No other kind of ceramics express Taiwanese culture quite like koji. Historic warriors, emperors, and animals in folklore have been brought to life in the form of koji figures adorning numerous temples in Taiwan.

A branch of Tang tri-color, the earliest colored ceramics in Chinese history, koji is best known for its spectrum of brilliant colors. Its rainbow-colored palette and bonbon-like texture come from the influx of Shanxi glass, Western enamel and the glazing technology in Jiangxi's Jinteh pottery. Despite some confusion over the origin of its name, most scholars agree that it refers to the ancient name of the area made up of today's Guangdong, Guangxi and Yunnan provinces, where the craft originated.

A koji work can consist of more than a hundred colors, of which green takes on the shade of jade, blue looks like sapphire and purple is the shade of amethyst, giving it the nickname "gem glaze." In its home region, koji pieces were usually seen decorating temple walls.

THIS PIECE IS EXQUISITELY DETAILED AND IS IN PERFECT CONDITION, EXCEPT FOR A MINOR PEEL ON THE STAND OF THE BACK OF THE FRAME. THE FRAME EVEN HAS A DECORATIVE BRASS HANGER FOR WALL HANGING AS WISHED.

Dimensions: 8 inches x 8 inches