**Originally Listed At $200**

East Asia, China, Ming Dynasty, ca. 1368 to 1644 CE. Two charming glazed pottery figures from a Ming period tomb. First, a fish with an open mouth, nicely incised scales/fins atop a circular lid, glazed in sienna and green hues. Joining this piece is a tripod vessel with a rounded body, short slightly flared neck, and a pair of concentric circular appliques or handles to either side. Objects like these were sometimes created to accompany tomb figures known as mingqi - sometimes known as "spirit utensils" or "vessels for ghosts". They became popular in the Han Dynasty and would persist for several centuries. Almost any object used in daily life became tomb furnishings, believed to provide comfort as the soul journeyed into the afterlife. Size: vessel measures 2.5" in diameter x 3.125" H (6.4 cm x 7.9 cm); fish lid measures 4" W x 2.25" H (10.2 cm x 5.7 cm).

Provenance: private Hawaii collection, USA;ex-Splendors of the World, 2005; ex-Hong Kong collection between 1980 to 1990

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.

Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.

#150482

Neck/rim of vessel repaired with minute losses to break lines. Chips to ends of feet. Loss to tip of fish tail and abrasion to top of fish head. Normal surface wear. Scattered mineral deposits especially visible on the buff surfaces of the lid. Collection labels on undersides of both pieces.