Antique Chinese Qing Dynasty Rose Medallion Plates For Sale

Antique Chinese Rose Medallion Plates For Sale.  
Late Qing  Dynasty to Early Republic Period, circa 1890-1920. 
7.5", very good condition.   $60 usd /obo + shipping & insurance

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Antique Qing Dynasty Chinese Porcelain Rose Medallion Saucers

 Antique Qing Dynasty Chinese Porcelain Rose Medallion Saucers Tongzhi - Guangxu period

1 round, 1 six-sided. No chips or cracks. Good used condition. Some light fading. Minor pits 1850s-1890s ,approx 5.5" dia $70 usd /obo + shipping & insurance.

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Antique Qing Dynasty Chinese Porcelain Daoguang - Tongzhi Period Saucers

Antique Daoguang -Tongzhi period Qing dynasty 1800s- 1875 Chinese porcelain saucers. Fair condition. No chips or cracks. Fading paint, pitting.   Endless knot mark.

 SOLD

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Unidentified Azuchi-Momoyama Period Japanese Kano School Painting

   I recently found an original Japanese Kano School painting in an antiques shop, and although the painting is unsigned and lacks any text or seals, I believe it to be from Azuchi-Momoyama Period , although it could very well be early Edo period, or even Meiji for that matter, since it's difficult to attribute this work to any particular Kano school painter since it is unsigned.

The painting was re-framed sometime between 1943 & 1955.  I know this because the framer's label marked "Boston Book and Art Shop, 12? Newbury Street, Boston 16, Mass", :on the back has a 2 digit US zipcode, 16, which was only used between 1943 to 1963, however, according to a photograph of Boston Book & Art Shop found in the MIT Libraries collection, they were on Boylston Street in 1955..   I also know that this painting was also framed prior to this framing job, because the work contains at least 2 different matte burns of different sizes, the other being smaller than the matte which was in this particular frame.

Unfortunately it has also been mounted on a thick card stock and not in a traditional Japanese way.  It is my belief that the work may have originally been part of a multi-panel work and that the signature was on a different panel, or that it was originally a larger work, mounted on a scroll and that the scroll was possibly in very poor condition with damage and that someone trimmed the work, mounted and framed the remaining undamaged portion, and that the signature was possibly lost, destroyed or trimmed off prior to framing, however, I believer the former is more likely the case given that the rocks and tree to the left would most likely continue both upward and to the left as part of a more complete scene.

I have been researching Kano school paintings extensively attempting to attribute this work to a specific artist, and it's enough to make my brain explode, therefore I temporarily give up, for now, because what I really need, is the advice and opinion of an expert on Japanese Kano School paintings.

This Japanese painting, painted in Kano-ha style, measures approximately 13¼" wide x 10⅞", is unevenly trimmed, & depicts a woman playing a stringed musical instrument to a mother and female child sitting beneath a pine tree.  The stringed instrument rests across the woman's lap.

Naturally I removed the painting from the frame, which I always do when acquiring art pieces.  If there's one thing I have a pet peeve about, it's mattes, cardboard backings and non-traditional mounting methods, so I always remove paintings from whatever frame they're in, and if possible, hope to remove the work from its existing mounting and have appropriate conservation methods applied by a professional conservator.

If you have any ideas or suggestions on who the artist is of this Japanese Kano School painting, please comment.  Thank you

pp20 est1000+

Antique Krisha Sculpture Statue

 Sometimes I buy things out of pure impulse, as if I'm compelled to, because I simply can't resist.  Such is the case with this antique bronze Krisha statue that  I found in a local antiques store awhile back, and although at the time I had no clue whatsoever that it was Krishna, I did immediately recognize it as something from India because of the peacocks perched in the tree, and it appealed to me as something different and unique for my collection, so I bought it mistakenly thinking that it's possibly a Buddhist figure, because at the time I was still learning about all the different various deities and personas in Buddhism.

Antique Chinese Carved Stone Buddha Head Statue, Or Not?

Not only do I collect Buddhist statues, figurines and other Buddhist relics, etc, but I also happen to also be Buddhist, although I do also follow the philosophies of Confucianism and Taoism as well, however, for the most part, I consider myself a secular Buddhist, although I do regularly chant many mantra while meditating, such as om mani padme hum, and nam myoho renge kyo, etc..   I have only been on this path actively and seriously for the last 16 months now, however, did previously consider and question Buddhism, so I am still learning more and more each day and haven't yet decided on any specific tradition, sect, etc although I am leaning more towards those of Mahayana traditions even though Esoteric and other schools are appealing.  I find various aspects of many forms of Buddhism fascinating, therefore, have not been able to settle for just one single form.  I initially began exploring Soto Zen, but shortly thereafter progressed to Mahayana.


.   For the past year now I have been wanting a carved stone Buddha head, but could not find any locally.    Certainly there's an abundance of them available online, yet they tend to be pricey, and often I get the feeling that the seller or dealer is making very deceptive claims in order to inflate their selling price.   I for some reason chose not to buy one online, something I rarely do anyway, because I would much rather see the item in person when making a purchase.

So, yesterday afternoon I went out on a treasure hunt and visited some antique shops to see what I could find, and among the few items I purchased was this carved stone Buddha head statue, however, can I assume it's an antique just because it came from an antiques store?  Afterall, the dealer had no freaking clue, as usual, how old it was, nor anything else specific about it, other than "it's Chinese"... and considering the fact that he had about a half dozen of them, all of them very similar to each other,  perhaps maybe they're not really that old.   I honestly don't know.

The carved stone Buddha head stature is 5 1/2" high and weighs a few pounds.  I don't know the exact weight since I do not have a scale, but it feels like at least a few pounds, maybe up to 5;bs, but that's just a guess.








  So, wanting to know the going price for these carved stone Buddha head statues and trying to figure out how old my carved stone Buddha head might be, I began looking around, because I'm very curious by nature, I love learning, and need to know as much as I can about each and every piece in my collection.


I was shocked to see one very similar to mine on eBay with a buy it now of $799, and it's nearly identical to the one I have.   The seller says it is made of Chinese Schist stone, a mixture of quartz and gray stone.  Whether he is correct or not, I have no idea, but I'm curious to know whether or not mine is also Schist stone, and if not, what kind of stone is it?.    On this particular listing for the carved stone Buddha head, the seller claims it is 18th century Qing dynasty and claims it is from 1750s to early 1800s.. and then he claims it is an "uncommon piece",  yet, if uncommon, why did I find at least 6 nearly identical ones in a single store, and then there's another nearly identical one from in eBayer located in China, claiming it to be "old" and selling for $129, and then there's a US based eBayer who has sold multiple carved stone Buddha heads, and has a currently active listing for another one at $39.49 with free shipping, and it's listed as being "new".

  So, the question is, is my carved stone Buddha head an antique or not?  Come to think of it, is it actually carved, or is it possible to be cast from mold using some form of liquid stone mix that hardens much like how concrete works?  How exactly does one even determine the age and or period of carved stone anyway?  I have no idea, nor do I particularly care, well I do, sort of, but the most important thing for me was to have a stone Buddha head, regardless of how old it is, and that's what matters to me....  but I'd still like to know if it's an antique or not, because if it is, I'd possibly consider buying the other 5 for resale considering the prices some of them are listed for, or even to use as trading for other antiques, etc... but more important than that is to document its age and value etc for my future estate since everything I own will be left to my daughter.

Here's the carved stone Buddha heads on eBay that I refer to in this post:

Hunting for Asian Art & Antique Treasures Is Only Half The Fun

Today I went out on an Asian art and antiques treasure hunt as I customarily do once every few weeks and I am very pleased with today's finds. Matter of fact, I am extremely happy..

Today's Asian Art and Antiques Finds.

  It's not every day when you get to find a special piece that brightens up your day, but whenever I do find something to add to my collection, it makes me very happy.  

Hunting for Asian art and antiques  is only half the fun.  Browsing around the shelves of thrift stores, rummage sales, yard sales, and yes, even antiques stores, can often be disappointing when you don't find anything you like, or even worse, do find something you like and want, but is way out of your budget, but when you do find something, your eyes widen, your jaw drops and you excitedly pick something up that brings a big smile to your face.  I love it, but like I said, it's only half the fun.

I'm always so excited with my new found treasures and eagerly begin researching each piece, such as maker, age, period, and yes, even its estimate market value, although I have no intentions whatsoever of selling my collection, however, my daughter may wish to do so later on down the road when I'm dead, so I make sure I record everything, just in case.

Researching is exciting and offers an overwhelmingly satisfying learning experience of so many different things, like different cultures, history, production processes, about various artists and makers and so much more, and yes, even with languages too. 

  Collecting is about what you like... what you enjoy..  The pieces that put a smile on your face, the little finds that excite you and make you happy.   You do it because it's fun and you value the rewarding experiences that come with it, and the educational experiences acquired through researching your finds.  Sure it's also naturally rewarding to find a valuable piece too, but monetary value shouldn't be the primary motive in my opinion.. The hunt is only half the fun.

  Some people collect only very old pieces, others like to collect more modern pieces only a few decades old.. but no matter what your tastes and preferences, art is art and should all be appreciated.   There is nothing more distasteful than another so called collector with a negative attitude who makes hasrh remarks against other collectors because said collector's pieces are "worthless", or "crap" in her pseudo-expert, self righteous opinion.  (Yes, I'm talking about you Jennifer Hansen.  You're a scumbag full of BS and everyone knows it!)

  Just because some self proclaimed "serious collector" with a bad attitude says your piece is crap, does not mean it's crap.  To you it is treasure..  your latest find, that brings a smile to your face... that made you happy and filled you with joy and eagerness to find out more about it.   As the old adage goes, "One man's trash is another man's treasure".

Happy hunting and have fun doing what you love.