Catalog: Antiques (343)

A rare Arita export dish decorated in Kakiemon style with a pair of Hoo birds, (Fenghuang or Pheonixes) amongst rocks and flowers, Peonies and Chrysanthemums. The rim decorated with a Bird and vine pattern arabesque. Identical dishes exist painted in this pattern but enamelled in the classic Kakiemon palette. The “Bird bird and vine” pattern appears on “Kakiemon” export teapots of the same period. The curious blobs arranged in groups of three, represent Stars, Hoshi...

An unusual Kakiemon dish the outer register finely painted with the Shochikubai. The pine, bamboo and prunus painted separately with elongated trailing branches growing from rockwork. The centre painted with a single bough of flowering Camellias, Tsubaki, symbolic of the season of Spring. The reverse painted with a continuous vine arabesque, karakusa and four supur marks arranged in a "Y" shape. An identical dish is to be found in the Sakaida (Kakiemon) family collection...

A finely potted dish decorated with a pattern of scattered shibagaki, bundles of brushwood, which would have formed part of a decorative garden hedge, with boughs of Plum blossom. This pattern was made for the domestic market and would have been particularly appropriate for the celebration of the New Year. The design is referencing the strong winds and storms of early spring. The dish is decorated in a combination of underglaze blue and “Kakiemon” enamels, over-glaze blue, green...

A (North) Korean bronze mirror of petaloid form decorated with floral scrolling to the interior of the rim. The raised border of the central reserve following the petaloid form of the mirror edge. The reserve is divided into five repeating sections each terminating in "spearhead motifs", possibly a leaf with tendrils either side, both from the central boss and the raised border (10 in total, five from the boss pointing outwards, five from the border pointing inwards)...

A fine rectangular vase or incense stick holder of slab construction with applied leonine taotie style handles to its narrow sides...

A square shallow bowl in the form of a Japanese rice measure, masu, which was considered to be an auspicious form decorated to the exterior with two Dragons in different stances with two eight character poems with seals. Presumably the shape was intended as a play on the word, namasu, a term used to traditionally describe a serving of pickled vegetables and the related bowl...

An exceptionally fine porcelain bowl made for presentation, kenjo-te. The centre of the dish is decorated with an unusual version of a Karashishi which would seem to be floating upon a feather set against a net like blue ground which has been produced using the shiranaku technique. It is strikingly similar to the karashishi and feather compositions that appear on Chinese porcelain of the Wanli era...

A bowl, hachi, of kiku-gata, moulded Chrysanthemum form, decorated to the interior with low relief kiku-mon, stylised chrysanthemum flower heads. The narrow panels partly painted in underglaze blue with a gilt lozenge diaper pattern inset with swastikas, and brocades inset with various contrasting motifs of kiku-mon, hanabishi-mon, and matsu-mon (a view of the end of a Pine branch). The remaining four double panels with kiku-mons and Peony and Chrysanthemum sprays...

A very unusual “klapmuts” form bowl decorated with three near identical panels composed of a scene of Chinese boys, karako, in the quise of it would appear of monks. The main figure wearing a Buddhist crown is flanked by acolytes with Chinese Fans, presumably preaching to the remaining boys, who don’t seem to be paying a great deal of attention...

Ko Imari Arita Koi-gata Fish Shaped Dish Nagazara Genroku 17C A fine Arita sometsuke fish shaped dish carefully modelled in the form of a Carp, koi-gata o-sara dating to the late 17C. See “The Trakatori Collection” Kyushu Museum 2020 for a set of similar dishes there dated 1670-1690’s. This example probably dates from the 1690’s, the Genroku era...

A fine Arita sometsuke fish shaped dish carefully modelled in the form of a Carp, koi-gata o-sara dating to the late 17C. See “The Trakatori Collection” Kyushu Museum 2020 for a set of similar dishes there dated 1670-1690’s. This example probably dates from the 1690’s, the Genroku era...

A fine Arita sometsuke fish shaped dish carefully modelled in the form of a Carp, koi-gata o-sara dating to the late 17C. See “The Trakatori Collection” Kyushu Museum 2020 for a set of similar dishes there dated 1670-1690’s. This example probably dates from the 1690’s, the Genroku era...

Ko Imari Oranda-jin Hexagonal Hakukaku Mukuzuke c.1800 A deep octagonal bowl, mukuzuke, or choku, decorated with eight panels containing figures of orand-jin Dutchmen in various poses and involved in a number of activities...

A pair of hexagonal deep cups, choko, or mukuzuke each decorated with two Tojin figures in gilt set against an underglaze blue ground, with panels of brocade patterns alternating with cylindrical rolls of silk brocade (orimono) bound with auspicious kara kusa. The rim decorated with lappets containing partially obscured brocades, rolls of brocade (orimono), and hat of invisibility (kakuregasa), representing the eight precious objects, takara-mono. The interior of the bowl decorated with a Ta...

A large Kakiemon low bowl painted in underglaze blue with some light enamelling in yellow, green and iron red, somenishikide style made for the Japanese domestic market. The central reserve superbly painted in sansui landscape of mountainous cliffs overhanging a body of water with two small fishing boats. The cavetto of the bowl decorated with the shochikubai, the Three Friends of Winter. The reverse decorated with krakusa with chrysanthemum form blooms, symbols of longevity. The base of the dis...

A very unusual octagonal dish in new style enamels dating to around the year 1800, featuring three figures, the main of which is a figure wearing a buttoned jacket and perhaps a klapmut style hat with distinctive slops, which identifies him as a seaman, rather than the more usual merchant; see last image no 6 a late 18th century print of a Sailor in “slops”. The tight curls of his hair betray his foreign origin, although he retains an overall oriental appearance. He is a tojin, a foreigne...

A very finely painted Nabeshima Okawachi porcelain bowl on a high footrim of Mokuhaigata form decorated in under-glaze blue with a pattern of five Hydrangea's in Bloom painted in “Korin Style”. The reverse decorated with three Peony motifs, botan karakusa, and the foot-ring with finely painted kushide comb pattern to the outside of the footring. The dish dates to the late Edo period circa 1800-1840. See Metropolitan Museum of Art New York for a dish in the same pattern, Accession number 93.3...

A gilded bronze or brass alloy hand mirror of round form with a pair of four toed thick bodied Dragons characteristic of the Qing dynasty. The Dragons are impressed into a very fine sandy textured ground and are delineated entirely in flat raised lines similar to champlevé work. The pierced cylindrical knob or button has a V shaped opening for a silk cord and it appears to have been soldered to the centre rather than cast. It has an impressed Shou motif. The mirror face has several minute hole...