|
Large Antique Chinese Engraved Brass Handwarmer, Qing
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Regional Art:
Asian:
Chinese:
Metalwork:
Pre 1900 item# 790227 (stock# 3A-143)
|
click for details
|
B & C ANTIQUES
203-929-7312
$450
|
This wonderfully large mid-19th century round brass handwarmer features a deeply engraved and punched ribbed body and a lovely pierced openwork cover. Eight of the ten scalloped segments are decorated with engraved floral and figural motifs on a ground of punched circles. The two side panels on which the engraved handle mounts are fastened have a contrasting geometric design, and the double swing handle is attached to the mounts with copper rivets. The lovely perforated lid bears central medallion with an auspicious fruit and flower design. There is an apocryphal Ming mark engraved on the base within an unusual and elaborately engraved medallion.
In the winter months in China, handwarmers would be filled with glowing coals and carried to warm the holder’s icy fingers and toes. A New Year’s tradition had villagers taking coals from the main village fire back to their own homes in handwarmers such as this one to ensure good fortune in the coming year. The intricate and refined beauty of these utilitarian objects also made handwarmers an important accoutrement in the scholar’s study.
CONDITION is excellent. DIMENSIONS: 8" (20.4 cm) diameter; 5 1/4" (13.4 cm) high, not including handle.
|
|
Fine Large Antique Paktong Handwarmer with Five Bats
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Regional Art:
Asian:
Chinese:
Metalwork:
Pre 1900 item# 777525 (stock# 3A-151)
|
click for details
|
B & C ANTIQUES
203-929-7312
$395
|
The lid of this large round Qing dynasty paktong handwarmer has a lovely openwork pattern containing a central shou medallion surrounded by five bats, the symbol of happiness and longevity. Dating to the mid-19th century, this handwarmer is made of the silvery alloy paktong (“pai-tung” or “baitong”). The heavily cast plain surface body has a double-swing handle which is attached to its sides on decoratively shaped side supports cast from paktong.
In the winter months, handwarmers would be filled with glowing coals and carried to warm the holder’s icy fingers and toes. A New Year’s tradition had villagers taking coals from the main village fire back to their own homes in handwarmers such as this one to ensure good fortune in the coming year. The intricate and refined beauty of these utilitarian objects also made handwarmers an important accoutrement in the scholar’s study.
The alloy paktong has a fascinating history. Centuries before nickel was isolated in the west, the Chinese had produced an alloy of zinc, copper and nickel which had the lustrous sheen and color tone of silver, was appreciably harder than silver, and did not tarnish in use. Many examples of this alloy have a particularly pleasing color which is silver-bright but possesses what has been termed a “soul of gold.” For additional information about paktong, see our article on the subject in ARTS OF ASIA, Nov/Dec. 1992.
CONDITION is excellent. DIMENSIONS: 7” (17.8 cm) diameter, 4 ¼” (10.8 cm) high to top of lid, 7” (17.8 cm) high to top of handle.
|
|
Chinese Pewter Box in Shape of a Gu Qin
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Regional Art:
Asian:
Chinese:
Metalwork:
Pre 1920 item# 763491 (stock# 6B-185)
|
click for details
|
B & C ANTIQUES
203-929-7312
$245
|
This unusual Chinese hinged covered box has been crafted in pewter in the form of the musical instrument known in China as a “qin” (also “gu qin,” “ch’in,” “chin”). Late 19th/early 20th century; likely from Ch’ao-chou in eastern Kwangtung province. The top and sides are decorated with punched floral motifs on a ground of punched circles, and an engraved pewter bat has been applied above the hinge. The section of the cover which opens was crafted to simulate an encasement for the instrument, with seven raised pewter tuning pegs and strings made of brass. The edge is completely outlined in brass. The bottom is stamped with three hall marks, denoting a piece of superior quality and metal craftsmanship. There is a removable pewter tray which fits into the interior, and the lid is lined with old mirrored glass. The box could have been a scholar’s box, used to store small desk accessories such as ink sticks, seals or incense. Or it may have been a woman’s cosmetic box.
Pewter is an alloy of tin and lead which acquires a unique soft gun-metal color after long usage. The alloy readily lends itself to surface decoration. It is soft, easily worked and readily bonded to a variety of other materials through applying moderate heat. Examples of Ch’ao-chou pewter pieces tend to be identifiable through their frequent use of punches rather than engraving tools to produce surface designs, and Ch’ao-chou pewterers often placed their studio marks on their products. A fondness for punched “pearl” grounds made with hollow punches is also characteristic of Ch’ao-chou pewter. (See “Chinese Pewter Tea Wares” by Bennet Bronson and Ho Chuimei in ARTS OF ASIA November-December 1988.)
The qin is one of the oldest Chinese musical instruments, with a history that spans nearly 3,000 years. It is a board zither with seven strings, seven tuning pegs, thirteen marks for notes and four low feet. The qin was the instrument of the Confucian superior man and most of the scholars of the day were required to study and regularly practice the instrument. Many objects for the scholar’s desk were crafted in the shape of a qin – a shape which has long associations with the pursuits of the scholar.
Condition is very good, with only minor wear consistent with age and usage. Dimensions: 6 ¼” (16 cm) long, 2 ¾” (7 cm) wide, 1 ½” (3.8 cm) high.
|
|
Chinese Paktong Traveling Scholar’s Ink Box, Qing
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Regional Art:
Asian:
Chinese:
Scholar Art:
Pre 1900 item# 707724 (stock# 3-118)
|
click for details
|
B & C ANTIQUES
203-929-7312
SOLD
|
This diminutive oval paktong (“baitong”) ink box is engraved on the top with various containers that might appear on a scholar’s desk. Late 19th century, Qing period. Not only has the original fitted inkstone inside the cover survived, but so has the ink stained cotton which was used in the bottom of the box. The copper bottom is stamped with a signature or hallmark, denoting a piece of superior quality and metal craftsmanship.
These tightly-fit boxes were used by scholars when they traveled so they could paint and do calligraphy. Cotton was placed in the bottom of the box and water was dripped into it. This provided the moisture necessary to make ink on the stone when an inkstick was ground onto it. It was also possible to create ink directly on the stone and store it in the bottom of the box. Gentlemen-scholars were known as literati, and items for the scholar’s desk were highly regarded by China’s elite.
The alloy paktong also has a fascinating history. Centuries before nickel was isolated in the west, the Chinese had produced an alloy of zinc, copper and nickel which had the lustrous sheen and color tone of silver, was appreciably harder than silver, and did not tarnish in use. Many examples of this alloy have a particularly pleasing color which is silver bright but possesses what has been termed a “soul of gold.” For additional information about paktong, see our article in ARTS OF ASIA, Nov/Dec. 1992.
CONDITION is excellent. DIMENSIONS: 2” (5 cm) x 1 5/8” (4.2 cm) x ¾” (2 cm) high.
|
|
Chinese Qing Crystal and Paktong Eyeglasses and Case
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Regional Art:
Asian:
Chinese:
Scholar Art:
Pre 1900 item# 568110 (stock# 9A-4142)
|
click for details
|
B & C ANTIQUES
203-929-7312
$650 for Glasses & Case
|
This very rare pair of Chinese spectacles with shagreen case is one of the more unusual examples of an item for the scholar’s desk. Early 19th century. Worn for centuries by the literati class of Chinese scholars, such spectacles were actually an affectation inasmuch as their powers of magnification were slight and imprecise because the “lenses” were made of natural rock crystal instead of glass. The metal frames were crafted from paktong (“baitong”) or white brass, a metal somewhat similar to German silver. The paktong rivets attaching the nose bridge and earpieces were formed in the auspicious shape of tiny “lingzhi” fungus or “ruyi” clouds, a symbol of longevity to the Chinese. The paktong arms are doubly hinged -- at the usual place next to the lens and then again in the area just in front of the ears – and the rounded terminals of each arm end with reticulated symbols within a circle (one a swastika-type shape, the other a diamond-like shape). The glasses were stored in the white shagreen eyeglass case which accompanies them. Shagreen, also known as sharkskin or stingray, is one of the most durable leathers in the world and is regarded for its unique touch. It was first used in China in the 8th century as an embellishment on weapons.
The alloy paktong has a fascinating history. Centuries before nickel was isolated in the west, the Chinese had produced an alloy of zinc, copper and nickel which had the lustrous sheen and color tone of silver, was appreciably harder than silver, and did not tarnish in use. Paktong was often found as mountings, hinges and handles on the finest Ming and Ching Dynasty furniture and boxes, and many items for the scholar’s desk were crafted of this metal. For additional information about paktong, see our article in ARTS OF ASIA, Nov/Dec. 1992.
In the Ming and Ching dynasties, civic officials were known not as bureaucrats but as literati, and these gentlemen-scholars were among the elite of traditional Chinese society. These eyeglasses are the perfect accoutrement for someone recreating a Chinese scholar’s studio in 18th or 19th century style and are quite rare. Condition of the glasses is excellent. The paktong frame has an aged pewter-like patina; the superficial scratching on the lenses is consistent with age and usage. The shagreen case is in good used condition, with signs of wear primarily along the edges. Dimensions: Each lense of the eyeglasses measures 1 7/8” (4.7cm) in diameter; the face extends 5 ½” (13.7cm) to the outer edges of each of the protruding hinges; the arms are each 5 ½” long (13.7cm). Shagreen case is 6” (15.3 cm) long, 2 ½” (6.5 cm) wide, 1” (2.5 cm) deep.
|
|
Pair of Large 19th Century Soapstone Seals
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Regional Art:
Asian:
Chinese:
Scholar Art:
Pre 1900 item# 78733 (stock# 5-224)
|
click for details
|
B & C ANTIQUES
203-929-7312
$485 for Pair
|
Two large hand-carved Chinese soapstone seals in square form with foo lion and pup finials, bases cut with calligraphy in both “red writing” and “white writing” style. Late 19th century. One seal is carved from a neutral tan to light jade colored soapstone with marbleized brown inclusions. The carved foo lion is turning to face one pup, and there is a ball at its feet. This seal is deeply engraved with six archaic characters, which produces “white writing” when the seal is stamped in red vermilion seal paste. The other seal is carved from a darker shade of tan soapstone with numerous reddish brown inclusions. The foo lion is turned to face one pup, while the second pup climbs upon her back. There is a small ball beneath one pup’s hind legs. This seal has four elongated archaic characters carved in relief, which will produce “red writing” when the seal is stamped. (We have included enlargement photos of both seal’s impressions.) The seal was an integral component of the Chinese scholar’s desk, and seals and seal engraving have occupied an honored place in the Chinese literary and artistic tradition for over one thousand years. A well carved seal distinguished the engraver and the user as learned and aesthetically sensitive individuals. Chinese seal engraving has been widely regarded because of its affinity to the art of calligraphy and out of respect for the written word. Condition is excellent. Overall dimensions: 2 ½” high, 2 1/8” square.
|
|
Very Rare Lacquer Incense Clock in Dragon Boat Shape
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Regional Art:
Asian:
Chinese:
Lacquer:
Pre 1837 VR item# 45366 (stock# 11B-096)
|
click for details
|
B & C ANTIQUES
203-929-7312
$720
|
This intriguing Chinese lacquered wood incense "alarm" clock is crafted in “dragon boat” form with rich gold pavilion and landscape designs on a black ground. 18th/19th century. The prow and stern are snail-shaped instead of the more traditional dragon figurehead and tail (from which the name “dragon boat clock” was derived). The inside held a pewter liner, pierced at intervals with nine openings along its length, into which were inserted U-shaped wires which held an incense stick with graduated hours. The dragon boat was set on two pedestals approximately 6” high and placed over a metal pan having high resonance. The “alarm” consisted of a pair of small bronze bells tied to the ends of a silk thread that was draped over the incense stick and the sides of the boat at the point the sleeper wished to be awakened. When the burning of the incense stick reached that point, the silk thread burned and parted, dropping the bells into the pan, making sufficient noise to rouse the sleeper. This type of clock was developed in the Ming era (or earlier) and lasted through the 19th century. Dragon boat clocks are classified as rarities as few have survived, and collectors can take comfort in the fact that no copies of them are being made. This is a museum piece. For a history of these ingenious timepieces, see “The Trail of Time” by Silvio Bedini. Condition of the lacquer is very good. The pewter liner is missing; the wires are replacements. Dimensions: 21¼” long, 2½” wide, 1 3/8” high.
|
|
|
|
|
