Most unusual 19th century Japanese porcelain shaving mug with handle decorated on the outside with 2 fan shaped cartouches with birds on flowering branches, and various sea creatures on tomato red ground. The creatures include an octopus, various fish (eel, flounder, whitefish, sea bass) and shells. Excellent painting, very good potting, unusual 12-sided body with wider foot. Signed HICHOZAN SHINPO TSUKURU (Made by Hichozan Shinpo) on the bottom. Expected wear to gilding on the rim, overall in v ...click for details
Unusual 1910s Japanese porcelain cup in classic shape decorated with 3 cranes in flight among stylized clouds in gold on tomato red ground, and underglaze blue keyfret design around the foot. Excellent potting, superb quality painting. Signed in underglaze blue on the bottom DAI NIHON EIRAKU ZO for one of the later generations of potters from the eiraku line. Very pleasant and beautifully made piece, quite rare, in perfect condition. Diameter 2 11/16 inches, height 1 3/4 inches.
19th century small underglaze blue and white Japanese Arita porcelain sweetmeat dish used during tea ceremony in lozenge shape with decoration of 2 boys among bushes on the inside, and scrolling vines on the outside. Great intentionally careless potting with indented corners, wonderful thick glaze with minute bubbles, beautiful dark spots in the paste consistent with age. Very good quality freehand painting, overall in excellent condition. Length 4 1/8 inches. The piece comes from a small East C ...click for details
Very unusual late Meiji (1900s) Japanese ceramic sake set consisting of 5 cups and tokkuri - a sake bottle. The bottle is of classic shape with silver lining to the mouth and decoration of a phoenix in flight among scrolling clouds above stylized rocks and under abbreviated clouds. Cups have silver lined inside surface, and follow the same decoration scheme. The decoration technique is called fa-hua, and was developed by Chinese at the end of the 15th century, with lines of raised slip keeping c ...click for details
19th century/Meiji period Japanese porcelain sake cup with underglaze blue decoration of four ancient Chinese bronze incense burners/braziers. Kyoto work by Takahashi Dohachi Studio with delicate potting and beautiful bubbly glaze. Underglaze blue Dohachi mark on the bottom. Wonderful quality freehand painting, in perfect condition. Height 1 5/8 inches, diameter 2 3/16 inches.
19th century/Meiji period Japanese porcelain sake cup with silver lining on the inside and decoration of flowering lotus flowers among scrolling vines above stylized clouds. The cup is decorated in fa-hua technique developed by Chinese at the end of the 15th century, with lines of raised slip keeping colored glazes from running together, very much like cloisonne technique. Color scheme also follows closely the fa-hua palette with yellow, blue, aubergine and turquoise enamels. Stamped on the bott ...click for details
19th century/Meiji period Japanese porcelain Kutani sake cup painted on the outside with two panels with landscape scene and a gathering of scholars. Areas between the panels are filled with different reserves painted with brocade patterns. Superb quality painting (see the detailing of the landscape panel) done in red, green, light blue, black and golden enamels. Delicate potting, overall in excellent condition. Red enamel mark in Japanese characters KUTANI and place name on the bottom. Diameter ...click for details
19th century Edo period (before 1867) Japanese porcelain Hirado plate with scalloped edge and underglaze blue decoration of a dragon in pursuit of Tama (sacred pearl). Excellent potting, milky white body and clear glaze. Great early painting with charming freedom, wonderful dynamic design - see the flames issuing from the body of the dragon. Some surface wear as to be expected, overall in great condition. Diameter 7 1/4 inches.
Late Meiji - early Taisho (1910s) Japanese porcelain Hirado yusamashi with underglaze blue decoration of scholars playing the game of GO on a low table, accompanied by attendant boys. Yusamashi resembles European creamer in shape, and is used to add cold water to tea in order to bring it to comfortable drinking temperature. Superb delicate potting, marked with 6 Japanese characters on the bottom. Wonderful quality freehand painting. The creamer is in perfect condition. Length with handle 4 7/16 ...click for details
19th century small Hirado porcelain sculpture of a Japanese man wearing official kimono and a court hat. Like any white object does not photograph well. Excellent crisp modeling with incised details, wonderful thickish glaze with slight blue tinge and tiny bubbles in it. Unglazed bottom, in excellent condition, very pleasant to the touch. Height 2 3/8 inches. See the companion piece in my catalog.
