Antique Chinese Porcelain Cricket Cage With Red

Updated August 6, 2026

A late 19th C or early 20th C Chinese cricket cage featuring a distinctive hand-painted iron-red Buddhist lion or "Foo dog" motif accompanied by calligraphy on the back. The jar has a white glazed background with high-contrast red designs. The lid is decorated with Buddhist flames and the pearl of wisdom. The flaming pearl on the lid serves as the ideal counterpart to the Buddhist lion; in traditional Chinese iconography, these "Foo Dogs" are often portrayed in a spirited chase of the pearl, a visual metaphor for the tireless pursuit of wisdom and spiritual energy. The bottom of the lip on the lid, the inside of the mouth on the body and the narrow, cut foot are all unglazed. The base is glazed. There are an export sticker and the remnants of a wax export seal on the bottom. Provenance: From the estate of Dr. Andres Onate, former Dean of East Asian Studies at the University of Arizona. Dr. Onate served in China for the US State Department in the early 1980s and again in the early 1990s. This item was purchased in Beijing c 1982. MEASUREMENTS 5 in (12.7 cm) long x 3 in (7.6 cm) wide x 1 ½ in (3.8 cm) tall. Weighs 7.3 oz. CONDITION There is a chip on the mouth and the foot. There are no other chips, cracks or breaks. There is wear to the red designs on the lid. There is red staining to the unglazed lip of the body, as well as a few red deposits inside. A charming intersection of folk art and ceremony, the presence of the 'Foo Dog' and the sacred pearl elevates this vessel from a simple cricket cage to a potent symbol of protection and wisdom. Period: Early 20th Century Origin: China Materials: Porcelain Dimensions: 5"W × 3"D × 1.5"H

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