A river runs past deeply forested hills populated by rooftops in this naïve ink painting reflecting the charm of rural Japan by Shirakura Niho. Ink on paper mounted in a green cloth border extended with beige featuring Shunkei nuri lacquered wooden rollers which would instantly call to mind the mountain village of Takayama, home of the Shunkei style. It is 52.5 x 116.5 cm (20-1/2 x 46 inches) and comes in the original signed wooden box titled Satoyama Fukei (Mountain Village Scenery)...
This is a fabulous painting dated 1930 by Shirakura Niho enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Ko-Ten-Bo-Setsu (Twilight Snow in the Bay). Viewing it one can hear the silence, the soft pattering of snow and the flap of wings as geese take flight in the distance. Shirakura Niho was from Niigata prefecture, so was a man who not only knew snow well, but was well known for his snowy landscapes...
A masterpiece painting by Shirakura Niho showing every aspect of his pre-war fame, lurid washes of color, wispy figures, a dreamlike allure, and hints at continental scenery. Here the foreground is dominated by a thatched hut, beyond which we see a single hazy figure twisting up in a narrow doorway beside twisting trees all like smoke rising to the sky. It is performed with ink and pigment on silk bordered in brass colored satin with rosewood rollers...
A small Japanese Arita kilns blue and white porcelain sauce dish, or mamezara, of mokko-gata form. Namban (or Nanban, Southern barbarian) decoration of a foreign figure, with dog, falconing in picturesque landscape. Painterly shironuki decoration in the cavetto of cranes flying among clouds. Edo period, Circa 1800. Good condition for its age, with two small chips inside the foot rim and a small glaze abrasion just above the foot rim. About 3 15/16 inches (10 cm) square.
A small pair of Japanese Imari porcelain bowls (or small, deep dishes) with Namban (or Nanban, Southern barbarian) subject bowls. Imari palette decoration in three reserves, each of a figure among blossoming karakusa, in the cavetto. The center with blue underglaze decoration of Shishi with auspicious objects. The verso also with decoration in blue underglaze of precious objects around the raised, glazed ring feet surrounding a recessed, unglazed band around glazed, further recessed center...
A large Greek amphora handle, Rhodes, c. 3rd.-2nd. century BC.
The handle inscribed with a two line makers name / mark in Greek, fully readable.
Size: 10 cm. long and substantial.
Ex. Old European collection.
Boxwood netsuke depicting a snake wrapping around a pumpkin.
The snake is a symbol often associated with rebirth, transformation while the pumpkin is a symbol of fertility, abundance and prosperity in Japanese tradition.
Signed Yoshimasa (吉正) under the pumpkin in “ukibori”.
For similar netsuke see the Katchen collection, published N7, vol.2, p.31, no.K329.
Origin: Japan
Period: Edo 19th century.
Dimensions: 3 x 3.5 x 3.3 cm.
State of conservation: Very good
A bronze and ivory okimono depicting a street entertainer playing the shamisen, a Japanese musical instrument.
The player wears a traditional kimono, rests his right foot on his box which he carries along with his umbrella on his traveling journey.
It is signed Jōnan 城南 with engraving on the bronze.
Origin: Japan
Period: Meiji 19th century
Dimensions: 21 x 20 x 15 cm.
State of conservation: Very good
A finely polished and fully symethric Egyptian stone jar made of a type of beautiful chlorite stone, 3rd.-2nd. mill. BC.
The jar was used to hold cosmethics in the 3rd.-2nd. millenium BC. Nice marks of drill inside, recessed footring and a tiny rim also carved!
Size: 35 mm. wide.
Condition: Good Very fine, fine quality jar.
Ex. Old European collection, Ex. Liveauctioners.
A finely polished and fully symethric Egyptian stone jar made of hard black stone, 3rd.-2nd. mill. BC.
The jar was used to hold cosmethics in the 3rd.-2nd. millenium BC.
Size: 43 mm. wide and 35 mm. tall.
Condition: Good Very fine, fine quality jar.
Ex. Old European collection, Ex. Liveauctioners.
A very rare early work by Shirakura Niho dating from the mid Taisho period clearly showing his early watercolor training under Ishii Hakutei signed with his first art name, Kinro. Light color on silk mounted in framed in patterned silk extended with classic beige and terminating in red lacquered wooden rollers. It is 45.5 x 107.5 cm (18 x 42-1/2 inches) and is in overall excellent original condition, enclosed in a modern wooden storage box...
The sage gazes out from his hermitage clinging to the hillside upon a sparse scene of falling water and precipitous climbing peaks dominating this painting by Shirakura Niho dating from the prime of his career. Ink and light color on silk mounted in blue cloth with thin piping terminating in white ceramic rollers. It is 40.5 x 187.5 (16 x 74 inches) and is in excellent condition; enclosed in a modern wooden storage box. A published version of the Niho Catalog will accompany the work...
An attractive large unpolished, thinbladed Danish neolithic axe dating to late 4th-early 3rd mill BC.
Very good knapping details on the sides and several old collection tags - found in Korsør By 1939!
Size: c. 21,7 cm. in length.
Condition: Nice VF! Choice axe with edges and a lovely light brown marsh patina, small chip only visible at one side, othervise near EF.
Provenance: Castle Gardener Peder Søren Petersen (1882–1964)...
An attractive dagger of a child, made in the late neolithic period, Daggertime-bronzeage, c. 2000-1600 BC.
Finely knapped in in a silex with a rare dark brown marsh patina. Tag in white ink from a pre-WWII collection.
Size: 12,1 cm. long
Condition: Nice Very fine, intact with a few tiny losses.
Provenance: Castle Gardener Peder Søren Petersen (1882–1964). Mainly found between WWI and WWII at Sværdborg mose (eng...
An attractive large fishtail type of dagger, made in the late neolithic period, Daggertime-bronzeage, c. 2000-1600 BC.
A type with an elaborately knapped handle, stiched in the sides and full size for a grown hand. The blade chipped and resized in later periods. Looks originally like a type IV-V to us.
Comes with with very old collection tags and another tag written directly in black ink - found at Sorø 1909!
Size: c. 18 cm...
A high quality specimen of broadbladed silex axes, imitating the celts of the early European bronzeage, made in South East Denmark, during Late Neolithic to early bronzeage periods, ca. 1800-1600 BC.
The axe is partly polished and with visible seams,
in a wonderful completely calsified silex stone, so with a fine white patina and iron-oxide markings. Tagged 92 with old collection tags, and with the finding place and date 1885 in pencil - a very early provenance for these...
A fully polished axe with a slightly 'hanging' edge, scarce type of the 4th. millenium BC.
The axe is greyish patinated silex with fine fossils included. 19th. century paper tag on the undeveloped rear end as well as number in white ink.
Attractive and with a very sharp edge / bit!
Size: 16,1 cm.
Condition: Good Very fine, fine old patina.
Provenance: Castle Gardener Peder Søren Petersen (1882–1964). Mainly found between WWI and WWII at ...
A Kenzan style Chawan Tea Bowl decorated with blossoming plum bending over a golden rim by Miyagawa (Makuzu) Kozan enclosed in the original wooden box signed inside on the box floor by the aritst with an annotation inside the lid by Omotosenkei Iemoto Tea Master Seisai (1863-1937) reading Makuzu Yaki Chawan Ume-no-ga Ari (Makuzu Pottery Tea Bowl Decorated with Plum). It is 12.5 cm (5 inches) diameter, 7cm (3 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
The name Kozan was granted by Prince Ya...