posted on May 26, 2004 12:37:52 PM
Hi ... I have this cloisonne lady with ivory head ... she has a bird on top of her head, with a pendant hanging off the chest of the bird ... (I've also been told she is a nodder, but her head doesn't nod very much; it's just inserted in the brass neckband) ... I think I have seen the presence of a lady with bird figure on head in some books (long ago) and I think she has a 'connection' with something specific? ... maybe one of the Seasons of the year? ... just trying to jog my OWN memory here, of which there isn't much left. LOL ... my question is, "does anyone know 'who' she is?" and is she Japan, China, or another? ... I appreciate any knowledgeable input here ... thank you for letting me pick your brain ...
[ edited by estatesalestuff on May 26, 2004 12:40 PM ]
posted on May 26, 2004 12:58:33 PM
Marcia - Can't answer your question, but I love her! It's exactly what I collect (orientalia). Let me know when you list her.
posted on May 26, 2004 01:07:10 PM
Thank you, Cheryl! ... I remember seeing similar figures in an antique mall in NW Ohio and the price tags there were $500-ish ... my deceased father-in-law had this at his antique shop with a $545 price tag ... still trying to truly "settle" this estate to pay off a bro, so I can't start this out real low at ebay ... it's one of the nicer things from the shop ... when the chattels appraiser did the shop contents, she is the one that told me this is an early nodder (and I'm GLAD she mentioned it because I was getting ready to glue the neck in! LOL) ...
I'm just trying to figure out 'who' she is, because I am pretty sure she is a specific goddess, or something-personified ... know what I mean?
posted on May 26, 2004 02:19:27 PM
I don't think it is a nodder; they would usually have the head on a pivot of some sort, with a weight descending from the head (like a pendulum) to give it some momentum to rock back and forth. The narrowness of this figure wouldn't allow much swing area inside to do that. That's one reason why nodders are often sitting, squat figures, to allow a lot of movement room inside.
posted on May 26, 2004 02:34:42 PM
Marcia - She is not a nodder. Often times the glue holding the hands and the head in place comes loose. I have a very old Guan Yin statue and her hands come out. It's all porcelain, but from what I've learned the hands were made that way. Some say it's because the hole for the hand was to allow heat to escape in the kiln, others say it's to be able to replace the hands which are easily broken. Don't glue her whatever you do, though. Best to leave her as is.
posted on May 26, 2004 02:42:47 PM
Thanks you two ... like I said, I sure didn't feel that she "nodded" much ....
Maybe I'll just list her stating that I don't know much about her. ... I "could" write to columbuscat.com but I'm not sure I want to pay for their appraisal or not ... perhaps it would be worth it if I came up with 10 things for them to appraise ... has anyone here ever used them before?
posted on May 26, 2004 02:51:54 PM
she is chinese,not japanese.
She may just be another court lady wearing elaborate hairstyle,that bird on top looks like a phoenix.
is she new??
-sig file -------we eat to live,not live to eat.
Benjamin Franklin
posted on May 26, 2004 04:58:46 PM
she cant be that old,peking cloisonne has been around for hundred years,they dont mix cloisonne with other material,unless you call 1972 OLD!!
-sig file -------we eat to live,not live to eat.
Benjamin Franklin
posted on May 26, 2004 05:19:44 PM
Take a look at this site,it has 2 lady figurines
http://www.chait.com/cgi-bin/main.pl
-sig file -------we eat to live,not live to eat.
Benjamin Franklin
... they have more than one auction listed. But then I also see they have a "Chinese Ancestor Portrait" listed and I know I saw these being sold new in Dallas in the 80's, though they were never cheap.
Just remember, the 20th Century ended only 4 years ago. These figures are probably not antique, but they are still somewhat expensive.
[ edited by ltray on May 26, 2004 10:45 PM ]
posted on May 26, 2004 11:58:19 PM
Definitely Chinese.
By comparison to the Butterfields auction, this looks like a reproduction of sorts.
As a kid I was dragged around factory tours that made this stuff. (sssshhh don't tell my mom.)
I'm not THAT old, old enough, but...I'm babbling!
ps...look at the western influence of the face...not a traditional face...esp when you compair it to the very nice butterfields set. Those faces are so endearingly "lucky" and beautiful. imho.
posted on May 27, 2004 03:15:47 AM
Good morning, all! ... Thank you very much, everyone, for your thoughts on this ... I really do appreciate it ... At least a few of you found some similar for me to check out ... I wasn't finding ANY trying to google it.
posted on May 27, 2004 04:52:28 AM
one easy way to tell how old the cloisonne pieces is-
until late 1970s when they improved the techniques,the old cloisonne pieces all show oxidation,this piece and all the other pieces shown on other sites appear in very good condition.
-sig file -------we eat to live,not live to eat.
Benjamin Franklin
