Neolithic Chinese Pottery

Some art is a lot older than European antiques; those would be called antiquities. Take the neolithic period for example, way before 3300 B.C. (well over 5000 years ago from today!). The pictured Chinese vessel was made before the potter's wheel was invented, which means it is 100% hand formed. Note the geometric painted design on the clay medium, dated between 3500 and 5500 B.C. In much later years, Chinese pottery/art is often categorized by dynasties (Han, Qing, Ming, etc.); however, this pot dates long before before the first Chinese dynasties, so it's on its own as far as history goes.

"Liquid Lace": Dresden China

Dad's early collecting years included European antiques that made their way across the "pond", and a few into our Guest Room. A favorite was Dresden figurines. Around 1700's, the Chinese' secret of hardpaste porcelain made its way to Europe, enabling more detailed, delicate formed creations. One spectacular new form was Dresden "lace" porcelain, developed in Germany (Dresden, thus the name). The process involved dipping real lace into a liquid porcelain and then adhered by hand to the base of a figurine. The lace burned off in the subsequent firing process. The result looks like beautiful flowing fabric, but it's so fragile its rare to find one not broken (at least the lace part). Popular figurines depicted idealized "guy-meets-girl" scenes, called crinoline groups (see photo). Some themes really do transcend time and culture.