It is often said that Chinese collectors are loath to buy works from tombs for fear of disturbing the spirits of their ancestors. In fact, nothing is further from the truth. Throughout millennia, farmers relished digging for buried objects found in countless surrounding tombs, as much as they did digging for their crops. Until recent laws passed by the Chinese government prohibiting the sale of burial objects, the market for this material was lucrative.… Read More

In China, ancient burial sites commonly included tomb pottery. China’s tradition of pottery-making began in ancient times well before the Han dynasty, but by this time, improvements to pottery-making techniques allowed for extensive production of items for both daily and ceremonial use. These sophisticated new techniques eventually led to the three-colored glazed-ware (sancai) of the Tang dynasty as well as low-fired glazed-wares of the Ming and Qing dynasties.… Read More

We are honored to present “Hasui and His Contemporaries” at auction on November 22, 2014 in Boston. Dr. Irwin J. Pachter’s extraordinary collection features pre-earthquake and pre-war prints by renowned Japanese painter and printmaker Kawase Hasui (1883-1957). Sadly, Dr. Pachter passed away on September 4, 2014 at the age of 89.

“Kawasi Hasui and His Contemporaries: The Shin Hanga (New Print) Movement in Landscape Art” was first exhibited at the Everson Museum of Art in 1986, and then traveled to the University of Michigan Museum of Art.… Read More

In China, during the Han dynasty (206 BC through AD 220), burials commonly included tomb pottery. China’s tradition of pottery-making began in ancient times well before the Han dynasty, but by this time, improvements to pottery-making techniques allowed for extensive production of items for both daily and ceremonial use. These sophisticated new techniques eventually led to the three-colored glazed-ware (sancai) of the Tang dynasty as well as low-fired glazed-wares of the Ming and Qing dynasties.… Read More

Discerning collectors, dealers, and museum curators of Asian art regularly made pilgrimages to a charming 18th century saltbox home in Wilton, Connecticut: Vallin Galleries. Owned and operated by Peter L. Rosenberg for nearly thirty years until his sudden death in December of 2013, Vallin Galleries was widely regarded as an outstanding source for the best of Asian art and antiques. Skinner is proud to offer Peter’s estate, a testimony to the nearly 75 years of the family business of selling Asian art, in a two-day auction April 26-27, 2014 in Boston.… Read More

Mention jade, and most people think of a green stone, when in fact, jade comes in a variety of colors. In addition to the familiar rich green hues, antique jade may be white, lavender, yellow, brown, gray, or reddish-purple.

Another important thing to understand about jade is that there are two different types of jade stones: nephrite and jadeite. Both can be found in river beds, or mined at depths of ten to twenty feet, and both come in all colors, though nephrite’s colors are less vivid than the colors of jadeite. Hence, identifying the two stone types can be difficult.