Guides
Short guides from a collector, on the wares we sell and how to buy them.
Celadon: Goryeo and Longquan celadon
Celadon is the green-glazed stoneware of East Asia, fired in China for over a thousand years and perfected in Korea under the Goryeo dynasty. This guide explains the two great celadon traditions, Longquan in China and Goryeo in Korea, and shows the pieces we currently have for sale.
Qingbai ware: Song and Yuan dynasty porcelain
Qingbai, meaning bluish white, is the pale blue-white porcelain of Song dynasty Jingdezhen, and it is where Chinese porcelain as we know it begins. This guide covers what qingbai is, how Song and Yuan pieces differ, and the two qingbai pieces we currently have for sale.
Longquan celadon: Song dynasty celadon from Zhejiang
Longquan celadon is the green-glazed stoneware of Zhejiang province, and in the Song dynasty it was the finest celadon China made. This guide explains the kilns, the glaze, and the motifs, including the twin fish on the dish we have for sale.
Goryeo celadon: inlaid celadon from Korea
Goryeo celadon is Korea's great contribution to the art of ceramics: a green glaze taken from China and transformed by a technique China never used, inlay. This guide explains sanggam inlay, the kilns of Gangjin, and the octagonal dish we have for sale.
Cizhou ware: painted stoneware from northern China
Cizhou ware is the painted stoneware of northern China: bold, free brushwork in iron-brown over white slip, made for everyday use and loved by collectors for its spontaneity. This guide covers the kilns, the painting, and the yuhuchunping vase we have for sale.
Chinese bronze: mirrors and vases
Bronze was the first great art material of China, and its forms never left the collector's imagination. From the Song dynasty onward, scholars revived the shapes of ancient ritual bronzes, and mirrors and small vases were made for the desk and the altar. This guide covers mirrors, archaistic vases, and the two bronzes we have for sale.
Early Chinese pottery: Qin and Han dynasty
Long before porcelain, China made pottery: grey, painted, and burnished. The Qin and Han dynasties made it in astonishing quantity for the tomb. This guide covers the two early pieces we have for sale: a Qin cocoon jar with a potter's seal, and a painted Han ding.
Song dynasty ceramics: celadon, qingbai and tea bowls
The Song dynasty (960–1279) is the golden age of Chinese ceramics: the period when the great kilns found their voice and the scholar's taste set the standard. This guide covers the Song wares we have for sale and the ones to look for.
Yuan dynasty ceramics: qingbai, Cizhou and blue-and-white
The Yuan dynasty (1279–1368) is the bridge between Song elegance and Ming grandeur: the period when Jingdezhen became the centre of Chinese porcelain and blue-and-white was born. This guide covers Yuan ceramics and the four Yuan pieces we have for sale.
How to buy Chinese ceramics online
Buying antique Chinese ceramics online can feel risky, but with the right checks it is how most collectors buy today. This guide walks through what to look for: authenticity, condition, provenance, and the seller, before you pay.
How to tell real Goryeo celadon
Goryeo celadon is the most faked Korean ceramic, and the copies are getting better. This guide covers the four things to check before you buy: the inlay, the glaze, the foot, and the overall feel of the piece.
Chinese ceramics in New York
New York has been a centre for Chinese art for over a century, and it is still one of the best places in the world to buy Chinese ceramics. We are a collector-run business based in New York, selling Song, Yuan and earlier pieces, and this page shows what we currently have for sale.
Korean antiques in New York
Korean art has a smaller market than Chinese art, and that is part of its appeal: the collecting is quieter, the prices are often lower, and the quality, above all in Goryeo celadon, is extraordinary. We are a collector-run business in New York, and this page shows the Korean piece we currently have for sale.