Chinese Qing Green Glazed Terracotta Retainer Pair

Each with a decorative wide border to the inner face and tendrils to the outer face. 1.96 kg total, 28 cm each



Ex Butterfield and Butterfield auction with official Hoi An Hoard labels. Accompanied by an illustrated information sheet about the Hoi An shipwreck. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

In the mid 15th century a freighting junk loaded with fine Vietnamese pottery sank in an area of the South China Sea called the 'Dragon’s Embrace.' This vessel is part of the shipwreck cargo recovered off the coast of Vietnam at Hoi An. The ceramics themselves were probably made in the area of Chu Dau.

Comprising four deep footed bowls with painted circumferential bands to the inner face and floral decoration to the outer face. 1.74 kg total, 16.1-17.2 cm



Ex Nagel Auction, with official Tek Sing Treasure labels to verso. Accompanied by an illustrated information sheet about the Tek Sing shipwreck. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

The Tek Sing (True Star) wreck is one of the famous recovery stories of the 20th century. Sailing from the port of Xiamen (then known as Amoy) in February 1822 the vessel Tek Sing was bound for Jakarta, Indonesia laden with porcelain goods and 1600 Chinese emigrants. The captain decided to pass through the Gaspar Strait, between the Bangka-Belitung Islands, and ran aground on a reef. The vessel sank in about 100 feet of water. The next morning, February 7, an English East Indiaman captained by James Pearl, passing through the same waters, encountered debris and some survivors and managed to rescue about 190 of the latter.

Modelled in the round straw-glazed figure of a warrior with feet together and arms drawn inward, left hand holding a pair of cords issuing from a taotie mask at the chest; ribbed and tiered helmet with open face, gorget at the throat, cuirass with bosses in the form of masks to the chest; shoulder guards with dragon-heads from the shoulders to the elbows in high relief; flared skirt above voluminous trousers and shoes. 1.47 kg, 40.5 cm



with ArtAncient, London, UK, 21 January 2015, no.29319. Private collection, London, UK. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

This figure would have stood sentinel at the entrance to a tomb, his fierce countenance and elaborate armour illuminated by the flickering light of ancient funerary rites.