Vividly painted along the exterior with a continuous scene of the Hongs (foreign trade warehouses or “factories”) that were situated outside the city walls of Canton by the Pearl River. The varying national flags of these factories are shown flying including those of France, Imperial Austria, Sweden, Britain, Holland, and Denmark. The walkways outside these factories are filled with numerous European and Chinese figures engaged in various commercial activities. The interior has a floral basket in the center, and an elaborate border of festoons and bands, and additional floral baskets. All finely painted in particularly deep and vibrant enamels.
Diameter 14 ⅛ inches (36 cm)
Provenance:
Cottier & Co., New York, 9 December 1909
Collection of Mrs. Charles B. Manning (1882-1965)
Bernard Karr, Hyde Park Antiques: 1997- 2023
Important Private American Collection: 2023- present
Exhibited: Harvard Art Museums, Objects of Addiction: Opium, Empire, and the Chinese Art Trade, September 15, 2023- January 14, 2024
Phoenix Art Museum, Exchanges East and West, September 6, 2024- August 24, 2025
Note: There are numerous variations of Hong Bowls. The earliest example was made in 1765 and is illustrated in Bredo L. Grandjean, Dansk Ostindisk Porcelæn, Copenhagen, 1965, fig. 113-114, cat. no. 107. It is now in the collection of M/S Maritime Museum of Denmark. The subject of the Hongs is one of the most iconic and important in the China Trade, representing this remarkable moment in time and commerce between East and West. The scenes give us a glimpse into that fascinating world.
Very similar examples of varying quality are in major museums and collections, including the British Museum (Franks Collection); the Peabody Essex Museum, Salem; and two from the Anthony Hardy Collection. The example in the Peabody Essex Museum is, recorded and described by William R. Sargent, 2012, Treasures of Chinese Export Ceramics from the Peabody Essex Museum, p. 435, cat. no. 239.
Decorated with Immortals likely situated in the Daoist Paradise. These include the Eight Immortals, and Xiwangmu Queen Mother of the West, and others playing weiqi, all set against a rare honeycomb patterned ground.
Height: 17 inches (43 cm)
Ex: Private New York Collection (acquired in the early to mid-1900s)
An almost identical example is the in the Anthony de Rothschild Collection, now at the Ascot Estate, UK, illustrated by Kraahl, The Anthony de Rothschild Collection of Chinese Ceramics, 1996: Vol. 1, No. 87. Another was formerly in the collection of JT Tai (sold at Sotheby’s, New York, March 22, 2011, Lot 96). A small Fahua tile in the British Museum is similarly decorated with deities, identified as the Three Official Great Primordial Rulers (San Guan Da Di), popular Daoist stellar deities also known as the controllers of Heaven, Earth and Water, see Jessica Harrison-Hall, Ming Ceramics in the British Museum, London, 2001, pp. 426-427, pl. 13.35.
Unusual Chinese Large Powder Blue and Famille Verte Porcelain Bowl
KANGXI PERIOD, CA: 1700
Decorated with a multi-colored petal-shaped reserves of varying plants, birds, and mythical animals set against an upper powder blue ground with flowerheads and tendrils in gilt.
SHUNZHI/ KANGXI PERIOD, CA: MIDDLE/ LATE 17TH CENTURY
Decorated inside and out with horses galloping over swirling waves amidst rocky promontories, flowerheads, and Precious Things. All finely painted in varying colors against a deep green ground.
Ex: Private American Collection
Prior: with Parish Watson (prominent early 20th century New York dealers).
Porcelains with this decoration in varying forms may be found in important private and museum collections including the Butler Collection, the J.P Morgan Collection, the Taft Museum, and the Victoria & Albert Museum.
Large Chinese Wucai Glazed Porcelain Vase and Cover
TRANSITIONAL PERIOD, CA: 1640
Decorated with large-scale Court ladies and Boys engaged in a New Year’s celebration in a palace garden. Finely and boldly painted in vibrant enamels and underglaze blue.
Height: 20 inches (51 cm)
Ex: Private American Collection
NOTE: The underfoot is inscribed with four characters reading: 耿衣金瓶 (meaning: Jinlian and Ping’er dressed in bright robes). Though the decorations is usually identified as a New Year’s celebration scene, the inscription identifies the ladies in the decoration as two main characters from The Plum in the Golden Vase or The Golden Lotus. The novel was very popular and notoriously racy, based upon the historic epic The Water Margin. The inscription may be more a projection than the actual source of this subject.
Thinly potted and of elegant form with lobed sides and foliated lip. Glazed overall in a beautiful and even ivory tone, with characteristic “tears” along the inner rim.
Presenting a scene from Shakespeare’s Winter’s Tale, Act V, Scene III. Finely painted in the reverse glass method and based directly upon an engraving by Robert Thew (published by John and Josiah Boydell) that was based upon a painting by William Hamilton, 1793. The engraving was brought to China and copied there for export back to England. Finely and faithfully painted. With Chinese gilded frame in English style of the period; with wood plank on the reverse.
Size: 29 x 23 inches (73.6 x 58.4 cm) framed.
Ex Collection: Arthur Vernay
Published: The Decorative Arts of the China Trade by Carl Crossman, 1991 (second edition), p. 209.
Rare Japanese Lacquer Tebako (Document/ Personal Accessories Box
MADE BY DŌMOTO INSHŌ (1891-1975) AND DŌMOTO GOSABURŌ (SHIKKEN, 1889-1964) TAISHO ERA (1912-1926), 1924
With rounded corners, slightly domed lid, and with silver rims. Decorated with painted lacquer of varying type of a fruiting grape vine in gold lacquer. The interior with gold hirame against a black-lacquer ground.
Size : 7 ⅛ x 12 ⅛ x 9 ⅝ inches (18.1 x 30.8 x 24.5 cm.)
Signed on one side in silver hiramaki-e characters Taishō jūsannen natsu Gosaburō saku (Made by Gosaburō in summer 1924)
With a fitted wood storage box bearing a paper label Dōmoto Inshō shita-e Gosaburō gassaku budō maki-e tebako (Box for Personal Accessories with Lacquer Design of Grapes, a Joint Work of Dōmoto Inshō as Designer and [Dōmoto] Gosaburō [as Lacquerer]). The interior of the box with a signed inscription recording the Dōmoto brothers’ collaboration in the creation of this tebako
Ex: Private American Collection (acquired from Kagedo, Seattle, 2009).
This box presents an unusual documented collaboration between the prolific and versatile Dōmoto Inshō, one of the titans of twentieth-century Japanese painting, and his elder brother, the similarly versatile lacquer artist Dōmoto Gosaburō (later known as Shikken, “House of Lacquer”), and dates from the start of both men’s careers. See: Jan Dees, Breaking out of Tradition: Japanese Lacquer 1890-1950, exhibition catalogue, Münster, Museum für Lackkunst, 2020, cat. nos. 16, 24, 40.
April 23 – 27, 2026 Preview Party: Thursday, April 23, 5-9pm Hours: Friday and Saturday, Apr 24-25, 11am-6pm; Sunday, Apr 26, 11am-4pm Convention Center at the Valley Forge Casino Resort, 1160 1st Ave., King of Prussia, PA
We are delighted to be exhibiting at the inaugural Pennsylvania Antiques Show at Valley Forge this month!
The Show highlights the best of Americana, fine art, folk art, Chinese and European decorative arts, garden antiques, along with standout pieces of 20th-century art and design. Proceeds from the Show preview and attendance will benefit Historic Trappe’s educational programs, including living history demonstrations, hands-on workshops led by traditional artisans, and events such as Kids Dig History.
Spring Exhibition of Chinese Porcelain and Works of Art
March 19 – 27, 2026
Special AWNY Hours: Daily, 10–6pm
We are pleased to once again present an extraordinary selection of fine Chinese porcelain and works of art for this season of Asia Week New York. Experience the beauty and craftsmanship of our works on view, featuring a rare Chinese Fahua-glazed guan jar, a fine Chinese export porcelain ‘hong’ bowl, and a carved jade petal dish. These exquisite works highlight the skill, creativity, and elegance of Chinese decorative arts, promising a truly unforgettable viewing experience!
Publications
We invite you to browse through our deeply researched collection of catalogues, showcasing a stunning array of fine antique Chinese porcelain and works of art. You may find one or more to match an occasion or simply add enjoyment into your own collection! If you have any questions or would like further information, please don’t hesitate to contact us by phone or email.
2025 marks an extraordinary milestone since our founding in 1910! Above are some vintage photographs of our founder along with his famous office with its dragon mural wall in a previous gallery location from the 1930s.
We look forward to marking this remarkable period of time with an active year of exhibitions of fine porcelains and works of art!
About the Gallery
The Ralph M. Chait Galleries, established in 1910, holds the distinction of being the oldest specialist gallery in the United States focusing on fine antique Chinese porcelain and works of art. Founded by Ralph M. Chait, a self-taught connoisseur with an impeccable eye for quality, the gallery quickly gained prominence. Chait’s expertise and taste attracted notable collectors of his time, including John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and President Herbert Hoover, as well as an array of influential political figures, scholars, and artists. Today, the gallery continues to serve a distinguished global clientele, maintaining its legacy of excellence.
The gallery’s storied history is reflected in its enduring traditions and the prominent individuals who have frequented it. A central table, present since the early days, has served as a gathering point for collectors from varied backgrounds to examine and discuss pieces. Over the decades, the gallery has sold significant works to many major museums, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Art Institute of Chicago. Additionally, it has collaborated with renowned architects and designers like Frank Lloyd Wright and Sister Parish, cementing its role as a trusted authority in the field of antique Chinese art.
A third-generation family business, now led by Steven and Andrew Chait, the gallery has not only survived but thrived through diverse historical and economic challenges. Its involvement in prestigious antique fairs and organizations, such as the National Antiques and Art Dealers Association of America, underscores its commitment to the art community. With over a century of history, the Ralph M. Chait Galleries continues to honor its rich heritage while looking forward to a promising future in the world of fine Chinese antiques.
