Specialties
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Old Japanese Pottery Bizen Tokkuri
Daikoku
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Regional Art:
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Japanese:
Pre 1920 item# 6698
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bleu et blanc/Blue & White America, Inc.
Tokyo Time: 011-81-90-1844-8776
sold
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7.5” tall, about 3” diameter. Good condition, a few tiny nicks at mouth, see picture. Impressed with a potter’s mark. Dating Meiji to Taisho Eras, late 19c to early 20c. This form of tokkuri impressed with a rough image of Daikoku, one of the Japanese 7 lucky gods (god of wealth), is probably the most well known modern forms to come from the old kilns at Bizen. Bizen is best known for producing items for Japanese tea ceremony, and can be recognized by this distinctive purple brown dark clay with natural ash glazing. This type of tokkuri after being wheel thrown has been indented on three sides, one with Daikoku, and the other two by the potters finger (prints faintly visible). This type of tokkuri was used for drinking sake (rice wine) and is a marvelous example of an old Japanese pottery in a popular folk art (Mingei) rendition.
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Fine Japanese Studio Vase Meiji Nishiura Enji
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Japanese:
Pre 1900 item# 6646
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bleu et blanc/Blue & White America, Inc.
Tokyo Time: 011-81-90-1844-8776
sold
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12.5" tall, 8.2" diameter; excellent condition, signed by the artist. This magnificent vase comes from the Nishiura studio of Mino, Japan dating to the Meiji era (late 19th - early 20th century). It is done in a technique known in Japanese as “Fukie” and is a fine example of Meiji art epitomizing the style of the potter Enji Nishiura V who lived from
1856-1914. The vase is signed Nishiura Enji Zo (made by). This lot is being exhibited as part of the SOTHEBYS.COM Launch Exhibition in New York from January 11-18, 2000. The Nishiuras of the great Japanese pottery center of Mino were a pottery merchant family who in the mid Meiji era began a studio for the actual production of ceramics. Enji Nishiura V whose life spanned the Meiji era became known for his exquisite “Fukie” technique, of multicolored under glaze enameled porcelains of naturalistic subject matter, such as birds and flowers, painted without outlines. In 1895 he established a company “Tajimi Trading & Co. Ltd” and in 1889 opened a branch in Boston. Works by Enji Nishiura V are in the collections of major Japanese museums, and can be seen in the following publications: “Japonsime for the Western World: The Pottery of the Meiji Era” published by The Foundation of the Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park, 1996, and in the “The Grace and Workmanship of Porcelain: Unfolding Developments in Japan” by the Aichi Prefectural Ceramics Museum, Seto City, Japan, 1998. An example by Nishiura can also be seen in the exhibit and book of the Khalili Collection "Splendors of Meiji".
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Japanese Pottery Takeo Tsubo Jug with
Kanji
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Japanese:
Pre 1837 VR item# 6595
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bleu et blanc/Blue & White America, Inc.
Tokyo Time: 011-81-90-1844-8776
sold
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Edo era, 18th to early 19th century.. Takeo area, Saga Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan. 9.25"/23.5 cm. height, Iron-brown overglaze on white slip. Very good condition, no cracks or chips, crazing. This vibrant container originates from the Takeo area of Saga Prefecture in Kyushu, Japan. Takeo is near Karatsu and Arita, which is famous for its production of Imari porcelain. Ceramics were produced at Karatsu before the discovery of porcelain (around 1600), after which some Karatsu kilns converted to porcelain production, while others made common use pottery. These included kilns in the Takeo area, the products of which are often called Takeo-garatsu, and includes the better known Yumino wares. This example of Takeo ware is made of a typical reddish-brown clay which has been covered with white slip (liquid clay) leaving broad brush marks (hakeme). The stylized kanji are painted in an overglaze iron brown. Such tokkuri, containers for sake or water (maybe the latter because of the wider opening), were made in the area beginning in the 17th century. The lively calligraphy and slip application are characteristic of ceramics from this
area. Similar examples can be seen in Museum collections.
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19c Japanese Indigo Textile Happi
Kimono
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Japanese:
Pre 1900 item# 6591
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bleu et blanc/Blue & White America, Inc.
Tokyo Time: 011-81-90-1844-8776
sold
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48” across, 34” tall. Good condition, some staining and small patches, no holes or tears. Dating to the late 19th century, this coat with a family crest and origami cranes would have been used for an upper class family on a day of celebration. Textile experts in Japan have advised use that possibly it could have been worn for the staff of such a family, as on one of these occasions they would have been properly outfitted in such a manner. The crest looks very close to the crest for the Takaki or Abe family as seen in Penkala's Far Eastern Ceramics p. 181. The piece was hand made in a time consuming process. The hand made fabric was dyed with a dyeing technique called "tsutsugaki" (tube drawing), a paste resist dyeing process done by hand, with an applicator using a paper cone with a a metal tip used to draw a rice paste onto the cloth. After the fabric would be dyed one or more different colors, with the main background color an indigo dark blue. Visually it is a marvelous design and an excellent example of a Japanese folk textile. This type of textile is scarce and very unusual outside of Japan.
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Old Japanese Festival Kimono Fish
Design
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Japanese:
Pre 1920 item# 6588
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bleu et blanc/Blue & White America, Inc.
Tokyo Time: 011-81-90-1844-8776
sold
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54” long, 47.5” across. Good condition with fading, some staining and a few patches. No holes or tears. This extraordinary festival kimono dates from approximately 1860-1910. It is today the most difficult type of Japanese textile to obtain, since they were hand made on an individual basis, and few survive. This is probably a “Maiwai” translating literally to “a thousand congratulations”, a kimono for fishermen on special occasions (see Anna Jackson’s “Japanese Country Textiles” Weatherhill 1997 for a more detailed description.) This type of kimono was made from the late Edo era through to the Second World War, at first worn only by a ship’s owner but later given as a reward to others for an exceptional catch. Design motifs tend to be those related to the sea and other auspicious symbolism. Examples can be seen in museums with Japanese Folk Textiles and are also illustrated in Jackson’s and other books. This finely designed example is an exceptional piece of Folk Art and quite rare to see. The hand made fabric was dyed with a dyeing technique called "tsutsugaki" (tube drawing), a paste resist dyeing process done by hand, with an applicator using a paper cone with a a metal tip used to draw a rice paste onto the cloth. After the fabric would be dyed one or more different colors, with the main background color an indigo dark blue. Please see additional photos in following listing.
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Old Japanese Tetsubin Iron Tea Pot Tanuki
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Japanese:
Pre 1920 item# 6581
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bleu et blanc/Blue & White America, Inc.
Tokyo Time: 011-81-90-1844-8776
sold
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8” wide (including spout) x 8.5” tall. Dating late 19th, early 20th century. Good condition with normal rusting. This is a fantastic tetsubin in the form of a Tanuki, the mischievous badger. Tanuki is actually supposed to be a small bear and he's a bit of a curious figure. He is something of a mythical prodigal son, and sometimes is portrayed in a manner that must appear baffling and frightening to the unfamiliar. He might be shown with a sake bottle (drinking too much), a record book (money gone), with a distended stomach (eating, drinking) and well, let's just say other places can appear distorted. For this tetsubin the artist has made Tanuki into an absolutely delightful form with details including one paw extended from the body, and the swelling of the tail on one side. Tetsubin in animal form are hard to find because of their natural appeal to collectors. Stamped with a maker's chopmark. This kettle version of Tanuki relates to a folk tale of a badger (sometimes a fox) who turned itself into a kettle. The legend suggests that it did so to thank a woodsman who saved it’s life, the woodsman in turn selling the kettle to a priest. The kettle was unhappy with temple life as it was polished (which was painful) and used on the fire. It in turn returned to the woodsman, after its cries of pain in the temple had terrified the acolytes there. Following this it made money for the woodsman by dancing, as the woodsman became a traveling entertainer with his dancing badger kettle. For the curious there are other versions of this legend, including one where the unhappy kettle in the temple turned itself into a prostitute! For this and other stories one should consult Piggot’s “Japanese Mythology”, the source of this information (and a fascinating book!)
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Fine Japanese Hirado Teapot with
Dragon
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Japanese:
Pre 1900 item# 6256
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bleu et blanc/Blue & White America, Inc.
Tokyo Time: 011-81-90-1844-8776
sold
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8" across (includes spout), 7.3" tall. Perfect condition, 19c, Meiji Era c 1870-80s. Unmarked, with landscapes painted on both sides. This exquisite Hirado teapot with a high relief dragon spout and handle was made at Hirado Island near Arita on the island of Kyushu in Japan. While for most of the Edo period Hirado served as a private kiln for the Matsura family, eventually the kiln(s) became independent in the 19th century. This is an excellent example of a Meiji Era piece as it combines unrelated stylistic motifs (see Lawrence). The modeling is remarkable and typical of high quality Hirado pieces.
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Japanese Silk Obi Meiji - Taisho Era
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Regional Art:
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Japanese:
Pre 1920 item# 6072
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bleu et blanc/Blue & White America, Inc.
Tokyo Time: 011-81-90-1844-8776
sold
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Dating from the Meiji to Taisho Eras, probably late 19c. Narrow style (probably Fukuro Nagoya), 6.5" wide and about 9' long. Very good condition, only a hint of fraying, no fading, and only miniscule discoloration. Design is the same on the entire obi and is woven from four threads--beige, gold, red and orange, and includes a variety of flowers and "temari", silk thread formed balls. This is a beautiful example of considerable workmanship, of vibrant coloring and in exceptional condition, of a type rare to see outside of Japan.
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