Large Chinese Han Dynasty Painted Pottery Sheep Jar

This large and unusual pottery vessel in the form of a recumbent ram was made during the Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 220). It has a thick cylindrical neck on its back quite a wide opening. Possible this vessel was used as base for the pole of a banner or screen support. Traces of the original "cold painted" coloured pigments can be seen.

Length 41 cm (16 inches), height 18.5 cm (7.25 inches)...

Large Chinese Neolithic Machang Phase Painted Pottery Jar (c. 2300 - 2000 BC)

This large pottery jar was made over 4,000 years ago during the Machang Phase (c. 2300 - 2000 BC) of the Majiayao culture, also known as the Gansu-Yangshao culture, from present day Gansu or Qinghai province. It is made from a pale yellowish-brown pottery. It is of quite an unusual form, a wide body with two sturdy loop handles, a tall narrow neck and a flared mouth...

Set of Chinese Ming Dynasty Painted Pottery Tiles - Lotus Blossoms

This highly decorative set of pottery tiles was made during the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). They are made from a dense, quiet highly-fired grey pottery and comprise three tiles, the left and right tiles being very elaborately decorated with lotus buds and blossoms in high relief, together with a central spacer tile...

Large Chinese Western Han Dynasty Painted Pottery Tripod (206 BC - AD 8)

This fine example of a painted pottery tripod, most likely a steamer, was made during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8). It is a large example of its type, made from a fine-grained grey pottery and relatively highly-fired, having a distinct ring when tapped. The body stands on three long curved legs that have been luted to the surface...

Rare Chinese Northern Wei Dynasty Painted Pottery Pack Horse (AD 386 - 534)

This very rare pottery model of a pack horse, or pony, was made during the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 386 - 534). It is made from a grey pottery that has been "cold painted" with traces of red and white pigments remaining. Note the detail of the saddle bags and pack...

Chinese Tang Dynasty White Pottery Horse & Rider

This unusual model of a horse & rider was made during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). It is made from a creamy-white pottery that has been "cold painted" in various coloured pigments. Note the detail of the overweight rider's clothing and hairstyle.

Height 33.5cm (13 inches)...

Chinese Tang Dynasty Painted Pottery Horse & Rider

This attractive pottery model of a horse and rider was made during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). It is made from a buff-coloured pottery that has been "cold painted" in a base coat of white pigment on top of which have been applied various coloured pigments. The rider is a musician, a drummer, and is in the act of beating his drum...

Fine Chinese Western Han Dynasty Painted Pottery Figure (206 BC - AD 8)

This tall pottery figure was made during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8). It represents a male servant or attendant. It is "heavily-potted" and made from a grey pottery that has been "cold painted" in various coloured pigments, much of which still remain...

Rare Chinese Tang Dynasty Painted Pottery Horse & Rider with Oxford TL Test

This very rare pottery model of a horse & rider was made during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). The body of the horse, complete with the rider, has been made in a two-piece mould. the join running along the horse's neck and back and the sides of the rider. Note the detail of the rider, his clothing and his hands...

Fine & Rare Large Chinese Han Dynasty Glazed Granary Jar with Cover

This rare pottery model of a granary was made some 2,000 years ago during the Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 220). It is coated in a very attractive amber glaze that varies slightly in colour around the vessel. The unusual shoulder and top presumably represent a two-tier tiled roof. It has its original cover with moulded floral pattern and two purpose-made holes...

This Toba-e E-maki appears to be a 19th century Gi-ga follower of the later 18th to early 19th century Osaka "Manga-ka" Nichosai (Matsudaira Heisaburo). His humorous images of Hell were quite popular, known as Kakuyu painting.　Overall the genre has many names, Gi-ga being all encompassing, Toba-e being descriptive of this particular style, and Kakuyu-fu being the style of Nichosai...

A comic scene in ink on paper of boys herding oxen by Nagasawa Rosetsu spreads across these two low screens. The central characters, one in the lead the second astride one of the behemoths crossing a bridge is distracted by a butterfly floating by above while the beast in front steps on its own rope, pulling his head back to the viewer with a quizzical expression. Other oxen and boys populate the background. All is performed in very soft gray tones with abbreviated detail as if viewed through...

A small round heavily lacquered box made to contain incense carved with Peonies by Imperial Artist Suwa Sozan I enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Layer upon layer of lacquer has been applied over time, each subsequent layer allowing for drying, then the entire is carved through with the floral motif. This would likely have been years in the making. This kogo is 3 inches (7.5 cm) diameter and in perfect condition signed underneath Sozan. Sozan was known best for his impeccable celad...

A pair large Chinese silk kesi tapestries, once mounted as hanging scrolls with silk brocade border and backed with paper. Showing immortals and gods of the Daoist Pantheon in a landscape setting. Made of a two colour silk tapestry with painted areas. Dating to the late Qing dynasty. Condition: please look at the photos carefully - they make part of the condition report - the brtittle mounting is damaged and only partially preserved, the wooden bars of the top and one of the bottom are lost. Kes...

A dark forest rises in a field of white, as if still covered in frost or snow, over which is draped a poem brushed in the exquisite script of the poet-nun Otagaki Rengetsu, Itsu to naki, Tokiwa no sato ha, Hototogisu shinobu hatsune ni, Uzuki wo ya shiru?
With the first cry of the Cuckoo, in this village of Tokiwa
Will the people realize, Spring has arrived?
To the extreme left, the cuckoo flies off the page. Ink on paper in forest green silk extended in a beige with black ...

The Heron Maiden coquettishly covers her face, the intimation of snow in the vacant background with large occasional flakes falling in the fore on this large work by important 20th century artist Kitano Tsunetomi. Pigment on silk in the original silk border with solid ivory rollers (these will be changed if exporting). It comes in a later collector’s double wood box. The scroll is 46 x 206 cm (18 x 81 inches) and in overall fine, original condition. There are faint scattered foxing marks t...

Kannon (Guanyin) the bodhisattva of compassion, is depicted by two of the most famous painters of the early Showa period on this pair of presentation cloths by Hashimoto Kansetsu and Tomita Keisen. Keisen’s loosely brushed image of a cherubic Kannon sits in the center of an Enso Zen circle. The calligraphy on the left reads "Entsu", a Buddhist term combining the kanji for circle and authority, loosely meaning knowledge of the circle of Buddhist Doctrine, the cycle of life and of all things et...

Japanese limited edition woodblock print by French artist Paul Jacoulet (1902-1960) titled "After the Dance" (Apres La Danse. "Celebes") published June 29, 1940. This image is illustrated on page 59 (plate 67) of “The Prints of Paul Jacoulet” by Richard Miles, 1982. It is described on pages 104-105. The print is pencil-signed and bears the red butterfly seal at the lower left corner of the image. The seal of the carver and printer (Maeda/Fujii) is at the lower right margin corner. A red...

A brush, ink stick letter knife and ink stone are set into a compartment inside this flattened bamboo shape carved from Zitan wood with a poem engraved into the lid signed on the back side Hokkyo Sessai and enclosed in a wooden box. Lifting out the lid by means of the strap, one finds the knife tucked into the handle, the brush, stone, and ink laid out and ready to use. It is 34 cm (13-1/2 inches) long. The ink stone, firmly embedded in the wood, has cracked, otherwise all is in excellent co...

Japanese shin hanga woodblock print by Hasui Kawase (1883-1957) titled “Kegon Falls, Nikko” from the series "Collection of Ukiyo-e Designs" first published by Bijutsusha in 1927. Dated on the image above the signature. No publisher's seal. Paper: 15 1/8" x 10 1/4" (14 1/4" x 9 3/8"). Very good color and overall condition with only minor discoloration on the back and margin edges. Pencil notation on the back at the bottom. Color illustrated as plate 170, page 369 in Volume 2 of “Kawas...

Menuki wirh gold and silver metal, presenting an octopus with a towel-like tissue. Japan Edo (1630 - 1868) 19th century 7 x 3 cm

Fine & Rare Chinese Yuan Dynasty Black Pottery Censer

We have recently been lucky enough to have acquired a collection of very rare examples of burnished black pottery items made during the Yuan Dynasty (AD 1279 - 1368). Such items are relatively unknown and very little has been published about them. They are found in the northern provinces, particularly Gansu province in the north-west.

A black pottery censer; it is quite heavily-potted with a wide flat rim and three legs. It has a burn...

A set of sake decanters in the shape of Split Bamboo Tea Whisks by the third generation Kiyomizu Rokubei enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The artists stamp is clearly impressed into the nunome cloth-textured base. They are 14 cm (5-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition dating from the mid 19th century.
Kiyomizu Rokubei III (1820-1883) was the second son of Rokubei II (1790-1860) and took over the family kiln at the age of 18 after his father retired in 1838. (His fa...

Korean iron box with silver inlay, on brass or bronze feet, with sliding top and brass and bronze handle and lock. Measures 4" wide, and 2 1/2" deep and high. Button on one end releases lock so that lid may side open. Works well. Handle rotates up and down. Entire surface decorated with geometric silver inlay, with round cartouche on lid and three sides. Joseon Dynasty, 18th or 19th century. Inlay missing in areas, visible in photos. Very lovely example of the exquisite metal work in the...

Bonji Buddhist characters in five rings of silver, gold and brass damascene decorate this Incense burner by Izumi Ryoichi enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kin-do Gorin-mon Koro. We see the number five in Buddhism and Bushido, With the elements Earth, Water, Fire, Wind and Air, as well the famous treatise on fighting by Miyamoto Musashi is called the Book of Five Rings, and the stone stupa seen all over Japan called the Gorinto (Five part tower). This is 3-1/2 inches (9 cm) dia...

A gorgeous Jubako stacking box of lacquered wood decorated with burgeoning grape vines in powdered gold maki-e dating from the 19th century enclosed in the original wooden storage box. Inside oxidized vermilion grants a sense of celebration, while the outside covered in polished black is the perfect back drop to the shimmering gold decoration. Assembled it is 24 x 26 x 31 cm (9-1/2 x 10-1/4 x 12 inches). Overall it is in very good condition, with some minor dings in the edges typical of use. ...

SUZURIBAKO Rare and important writing box. Japanese lacquer urushi. The exterior is decorated with two shishi carefully patterned. The interior of the lid is decorated with a steep rocky coast with a temple, in gold and silver takamaki-e, the craggy cliffs are enhanced by cavities carved. Techniques of takamaki-e, hiramaki-e, kirigane, uchikomi, kimetsuke and tsukegaki. On a nashiji ground. The rims are fundame. Empty. Size : 23 x 21,2 x 4,6 cm. Japan Edo (1603-1868) end of 17th, early 18th cent...

Chinese Ming Dynasty Glazed Horse & Rider

This impressive and detailed pottery model of a horse and rider was made during the Ming Dynasty (AD 1368 - 1644). It has been coated in green, amber and black glazes. The rider's head has been made separately and has been "cold-painted" in black and white pigments: the head fits into a slot in the neck of the rider. Note the detail to the rider's clothing, the various fittings and especially the horse's mane. This horse comes complete with its own c...

Rare Small Chinese Han Dynasty Bronze Ding (Published)

This bronze ding was made during the Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 220). Its form, that of a three-legged covered cooking vessel, is well-known amongst Han Dynasty bronzes. However, most examples are larger; this is a rare small example. The body stands on three legs that are in the form of bears. On either side of the vessel are square handles. The round cover is surmounted by three decorative animal-head handles, designed so that it can be ...

Three small Chinese Guangxu mark and period ogee form bowls with lobed rims, each exquisitely decorated on the exterior in famille rose enamels with a quail standing on rockery below bamboo wrapped with leafy vines sprouting flowers and double gourds that extend over the wall to the interior well. A single bird flies above. The base of each bowl holds a six-character kaishu form iron-red Guangxu mark and of the period (1875-1908). 4” diameter x 1 3/4" high. Very good overall condition with...

Fine Chinese Song Dynasty Qingbai Porcelain Bowl in Kiln Saggar (Study Piece)

A rare opportunity to acquire a Northern Song Dynasty (AD 960 - 1127) kiln saggar still containing its Qingbai porcelain bowl, excavated from a kiln site in the Jingdezhen area of Jiangxi province. 

Northern Song Dynasty Qingbai porcelain was fired individually in saggars (the fireproof clay case) that were stacked on top of each other in the kiln. Firing in kilns was then, of course, not the exact science tha...

Chinese late Qing dynasty porcelain bowl with a slightly flared rim decorated around the exterior in two shades of underglaze blue with four stylized lotus blossoms among leafy scrolling tendrils set against a smooth, translucent white porcelain ground. A double blue line encircles both the rim and foot. The interior of the bowl is undecorated. Late 19th to early 20th century. 6 1/4” diameter x 3” high. Very good overall condition with no chips, frits, or cracks. The rim feels a bit rough ...

Very Rare Chinese Yuan Dynasty Inside-Glazed Qingbai Porcelain Zodiac Jar

This extremely rare and unusual jar was made during the Yuan Dynasty (1279 - 1368). It has a splayed foot and is quite "heavily-potted" with the whole of the outer body profusely decorated with what are most likely religious (Buddhist) motifs. The lower body is covered in repeated carved lotus leaves. Around the waist is a band of "pie crust" decoration on top of which stand twelve human-like figures, the bodies moulde...

Chinese Tang Dynasty Changsha Bowl from 9th Century Shipwreck (c. AD 826)

This rare decorated glazed bowl was made around AD 826, during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906) at the Changsha kilns. We can be that precise about the dating because it was excavated from the "Belitung Wreck" in 1998-99, a mile off the coast of Belitung, Indonesia. Another bowl from that wreck is inscribed with a date equivalent to AD 826 and carbon 14 analysis of the wreck also confirms an early 9th century date. Al...

Rare Chinese Yuan Dynasty Black Pottery Horse

This small and attractive pottery model of a horse was made during the Yuan Dynasty (AD 1279 - 1368). It is quite "heavily-potted" and made from a black pottery with a smooth burnished surface. Note the detail to its mane. Pottery horses from the Yuan dynasty are much rarer than those from other periods.

Height 17 cm, length 20 cm. It is in good presentable condition, although there is restoration to the tail and ears, also a minor repair to ...

Massive 18” high Japanese Meiji period “cong” form Satsuma earthenware vase finely decorated on the four rectangular sides in polychrome enamel and gilt highlights with vertical scenes of figures in landscapes featuring the four seasons. The base holds a square four-character “respectfully made by Ryuzan” mark. Circa 1900. 18” high, 7 1/2" square; weight: 17 lbs. Very good overall condition with some typical wear to the overglaze pigments and gilt, particularly at the rim. There ar...

Massive Chinese late Qing to Republic period hardwood scroll pot of naturally irregular tree trunk form carved from a single piece of wood with five nearly hidden bats along the sides. Hollow interior and flat bottom with separate plug. Late 19th to early 20th century. 19 3/8" high x about 9 3/4” diameter; 16 lbs. Very good overall condition with typical wear from age and use. From the collection of former American expatriates to Hong Kong in the 1970s and 1980s.

Of high content silver (.950 or higher), this warmer or burner is Korean, early 20th century, possibly 19th. Measures 5 3/4" x 6 1/4". Three pieces, burner, lid, and tray. Signed in rectangular cartouche on base, has marks for silver. Four bat shaped handles, two on lid, two on base. Lid and base are engraved with prunus blossoms, and the background around the engraving is slightly textured to create a more satiny surface. The rest of the surface is bright and polished. These hot pot wa...

A large and important work by Miyanaga Kozan of overall raw clay in a Nanban style with drips of color featuring a tiny colorful crab crawling out of a hollow in the base. It is 30.5 cm (12 inches) tall and in excellent condition, in an age darkened wooden collectors box titled Makuzu Yaki Kabin, Miyagwa Kozan Sei followed by a very large stamp. This is a rarity!
The name Kozan was granted by Prince Yasui-no-Miya in 1851 in honor of the tea ware produced during the later Edo for the imp...

A master piece in museum quality was from a private collection.

A tripod koro with custom silver lid and rosewood stand by Miura Chikusen II enclosed in a wooden box dated early Autumn 1920 signed by Ume, the mother of the second generation head of the family who died young that year. The white porcelain is roughly 15 cm (6 inches) tall on the stand, 10 cm (4 inches) diameter. This type of Sinophile work was very popular throughout the Meiji and Taisho periods, and Sencha steeped tea had a profound impact on Japanese culture at the time. For more on that s...

Chinese Han Dynasty Pottery Hu Jar with Dragon Cover

This fine-quality pottery jar was made some 2,000 years ago during the Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 220). It is relatively highly-fired, has two raised bands around the waist with applied moulded taotie mask handles on opposing sides and has a flared foot. The smooth burnished surface has a silvery sheen to it. Its moulded cover depicts two intertwined dragons. Around the mouth are calcified deposits from long burial (easily removed).

Hei...

LARGE Chinese Tang Dynasty Painted Pottery Camel with TL Test (75cm)

This exceptionally large and impressive pottery model of a camel was made during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). It is made from a buff-coloured pottery that has been "cold painted" in various different coloured pigments. The camel stands upright and alert with its head raised a little. 

Height 75 cm (29.5 inches), length 60 cm (23.5 inches). 

We have had this camel tested by Oxford Authentications, the only test...

A pair of red and silver iron lotus flowers with long handles serving as Buddhist candle-stands, the light rising from within the sacred flower. Overall raw iron, the coloration of the flower petals is from silver and red lacquer. Each is 26.5 cm (10-1/2 inches) long and in excellent condition.

A superb Landscape by Yano Tetsuzan dated the second month of 1924 enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The arched rooves of Chinese style pavilions rise in the placed waters under th shelter of precipitous verdant cliffs, trees in fall colors in the foreground setting the stage. Above a long verse in Kanshi signed Tetsuzan. Ink and pigment on silk in a dark blue-green satin border with ivory rollers (the rollers will be changed for export). The scroll is 54 x 193 cm (21-1/2 76 inches...

Chinese Kangxi Blue & White Porcelain Dish (Kraak) Chinese Kangxi Blue & White Porcelain Dish (Kraak)

Large Chinese Ming Dynasty Blue & White Crackle-Glazed Dish (32.5 cm)

This large blue & white "Swatow" (or "Zhangzhou") porcelain dish was made in the 16th / 17th century, most likely during the Wanli Reign (1573 - 1620) of the Ming Dynasty. It is "heavily-potted" and coated in a heavily-crackled glaze. The upper surface is decorated in underglaze blue with peonies within thin blue bands. The underside is simply decorated with circular blue bands. Embedded in the glaze around the foot is san...

Birds take shelter for the coming of night as the mist rolls in on the bare branches of a stand of trees huddled along a stream, all dyed with the colors of late autumn in this exceptional work by Hashimoto Kansetsu enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Seen in silhouette against the moon, are these crows, the stalwart creatures which hunker down through winter, or are they Sagi (herons) harbingers of the cold to come? This painting is a superb example of his mature style. It is mounted...

Tempestuous waves in fine gold lines splash between lightning shapes decorated with reed curtains on the sides of this singular lacquered wooden koro with woven silver lid dating from the Momoyama to opening of the Edo period, Later 16th to early 17th century. It is 8.5 cm (3-1/4 inches) high, 7.5 cm (3 inches) diameter. The worn base has been re-lacquered to protect the wood core from splitting or cracking otherwise is entirely original to the period.

A set of five exquisite Sencha Tea Cups of crackle-glazed pottery covered outside with black lacquer decorated with golden plum blossoms. Each bears an impressed seal in the base reading Toyosuke from the Nagoya studio of Toyoraku (also read Horaku) dating from the later 19th century. Inside each cup is a stylized single plum blossom. This set is exceptional! It is enclosed in a custom made wooden box. Each is 6.2 cm (2-1/2 inches) diameter, 4.8 cm (2 inches) tall and in excellent condition...

Intricate, subtle, delicate, elegant; all words which could be applied to this set of ten dishes decorated with flowers in raised reliefby Takahashi Seizan enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Gyokude Kusabana Kameko-gata Sara (Tortoise Shell Shaped Dishes decorated with Flowers and Grass in Pearl-slip) Pale white slip has been applied in thick, sculpted patterns to a cream surface, sweeping sides peaked with gold rims. Each plate is 22 cm (9 inches) wide, 5 cm (2 inches) tall. Th...

Small bronze Lao Buddha with a stunning patina. H. 9 cm. Ex Joost Mous - Amsterdam.

A pair of unorthodox Edo period guardian corbels in the shape of mythical lion-like creatures (Shishi) made to be notched into a corner under the eaves of Shinto and Buddhist temples to ward off evil spirits. Ordinarily just the heads are carved, these are unusual in that their fore-paws have also been depicted, granting a greater sense of movement than most. Carved Hinoki (cypress), they are 30 x 18 x 20 cm (12 x 7 x 8 inches) each and in overall fine condition.

A shu-iro red lacquered sign in the shape of a tea jar dating from the late 19th to early 20th century. A long verse has been carved into the surface before lacquering. The back is bound with cloth and lacquered black. The sign is 16 x 20 inches (41 x 50 cm). There are minor chips typical of age, but is in overall very good condition. For an excellent delve into the distinctive fusion of art, design and commerce of antique Japanese signage see the book Kanban (2017, Mingei Museum, Alan Scot...

Pure elegance and simplicity of form by Komazawa Risai enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Mage-Kensui (Round Spent Water Container). It is lacquered outside is tame-nuri opaque wine-red, inside is polished ro-iro black decorated with gold reeds overlapping from all directions. It is 16 cm (6-1/2 inches) diameter, 7 cm (2-3/4 inches) tall and in excellent condition. It is made by Komazawa Risai; head of one of the ten crafts families of the three Senke tea schools adhering to th...

An incredible carved bamboo vase of warriors making their way through forested crags whipped by roiling mist cut from a single piece of bamboo and signed on the base Omikuni Sakata Shiori Yamaguchi Moritsugu Saku :Made by Yamaguchi Moritsugu of Shiori, Sakata, Omi Province (Modern day Maibara Shiga Prefecture on the North-Eastern shore of Lake Biwa). It is 35.5 cm (14 inches) tall and in overall excellent condition, enclosed in an old wooden box.
Possibly the image of Okuninushi and his...

A rare pair Japanese plates showing a dragon among textile-weave patterns worked in dull colored enamels, the brass or copper rims and wires showing partially remnants of gilding. The reverse decorated with further floral motifs, the base with green contre-émail. The enamel showing concavities and pits. Condition: fine, only wear to gilding. Dimension: diameter: 24.9 cm, 4.2 cm high, weight: 1400 g.

An evocative image of a bear hunkered down and looking a bit befuddled, perhaps awaking from winter slumber, in un-glazed white porcelain from the Tatsuno kilns of Banko in Mie Prefecture. It is sealed on the base with two stamps, one reading Banko, the other Tatsuno. The image is 23 x 20 x 16.5 cm (9 x 8 x 6-1/2 inches) and in excellent condition, enclosed in a period collectors kiri-wood box. Imagery of animals such as this were very popular in the Taisho (1911-1925) to early Showa era. The...

A Tamasudare-ami Hanakago Basket by Yamamoto Chikuryusai I of round bamboo strands enclosed in the original signed wooden box lacquered in translucent red. The basket exudes a deep respect for the tradition, every knot perfect, the proportions exquisite. It is 19 cm (7-1/2 inches) diameter, 37 cm (14-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Yamamoto Chikuryusai I (1868-1945) was a bamboo artist of the early modern era in Osaka. Born in year one of the Meiji era to the Yanagi clan, ...

A very rare Japanese Ballot Box of hinoki wood bound in decorative iron dating from the later 19th to early 20th century. This year the ballot is on everyone’s mind, and this is an exceptional example of both traditional Japanese decoration and cabinetry. It has locks on both sides of the lid, which can be removed to reveal an inner lid with hinged iron cover over a slot for dropping in the ballots. This inner lid as well is locked. Keys included, it is 35.5 x 21 x 27 cm (14 x 8 x 10-1/2 in...