Chinese Marble Pieces

There is a saying in China. If you like it; buy it! Because you may not see it again in China. It has made decisions very easy for me when looking for unusual items to take home. In Dali just north of Kunming in Yunnan province are the ancient marble quarries mined for hundreds of years. Local people take the tailings and make vases, ash trays and many other decorative pieces. Note the large piece above that I viewed as a large "cookie" jar but when I opened it up and stuck my hand in it, everyone laughed very hard. It turned out that this was a fancy camode to be placed under your bed. In Dali there is the marble market where you can get good buys and bargain with the local artists. Although heavy in a suit case, they are beautiful and you won't find them many other places in China. All through China you will find hand made items made by local artists. In an earlier post, I wrote about my collection of tea pots chiseled from solid stone seldom found in China except from special artists near Nanjing. During my 50+ trips to China in 25 years I have found remarkable pieces to bring home. As a China only Tour Operator I direct my clients to areas of their special interests where they too can find unusual pieces for their collections. Tours to China is my business but my passion is really the study of China and all it has to offer from many centuries of history. Click on the photos for a full screen view.