Vintage Pair of Chinese Peasant Pottery Statues

This tall, lovely pair of blanc de chine (literally china white in French) figurines portray a Chinese peasant couple, their bodies bent and their faces etched with age. The statues are of hollow construction which is one characteristic of true blanc de chine; they are thickly potted and feel heavy despite being hollow. Another trait is the unglazed base; the cracks in them are caused during the firing due to the thickness of the walls and are a sign of age, not a defect. The clay used is very fine and silky to the touch on the interior. The glaze is high gloss and shows some crazing. There is an impressed mark on each bottom; it resembles a capital letter 'A' with a capital letter 'T' superimposed over it--or perhaps it's the reverse.

The bases of the figures are slightly oval in shape and measure about 4 inches by 4 1/4 inches. At the widest point across, the man is about 5 inches and the woman 6 inches. Each weighs about 2 3/4 pounds. Other than a tiny firing fissure in the glaze on the bottom edge of the female statue, shown in photograph # 4, these pieces are in outstanding condition.

Note: Price is for the pair.

PYH 4199