A perfect example of the Early Edo Tea aesthetic in this Chatsubo dating from the first half of the Edo period, a splash of black over rust with a white glazed waste from the Seto region around modern day Nagoya. It comes with an ancient wooden bung and wrapping cloth. The pot is roughly 27 cm (11 inches) tall and in overall excellent condition, with typical wear around the foot. No cracks or repairs...

Miniature Chinese late Qing to Republic period wucai tripod censer with compressed body raised on three tapered legs decorated in underglaze blue and famille verte overglaze enamels with a pair of confronted green and red five-clawed dragons chasing a flaming pearl among clouds and flames set against a white porcelain ground. Two upright loop handles are at the rim. A six-character underglaze blue kaishu form Ming dynasty Chenghua reign mark is on the front of the waisted neck...

Hints of the finest powdered gold gleam on the edges of this ghostly white tea bowl dating from the early Edo period. Iron-like freckles pepper the surface which is subtly clouded with soft color. The base is almost entirely covered in glaze, the glimpses of earth worn dark with age and use. It comes wrapped in a silk bag with an age darkened kiri wood box titled Hagi Chawan and named within Kan-no-yuki annotated by Yabunouchi Chikusojochi (1864-1942) 11th head of the Yabunouchi school of tea...

A lovely set of Dingyao Cup and Stand are well preserved.
They are in small sizes but in great condition .

Date: AD960-1127.

Cup width: 7.2cm,
Stand Width:8.1cm.

A custom-made cotton box is included

A set of figurines depicting a courtly Chinese couple by Miyanaga Tozan enlclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Choan no Haru from the Tang period tales. Each is expertly molded and painstakingly decorated in a Kyo-satsuma style signed in gold on the base of each. They stand roughly 13 inches (33 cm) tall each and are in excellent condition. The title calls to mind any number of ancient Chinese poems...

A young girl reaches up to steady herself on a branch laden with plum buds, not yet ready to open, as she presses down on the ice with her bright red shoes. This is an absolutely darling image by Chishima Kayo, which came to us as a silk makuri (never having been mounted) painting, which our restorer placed in this natural field allowing the painting to show itself.
Chishima Kayo (b. 1890) was a female artist of the Meiji to early Showa periods...

A rare set of five tiny Gosu cups for drinking Gyokuro steaped tea from the Shidehara kiln of Sanda in Hyogo prefecture dating from mid to later 19th century (Late Edo to Meiji). Fish circle the cups as they swim among water plants. Each cup is 2 inches (5 cm) diameter and in great condition.
Shidehara was a kiln established in the Sanda district of Hyogo prefecture in the mid 18th century. They created works based on continental styles of Gosu, Sometsuke, aka-e and later celadon...

A refined set of 5 later Edo Sake cups in a hybrid E-gorai style from the Kosobe kiln of Igarashi Shinbei decorated with pale blue designs (gnarled plum trees?) under thick cream colored glaze on very thinly potted clay blended with shiseki for great effect. This is likely the work of the second or third generation Shinbei, both known for their Korai-Utsushi (Korean style) wares. Each cup is 2-1/2 inches (6.5 cm) diameter. They are in surprisingly good condition, with no cracks...

Description: A Dingyao Dish was applied with characteristic creamy white glaze.
In elegantly curved rim, the dish was decorated in the center with carved floral pattern.
It was preserved in perfect condition except some burial stains were left on the surface.

Date: Northern Song Dynasty AD960-1127

Width :12cm.

A Custom-made cotton box is included.

Set of four Chinese Qing dynasty porcelain wine cups each decorated in underglaze blue and overglaze iron-red enamel with two four-clawed dragons chasing a flaming pearl. An underglaze blue geometric border is at the rim and blue waves surround the foot. The interior well holds five blue bats surrounding a shou (longevity) symbol. A six-character underglaze blue zhuanshu square form Qianlong mark is on the base. Possibly mark and period...

Pair of Joseon dynasty or later Korean wood wedding ducks with subtly modeled feathers covered in layers of oiled stained paper, the heads separately carved and inserted by their long necks into a hole in the body. Each has a typical rectangular recess on the base. The heads have circular eyes and slits in the long beaks. These were traditionally presented by the groom to the parents of the future bride and were displayed during the wedding...

Chinese Qing dynasty ink and color on silk painting of a maiden in a garden setting seated on rockery and holding a flower under a willow tree. The ink inscription at the upper left states the painting was executed in the guimao year (1843) after Ming artist Tang Yin (1470-1524)...

Remnants of yellow glaze covers this Heishi (Heiji) bottle form from the Owari-Seto area engraved clearly about the neck with three lines. A quintessential Kamakura pot. There is much degradation to the glaze typical of Seto which has withstood a millennium of earthquake, fire, war and abuse. That anything survives so long in Japan is miraculous. It is 9-1/2 inches (24 cm) tall, 6-1/2 inches (16.5 cm) diameter and comes wrapped in old cloth in an old wooden box.

An Edo period image of plums blossoming on thick branches by Kitayama Kangan. Ink on paper in a patterned cloth mounting with beige piping in the Mincho style so popular int eh 19th century and featuring bone rollers. It is 21-1/2 x 78-1/2 inches (55 x 199 cm). Some minor loss to the piping at the top of the scroll, otherwise in surprisingly good condition.
Kitayama Kangan (Ba Moki, 1767-1801) was the grandson of a Chinese émigré. He studied painting under his father Ba Doryo (Also us...

An early and rare Japanese copper plaque showing a bird on a prunus mume twig, worked in dull colored cloisonné enamels, the reverse with green contre-émail. The former owner attributed this artwork to an artist of the "Japonisme Movement". Condition: bubble bursts, a hairline (see photo No. 5). Dimension: 20.3 cm x 20.3 cm x 0.3 cm.

Set of four Chinese Qing dynasty porcelain wine cups decorated in the doucai style in underglaze blue and overglaze famille rose enamels with a butterfly among flowering plants. An underglaze blue geometric border is at the rim. A six-character blue kaishu Daoguang mark (1821-1859) is on the base and the set is probably of the period. There are faint lightly incised “CHINA” marks to the bases for export purposes. About 3 3/8” diameter x slightly over 2 1/2” high. Very good overall c...

A small square gold lacquer Japanese incense container with rounded corners. The lid is decorated with a relief of waves and rocks, inlaid in mother-of-pearl and lead. Interior and base with nashiji, the rims covered with lead. Later tomobako. Dimension: c. 9.5 cm x 7.5 cm x 2.5 cm. Condition: few traces of usage, a tiny chip (see photo No. 2 at 2 o'clock).

Long Chinese Qing dynasty hardwood bench crafted with four panels on the back rest, a curved front apron, and comfortable armrests. 19th century. 74 3/4" long x 29" high (17 1/2" high to seat) x 23" deep (21 1/4" depth of seat). Very sturdy and in very good overall condition. There are some minor separations from our dry Arizona climate. There is a small wood loss and old filled crack at one side of the bottom apron. From an old Tempe, Arizona estate.

A lovely hand formed bowl in the shape of an inverted mushroom with brush strokes (Kushi-me) defining the gills and the bulbous stipe laying like a handle to one side. A speckled yellow glaze (typical of Maiko) covers the sandy clay, with a drape of green and white seeping like milk from one side. It is roughly 21 cm (8 inches) diameter and in excellent condition, stamped on the base Mahiko (In traditional writing the character for Hi is interchangeable with the character for I as is Fu and U)...

Aluminium casted shamanic figure showing a shaman seated and playing the drum H 26.5 cm More information on request

Chinese late Qing dynasty red silk temple hanging or altar frontispiece embroidered in metallic-couched and polychrome silk threads. The lower section features a stand holding a variety of vessels. A pair of bats and a pair of butterflies fly around a censer at the left that is emitting fumes. At the center of the stand, a central vase is filled with blossoming flowers while a vessel behind it contains fruit. A vessel at the right holds a variety of objects. A horizontal panel at the top ho...

Chinese late Qing dynasty Han style lady's jacket with a deep blue silk brocade background woven with bats among clouds. The sleeve bands are embroidered with cranes among branches laden with fruit and flowers set against a white ground bordered with woven ribbon accents. The collar, side closure, and ruyi head-form hem are all embroidered with butterflies and stylized flowers edged in yellow silk and ribbons set against a white ground. Five floral form metal buttons secure the side closure. ...

A nice assortment of eighteen ancient gold beads. Ancient gold beads are made from natural occurring gold which makes it an original old item. Will make a beautiful necklace. Weight: 15.36 grams. Size: See last photo.

A lacquer box decorated with a Rimpa style thatched house under blossoming tree by Kamisaka Sekka dating from the late Taisho period. It is 12.5 x 12.5 x 6 cm (5 x 5 x 2 inches) and is in excellent condition. An identical box which was part of the permanent collection of the Ruth and Sherman Lee Institute along with the original design sketch is visible on page 154 of the book Kamisaka Sekka: Rimpa Master - Pioneer of Modern Design published by the Kyoto National Museum of Modern Art in 2003. ...

A mid Edo period (16th to 17th century) five plate cuirass (go-mai-do) of heavy iron emblazoned on front with a sun and moon in inlayed silver over the fierce god Fudomyo with protective sanskjrit characters in silver damascene on the sides and a five character phrase (The Gotoku or five precepts of Confucianism, also espoused in the book of five rings) on back, also in silver. It is lacquered red inside, and about the waste hang rows of black lacquered scales laced in blue with color fleckedwh...

Description:
It is a decent Qingbai ware with height of 10.9 cm and width of 10.4.
One similar piece is in the book of " Qingbai Ware-Chinese Porcelain of the Song and Yuan Dynasties " (2002),The Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art. P174, figure93.

The full moon glowing in shimmering gold illuminates the silver blossoms adorning the ragged plum tree growing along the river bank, a superb lacquer box dating from the 19th century enclosed in a period wooden box titled Plum & Moon Maki-e Suzuri Bako. Inside the lid the stream continues, running past golden rocks and young flora reaching for the moon. Contained within is a grinding stone with gilded edges and a blossom shaped suiteki water-dropper inset into a raft structure upon which the b...

A fine rendition of a plum by Tanaka (Zuitai) Ryurei (commonly known as Ryudojin, 1740-1804)). Ink on paper, it has been fully remounted in a silk frame with wooden rollers reflecting the original style. The scroll is 12-1/2 x 70 inches (31.5 x 178 cm).
Ryudojin was born in Owari, near modern day Nagoya. He is referred to also as Ryurei Zuitai and or Ryudo Reizui or simply Ryurei. Born into the Tanaka family, he was sent to the priesthood at Reigenji at the age of 11. Then he went to...

A seething dragon in white bronze by Mitsui Yoshio dating circa 1930 enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The very distinct character of the creature is similar to the famous dragons of Yakushiji temple in Nara. It is 32 cm (12-1/2 inches) long, 25 cm (10 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Mitsui Yoshio (1899-1959) was born in Tokyo and initially studied metal craft under Tsuchida Katsue and then Unno Kiyoshi. While studying at the Tokyo University of Art (then Tokyo Bijut...

Pair of Chinese Ming dynasty green and amber lead-glazed pottery funerary figures in the form of attendants. Each figure stands on a waisted hexagonal plinth and is dressed in layered robes with long sleeves. The male figure has a square official’s hat and holds a makeup box. His hands are folded in his sleeves and covered by a tasseled towel. An amber glazed basin, carrying water, rests in the folded arms of the female figure. She wears a front-opening jacket over a long skirt and her ha...

An elegant Edo period Mokko-Gata bowl decorated in gosu floral motifs over yellow under a clear glaze from the kiln established by Chinese Ming émigré Chin Genpin (Chen Yuanyun 1587-1671) around 1660 in Nagoya under direction of the Daimyo of Owari Province Tokugawa Mitsutomo. The piece makes use of Seto clay covered in a combination of imported yellow glaze and local glazes mimicking the popular Annan Yaki of Southern China and Vietnam. It is 15.5 x 11 x 7 cm (6 x 4-1/2 x 3 inches) and is i...

A patinated bronze okimono of a young woman with a beautiful face, dating around 1910. On her back a large basket and in her hand she was carrying a tool. Signed "Seiya" on the base. Dimension: 29.5 cm high, weight: 2.4 kg. Condition: tool broken off, few tiny areas with wear to the patina.

Loops of white decorate the dark pitted glaze of this quashed bowl from the kilns of Kyushu dating from the early to mid Edo period. The small foot is testament to dating, and there is much natural wear to the dark glaze. The vessel is 14 x 10 x 6 cm (5-1/2 x 4 x 2-1/2 inches) with an age darkened chip in the rim where it rolls over on itself. It comes in a silk bag enclosed in a black lacquered antique wood box. It comes from a collection of Edo pottery, and inside the box is a receipt desc...

Massive Chinese late 19th century two door elmwood wardrobe cabinet with carved lower apron in a natural finish. A separate two door hat cabinet fits on top of the chest. The interior of the chest features two interior shelves, one with two drawers. The hat cabinet has one interior shelf. A round brass lock plate is at the center of the doors and round brass hardware is on the door hinges. The doors and central bars lift out for easy transit. This cabinet measures 72 1/2” + hat cabinet 31 1/...

Pierce-work combined with over and under glaze decoration create the perfect picture of spring on this bowl by Takahashi Dohachi enclosed in the original wooden box signed Kachutei Dohachi and titled Kenzan Yo Tsubaki Bori Hachi (Kenzan style Camelia patterned Carved Bowl). It is 20 cm (8 inches) diameter and in excellent condition.
The Dohachi Kiln was established in Awataguchi by the retainer of Kameyama fief, Dohachi I around 1760, and the name Dohachi was brought to the forefront of ...

Chinese Tang dynasty (618-907) pottery figure of a standing lady (often referred to as a “fat lady”), dressed in a long-sleeved, high-waisted, full-length robe. One boat-shaped shoe protrudes from the bottom of the robe. The sleeve of her gown covers her right hand while the left hand is exposed. Her hair is gathered in a double-topknot at the top of her head. Cold painted red pigment remains over the thin layer of white slip covering the red pottery. Traces of red and black pigment are...

Rarely encountered Chinese Tang dynasty (618-907) pottery figure of a court gentleman (often referred to as a “fat man”) wearing a scarf hat and dressed in a long, belted gown with one arm raised, his hand covered by his voluminous sleeve, and the other hand holding the belt. An acrylic stand is included. 14 1/4” high (excluding stand). Circa 7th to 8th century. Very good overall condition with nice detailing. From an Arizona collection. Purchased in Hong Kong in 1996.

The soft blur of blossoming plum, as if viewed in a dream, by Murashiam Yuichi. The evocative form, rising up in an arc to dominate the paper, seems powerful in comparison to the delicate petals clinging to new branches rising from the gnarled limbs. Ink on paper in green silk border, the scroll is 216 × 45cm (85 x 18 inches) and in overall excellent condition.
Murashima Yuichi (1897-1983 born Yuichiro) also known as Ho-o, was born in Toyama and graduated the Tokyo Bijutsu Gakko (Mod Un...

A set of six pierced silver zarfs with decoration in Niello, Ottoman coffee cup holders. Stamped with Tughra mark on body and foot, base with "Tremolierstich". Condition: some small repairs, two zarfs with a lost prong. Dimension: c. 5.6 cm high, diameter: 5.1 cm, weight: 227 g.

A crow stands stark against a dark landscape, the last vestiges of autumn clinging to frozen branches as the landscape settles with snow. Below water surrenders to gravity as it drops into the unseen depths. Ink and light color on silk in a green silk border patterned with tangled vines and featuring stag antler rollers. It is 19 x 76-1/2 inches (48 x 194 cm) and in overall great condition.
Tanaka Raisho (1867-1940) was born in Shimane prefecture, into an important household which fell...

Massive scrolled late Qing dynasty Chinese ancestor portrait executed in ink and color on paper depicting a civil official and his two wives. The official is dressed in formal attire and is seated on an armchair draped with a tiger skin. A Mandarin rank badge showing the official’s rank in the civil bureaucracy is on the center front of his cobalt-blue surcoat. The long tail appears to designate the bird as a paradise flycatcher, indicating an official of the 9th rank. He wears a hat with ...

A very rare Nana-sun plate with swirling hake-me design from the kilns of Utsutsukawa dating from the early to mid Edo period wrapped in a ragged bit of sarasa dyed cotton cloth and enclosed in an age darkened wooden box titled Utsutsukawa-Yaki Kashibachi - Ikko (Sweets dish-1) It is 7-1/2 inches (19 cm) diameter. Thinly potted, there is a tiny chip in the rim, otherwise is in perfect condition; exceedingly rare for this type of pottery.
Utsutsukawa-yaki originated in Nagasaki in the lat...

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”). Very good overall condition with no tape or tape ...

Japanese Meiji period three-case boxwood inro carved on the front with two oni or animal creatures peering out from the trunk of a tree. The back holds a bearded man holding a sword or knife. All three have inlaid eyes. A wood ojime bead and a netsuke in the form of a smiling tiger is attached to the string. A two-character “Nissho” signature within a circular cartouche is embedded on the bottom. 19th century. 3 1/8” x 2 1/4" x 1 1/4." Very good overall condition with only minor imp...

Ducks are the only life in this landscape of frozen rice paddies by Shirakura Niho enclosed in the original double wood box (Nijubako) signed Kanyu (the name he used later in his career). Teh composition is very minimalist, relying on the diagonal lines of paddy walls to define the foreground, only a haze of color to intimate the hills beyond. Judging by the style this likely dates from the 1940s and is an exceptional work by this innovative artist. Ink and pigment on silk in a superb border ...

A rare opportunity to pick up a perfect condition Mingei pot from the former Yonezawa Clan's Narushima-kiln of Imaizumi on the border between Yamagata and Fukushima prefectures, one of the Edo period Daimyo feudal kilns, dating from the later 19th to opening years of the 20th century. It is 7-1/2 inches (19 cm) diameter, 6-1/2 inches (16 cm) tall and in fine condition with no chips, cracks or repairs. Very similar in appearance to nearby Tsutsumi-yaki of Sendai, the lesser lip between the gla...

White Robed Kannon by Zen Wako (also Chon Fua Fan/Chow Wha Whang), Oil on panel, 22 x 27,5 cm (9 x 11 inches) in the original frame.
Zen Wako was born in Pyongan (modern day North Korea) in 1909, while that country was under Japanese Influence, and one year before it was officially annexed by Japan. He was first recognized in 1929 when his work was accepted into the Korean national Art Exhibition. In 1933 he came under the influence of Nishida Tenko (1872-1968), a spiritual figure in Jap...

A pair undone antique Chinese sleeve bands, bordered with a black band and green cotton lining. The wine-red silk ground finely embroidered in Pekinese stitch, some detalis in satin stitch and couched metal threads, showing figures, maybe immortals in a landscape. Dimension: c. 111 cm x 37.5 cm. Condition: fine, only few stains.

A young Maiko parts the curtains of an Okiya Tea-house entrance, perhaps on her way to training, or to begin a night of traditional entertainment through song and dance. Pigment and ink on silk in a fine brocade border with lacquered red wooden rollers. It is 25 x 78 inches (63.5 x 198 cm). There is some loss to the gofun in the center where it was obviously folded once before being mounted in its current state.

Ivy in colored maki-e lacquer drapes over the ro-iro polished black of this museum quality Tankei oil lantern dating from the 19th century complete with oil container, with both ceramic and lacquered-brass oil dishes; enclosed in the original wooden storage box. It is 22 x 18 x 54 cm (8-1/2 x 7 x 21 inches) and is in overall fine condition, with minor wear typical of age and use.
Historically slow burning rapeseed or fish oil would have been used, the long wicks burning on the dish drape...

Wisteria vines in gold and silver Maki-e lacquer decorate the natural body of this beautiful sake flask cut from a section of vine, hollowed and capped with natural wood and black lacquer, a pouring spout of brass bunged with bamboo. It is 9 inches (22 cm) tall and in fine condition, dating from the 19th century.

A troop of Shishi lion dogs sewn with couched gold thread. frolic among the blossoms and crashing falls embroidered on the re-purposed rich blue patterned Edo period silk of this altar cloth. The original form was likely an uchikake kimono, assembled as an altar drape as a tribute to the owner at a Buddhist Temple. Embroidered up high is the Mitsuba-aoi crest of the Tokugawa Shogun, indicating this was from an aristocratic family as the quality of the embroidery presmes. The dimensions are ro...

A mandala from the Main Kyoto Nichiren Sect Buddhist Temple Honnoji cut from a hardwood slab used in the rebuilding of the great hall in the Taisho period. Written on back is “Given in Taisho 14 (1925) to the temple supporter’s representative as a prayer for good fortune upon the occasion of the ceremonial raising of the roof beam of the main temple structure (Honden), the plackard cut from wood used in the rebuilding”. It is signed Nichijo-gan. Nichijo was the 62nd head of Honnoji Templ...

An anonymous basket of both red and white soot-stained bamboo (susu-dake) with a root-wood handle, the various textures and colors gleaming with sheer elegance. It is 18 inches (45 cm) tall and in excellent condition, containing a black lacquered bamboo otoshi container lined with copper.

A patinated bronze okimono of a young woman with a wonderful face, dating to the Meiji period. On her back and in her hand she is carrying iris flowers. Signed on the base. Dimension: 34 cm high, weight: 3.7 kg. Condition: few areas with wear to the patina.

Vintage Japanese watercolor painting by Fukutaro Terauchi (1891-?) depicting a village scene with figures walking under parasols in the snow. Signed at the lower right. Likely dates from the 1950s. Executed on slightly textured watercolor paper measuring about 11 3/4" x 8 1/8." Very good overall condition. There is a narrow strip of old tape residue at the top back and there are a few pencil notations on the back.

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. Ver...

ecklace is comprised of greenstone beads, some jade, with a jade pendant carved in shape of frog. The silver beads are not pre-columbian, but vintage or antique. Necklace measures 18 1/2" long, with pendant 1 1/2" long. Beads include barrel shapes, round, flattened round discs, and irregular stone nuggets. The beads vary in color, all with some green, most with some brown or yellowish matrix. Clasp is S hook, unmarked, so is likely silver plate. Restrung within last 10 years on braided m...

Chinese Qing dynasty rectangular jade openwork plaque, carved with a design of a deer under a pine tree, mounted into the lid of an early 20th century rectangular silver box raised on four feet. Two-character “chun yin” (pure silver) mark to the bottom of the box. The jade has a pale celadon-gray hue. The box measures 3 1/2" long x 3” wide x 1 5/8” high. The jade plaque is 2 7/8” x 2 1/4." The total weight: 8.645 oz. Very good overall condition. There are a few scratches to one ed...

Chinese ink and color on paper painting of a tiger on the prowl set against rockery and bamboo by Weng Wenguang (Ong Boon Kong). Signed in black ink and with two red artist seals below the signature reading "Weng Wenguang" and "Shi Zhaohua." 20th century. Painting: 53” x 29 1/4” (with silk border: 58” x 34 1/2"). The painting is silk bordered for framing and can be rolled for shipping. Very good, clean condition with only minor soiling evident. Weng Wenguang was born in Fujian Provinc...