Flames of red flash form the bird resurrected on the side of this large Cloisonne vase by the Ando company of Nagoya; Japan’s premier cloisonne studio. The color is hard to describe, seeming to be lit from within. A combination of wire and wireless design using gold wire with silver rim. Ando mark on base, the vase measures 37 cm (14-1/2 inches) tall, 32 cm (12-1/2 inches) diameter and is in excellent condition. It comes enclosed in a fine, custom made kiri-wood box.

A rare crystal ring from the Pyu dynasty carved with a fish,the sea and a crescent moon. The fish is a early Buddhist symbol for incarnation carried over from Hinduism. In Hinduism, one of their symbols is a fish. One appeared as an avatar (incarnation or physical bodily manifestation) of Vishnu to save mankind from the Great Flood. The Fish (matsya) were originally symbolic of the rivers Ganges and Yamuna, but came to represent good fortune in general, for Hindus, Jain and Buddhists...

Japanese limited edition sosaku hanga “kappa-ban” (stencil print) by Yoshitoshi Mori (1898-1992) titled “Goro in the Rain” (“Ame no Goro”) dated 1980. This boldly colorful kabuki theater image features an actor portraying Soga Goro, one of two historic samurai brothers who avenge the death of their father. In this image, Soga Goro is dressed in fine clothing and holds an umbrella though no rain is evident. He is apparently travelling to the pleasure quarter to visit a courtesan...

Chinese Ming dynasty bronze standing acolyte on wood stand naturalistically pierced and carved to resemble a rocky outcropping. The left hand holds an object and the right hand gestures with two fingers pointing to the ground. The figure wears a gown and a headdress with long billowing ribbon scarves. Metal prongs secure the figure into the stand which appears to be original. 6 5/8" high on the stand. Excluding the metal prongs, the figure is slightly over 5" high. Circa 16th century...

Description: An interesting stamp store's seal was kept in perfect condition. With inscription of Chan Ann Zhai Inn Pu Chang-Chan Ann Zhai Stamp's Store Seal, this wood stamp which stood for the store that had produced numerous stamps for it's clients now was the only one left. Good patina and full of stories were what this old stamp attracted me. Date: Early 20th Century. Height:6.0cm

PAPERS LIKE DRAWINGS

Two pieces of abstractions with unintentionally designed composition in such random balance, coated with ‘kakishibu’ (persimmon tannin), once applied from the paper used for feng shui or fortune telling in the Edo period, 19th century, approx. 56 x 86 cm (22.04 x 33.85in)...

An Old group of Bodhi wooden prayer beds made from the wood of the Bodhi tree where Buddha received his enlightenment. These beads were purchased in Lhasa many years ago. Condition: No repairs. Size: 42 cm.

Japanese pencil-signed limited edition sosaku hanga woodblock print known by the title "Cat and Green Leaf" featuring a seated black cat set against a wood grain patterned background with several prominent green leaves by Kiyoshi Saito (1907-1997). The artist's red seal is at the lower left portion of the image. Circa 1950s. Pencil-signed and numbered 29/300 in the bottom margin. Paper size: 16 1/2" x 11 3/8” (image size: 15 5/8" x 9 3/8”)...

A rare and unusual bronze seal written in the ancient Tibetan language. Size: 2.9 x 2.6cm Condition: Nice patina. The finial has a piece missing.

The Manchu woman did not practice foot binding or wear Lotus Shoes. However, the women did wear various styles of thick soled and platform soled shoes. The sole on this pair of Manchu shoes is 1.5 inches thick. The vamp is canvas with wonderful large eyed fish embroidered with silk thread towards the back of the shoes. The front fish are made of velvet fabric with chain stitched embroidered details...

A Meiji period Japanese natural paper, bamboo and iron hanging Chōchin lantern in its original wood box. It consists of the ebonized hand-cut and bentwood hanger which has iron fittings with handcut nails. It opens around a pinion for mounting. The 8-3/4" diameter lantern is formed from handmade paper fiber and it has a bentwood collar and base with iron fittings. The top fitting has a handle for hanging and the bottom has fittings for hanging depending on the location...

A very unusual unglazed small tea pot decorated with various nuts and seeds all in three dimensional relief, featuring a mushroom shaped lid dating from the later 19th to early 20th century. Known as Banko in Japan, the kilns which produced these items were also responsible for the Sumidagawa pottery so popular in the west. This piece has 8 seeds about the shoulder, including peanut, pumpkin and sunflower...

Massive Qing dynasty Chinese polished bronze tripod ding censer with compressed body, two arched loop handles at the rim, and tapered legs fitted on a custom hardwood stand. Cast in a Ming dynasty style and bearing a six-character apocryphal Xuande reign period mark within a rectangle on the base. Believed to date as early as the 18th century. Censers of this size and form were typically used in temples. Censer: 11 1/2" diameter (10 3/4" diameter at the rim) x 8” high (to top of handles)...

Description: An 18th century incense utensil holder was made by an original piece of Zi-Tan wood . In natural knar shape, this utensil holder was hollowed perfectly, and was believed as a practical scholar's utensil as a decoration item too. Small, elegant and in good old patina, this piece was a typical Chinese scholar item with great mood. Date: Qing Dynasty (18th century) Material: Zi-Tan wood Height: 13.5cm Width with stand: 4.0cm Condition: The overall surface is in nice patina and in...

Large Chinese Early Tang Dynasty Painted Pottery Groom

This tall and impressive pottery figure was made during the early Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). It is "heavily-potted" and made from a fairly high-fired pale greyish-brown pottery. It has been "cold-painted" in a base coat of creamy-white pigment with details picked out on top in red and black pigments, especially to the head and face.

This figure represents a foreign groom. He conveys power and self-confidence, standing alert and upr...

Japanese woodblock print triptych by Kunisada, also known as Toyokuni III, (1786-1864) titled "Snow" from the series "Copied Pictures of an Edo Purple Eastern Capital" published by Sanoya Kihei between 1849-1850. The print illustrates a scene from Chapter 30 of Ryutei Tanehiko's 19th century novel "An Impostor Murasaki and a Rustic Genji (Inaka Genji)," which is loosely based on the 11th century novel "The Tale of Genji." Depicted is Mitsuuji, Lady Murasaki, and an attendant holding a brazier....

Oarsmen battle Tempestuous seas to carry safely home their cargo of courtly women in this vivid scene signed Hakushun dated 1932. The oars bend under the strain of the ferocious seas, the oarsmen pull with all their might. Behind bamboo curtains the young women huddle together, their courtly robes flowing about like the oceans mad waves. A very powerful scene supervised by a noble seated at the back of the small ship, witnessed by a gaggle of cormorants resting on a jagged rock cluster. The ...

Large limited edition lithograph with red sumi-e brush strokes by Toko Shinoda (b. 1913) titled "Ancient Song." This early undated image is pencil-signed, titled, and numbered 12/35 at the lower right. The red calligraphy is more vibrant than it appears on the main image. Paper size: 27" x 20 3/4". Very good overall condition. There are three small pieces of linen tape on the reverse top edge. This print is from a Phoenix, Arizona estate. It was originally purchased from the Tolman Collection. ...