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Japanese Candle-Shaped Ceramic Sake Bottle
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Pre 1920 item# 60069 (stock# 2C-229)
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203-929-7312
$230
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This unusual candle-shaped sake bottle or “rosoku-tokkuri,” which is covered with a deep dark brown glaze, is an example of Tachikui/Tamba ware. Meiji/Taisho period. Unglazed calligraphic symbols, drawn with a wax resist, surround the square-shouldered body of the bottle. The village of Tachikui, located in an isolated mountain region of northern Hyogo Prefecture, is the last pottery village in Tamba. The dominant color of the Tachikui wares is a rich deep brown. (Our enlargement photos 6 and 7 show the true color.) A large variety of utilitarian ceramics were produced there, the most striking of which is the “candle bottle,” so named because its shape resembles that of an old Japanese candle. They are graceful in form and have a particularly fine glaze on a brown body with some of the clay showing through. (See “The Folk Arts of Japan” by Hugo Munsterberg, Plate 25, for a similar example.) Folk-craft products or “mingei,” of which this sake bottle is representative, are objects used by common people. These commonplace, functional artifacts are endowed with a beauty directly connected with their utility – a beauty that is simple, humble and unassuming. Condition is excellent, with only a few minor kiln spots. Ex. collection Brooklyn Museum. Overall dimensions: 7” high, 3 ½” diameter at shoulder.
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Unusual Tall Japanese Ceramic Shop Hibachi
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Pre 1920 item# 52575 (stock# 2B-205)
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$325
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This high-standing ceramic shop hibachi (“mise-hibachi”) features a ribbed concentric ring design with a deep brown glaze streaked with mottled ochre and blue flambe glazes on all sides. Likely Seto ware, Taisho period. Just below the lip is a subtle Chinese key design, which can be seen at certain angles but did not appear in our photographs. There is a thick ceramic divider in the middle to hold the hot coals. The body is hollow above and below this divider, with two cut-out handles on either side just below the lip. Hibachi were finely crafted braziers used in old homes and shops to provide heat, warm sake and boil water for tea. Ceramic hibachi made their appearance during the mid 19th century and at once gained widespread popularity and became the status symbol of the day. Styles varied considerably, with one of the most unusual designs being the shop hibachi, a cylinder tall enough to deliver heat to people who were seated or standing. Ceramic hibachi are prized for their craftsmanship and can be utilized in many imaginative ways very different from their original purpose. They can easily become wine buckets, planters, tables, or holders of magazines or small collections. Condition is excellent, with only a small original kiln firing crack on the unglazed foot. Overall dimensions: 25” high, 11” diameter.
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Seto Abura Zara Andon Lantern Plate Oribe Glaze Edo
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Pre 1800 item# 993643 (stock# 2A-811)
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$625
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This richly crackled, glazed Japanese folk pottery stoneware oil dish (“abura-zara”) or lantern plate (“andon-zara”) is sparsely decorated with a design of five cream-colored scattered chrysanthemum (“kiku”) roundels freely hand painted in iron oxide and reserved on a mottled brown-black Oribe glazed ground. It dates to the Edo period, likely circa 1800. The reverse side is unglazed.
Most andon plates feature the design known as “tetsu-e” (“iron pictures”), the freestyle images painted in iron-oxide pigments directly onto the clay, frequently of sparse landscapes or subjects from nature. Artisans drew underlaze pictures directly on the clay with iron pigments made from an iron oxide. Then they poured transparent glaze over the pictures. This plate is an example of Oribe glaze all over the tetsu-e instead of Oribe glazing only on part of the plate, such as a shoulder. Produced mainly at the Seto kilns in Aichi Prefecture, oil dishes were special circular flat plates with a unique raised perpendicular outer edge. They were placed on the lower level of the andon lantern where they were used to catch oil drippings and soot from the burnt wick or oil feeder above. These plates were in use from the mid-seventeenth century, when andon were first used indoors, until the early 1900’s, when the use of oil lamps and electric lights became widespread.
The fascination of aburazara for the collectors of Japanese folk art lies in their bold painted motifs. Their simple designs always possessed a spontaneous vitality, and the decoration on this plate is large in scale and freely executed. Considered a quintessential example of Japanese ceramic folk art, Seto oil plates are represented in most major collections of mingei or Japanese folk ceramics. See “Andon (Lantern) Plates” by Yamazaki Masumi, the cover article in DARUMA 42 for many wonderful examples of these early oil plates, including Figures 21 and 22, which are similar in style to this one.
CONDITION is quite good for such an early andon plate. There are the fairly typical and expected areas of glaze loss on the rim of the plate and a stable old hairline crack, which are totally consistent with age and extensive usage for a plate of this nature. Very few aburazara survive in perfect condition because they were seen as ordinary everyday utilitarian wares which would ultimately be discarded. Such rough spots actually give these old oil plates more character, enhancing their folk art essence.
DIMENSIONS: 9” (23 cm) diameter, 1” (2.5 cm) high.
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Signed Black and Gold Lacquer Comb, Meiji
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Pre 1910 item# 167312 (stock# SB-26)
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203-929-7312
$350
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This lovely Japanese tortoise shell comb (“kushi”) is painstakingly decorated on both sides with gold takamakie (raised lacquer) on a black lacquer ground. Signed “Gyoku Kou.” Meiji period (1868-1912). The fine repeating design of rolling gold waves is juxtaposed against two floral medallions on this simple yet elegant comb. There is even an iridescent sprinkling of inlaid agaoi (abalone shell) representing dew drops on the leaves of the flowers. To Japanese women, hair ornaments were much more than mere accessories to feminine hair-do and attire. The comb progressed from a utilitarian object to a highly decorative one on which craftsmen and artists lavished their imagination and skill. In keeping with their inclination to beautify even ordinary items of everyday use, the Japanese turned hair ornaments into extraordinary artistic objects that mirrored the cultural and social history of the period, reflecting the life and status of their wearers. In their own small way, these hair combs provide a miniature glimpse of the exceptional beauty of Japanese art. (See wonderful article “Combs and Hairpins” by Sharon Ziesnitz and Takeguchi Momoko in “Daruma,” Summer 2002.) Condition is perfect. Dimensions: 3 ¼” long, 1 ¼” high.
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Footed Japanese Koransha Porcelain Dish
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Pre 1920 item# 55004 (stock# 2B-462)
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$185
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Elegant Koransha white porcelain footed dish with dramatic design of large underglaze blue leaves, small overglaze turquoise leaves and overglaze red enamel berries outlined in gold. Meiji/Taisho period. Two blue rings encircle the high foot, beneath which is found the Koransha mark of the scented orchid painted in underglaze blue. The subtle background shading moves from pure milky white at the top of the dish and changes to a lighter and then somewhat darker shade of blue as it surrounds the leaves and berries. This type of porcelain was made by the Fukagawa Koransha potters of Arita. In 1875, Ezaiemon Fukagawa founded Koransha (The Company of the Scented Orchid) in Arita. The next year, Koransha exhibited at the Philadelphia Exhibition, and in 1878 they exhibited in Paris. Koransha porcelains are noted for their excellence and consistent high quality. Condition is perfect. Overall dimensions: 9” diameter, 2 ¼” high.
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Hirado Porcelain Tea Ceremony Bowl
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Pre 1920 item# 42203 (stock# 2B-552)
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203-929-7312
$160
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This finely potted Japanese Hirado sometsuke (blue and white porcelain) “yu-samashi” tea bowl dates to the late Meiji period. Such bowls were used for cooling the hot water for tea during the sencha tea ceremony. The characteristic milky white body, which is covered in a pure lustrous glaze, is extremely delicate. A few blossoms and leaves painted in rich underglaze sapphire blue are scattered freely on the inside and outside of the piece. There is a well-modeled handle affixed to the molded end opposite the pouring spout. Hirado wares are considered to be among the finest porcelains ever made in Japan. It was produced at Mikawachi near Arita, and for much of its history it was made under the patronage of the lords of Hirado. Aristocratic patronage ended in the 1830’s with the commercialization of the kilns; however, the quality of Hirado remained very high. Hirado ware consists of a very pure, fine-grained and high-quality white porcelain, usually decorated in underglaze cobalt blue. Condition is perfect. Overall dimensions: 4 ½” long, 3 ¼” wide at handle, 2” high.
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Japanese Blue and White Porcelain Bowl, Seto
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Pre 1920 item# 51853 (stock# 2B-381)
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$230
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Lovely Japanese porcelain bowl, likely Seto ware, which may also be a scaled-down hibachi or handwarmer known as “te-aburi.” Meiji period. The clear underglaze cobalt blue decoration is beautifully hand-painted in great detail with freely drawn designs of peonies and weeping willows. A double underglaze blue ring encircles the foot. Seto porcelain glazes are more glassy than those of Imari, and the paste is somewhat coarser. In 1807 Kato Tamikichi, who had spent years studying the various kilns in Hizen Province, including the Arita kilns, came to Seto and started the production of porcelain. The decorations were mostly underglaze blue. By the middle of the 19th century, many famous potters had settled at the various Seto kilns, and a high grade porcelain decorated with underglaze blue designs was being made. The use of oxidized cobalt for underglaze blue wares was inaugurated about 1877. Condition is perfect. Overall dimensions: 4 ½” diameter, 4 1/8” high.
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Hirado Porcelain Netsuke in Chestnut Form
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Pre 1900 item# 384326 (stock# K-26)
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$425
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This iron brown glazed porcelain netsuke, molded in the form of a chestnut surmounted by a wasp in high relief, is very likely a product of the Hirado kilns. Meiji period (1868-1912) The brown glazed wasp rests atop of the chestnut with its wings and legs extended. The top section of the chestnut is glazed all around, and the bottom section was left unglazed and molded to resemble the stem base of a real chestnut. There are two holes (himetoshi) on the back side for the connecting cord. A similar Hirado example dating to the early 19th century is illustrated in Figure 74 in “Hirado-Yaki Saikumono” (“Small Hirado Porcelain Netsuke and Ornament of the Edo Period”) by Toshio Noda. Hirado wares were produced at Mikawachi near Arita, and for much of its history was made under the patronage of the lords of Hirado. Aristocratic patronage ended in the 1830’s with the commercialization of the kilns. Hirado ware consists of a pure, fine-grained and high-quality white porcelain that would be fired to high temperatures. The production of netsuke was widely exploited for commercial reasons by the Hirado potters in the latter years of the 19th century, when large quantities were produced. Condition is excellent with only normal surface wear and scratches, and the patina is very appealing. What looks like a mark on the back is a firing flaw. Dimensions: 2 5/8” x 2” x 1 1/8” deep.
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Japanese Kutani Porcelain Figure of a Boy, Meiji
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Pre 1920 item# 776792 (stock# 2-834)
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203-929-7312
$425
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This delightful Kutani enameled porcelain figure of a small boy dressed in fancy brocades was beautifully modeled and hand painted in a bold and bright color palette that is more typical of Imari wares. Meiji period (1868-1912). The boy, probably representing an actor or a dancer, stands with feet apart and his left arm raised above his head. His richly brocaded kimono is vividly painted in iron red, blue, green, turquoise, yellow and aubergine overglaze enamels with gilt highlights. There are also white overglaze enamel touches on flowers and on the dragonflies which decorate the back of the costume. A yellow and gold ball of some sort hangs from his waist sash. A tight scarf-like headdress with overglaze decoration covers his head. His chubby white face bears a wonderful expression reminiscent of a gosho ningyo doll, complete with tiny modeled teeth showing within his smile. The unglazed base is signed in iron red enamel with a two-character Kutani mark, and there is a firing hole in its center.
Kutani (which means nine valleys) is a small village in Kaga Province on the northwest coast of the main island of Japan with a long history of porcelain production. They produced models of animals and other figures in addition to other standard porcelain wares.
CONDITION is excellent. DIMENSIONS: 5” (12.7 cm) high, 5” (12.7 cm), 3 ¼” (8.3 cm) deep.
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Hand Colored Meiji Photograph Yashamon Gate Nikko
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Pre 1900 item# 797998 (stock# WOK-9)
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$95 Please Inquire for Availability
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This anonymous late 19th century hand-colored photograph is signed in plate “133 Yashamon Nikko.” This is also known as the “Yashamon Gate, Taiyuin Shrine, Nikko.” The Yashamon Gate enshrines four female devils. The color of each body expresses the East, the West, the South and the North.
CONDITION is good with some foxing and a small tear on right margin. Photograph is mounted on cardboard. DIMENSIONS: Image measures 7 7/8” (20 cm) high x 10” (25.4 cm wide.
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