Chinese Yuan Glazed Vase

Piriform body with flared and rolled rim, green glaze with circumferential band of swirls, leaf motifs to the shoulder; restored. 1.22 kg total, 24 cm high



Acquired from Ancient Art, London, UK, in 2011. Property of an Essex gentleman.

Comprising three powder boxes with painted floral motif to the lid and radiating petals around the low foot. 224 grams total, 64-67 mm



Ex Sotheby's, Amsterdam, 29-31 January 2007. Accompanied by an illustrated information sheet about the Ca Mau shipwreck.

The Ca Mau shipwreck refers to a cargo of Chinese porcelain sunk between 1723 and 1735 off the coast of Vietnam. The wreck was discovered by Vietnamese fishermen in 1998. It is believed the wreck was a merchant’s junk on its way from Canton (Guangzhou) to Batavia when it caught fire and sank. The ship was carrying goods destined for Dutch traders who had limited access to China and its ports.

Footed bowl with painted blue floral motifs and circumferential lines, rosette to inner centre and signature to underside. 423 grams, 16.5 cm



Property of a North London, UK, gentleman.

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.