at a third of yesterday’s prices.

“Demand for the best Chinese contemporary artworks is back,” Eric Huang, a Taipei-based buyer and dealer, said in an interview at the auction. “Don’t be surprised to see prices match or even beat pre-crisis levels very soon.”
Values of top Chinese contemporary art fell 70 percent during the financial rout from the peak in May 2008 when Zeng Fanzhi’s painting of Red Guards fetched HK$75.4 million in Hong Kong. Asian art buyers turned to antiques and works by established or dead artists, seen as safer stores of value.

The Chinese contemporary art auction raised HK$145 million. Adding revenue from the sale of Southeast Asian and older Chinese paintings, Sotheby’s tallied HK$316.8 million yesterday. On April 3, the company fetched HK$50 million from its sold-out wine auction. Sotheby’s auction continues today with the sale of classical Chinese works, mostly of watercolor on ricepaper.

At yesterday’s auction, Wang Wei, wife of millionaire stock-investor Liu Yiqian, bought the Liu Ye painting, among others, said Tian Kai, a Beijing based dealer who advises Wang. Earlier, she won a Zao Wou-ki painting for HK$15.2 million.
‘Add Another Zero’

Asked if prices have risen too much, Wang said, “Not even if the sellers were to add another zero to the tag.”
In a black tracksuit and toting a patent-red bag, she then turned toward her posse of friends and advisers to shout, “Children, let’s now go look at the Ju Ming sculpture in the exhibition hall.”

“Sotheby’s prices are the cheapest,” said Kevin Ching, Sotheby’s Asia chief executive, who was among those to follow Wang from the salesroom.

In previous Hong Kong auctions, Wang had few rivals in the room. This time, she faced competition from Indonesian buyers, who bought all categories of Asian art, including Chinese contemporary and works by masters such as Zao.
Indonesian Buying

Indonesia’s benchmark stock index has doubled from a year ago to a record, creating wealth that’s used to buy art.
Singapore-based dealer Aniela Rahardja said she had bid as much as HK$15 million on behalf of an Indonesian client for Chinese contemporary artist Cai Guoqiang’s 1991 “A Certain Lunar Eclipse,” a 7-panel gunpowder-and-ink on Japanese paper artwork that sold for HK$18.6 million to an unidentified buyer.

“The Indonesians are buying quite aggressively at this auction,” said Tian Kai.
The most-expensive painting sold at yesterday’s auction was a 1960s oil work of Balinese villagers by Indonesia’s Lee Man Fong that fetched a Southeast Asian art record HK$25.3 million.

Lee’s “Bali Life,” depicting a rustic scene of the islanders at rest, was bought by an unidentified Asian private collector, according to Sotheby’s.

Works by China-born, French-trained Zao (born in 1921), the most valuable Chinese artist at auction last year, did as well as top contemporary Chinese artworks. The abstract artist’s oil painting “4.4.1959” fetched HK$20.8 million, more than twice the top estimate.
Sotheby’s and rival Christie’s International hold biannual auctions in Hong Kong that are barometers of Asia’s art market.

Liu Ye's lesser known works are available below at very affordable prices. Perhaps one of these works will increase exponentially in value as well.

Peach Blossom Shangri la Asian Chinese Calligraphy

US $99.00

25d 1h 11m

Sothebys Global Contemporary Artists 01 06 2010

US $19.99

24d 4h 24m

X181Chinese Oil Painting of Character Liu Ye

US $29.90

18d 6h 7m

X195Chinese Oil Painting of Character Liu Ye

US $29.90

16d 21h 6m

Liu Ye Miaow TWO 2008 Frameable Art Ads

US $21.99

10d 11h 55m

Liu Ye Red I 2009 Art Ad

US $15.00

7d 12h 47m

Liu Ye Art Ad Poster Detail

US $29.99

5d 12h 29m

Handpaint Girl Oil Painting On Canvas By LiuYeLuggage

US $37.00

4d 18h 43m

Asian Antiques & The Economic Crisis

admin — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 19:55:06 +0000

By John Cohen

With such an awesome economic crisis worldwide, many of us naturally wonder how this is affecting the antique and art market. This is a question that understandably concerns all collectors who might be considering buying or selling.

But history has shown that whenever the financial economy has been really bad, whether caused by recession, or inflation, fine quality rare antiques have not only retained value but have remained in very high demand. The Asian antique market, as well as other good quality antiques and works of art, during financial slumps have tended to remain safe and even continued to increase in value.

The antique auction rooms have reported, that so far, they continue to be very busy. There has always been and probably always will be, new collectors interested in owning high quality works of art. But the best Asian antiques have done particularly well, as there are such limited numbers of rare quality items available and such a very large growing demand.

The Chinese in China having become wealthier and are very keen to collect, or invest in, fine examples of their own heritage. The result is a growth of new antique auction houses all over China (many of these sell huge numbers of antiques, thousands at each auction, so much more than is normal in Europe or America). But added to this many of the Chinese outside China have become extremely wealthy too and they have added to this growing demand for the scarcest important Asian antiques whenever offered worldwide.

The Internet too has been partly responsible for creating an even greater interest, introducing new collectors, or investors, from countries such as China, Russia and India. It is now possible to so easily study photographs and price guides, at the Internet auctions held frequently, as well as to check with dealers, who have an online presence, enabling growing numbers to keep an eye on the marketplace and current values.

(1) Study the subject carefully, obtain advice and be sure you are really interested and enjoy whatever you decide to collect.

(2) Only purchase the very highest quality that you can afford. High quality is far more important than quantity.

(3) Buy from the most reputable of specialists, as they will be prepared to guarantee the authenticity, the age and possibly even the provenance.

Regardless of any financial turmoil the best and most important antiques, or works of art, have always in the past remained a stable form of investment that continued to rise.

John N. Cohen: An international award winning photographer who also became a well known Asian antiques collector and an enthusiast of Jensen British classic cars. Other interests are skiing and Salsa dancing. The author has been a very keen collector for many years in helping to create 'The Cohen collection'. Please have a look at: - http://www.jncohen.net
To see other articles, with photographs, please use the following link: http://www.jncohen.net/antiques/articles.htm
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Cohen

Japanese Satsuma Ceramics

admin — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 01:05:02 +0000

Satsuma is the name of a type of earthenware initially made in various kilns in Chosa, Ryumonji, Tateno and Naeshirogawa, in the Japanese prefecture of Kagoshima, on the island of Kyushu. All these places were under the control of the feudal lord of Satsuma.
In the late 1590s, Shimazu Yoshihiro — the lord of Satsuma — returned to Japan after fighting a war in Korea. He kidnapped a group of 22 Korean potters and their families, and put them to work in 1601, making ceramics from the white clay found at Naeshirogawa.
With strict race laws prohibiting intermarriage, these potters and their families were kept completely separate from the rest of the Japanese population. By the third quarter of the 19th century, there were more than 1,400 of these artisans, and all were engaged in pottery-making.

Classically, Satsuma is a light and porous earthenware covered with a cream-colored crackle glaze that offers ivory-brown tones. This glaze is good for enamel decoration, and even the color white looks good against it. All enamel colors adhere to this surface well and sink into the tiny cracks to the point that they seldom flake or peel.

Satsuma wares are most often found with floral decorations, but scenic designs were also made. The best Satsuma wares are elaborately and artistically decorated, while the lesser wares show much less care and artistic merit. Some pieces of Satsuma are indeed worthy of a museum, but most found in the United States are more commercial in nature and are not likely to find themselves displayed in institutions devoted to substantial works of art.

By the way, kilns in Kyoto, Yokohama, Tokyo and on the island of Awaji later manufactured Satsuma-style wares. This is an important distinction, because many of these made outside the original area are of commercial quality at best and are often considered to be lesser products.

JAPANESE H PT GILDED SATSUMA THREE IMMORTALS TRIO c1937

6 Bids

US $18.56

1h 46m

VINTAGE JAPANESE SATSUMA CABINET PLATE

1 Bid

US $15.65

2h 16m

VINTAGE SATSUMA PORCELAIN FIGURE OF BOY GIRL ON BENCH

0 Bid

US $9.04

2h 41m

Old Miniature Herend Hungary HP bird butterfly vase

3 Bids

US $13.49

2h 50m

Old Miniature Herend Hungary HP bird butterfly vase

1 Bid

US $9.99

2h 50m

Old Miniature Herend Hungary HP floral butterfly vase

0 Bid

US $9.99

2h 51m

Old Miniature Herend Hungary HP Chinese bouquet vase

0 Bid

US $9.99

2h 51m

Old Miniature Herend Hungary HP Chinese bouquet vase

1 Bid

US $9.99

2h 51m

Antique Ming Porcelain

admin — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 18:40:38 +0000

Ceramic production during the reign of Hongzhi maintained the fine quality associated with wares produced in the Chenghua period. However, during the reign of Zhengde there was a notable decline in draughtsmanship and potting, which lasted until the end of the Ming Dynasty.

Polychrome Wares
From the Chenghua period the use of lead-fluxed, overglaze enamels became increasingly common. Underglaze blue was combined with these colors, which were fired a second time at a much lower temperature. One the finest wares known as doucai...contrasted colors”) pieces, the outline of the design was traced in underglaze blue, and then yellow, green, aubergine-purple, and red enamels were painted on before a second firing to create a jewel-like effect. Douche pieces are generally small, fine, and extremely well made; decoration includes figures, plants, and animals, often in briefly painted landscapes. Wares include “chicken cups” – small wine-cups with designs of hens and cockerels with peonies.

The wucai (”five colors”) style, using the same palette as doucai, was introduced in the Jiajing reign period. While underglaze-blue outlines were still used, they were often replaced with overglaze black or red. The decoration developed along different lines, with fish, water-weed, ducks, and figure scenes becoming increasingly popular. Dragons appear in all manner of wises, with wings, and with flowers or jewels in their Months, arranged around bowls and jars or as circular medallions. Wucai decoration was used on large as well as small pieces and is generally not as neat or refined Lis doucai. The color yellow, which had imperial connotations, was used together with bold designs of fruits and flowers in underglaze blue from the Xuande to the Jiajing reign period. For example, in the Zhengde period a common design consisted of green dragons on a white background, achieved by marking the design in wax resist then glazing the ground with white, firing, painting the reserved design in green enamel, and finally refiring at a lower temperature.

Blue-and-White Wares
Blue-and-white wares made during the Chenghua period are regarded as some of the finest porcelains ever produced. Technically they are superb, with light, thin bodies and a glassy glaze. The blue on early Chenghua pieces is dark – an almost blue-black associated with the use of imported cobalt; the later wares have a much lighter, clearer blue derived from local ore from the Raozhou Prefecture around Jingdezhen. It is applied very evenly, in designs of dragons and phoenixes, landscape scenes, or the very fine flower scrolls that adorn the so-called “Palace” ware. This was made in the imperial kilns at Jingdezhen, the most typical item being a bowl with inverted rim, known as a “Palace” bowl.

The reign period of Hongzhi is largely a continuation of the Chenghua style, but it may be viewed as a watershed in the Ming dynasty since after it standards clearly began to decline. Even the best of the later Ming wares never reached the heights of the 15th-century work. As the 16th century advanced, the deterioration manifested itself in the increasing number of flaws in the poorly refined clay, and in the more casual brushwork, although the latter often has great appeal. During the reign of Jiajing the quality of blue improved. A rich, saturated purplish cobalt, termed “Muhammadan” blue, was introduced and was used on many porcelains in this and the later Ming reigns of Longqing and Wanli. Imperial quality wares are dressed in a thick and smooth glassy glaze with a strong bluish cast. Almost all later Ming porcelains oxidized during firing, and while this thin reddish veneer may be worn by the passage of time, it is usually still visible at the margin of the glaze oil the base or foot rim.

Export Wares
During the reign of Wanli the export of Chinese porcelain expanded, with large numbers of blue-and wares made purely for export. Among these pieces, kraak ware, which was produced from the Wanli period, is particularly important. It takes its name from the Dutch rendering of the Portuguese for “carrack”, Or merchant ship, two of which, carrying Chinese porcelain, were captured by the Dutch in 1602 and 1604. Kraak ware of this period has a fairly thin, light body, which is prone to chipping at the edges. The blue, often evenly applied in washes, is inclined to be rather watery and thin.

The use of panels on bowls and dishes increased in the late 16th century; all wares of this type are called kraak ware. On kraak howls and dishes the decoration radiates from a central circular panel. After c.1570 the most common themes found on kraak porcelain are floral, including a highly stylized and barely recognizable form of the peony, lotuses, chrysanthemums, and other flowers issuing from rocks. Other motifs were also popular, such as precious objects or symbols tied with ribbons, and crickets, beetles, and butterflies.

Decorative Themes
Dragons and phoenixes remained the most important decorative motifs throughout the Ming period, but other designs also became increasingly popular. In the Chenghua period a very fine arrangement of lilies and other flowers in underglaze blue seas used to decorate the exteriors of the dishes known as “Palace” bowls. Emperor Chenghua was a devout Buddhist, and this is reflected in the use of Buddhist symbols on some pieces from this period. During the reign of Zhengde, who was tolerant of the Islamic religion in China, a unique style of decoration using Arabic or Persian script was applied to a wide range of blue-and-white wares that were predominantly intended for the scholar’s desk. These included pen rests, small lamps, incense burners, and, in a few very rare instances, bowls. The script is enclosed within medallions against a background of scrolls and sometimes stylized lotus designs. These wares always carry the six-character mark of Zhengde, whereas almost all other dishes of this period have a four-character mark.

The decoration of 16th-century Ming wares is less refined, more chaotic in its arrangement, and much more freely drawn than that of the 15th century. The designs show the influence of illustrations from popular literature, which was becoming widely available at this time. On wares of the Jiajing period, children, scholars, animals, and flowers are depicted in gardens, on terraces, or in open landscapes. Daoist subjects, for example the sage Laozi and the Eight Immortals (legendary or historical individuals who are associated with the philosophy of Dao), were increasingly incorporated into the decoration on these wares, as were the associated symbols of long life, such as the lingzhi fungus, deer, cranes, peaches, pine trees, the Chinese character short (often elaborated into the form of a peach tree), and herons.

15th Century Ming Dynasty Blue White Globular Vase

0 Bid

US $78.29

9h 18m

95 Chinese Ming Dy Wanli Mark Green Meiping Vase

6 Bids

US $36.02

10h 59m

Fine Chinese Ming Zhengde Blue White Vase

4 Bids

US $34.45

11h 9m

Fine 59 Chinese Jiajing Mark Blue Whie Bowl

1 Bid

US $15.65

11h 28m

Antique Chinese Porcelain Sweet Meat Dish Plate Set

0 Bid

US $79.99

16h 8m

Collectable turquoise sculptures statuerush horse

0 Bid

US $.99

18h 15m

Antique Japanese Imari Porcelain

admin — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 02:52:01 +0000

When we think of ancient Japanese porcelain, Imari is often quite bright, but not all Japanese Imari was brilliant. A famous 19th century porcelain maker Seto, Aichi Prefecture in Japan, its porcelain decorated with blue sapphire very distinctive paint the typical naturalist, Zen influenced items such as herbs dominated forests pine, willow and rock formations of windblown trees.

"Seto" refers to the city and the style of pottery originated there. Seto is also one of Japan famous "six old kilns".
Seto Porcelain arrived late. His first appearance in the 19th century, when he returned Kato Seto Tamikichi to the island of Kyushu, and successfully fired porcelain decorated cobalt blue. Tamikichi is, in fact, considered the "father of porcelain in the area Seto.
But to see the big picture, we must look through the long history of Japanese art and design, to identify some of the many influences, both internal and external, have contributed to today's recognizable "Japanese design.

To Admiral Perry opened Japan to the West (1854), with positive and negative results, the Japanese art and design was almost unknown in the Western world. Perry met with Japan has opened the doors of flooding a sharing of east / west lines, rarely seen before. In a decade that Japanese design concepts came to the West.

Two trade names used to illustrate the influence on Western art. The first, James Whistler, the great American and British painter of the mid 19th century, was one of the first Westerners to be influenced by the artistic tradition of Japan.
Whistler has developed rather an aesthetic response to life and he particularly admired Japanese artistic attitude does not distinguish between art and decorative arts. Your assessment of what led to Whistler for a wide range of artistic activities, strongly influenced by his art new "Japan.

The second example is the master of French Impressionism, Claude Monet. We do not know the famous story of discovery Monet's Japanese art is real or anecdotal? But legend says that Monet had fled to Amsterdam to escape the Prussian siege of 1871 in Paris. There or, if ever, There were some Japanese block prints for use in a food shop for wrapping paper. I could not believe what he saw and was so impressed he bought all available. This purchase changed his life and the history of Western art!

Monet was not shy of his fascination with Japan and its art and in 1876, five years after the visit to the Dutch grocery He painted "The Japanese", showing his first wife Camille in a kimono on a background decorated uchiwa (Japanese paper fans).
At Giverny, where he settled in 1883 at age 42, he built a Japanese bridge over a pond in Japan Japanese garden, and spent the rest of his work Paradise's private life – especially water lilies.

Not only Western art has been influenced by Japan, but, interiors, fashion and all forms of art, style and design. This exchange of ideas was a double meaning, with Western design concepts used in Japan. Such time for this reason, impressionism soon spread to Japan, and remains very popular.

This exchange of ideas has been, especially in porcelain produced by large kilns Japanese, with its ancient tradition of thousand years.
Until the opening of Japan to the West, porcelain and ceramics Japan was both traditional and high aesthetics understood only by a Japanese company then very insular and conservative. The main concept was to stick rigidly to the ways prohibited.
The aesthetic style was not understood by Western audiences and it soon became clear that amendments be made to an export market of the West to succeed. For example, the western market is very familiar with the Japanese "Imari porcelain" with its bright color palette, mostly on Red iron based and cobalt blue underglaze. This remains the basic palette of Imari, which may have added additional color range.

This Japanese Imari porcelain people call "by reason of the fact that has been exported from its various leaders around the port of" Imari ". These patterns of light, mainly by to a market in the west were in fact based on models of traditional kimono embroidered textiles.