Bowls with Painted or Glazed Decoration
These bowls show various approaches to both ornamental line work and pictorial themes – landscape, still life, and nature. Some are faded almost to invisibility, while others are still vivid and clear.
Round stoneware opium pipe bowl with faded detailing and three markings
Round stoneware opium pipe bowl with faded detailing and three markings
Round stoneware opium pipe bowl with faded detailing and three markings
Round stoneware opium pipe bowl with faded detailing and three markings
Round stoneware opium pipe bowl with faded detailing and three markings
Round stoneware opium pipe bowl with faded detailing and three markings
Painted and glazed opium pipe bowl with chickens and scenery
Painted and glazed opium pipe bowl with chickens and scenery
Painted and glazed opium pipe bowl with chickens and scenery
Round red stoneware opium pipe bowl with faded decorative glaze on top
Round red stoneware opium pipe bowl with faded decorative glaze on top
Round red stoneware opium pipe bowl with faded decorative glaze on top
Dark grey-green round opium pipe bowl with two fine glazed rings, no collar
Dark grey-green round opium pipe bowl with two fine glazed rings, no collar
Dark grey-green round opium pipe bowl with two fine glazed rings, no collar
Dark grey-green round opium pipe bowl with two fine glazed rings, no collar - marking
Octagonal red stoneware opium pipe bowl with worn glazed decoration including birds, two markings
Octagonal red stoneware opium pipe bowl with worn glazed decoration including birds, two markings
Octagonal red stoneware opium pipe bowl with worn glazed decoration including birds, two markings
Octagonal red stoneware opium pipe bowl with worn glazed decoration including birds, two markings
Octagonal red stoneware opium pipe bowl with worn glazed decoration including birds, two markings
Hexagonal dark stoneware opium pipe bowl with decoration including birds, flowers, and linework, one marking
Hexagonal dark stoneware opium pipe bowl with decoration including birds, flowers, and linework, one marking
Hexagonal dark stoneware opium pipe bowl with decoration including birds, flowers, and linework, one marking
Hexagonal dark stoneware opium pipe bowl with decoration including birds, flowers, and linework, one marking
Round painted opium pipe bowl with nature scene and characters in red, black, and tan, one marking
Round painted opium pipe bowl with nature scene and characters in red, black, and tan, one marking
Round painted opium pipe bowl with nature scene and characters in red, black, and tan, one marking
Round painted opium pipe bowl with nature scene and characters in red, black, and tan, one marking
Octagonal red stoneware opium pipe bowl with fine painted details and two markings
Octagonal red stoneware opium pipe bowl with fine painted details and two markings
Octagonal red stoneware opium pipe bowl with fine painted details and two markings
Octagonal red stoneware opium pipe bowl with fine painted details and two markings
Octagonal red stoneware opium pipe bowl with fine painted details and two markings
Hexagonal grey stoneware pipe bowl, glazed with darkened line art depicting a nature scene and two markings
Hexagonal grey stoneware pipe bowl, glazed with darkened line art depicting a nature scene and two markings
Hexagonal grey stoneware pipe bowl, glazed with darkened line art depicting a nature scene and two markings
Hexagonal grey stoneware pipe bowl, glazed with darkened line art depicting a nature scene and two markings
Hexagonal grey stoneware pipe bowl, glazed with darkened line art depicting a nature scene and two markings
Round stoneware opium pipe bowl with still life, characters, a detailed metal eye, and several stamped marks
Round stoneware opium pipe bowl with still life, characters, a detailed metal eye, and several stamped marks
Round stoneware opium pipe bowl with still life, characters, a detailed metal eye, and several stamped marks
Round stoneware opium pipe bowl with still life, characters, a detailed metal eye, and several stamped marks
Round stoneware opium pipe bowl with still life, characters, a detailed metal eye, and several stamped marks
Octagonal stoneware opium pipe bowl with landscape and characters, one stamped mark
Octagonal stoneware opium pipe bowl with landscape and characters, one stamped mark
Octagonal stoneware opium pipe bowl with landscape and characters, one stamped mark
Octagonal stoneware opium pipe bowl with landscape and characters, one stamped mark
Black octagonal stoneware opium pipe bowl with plant and characters, one stamped marking
Black octagonal stoneware opium pipe bowl with plant and characters, one stamped marking - painted characters are "恒斋", 'Heng Zhai', possibly the artists' name?
Black octagonal stoneware opium pipe bowl with plant and characters, one stamped marking
Black octagonal stoneware opium pipe bowl with plant and characters, one stamped marking - including "葉" (perhaps 'leaf'?)
The Eight Horses of Wang Mu
This is a glazed pipe bowl, painted with figures outlined in light relief. The eight horses are a reference to the Eight Horses of Wang Mu, a popular mythological theme in the early Qing era. This is a rare, but not unique specimen – another slight variation on the same theme and coloration can be seen in the Wolf K. book. Functionally, the spherical design is similar to bowls from early in the 19th century, before flat-topped bowls became widespread.
Glazed pipe bowl depicting eight mythological horses
Glazed pipe bowl depicting eight mythological horses
Glazed pipe bowl depicting eight mythological horses
Glazed pipe bowl depicting eight mythological horses
One of the eight mythological horses having a roll in the grass
Glazed pipe bowl depicting eight mythological horses
Glazed pipe bowl depicting eight mythological horses
Red Clay Bowls
A good plain red clay bowl could have been prized by a smoker above other more ornate choices for its smoking qualities, but there is a certain aesthetic elegance to the unadorned simplicity of some of these. Some interesting details in this set include a bowl that has been sealed at the top and drilled into on the side (though the raised portion of the clay around the drilled hole suggests that perhaps this bowl was designed to be used either way) and a bowl with a fixed ring of spongy, tacky material around its base, which would have provided a very convenient alternative to the usual ghee-rag for sealing the bowl airtight with the pipe saddle.
Red clay opium pipe bowl, round, plain, with ceramic eye insert and rounded brass collar
Red clay opium pipe bowl, round, plain, with ceramic eye insert and rounded brass collar
Red clay opium pipe bowl, round, plain, with ceramic eye insert and rounded brass collar
Red clay opium pipe bowl, round, plain, with ceramic eye insert and rounded brass collar - marking
Red clay opium pipe bowl, round, with fixed mounting seal and two stamped markings
Red clay opium pipe bowl, round, with fixed mounting seal and two stamped markings
Red clay opium pipe bowl, round, with fixed mounting seal and two stamped markings
Red clay opium pipe bowl, round, with fixed mounting seal and two stamped markings
Red clay opium pipe bowl, round, with fixed mounting seal and two stamped markings
Red clay opium pipe bowl, round, unmarked, integral mount, with damage to the glaze from an old sticker
Red clay opium pipe bowl, round, unmarked, integral mount, with damage to the glaze from an old sticker
Red clay opium pipe bowl, round, unmarked, integral mount, with damage to the glaze from an old sticker
Red clay opium pipe bowl, round, integral mount, ringed base with obscured markings
Red clay opium pipe bowl, round, integral mount, ringed base with obscured markings
Red clay opium pipe bowl, round, integral mount, ringed base with obscured markings
Red clay opium pipe bowl, round, integral mount, ringed base with obscured markings
Red clay opium pipe bowl, octagonal, with reproduction collar and two markings
Red clay opium pipe bowl, octagonal, with reproduction collar and two markings
Red clay opium pipe bowl, octagonal, with reproduction collar and two markings
Red clay opium pipe bowl, octagonal, with reproduction collar and two markings
Red clay opium pipe bowl, octagonal, with reproduction collar and two markings
Red clay opium pipe bowl, octagonal, reproduction collar, with two markings
Red clay opium pipe bowl, octagonal, reproduction collar, with two markings
Red clay opium pipe bowl, octagonal, reproduction collar, with two markings
Red clay opium pipe bowl, octagonal, reproduction collar, with two markings
Red clay opium pipe bowl, octagonal, reproduction collar, with two markings
Red clay opium pipe bowl, octagonal, unmarked, with sealed top and opening drilled on side
Red clay opium pipe bowl, octagonal, unmarked, with sealed top and opening drilled on side
Red clay opium pipe bowl, octagonal, unmarked, with sealed top and opening drilled on side
Red clay opium pipe bowl, hexagonal, with a set of markings on the side
Red clay opium pipe bowl, hexagonal, with a set of markings on the side
Red clay opium pipe bowl, hexagonal, with a set of markings on the side
Red clay opium pipe bowl, hexagonal, with a set of markings on the side