Single early 19th century menuki - Japanese sword fitting - depicting a cherry branch with leaves and flowers. Did not photograph well. Great design and superb detailing, silvering and gilding, beautiful patina. Length 1 3/4 inches.
Single early 19th century menuki - Japanese sword fitting - depicting a horse grazing among flowers and grasses. Did not photograph well. Great design and detailing, beautiful dark patina, wear to gilding. Length 1 5/8 inches.
19th century Japanese iron kanemono (tobacco pouch clasp) depicting a scene of a samurai procession performed by six rats in different attitudes. Iron is notoriously difficult to work with. Excellent design, funny topic, superb crisp detailing, gilding to the eyes. Length 2 1/8 inches.
19th century Japanese iron kanemono (tobacco pouch clasp) depicting a terrified oni next to Shoki (Demon Queller) who is holding a setsubun tray in his hand. Setsubun is performed during the New Year by throwing beans around the house to exorcise the oni. Iron is notoriously difficult to work with. Excellent design, superb crisp detailing, great silvering and gilding. Signed YOSHITSUGU (alternative reading is Hoji) on the side by the bottom of his apron. Length 1 1/16 inches.
19th century Japanese iron kanemono (tobacco pouch clasp) depicting a sparrow serving sake from a bottle to an old man with a sake cup. The topic represented is Shitakiri Suzume, or the story of a tongue cut sparrow - see H. Joly LEGEND IN JAPANESE ART, p. 496. Iron is notoriously difficult to work with. Excellent design, superb crisp detailing, silver inlays and gilding. Length 1 7/16 inches.
19th century Japanese iron kanemono (tobacco pouch clasp) in a form of a fan made out of a large feather with wrapped handle. Iron is notoriously difficult to work with. Excellent design, superb crisp detailing, gilded highlights. Length 1 7/8 inches.
19th century Japanese ceramic chawan (tea bowl) for tea ceremony with crackled cream glaze and enamel decoration of the Wind God Futen with his characteristic face of a demon and billowing scarves, emptying his bag in the clouds, thus creating wind. Wonderful free painting with color palette of pink, green, white, black and yellow enamels. Raku pottery produced in the Kyoto region. Beautiful potting with spiral line on the bottom of the bowl showing the way potter finished turning the piece. Gre ...click for details
19th century Japanese ceramic chawan (tea bowl) for tea ceremony with mottled orange and white glaze. Aka-Raku (red Raku) pottery produced in the Kyoto region. Excellent design, beautiful potting with body first turned and then formed by fingers, spiral line on the bottom of the bowl showing the way potter finished turning the piece. Great crackled glaze, inscribed by the potter on the body by the foot. Very attractive object, well-used, in great condition. Comes with new box inscribed on the to ...click for details
19th century Kyoto ware Japanese ceramic octagonal kashiki dish with enameled on the inside with a phoenix in flight above blooming flowers. Used for holding sweets served with tea. Very pleasant potting, sand-colored stoneware with beautifully crackled glaze. Decorated in Ninsei style with green, light green, red, black and blue enamels. Some wear to enamel, closed line (see Enlargement 2, at about 4 o’clock). Marked in ink on the recessed bottom - I could distinguish RAKU character, but could ...click for details
