19th century ivory netsuke of a kneeling laborer grinding tea leaves in a mortar with a flattened disc grinder. Excellent carving - see the portrait quality face with a crooked smile and the muscles of his body. Beautiful even material, wonderful patina. Signed MITSUTOSHI (alternative reading is Koju) on the bottom - the artist is listed in NETSUKE by Neil Davey (p. 498, number 1547). Height 1 1/16 inches.
19th century metal and wood netsuke of a temple bell of Miidera. For the legend of Benkei carrying the bell of Miidera see H. Joly LEGEND IN JAPANESE ART, p. 82. Very nice sharp metalwork, wonderful dragon head on the top of the bell, beautiful patina. Height 1 5/8 inches.
19th century Chinese Yixing snuff bottle with enamel decoration on each side depicting different landscapes in scholarly taste with huts and bridges in the foreground and distant bays and mountains. Did not photograph well - photos came out too harsh. Well modelled, beautiful uninhibited painting with multiple colors. Excellent patina, expected dust and grime accumulation on the surface, wonderful feel of age. Later metal and glass stopper with metal spoon. Height with stopper 2 11/16 inches.
19th century Chinese ivory seal of square section with crisply carved sunken characters on the base and a flowering prunus branch on the top. Superb elegant carving, wonderful yellowish patina, old age lines, in great condition. Excellent object for scholar’s table with wonderful feel of age. Height of the seal 1 3/8 inches, base 9/16 inches long.
Unusual old Chinese scholar’s bamboo brushrest in a form of a shrew seated on a bunch of grapes with leaves and tendrils, while eating one of the fruits. Superb carving, extraordinary depiction of animal’s face and fur, luxurious tail, grapes and leaves. Wonderful quality material, beautiful finish and patina. Overall in excellent condition, stunning piece for scholar's desk. Height 2 3/4 inches, length 5 3/4 inches.
Late 19th century Chinese agate pendant of a monkey mother seated next to a large fruit while her young climbs onto her shoulder. Excellent quality carving, extremely clever use of differently colored agate layers - gray for the mother, black for young and fruit. Very pleasant finish, in excellent condition, opening for hanging under the young’s left wrist. Height 1 11/16 inches.
Late Qing Dynasty (1910s) Chinese rock crystal water dropper for diluting ink carved in a shape of an elongated fruit with Immortality Fungus and branches with leaves on the sides. Does not photograph well. Wonderful quality carving, beautiful rock crystal with natural inclusions, excellent finish, extremely pleasant to the touch. Length 2 3/4 inches.
Wonderful piece appropriate for scholar’s desk, concave area on the side for holding, hole in the upper part for hanging, pleasant finish to the stone. The bottom is carved with two raised characters, red seal paste in the grooves. Delicately white/green natural untreated jadeite. Imprint of the seal is shown on Enlargement 1. Height 1 5/8 inches.
Late Qing Dynasty (pre 1911) Chinese scholar jadeite seal of irregular rectangular shape. Does not photograph well. Wonderful austere piece appropriate for a scholar’s table, pleasant finish to the stone. The bottom is carved with two raised characters, red seal paste in the grooves. Off-white natural untreated jadeite with touch of green and russet skin areas. Imprint of the seal is shown on Enlargement 1. Height 1 11/16 inches.
Late Qing Dynasty (pre 1911) Chinese scholar agate seal of classic rectangular shape. Does not photograph well. Wonderful austere piece appropriate for a scholar’s table, pleasant finish to the stone. The bottom is crisply carved with four sunken characters, red seal paste in the grooves. Natural gray agate with beautiful lighter colored veins. Imprint of the seal is shown on Enlargement 1. Height 2 7/16 inches.
