Tuxedo Park Junk Shop Sancai-Glazed Minqui From The Chew Family Collection New Arrivals

The China Art Center in Carmel California was an important cultural destination for decades, thanks to the Chew family who imported Chinese art and antiques into the San Francisco area, but also hosted visiting artists at the Dolores Lodge in Carmel California.

These two Tang Dynasty-style antique court attendants are examples of some of the Chinese export ceramics that the family had for sale at the China Art Center in Carmel. These figures were created as fine replicas of mingqi that were made from 618 – 906 AD, to accompany the deceased to the grave. Similar to ancient Egyptian culture, the belief was that in the after-life the myriad of helpers would be available for continued service. 

Sancai-glaze is the three-color glaze technique that emerged in the Tang dynasty. The use of amber, green, and creamy white is also known as ‘egg and spinach’, a term coined in the west.  

The pair of sancai-glazed court attendants stand eight inches tall and two inches at the base.