The exceptional vase decorated with two sea creatures on opposite sides in between marine monsters and vegetation, the two handles in the form of sea creatures, the Chinese inscription circling the outer boarder of the rim, followed by a Greek key register underneath, the bottom stamped  most likely with the emperor's name. 

A very rare and important vase.

After overthrowing the Mongol Yuan dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, the founder of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), proclaimed that he had obtained the Mandate of Heaven (Tianming), enabling establishment of a spiritual orientation and social agenda for China. Zhu, emperor during the Ming's Hongwu reign period, launched a series of social programs to rebuild the empire and define Chinese cultural identity. To promote its reform programs, the Ming imperial court issued a series of legal documents, culminating in The Great Ming Code (Da Ming l�), which supported China's legal system until the Ming was overthrown and also served as the basis of the legal code of the following dynasty, the Qing (1644-1911).

We have acquired a nice collection of ancient Chinese objects that have been collected since the 1940's - 1950's, which have been been initially purchased from the Tonying (Tongyun) Company that was established in 1902 by Zhang Renjie (1877 - 1950), a millionaire financier and Nationalist Government official and patron of both Sun Yat-sen and Chiang Kai-shek, who was called by Westerners "Curio" Zhang. Mr. Zhang was the son of a wealthy family from Zheijiang Provence, he gained an official appointment in 1902 as an attache on the staff of the Qing government's Minister to France, Sun Baoqi, it was while in Paris that he established the Tonying Company for the import and sale of works of art, tea, and silk, with the financial assistance of 300,000 chinese dollars from his father Zhang Dingfu. The Tonying Company remained a family business and branched out to New York from it's original base in Paris and it's sources in Shanhai. This company supplied a number of British dealers including John Sparks and Bluetts, and because of Zhang's position in China, the Company was able to source high quality ancient works of art, including objects from the old imperial collection. A long friend from his Paris days was Li Shizeng, who became chairman of the newly created palace museum in 1925 and was responsible for the inventory of the imperial collections. Zhang also oversaw the beginning of the removal of more than half of the imperial collections to Shanghai in 1933 following the Japanese invasion of Manchuria. It was during this period that many imperial works of art found their way into Western collections, through dealers such as Zang.

This object is unconditionally guaranteed authentic. It has been legally imported to the U.S., and is legal to sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14.

A note to our international buyers: Import duties, taxes and charges are not included in the item price or shipping charges. These charges are the buyer’s responsibility. Please check with your country’s Customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding/buying.

At times there may be delays at Customs depending on the country we ship to. Please note that delays at Customs abroad are beyond our control. We ask you to be patient and to allow additional time for your shipment to clear.

Kindly note these points regarding the item you are buying:
1- This item is guaranteed authentic.
2- The images, size, and condition in this listing are accurate and for the actual object offered.
3- We ship within 1 day of receipt of payment.
4- Returns are allowed within one week from date of receipt for full refund less shipping charges. Buyer pays for return charges.

About Us

We are among the top world-wide online ancient art sellers with a physical gallery location in New York City on Museum Mile. We have extensive experience in buying and selling antiquities. When acquiring antiquities, we tend to buy the finest objects and offer them at reasonable prices to our customers. We hand-pick every object and make sure it has great eye appeal as well as good upside investment potential. All objects we buy have been legally acquired, with clear titles, and if imported by us to the United States, has been done so in accordance with international laws concerning the trade in antiquities. Our buying sources are private collectors and major auction houses worldwide. Collecting antiquities can be fun, exciting, and quite rewarding, provided that you buy from the right dealer- one that you can trust and build a long lasting relationship with.

All objects we sell are:

1- Unconditionally guaranteed authentic (A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany every item over $100).

2- Reasonably priced compared to others.

3- Professionally packed.

4- Shipped upon receipt of payment (1 day turnaround).

5- No hassle seven day return privilege for full refund, less shipping.

Our commitment to you is:

Offer sincere advice, friendly service, and great value for your money.

Whether you have been collecting antiquities for a while or just starting, our publication, "How to Buy & Collect Ancient Art", can be of great help to you. It will provide you with valuable information and advice, and after all it is free! Kindly email us to request a copy.

*Our vast inventory of ancient art includes one of the finest and most comprehensive ancient glass collections ever assembled; it includes nearly every variety of pre-Roman, Roman, and eastern Mediterranean ancient glass. Aside from those objects listed on eBay, we have many more ancient glass and antiquities in all categories and at all price levels. If you have any specific inquiries, please let us know.