Lot 98

Chinese Ming Sancai Ceramic Funerary Mingqi w/ Offering Bowl

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Chinese Ming Sancai Ceramic Funerary Mingqi w/ Offering Bowl

Estimate: $800 - $1,200

Starting Bid: $400

(0 Bids)

by Artemis Fine Arts
August 6, 2026 9:00 AM MDT
Live Auction
686 S. Taylor Avenue
Suite 108
Louisville, CO, US 80027

East Asia, China, Ming Dynasty, ca. 1368 - 1644 CE. East Asia, China, Ming Dynasty, ca. 1368 to 1644 CE. A mold-made pottery tomb attendant, or mingqi, coated in vibrant yellow, green, and amber sancai (three-color) glaze. The figure stands solemnly atop a hexagonal plinth, presenting a large, circular bowl - perhaps once filled with symbolic offerings of food or drink for the deceased. She wears layered robes that cascade in naturalistic folds, and a tall headdress rises above her serene, cold-painted visage. Figures such as this were placed in tombs to serve the spirit of the deceased in the afterlife, part of a broader tradition of mingqi designed to replicate the comforts and rituals of earthly existence beyond the grave. A striking funerary piece that reflects both spiritual devotion and the refined ceramic artistry of the Ming period. Size: 5.3" W x 18.3" H (13.5 cm x 46.5 cm)

Provenance: private Colorado, USA collection; ex-collection of Y. Kayvan, Los Angeles, California, USA, acquired from a Los Angeles, California, USA gallery acquisition dates range from the late 1990s to 2005

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Item # 203010

  • Condition: Head is reattached at the neck with visible break line. Chips to the neck hem, bowl, and other areas of the robes, but otherwise good condition. Iridescence forming on the glaze.

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000