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Arita Porcelain Tako-Karakusa Sake Bottle
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Pre 1920 item# 149697 (stock# 2C-295)
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B & C ANTIQUES
203-929-7312
$620
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Wonderful Japanese Arita sometsuke (blue and white) porcelain sake bottle or tokkuri in ovoid form with an elongated neck and overall underglaze blue designs of tako-karakusa (octopus vine). Early 20th century. A vertical blue linear design separates the karakusa pattern from the foot, and there are three blue lines encircling the bottom of the bottle. The glazed base is recessed and the high foot rim unglazed. The karakusa design is one of many scrolling vine patterns used to decorate Arita and Imari wares, and blue and white sometsuke porcelains with the takokarakusa design are examples of wares made for the domestic Japanese market. Arita is a town on the island of Kyushu which has been a center of Japanese porcelain production since the seventeenth century. With Arita blue and whites, the blue is produced from a cobalt or indigo pigment and is painted straight onto the biscuit, after which the piece is glazed and fired. Ceramics for everyday use were made at the same kilns that were producing highly ornate, purely decorative wares primarily for export. These humble storage bottles often have a greater appeal than export ware because they show a highly developed sense for matching materials, form and function with simple beauty. Condition is excellent, with only a kiln firing crack on the bottom where the glaze separated. Overall dimensions: 10” high, 6” diameter.
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Ceramic Hibachi with Blue Flambe Glaze
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Pre 1920 item# 149094 (stock# 2B-517)
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B & C ANTIQUES
203-929-7312
$595
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The body of this handsome early 20th century Japanese folk ceramic hibachi in rounded 10-sided form is glazed in rich dark brown with an unctuous blue and mauve flambe glaze on its rim and dripping down its sides. The upper half of the interior is washed in brown glaze. We have been unable to determine the folk kiln of its origin. It is often difficult to identify the specific place of manufacture of many 19th and early 20th century Japanese folk ceramics due to the spread of technology from one area to another. This gave rise to a situation in which ceramics of closely similar types were made all over Japan. Hibachi were finely crafted braziers used in old homes and shops to provide heat, warm sake and boil water for tea. This portable fireplace was also the emotional center of the home, since family and friends gathered around its welcoming warmth. Ceramic hibachi made their appearance during the Meiji period and at once gained widespread popularity. A porcelain hibachi became the status symbol of the day. In today’s homes, these old hibachi make stunning coffee tables (just cover it with a round piece of glass) or impressive jardinieres. They are prized for their craftsmanship and can be utilized in many imaginative ways very different from their original purpose. We know of several collectors who use porcelain hibachi to display their treasures such as inro, netsuke, sword furniture or lacquer combs beneath the glass top. Condition is excellent, and the glazing is extremely attractive. Overall dimensions: 14 ½” diameter, 10” high. Weight: 17 pounds.
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Satsuma Teapot with Jakatsu Glazing, Meiji
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Pre 1910 item# 137270 (stock# SB-1)
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B & C ANTIQUES
203-929-7312
$145
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This Japanese ceramic teapot is an unusual example of early (“ko”) Satsuma ware. Ca. 1900. The lid and upper two-thirds of the body are covered with deep brown globules of thick glaze. This is a later form of the earlier “jakatsu-gusuri” glazing, which is also known as sharkskin or dragon scale glaze. The glaze was formulated in such a way that it pulled away from portions of the clay surface into small drops, producing an interesting blistered texture. The lower portion and concave base are unglazed. The finely-wrought bamboo rattan handle, embellished with a style of wrapping known as “mushi-maki,” has a wonderful old patina.
Pieces of this type and age are attributed to the productions of the Ryumonji kilns; however, this type of glaze was also used on Soma Obori and Shigaraki wares. Ko Satsuma production included articles for use in the tea ceremony. Such articles were generally small in size. There were many varieties of Ko Satsuma which would not be accepted as “refined” by Western standards. However, to the connoisseur of Japanese ceramics, such wares are highly prized and sought after. This pot was made for domestic use and not for export. A nearly identical tea pot is illustrated in Figure 243, page 139, “Treasury of Satsuma” by Sandra Andacht.
CONDITION is excellent, with normal wear consistent with age and usage. There are minor hairline cracks on the unglazed portion of the base (see Enlargement Photo 8) and some roughage on the tip of the spout. DIMENSIONS: height 5 ½” (14 cm) without handle, 7 ½” (19 cm) with handle raised; 6” (15.3 cm) diameter, 7 ½” (19 cm) overall length including spout.
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Oribe Ware Oil Plate in Lotus Form
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Pre 1920 item# 135264 (stock# 2B-608)
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B & C ANTIQUES
203-929-7312
$225
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Unusual Japanese Oribe pottery oil plate (“aburazara”) in the form of a lotus leaf; early 20th century. The plate has been crafted to realistically resemble a round fully-open lotus leaf, with veins emanating from the cream ground in the center. The outer edges and the rim are glazed in the characteristic thick mottled copper green glaze which is richly-crackled. The thick green glaze produces a lovely blue streaking effect where it pools at the intersection of the rim and the plate. The unglazed base also shows the veins of the lotus leaf. An aburazara is a flat plate with a perpendicular edge. It was used to catch oil drippings and soot from the burnt wick of an oil burning lamp. Due to changes in lighting technology, aburazara ceased to be made in the Meiji period. Oribe ware, a folk pottery produced in kilns located in Mino and Seto, is particularly Japanese in taste and was never made for export. Its bold and spontaneous designs and contours were generally asymmetrically executed in styles that were distinct, imaginative and vigorous. Oribe pottery derives its name from Furuta Oribe, a famous 16th century tea master. His influence over the pottery production of his day led to the development of a certain type of ware that was later named after him, nearly all relating in some way to the tea ceremony. He was a tea master who set the standard for tea ceremony ware and changed a utilitarian ceramic industry into one that was primarily concerned with pottery as works of art. Condition is excellent, with only one small hairline in the rim, which looks like the crackling in the glaze, and some minor kiln firing spots which are not uncommon on folk ceramics. Overall dimensions: 6 ¾” diameter, ¾” high.
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Adjustable Wood Crosspiece for Jizai, Edo
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Pre 1900 item# 133971 (stock# 11-288)
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B & C ANTIQUES
203-929-7312
$1,195
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This wonderful densely-grained Japanese keyaki wood “yokogi” crosspiece in the shape of a swimming carp dates to the early 19th century. There is also an old cord and an iron pot hook which would have been used to hang the yokogi and hold an iron pot over the fire. The bold simplicity of the carving is extremely appealing, and the fish actually has the appearance of being in motion. This carp-shaped pothook-adjuster has a mellow, dark patina consisting of cooking smoke and soot -- plus a little scorch along the bottom -- from many years of hanging over a fire. In the center of the main room of traditional houses of the Edo and Meiji periods stood an open hearth in which a small charcoal fire was kept burning. Above the fire was a suspension device called a jizai (self-adjuster) from which an iron kettle could be hung and raised or lowered as necessary. A large wooden pothook hanger (jizai-gake) was suspended by a heavy rope from the high roof beams. The other end of this rope was attached to the adjuster (yokogi: crosspiece) through which the rope passed just above the iron hook. The weight of a pot on the iron hook pulled down on the rope and jammed it tight inside its hole through the crosspiece. Moving the yokogi to a horizontal position released this tension and permitted the kettle to be raised or lowered. Wooden crosspieces were usually carved in fanciful forms having auspicious and protective symbolism. A yokogi in the form of a carp (koi) was meant to inspire and instill courage and perseverance in the male children of the family and thus help to bring about success in their subsequent careers. Carp, like salmon, swim upstream to spawn, struggling bravely to overcome barriers such as rapids and waterfalls. In addition to the symbolism of the carp, fish-shaped yokogi in general symbolized the presence of water and were thought to magically prevent the fire in the hearth from starting a conflagration and destroying the house. This is an important piece of Japanese folk art equaling the quality of those found in most of the major mingei collections or illustrated in reference books and catalogs about Japanese folk art. Condition is excellent. There may be a small restoration to the tip of the tail which looks like the grain of the wood. Dimensions: 13” long, 3 ½” wide, 4” high.
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Japanese Agano Ware Tokkuri Sake Flask, Edo Period
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Pre 1900 item# 133520 (stock# 2C-232A)
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B & C ANTIQUES
203-929-7312
$495
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Japanese Agano stoneware sake flask (“tokkuri”) with a rich crackled cream glaze and a thick bluish green copper glaze dripping about the shoulder. Ca. 1850. The foot is unglazed. The effect of the green glaze (“rokusho”) drip patterns is striking. Rokusho-nagashi is a form of overglaze decoration in which a bluish green glaze is applied over transparent glaze; the former runs over the transparent glaze during firing. This Edo period bottle comes from one of the folk kilns, most likely Agano, in the northeastern part of Kyushu. Agano ware was fired in various kilns until about the middle of the nineteenth century, but it is no longer made. Folk pottery consists of various kinds of domestic kitchen wares which possess a natural dignity that stems from the combination of the materials used to make and fire the pottery, the craftsman’s technical skill, and the use to which such pottery is put. Folk-craft products or “mingei,” of which this tokkuri is representative, are objects used by common people. These commonplace, functional artifacts are endowed with a beauty directly connected with their utility – a beauty that is humble, unassuming and never pretentious. The qualities of beauty found in these objects are seen to derive from their having been made by craftsman working close to nature, using simple techniques and traditional styles. Condition is excellent, with only one tiny firing spot in the neck glaze. Dimensions: 8” high, 2 7/8” base diameter.
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Lacquered Kiri Wood Guest Hibachi, MOP Inlay
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Pre 1920 item# 130322 (stock# 15-209)
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B & C ANTIQUES
203-929-7312
$295
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Lovely Japanese oval paulownia (kiri) wood guest hibachi with makie lacquer and inlaid mother-of-pearl decoration. Early 20th century. These wooden holders for a charcoal container and the bamboo cylinder are also called smoker’s hibachi or “tabako-bon.” The front of the thick, densely-grained kiri wood body is decorated with large gold makie lacquer hydrangea blossoms and gold and silvery lacquered leaves, some of which are highlighted with mother-of-pearl inlays. The reverse is simply decorated with small lacquer leaves and tiny red berries. Smoking was widespread among both men and women by the mid-Edo period, and the strong kizami tobacco was smoked only in small amounts in slender pipes with tiny pipe bowls (kiseru). The cylindrical inset copper receptacle would hold burning charcoal with which to light the pipe. The bamboo tube, which has a rosewood cap, would hold a tiny bit of water to dispose of smoked tobacco ash. As a sign of relaxation and welcome, guest hibachi played an important role in Japanese hospitality. Custom demanded that whenever a visitor arrived, the first act of welcome would be to set a small personal hibachi in front of him. This was also true of commercial shops. Production of smoker’s hibachi ceased at the turn of the 20th century, when cigarettes became fashionable and virtually replaced pipe smoking. Condition is excellent. Dimensions: 7 ½” long, 6” wide, 4 3/8” high.
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Gold Takamakie Lacquer Kogo, Meiji
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Pre 1920 item# 125429 (stock# SB-12)
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B & C ANTIQUES
203-929-7312
$245
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This fine round Japanese gold makie lacquer kogo (incense container) dates to the Meiji period (1868-1912). The cover is decorated in takamakie (raised lacquer) designs of auspicious treasures, including a flaming jewel (tama), the symbol of Buddhist wisdom, and a treasure sack, usually carried by the gods Daikoku or Hotei. Delicately painted stylized cranes and feathers surround these treasures. Inlaid gold kirigane, a decorative technique employing tiny pieces of gold leaf cut in various shapes to form a kind of mosaic, completes the decoration on the cover. The plain gold lacquer interior is undecorated. Incense (“ko”) was introduced into Japan along with Buddhism around the sixth century, and it has remained a part of religious ceremonies ever since. The Heian period’s fascination with aromatics led also to secular uses. Incense also played an important role in the tea ceremony. After cleaning the rooms before the guests arrive, incense was used to purify the space spiritually and help separate it from secular space. The incense was kept in small containers such as this one and conveyed with chopsticks into the fire in the brazier. Overall condition is good; yet unfortunately, there are three cracks on the lid which have been caused by dryness. This has been reflected in the price of this fine piece of lacquer ware. Dimensions: 3 1/8” diameter, 1 ½” high.
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Wakasa-Nuri Lacquer Inro with Ceramic Netsuke
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Pre 1920 item# 125109 (stock# SB-15)
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B & C ANTIQUES
203-929-7312
$675
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This lovely four case Japanese lacquer inro reflects the typical mottled orange, gold and black Wakasa-nuri lacquer technique. Early 20th century. It is complete with a cylindrical stone ojime and an unusual egg-shaped blue and white porcelain netsuke. The netsuke, which is decorated with a tengu, is signed Sen Zan. Inro are small Japanese containers made in several sections which are fitted on top of each other so perfectly that the joints are hardly noticeable. They were carried on the right hip, suspended from the obi with a double silk cord attached to a netsuke. A small bead (ojime) held the cords together just below the obi. The earliest inro were used for containing seals; however, in later they were used as medicine boxes. Many 19th century inro were executed by some of the most celebrated lacquer artists of the time. Wakasa was a provincial lacquer center which developed its own technique. In Wakasa-nuri, layers of different colored lacquers (predominantly brown, yellow-gold and orange) were applied to a ground deliberately rendered uneven by applying a paste, such as egg white or chalk, or by the addition of small pieces of egg shell, rice chaff, etc. Very thin gold or silver foil was then pressed so firmly into this “relief” that it fit the uneven surface like a skin. Then a coating of transparent lacquer was applied and, after it had hardened, everything was polished down to form a smooth surface. As a result, a mottled effect was created as the layers of colored lacquer under the gold foil reappeared in places to produce rather unusual patterns. (This technique is very similar to Tsugaru-nuri.) The underlying gold leaf is responsible for the overall brown-gold nashiji-like effect. Condition is excellent. Dimensions: Inro is 4 5/8” x 3” x 1 ¼” deep; netsuke is 1” x 1 ½” oval.
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Kamakura-Bori Lacquer Covered Box
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Pre 1920 item# 124899 (stock# SB-13)
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B & C ANTIQUES
203-929-7312
$235
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This square carved red Japanese kamakura-bori style lacquer covered box is likely an incense storage container or kogo. Meiji period (1868-1912). The cover is carved with a low relief abstract floral and scroll design, with portions of black lacquer showing through the red. A key fret pattern decorates the sides of the lid, and the sides of the lower portion are carved in a geometric diaper pattern. The plain black lacquer interior is undecorated. Kamakura-bori is a type of Japanese lacquer ware in which wood is carved in relief and then usually covered with black lacquer, followed by red lacquer, which is then rubbed down, revealing the subtle color underneath. Kamakura-bori was invented to resemble the more difficult and time-consuming Chinese lacquer-carving technique known as cinnabar style or “tsuishu.” Chinese lacquer incense containers were popular in Japan since the 12th century. Skilled Japanese craftsmen were soon able to equal and surpass Chinese examples. The uncluttered beauty of this type of carved lacquer incense container was favored by the Japanese for use with the tea ceremony ritual. Incense (“ko”) was introduced into Japan along with Buddhism around the sixth century, and it has remained a part of religious ceremonies ever since. Incense also played an important role in the tea ceremony. After cleaning the rooms before the guests arrive, incense was used to purify the space spiritually and help separate it from secular space. The incense was kept in small containers such as this one and conveyed with chopsticks into the fire in the brazier. The simplicity and unaffectedness of negoro-nuri makes this type of lacquer ware particularly valued in Japan. Condition is excellent. Dimensions: 3 5/8” square, 1 ¼” high.
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