Antique 19thC Blue + White Floral "Ming Style" Porcelain Seal Stamp Paper Weight

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TRANSLATEArabicChineseFrenchGermanGreekIndonesianItalianHindiJapaneseKoreanSwedishPortugueseRussianSpanish!Nicely Preserved, Very Large Genuine 19th Century Traditional Blue and White ("Ming Style") Glazed Porcelain Stamp-Seal/Paper Weight.CLASSIFICATION : Blue and White Glazed Porcelain Seal Stamp/Paper Weight.ATTRIBUTION : Ancient China, Qing Dynasty, 19th Century.SIZE/MEASUREMENTS :Height: 84 millimeters (3 2/3 inches).Breadth: 59 millimeters (2 3/8 inches).Depth: 53 millimeters (2 1/8 inches).CONDITION : Excellent! A little wear consistent with any functional porcelain item which is several centuries old. Surprising no significant chips anywhere, just the blemishes common to hand production (warts and dimples, zits and pits). Not flawless, but certainly in a good state of preservation.DETAIL : Familiar to functionaries, administrators, and bureaucrats in every society, culture, and age; a seal stamp. Nicely preserved and quite large and heavy (it encloses a metal weight of some sort), it is composed of traditional glazed blue and white porcelain so wonderfully characteristic of late Ming/Qing Dynasty artwork, as you can see from the photographs, flowering shrubs with birds, dragonflies, etc. This would be a great desk accoutrement even today! Aside from its function as a seal, it also is weighted and can be used as a wonderfully unique and attractive paperweight. What a great gift for your favorite pencil-pusher!The glaze is virtually entirely intact, though there are of course a few minor scuffs, marks, dings, etc., but very minor. Not at all uncommon in such an old piece of porcelain, the integrity of the seal stamp is still sound. One would expect some signs of age in an artifact a century old, of course. All of the preceding almost entirely expected and minor - we're just playing critic here in the interest of full disclosure. It's not perfect, but it is about as close to it as you will ordinarily find of an authentic porcelain stamp seal of its age. Of course realistically one would expect some blemishes of a functional item such as this, and there are no surprises here except that there are so few blemishes.There are a few production blemishes, again really not noticeable, just the warts, dimples, zits, and pits quite typical of hand-crafted porcelains of the Ming and Qing Dynasty. Overall it is an exceptionally attractive piece, and extraordinarily well preserved specimen of the ancient Chinese porcelain art. If you'd like an authentic ancient traditional blue and white "Ming-style" desk accoutrement to proudly display, you could not go wrong with this. It is solidly shaped, nicely featured, and perfectly proportioned. You could display this one with great pride either at work on your desk or at home as a curio. Whether at home or at work it will certainly generate attention and more than a little envy!HISTORY OF QING CERAMICS : The Qing (Ch'ing) Dynasty (1644-1911 A.D.) was the last imperial dynasty of China. Imperial patronage stimulated one of China's most intense periods of ceramic production, characterized by unmatched technical expertise and refinement in blue and white, monochrome, and polychrome ceramics. Colorful enamel porcelain overglazes were invented. The process of enameling was further developed, along with a nearly endless number of new shades for monochrome-glazed porcelain. An innovative new technique produced five-colored porcelains. Applying a variety of under-glaze pigments to decorative schemes of flower, landscape and figurative scenes, these five-colored porcelains gained great renown in Western Europe.In almost every major European museum, you will find either five-colored or monochromatic porcelain (in blue, red, yellow or pink) from this period. The finest export wares were produced for European markets in the 17th and 18th centuries. Perhaps the most exciting potte... read more

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