This is an early 19th century bamboo carving of Liu Hai riding on the back of his three-legged toad. He is shown holding a Chinese coin in his left hand while his right hand holds the toads mouth open. Obviously Liu Hai has just pried the coin out of the toads mouth.
The piece measures 4 high and is 3 wide by long front to back. It is ...click for details
This is a lovely little round or paste or cosmetic box that has been made of very thin strips of a wood or vegetable material and tightly woven to form the box and the lid. We think the material is a probably thin bamboo strip but it could be made of some raffia or reed type plant. The box measures 2 5/8 diameter and is 1 ผ high to the top of the slightly domed lid.
This is an late 18th to early 19th century bamboo carving of Liu Hai riding on the back of his three legged toad. He is shown playing with a string of coins that have been gathered for him by his toad. The piece measures 5 high and is 2 5/8 wide by 3 long front to back. It is in excellent condition there is one tiny chip to the left front flipper. It has fine patina throughout. The carving is very fine and in great detail. ...click for details
A very finely carved bamboo wrist rest as used in the scholar's studio to protect the item he is painting from having the ink smear. The design on this piece is a fascinating picture of Kwanyin riding on the back of a fierce fire breathing animal - possibly a shi shi (although they are usually shown as more benign). The design is all hand carved.
A handsome set of seven Japanese bamboo mukozuke that have been lacquered with a dark rust brown lacquer. The seven dishes measure 3 1/4" long by 2" wide by 3/4" high at the ends. The dark lacquer would have been a lovely contrast to the raw fish normally used in the mokuzuke serving. We date these to the mid Taisho to early Showa period, circa 1925-1940. They are in excellent condition.
A Chinese bamboo wrist rest for the scholars table used to keep his arm from smearing the ink. This fine piece has a low relief design that was made by carving away the under layer of the design and then detailing the top layer with a design using perfect carving technique. (Bamboo is a soft material so executing a design using this technique is much more delicate and difficult that carving the design into the bamboo from the outside to inside. ) ...click for details
In the realm of Hirado netsuke less than 20% are in colors other than the soft white glaze characteristic of Hirado. This netsuke is of a brown and tan tiger with his head growling to the side and resting on a stalk of white bamboo. There is a very rare book on Japanese Hirado netsuke and small okimono that is long out or print unfortunately it is completely in Japanese so we do not know the author, publisher, or date of the book. The book contains photos of over 300 netsuke primarily from t ...click for details
A matched pair of Chinese bamboo brush pots for the scholars desk. Each of the pots is intricately carved with landscaped scenes around the entire outside of each pot. At first look, I thought that they might have been machine carved because the design on both is so nearly identical. However, upon very close examination it seems certain that each was hand carved - probably using the same pattern. The pots measure 5 1/2" high and are 3 1/4" diameter - both are in excellent condition wit ...click for details
A fine Japanese standard cloisonn้ vase with a design of a crane walking next to a large bamboo stalk with many branches and leaves. Dark turquoise ground is rather rare unsigned excellent condition with no chips or hairlines. Dates from the Golden Age of Japanese Cloisonne, 1880-1895. Measures 3 1/2" high and is 2" diameter at the shoulder.
A deep Arita footed bowl with a scalloped edge dating from the late Meiji to early Taisho era - circa 1890-1920. The inner design is that of a wonderfully goofy looking tiger in a bamboo grove - his long tail curling up over his back. The bowl measures 9" diameter at the top - 4" diameter at the foot and is 3 1/2" deep. The outside of the bowl has a very stylized design of chidori flying over waves. The foot has a continuous band of "x" surrounding the base. Not marked o ...click for details
A two piece bamboo body tonkotsu with applied decoration of five Japanese coins three on one side (one of which is carved from ivory) and two on the other side. The piece measures 3 3/16" wide by 1 1/2" deep and is 2 5/16" high. The four non ivory coins appear to be made of lacquered wood. The tonkotsu is in excellent condition with no chips or cracks or restorations there is even a faint lingering hint of tobacco aroma on the inside. We date this piece to the late Edo to earl ...click for details
Bamboo Design Chawan Late Meiji/Taisho -
Early Japanese studio pottery chawan or teabowl, probably 1880's to 1920's. Its exterior is decorated in an allover wax- resist technique of very thick slip in cocoa brown w/ slight red tinges over 2 different Black Bamboo motives on each side. The bowl's interior is decorated in a thick white slip symbolic of swirling wind or waves over a yellow stoneware body. Bowl is heavy!
Condition is excellent, no damage whatsoever except for one ...click for details
