Catalog: Vintage Arts: Regional Art: Asian: Japanese: Tea Articles (10)

Unusual vintage Japanese tea ceremony small chawan - a tea bowl - with pink outside. The piece was made at Shigaraki kilns - one of the six ancient kilns of Japan - and displays typical coarse body with large sand particles, freely applied pink slip with clearly visible traces of potter’s fingers. Very pleasant to hold, in excellent condition. Diameter 4.26 inches, height 2.54 inches.

Vintage Japanese wooden kogo (box for incense during tea ceremony), its cover carved in a shape of the Zen Patriarch Daruma wearing a monk’s cape, and with gold lacquer on the inside. Beautiful dense fruitwood, carving is done in ittobori (one cut) style characteristic for the Hida school of carvers. Wonderful face, in excellent condition. Signed KAZUICHI SAKU (made by Kazuichi) on the bottom. Diameter 2.1 inches, height 1.5 inches. Part of a small East Coast kogo collection.

Vintage Japanese kiriwood kogo (box for incense during tea ceremony) in a form of an open fan with painted decoration of blooming kikyo-zaki (Japanese morning glory) and other flowers and grasses. Comes with tomobako (original storage box made by the artist) inscribed, signed and stamped with a seal of Munehiro Michiba, Very clever design, in perfect condition. Great piece in Japanese taste. Length 3 5/8 inches.

Early Showa period (1930s) Japanese kogo (box for incense during tea ceremony) of turned wood, top and bottom are lacquered with concentric circles of different colors. Elegant object in Japanese taste with overwhelming simplicity, two parts fit perfectly, beautiful surfaces, in excellent condition. Diameter 1.9 inches.

Unusual Japanese bronze / brass haisaji - spoon for ashes from hibachi used during tea ceremony. Good design, hammered spoon part, braided wire nicely imitating cord. Comes in paulownia box with wrapping cloth, must be about 50 years old. Wonderful object in great condition, beautiful patina from use. Spoon length 8 1/2 inches, box length 9 1/4 inches.

Vintage Japanese kogo (box for incense during tea ceremony) made out of natural clam shell painted with lacquer on the inside with of a gnarled trunk and cherry flowers. Very clever design, rather suggestive erotic (see Enlargement 6) connotation as is usual with clam shape in Japanese culture, two parts fit perfectly and stay closed very well, in superb condition. Signed with a seal of the artist that seem to read TOGAI. Wonderful piece in Japanese taste. Length 3 5/8 inches.

Vintage Japanese kiriwood kogo (box for incense during tea ceremony) in a form of an open fan with painted decoration of blooming kikyo-zaki (Japanese morning glory) with leaves and tendrils. Comes with tomobako (original storage box made by the artist) inscribed, signed and stamped with a seal of Munehiro Michiba, Very clever design, in perfect condition. Great piece in Japanese taste. Length 3 5/8 inches.

Ceramic chawan (tea bowl) for tea ceremony with multifaceted outside and enso circle shape foot. Unusual piece made in marbled technique with resulting surface perfectly imitating twisted patterns of a burl wood. The effect is achieved by laminating different colored clays together and throwing them on a wheel to develop a swirling and spiraling effect...

Early Showa period (1930s) Japanese kogo (box for incense during tea ceremony) of turned wood, the top lacquered black, the bottom red. Superbly elegant object in Japanese taste with overwhelming simplicity, two parts fit perfectly, beautiful surfaces, in excellent condition. Diameter 2 3/8 inches.

Japanese wooden round kogo (box for incense during tea ceremony) lacquered with red lacquer on the inside. Material appears to be mulberry wood. Simple classic design, in perfect condition, signed SEIJU on the bottom. Diameter 2 3/8 inches. Part of a small East Coast kogo collection.