A large molded bowl of conical form with a deftly carved center pattern of peonies and leaves with combed detailing. The exterior has carved vertical striations set below an incised horizontal line. The thickly potted foot-rim is slightly splayed and unglazed on the bottom with is encrusted with kiln-grit. The entire piece, including the under-foot well is glazed in a translucent green glaze of grass green tone, which pools in the troughs of the carving to a darker green. The thickness of the walls and hand-carving of this piece indicate an early Song Dynasty dating.
Condition:
With scratches on the interior and two kiln specks in the center
Provenance:
From a private Japanese Collection with inscribed box
A large plate of porcelaineous stoneware with a masterfully carved depiction of a lotus flowers with foliage. The petals are delicately curled with double lines accentuating their lifelike forms. The composition fills the entire interior of the bowl, enclosed in a single circular line just under the unglazed rim. The rim has been fitted with a metal band with dark patina. The underside of the bowl is undecorated, but bears the finger marks of the piece after it was dipped in glaze. The molded foot-rim is also glazed with two unglazed patches in the underfoot well, revealing a white clay body.
Provenance:
From a private Japanese collection with fitted wooden box
Song Dynasty 960 – 1279 AD, China
Height: 24.2 cm
A porcelaineous ewer with elongated melon-form body and long neck with flared mouth-rim. An elongated spout flares outward from the shoulder and a strap handle runs from the opposite shoulder to the underside of the mouth-rim. Small loops for a tie-down are attached to the apex of the handle and the edge of the lid, which fits snugly over the flared mouth. The lid has a central knob of a stylized lotus bud form in its countersunk center. There are two bands of incised lines, one around the upper neck and one around the girth of the body. Fine vertical lines are incised between the lobes of the body. The entire body is covered with a finely crackled pale glaze that pools to a bluish green tone.
A Large Blue and White Charger with Coin and Floral Design
Le-So Dynasty 15th-16th c. Vietnam
Diameter: 38.75 cm
An unusually large porcelaneous charger decorated in high quality cobalt blue with a coin depiction in the center, surrounded by bands of peony petals, encased in a double line and a ring of fire or waves. The cavetto is decorated with a wide band of scrolling peonies and the flattened round rim with an abstracted cloud motif. The exterior cavetto has overlapping peony petals surrounding the unglazed foot rim and underfoot with a wide band of iron oxide brown wash.
Two variations of this coin design on Ming Dynasty Chinese wares are published in Kodansha’s Oriental Ceramics: The World’s Great Collections, Pusat Museum Jakarta volume, indicating that this was a popular motif for export wares to Indonesia in the early Ming Dynasty, and thus adopted by the Vietnamese.
Provenance:
John R. Menke Collection and thus by decent to Ellen Menke
Literature:
Published in Stevenson-Guy’s “Vietnamese Ceramics – A Separate Tradition” Avery Press, 1997. pl. 243
Late 17th – Early 18th c., Japan
Diameter: 20.5 cm
B1536
A porcelain plate with slightly flared mouth-rim sitting on a straight raised foot. The interior is decorated with a polychrome depiction of two jars in a basket with branches of camellias and narcissus in underglaze blue with overglaze enameled red,yellow and green. The rim is decorated with a band of interlocking ruyi clouds. The back is decorated with coins tied with tassels and the raised foot-rim with a comb-tooth decoration. With a fitted wooden box.
Nabeshima ware was originally produced in Hizen Province, )Now Saga Prefecture), as tribute from the Feudal Lord Nabeshima to the Shogun in Edo. They represented the highest level of techinical and artistic achievement in Japanese porcelain of the time.
Matching pieces have been published in “Les Cadeaux au Shogun; Porcelaine Precieuse des Seigneurs de Nabeshima” Asahi Shinbun 1997, pl. 79. Also in “Nabeshima; From Earliest to Latest Periods” Tokyo, 2011. pl. 92. Imazaizumi Motosuke, “Nabeshima, Famous Ceramics of Japan 1” Kodansha 1981, Pl. 37. and “Nabeshima to Matsugatani” Yuzankaku, Tokyo 1969. pl. 115.
A piece with the same decoration sold at Christie’s, NY in March, 2000.
Goryeo Dynasty 11th – 12th c. Korea
Diameter: 18 cm
A stoneware rounded bowl with plain interior and three bands of delicately carved,overlapping lotus petals around its exterior walls. Each petal has an incised wavy line in the center, representing the center stalk of the petal. The piece sits on a slightly tapered foot, which is slightly rounded at its very bottom. The entire bowl and under-foot well are covered in a beautiful minty green translucent glaze.
Condition:
There is an original small hairline firing crack visible under the glaze at the mouth rim
Le-So Dynasties, 15th – 16th c. AD, Vietnam
Diameter: 33.4 cm
A large round charger of porcelaineous stoneware with a cobalt blue decoration of a leaping deer amongst three clouds and spiral design. The cloud and spiral motifs are reinterpreted on a surrounding band with just clouds around the interior cavetto. a narrow band of repeating crossed sword designs decorates the flattened rim. The back side has a band of ruyi petals around the side, and characteristic brown wash in the underfoot well. The foot-rim is unglazed, revealing a pale stoneware body.
Condition:
Good condition and glaze sheen
One original iron firing “pop” on the interior
Some reddish burial accretion on surface
Provenance:
Ken Baar Collection, UK
Alberts Langdon, Boston
Stephen Kunian Collection, Boston
Goryeo Celadon Ewer with Incised Floral Decoration
Goryeo Dynasty 11th-12th c. Korea
Height: 23.5 cm Length 21.3 cm
A stoneware pouring vessel with steep-walled bowl form and sharp shoulders surmounted by a shallow dome top, which has been decorated with a band of lightly incised scrolling floral depictions. The mouth-rim is of short, straight form, which bevels inward at the edge. A long, elegantly formed spout emanates from the upper body which is finished with a tear-shaped rim reminiscent of metalwork spouts originating in Persia. A thick double-strap handle curls up from the body and attaches to the shoulder and is surmounted with a small loop at its apex. The entire piece is covered with a crackled glaze of finely realized and consistent green color typical of celadons of the period.
A piece of identical form excavated at the Sanbo Shiwa Ancient Tomb and now in the Korean National Museum, appears in Sekai Touji Zenshu, Vol. 18, pg. 138.
Another example (with lid) is published in “An Introduction to Koryo Celadon”, Osaka Museum of Oriental Ceramics,1992. pg. 173. pl. 147. A piece of similar form, but with inlaid decoration is illustrated in the May 1969 Hobart Collection catalogs at Park Bernet Galleries, pl. 29.
Condition:
Body and glaze cracks and spout tip damage
A stoneware plate coated in iron oxide the carved with a large floral depiction in the center, set within three concentric circles and a scalloped pattern around the flattened rim. This sgraffito decoration was then filled in with a slip coating which stands white against a tan and brown background. The underside has been similarly coated with slip and sits on broad, flattened foot rim with shallow underfoot well, which is unglazed and revealing a light buff colored stoneware body.
While bowls incorporating this same decorative technique are well known, this is an unusual, and large example of a plate. One such bowl is published in “Dragons and Lotus Blossoms – Vietnamese Ceramics in the Birmingham Museum of Art” by John Stevenson and Donald Wood. Birmingham Museum of Art, 2011. Cat. 40.
Condition: Some rim fritting and areas of glaze flaking underneath
Provenance:
Jochen May, Germany
David Menke
Literature:
Published in Hidden Treasures 2000 years of Vietnamese Ceramics by Jochen May. 2000, Pl. 35
A Kendi form ritual stoneware ewer with compressed bulbous body surmounted by a tall neck that flares up to a disk-shaped mouth. A large mammo-form spout emanates from one side, and constricts to a very small mouth opening at its upturned end.
The entire piece is covered in a fine cobalt blue, likely of Persian origin. It has a flattened foot rim and a shallow underfoot washed in iron oxide brown.
Condition:
Disk and spout with chip repairs
Similar piece published in “Hidden Treasures 2000 years of Vietnamese Ceramics” by Jochen May. 2000, Pl. 72
Provenance:
Hoi An Hoard, Butterfields 2000, lot 48
John R. Menke Collection
September 10 – 18, 2026 Kindly call or email for an appointment
We are pleased to present Chinese and Japanese Ceramics, including a group of 20th century modern Japanese pieces dating from 1930’s – 1990’s during Autumn Asia Week New York.
The Chinese section of the exhibition is Tang and Song Dynasty ceramics, from Ding, Yaozhou and Yue kilns from the North and Qingbai wares from southern kilns.
Japanese antique pieces range from the Kofun through Edo periods, and include a Haniwa head of a warrior figure, Sueki wares from the 6th century, and and Oribe Kutsu-gata shaped tea bowl from the late 16th- early 17th century. From later in the 17th century there is a fine example of a Nabeshima polychrome plate. Other Edo Period pieces include a large Bizen ware horn shaped wall vase and a fine celadon censer in imitation of Ming Dynasty celadons. The modern Japanese pieces are by Kawai Kanjiro, Shimaoka Tatsuzo, Yagi Akira and Takiguchi Kazuo.
The exhibition will be open by appointment from September 10th – 18th, 2026.
We warmly look forward to welcoming you to the gallery this autumn!
Zetterquist Galleries was founded in 1992 by Eric J. Zetterquist to present the finest of Asian ceramics throughout the ages. Our clients include major museums and the most discerning collectors of Asian ceramics from around the world.
While most Asian antiquities galleries choose one country and show several different media from that country, Zetterquist chose to show one medium, ceramics, but cover all of East Asia. The flow of materials with stylistic and technical influences around the region over the past 2,000 years tells a fascinating story that gets more exciting with time.
