Water jar on rounded bottom. Stoneware with dark brown slip-like glaze on the lower part, leaving the bottom free and a thin translucent glaze on the neck and mouth, both with fine crackle. A slender strip of engraved rope design decoration on the shoulder of the receptacle. Seto, Mino ware. Japan, Edo period.
H ca. 8-¼ inches.
Scratches on the body, worn down patches on the mouth, otherwise good condition.

Midsize storage jar of greyish stoneware, with the typical inclusions, with natural ash glaze. Japan, Edo period, 19th century or a bit earlier.
H 11-¼ inches.
Very good condition.

Stoneware vase of the tokkuri shape, probably made in Seto. Over a greyish brown clay a greenish beige glaze on the body and brown glaze on the neck. Over the glaze an enamel decoration in moriage technique of an octopus and two toads in a tug of war over a basket filled with vegetables. The toads are trying to pull lotus stalks out of the octopus’ tentacles, while the octopus is waving a big daikon over its head. Unsigned. Japan, Meiji period, early 20th century.
Height ca. 9 ¾ inches.
Excellent condition with minimal traces of usage.

Large ceramic charger in Satsuma style with a decoration in overglaze colors and gold of Kidomaru trying to assault his brother Fujiwara no Yasumasa, who is playing the flute on a full moon night in the fall. The music is so enchanting, that Kidomaro cannot follow through with the assault. Japan, late Meiji period, early 20th century.
Diameter: 15 inches; height: 2 ½ inches.
Few abrasions of the gold and moriage, some spur marks visible, others covered by the decoration, some surface stains that can be removed. All in all excellent condition.

Design in mirror images after the famous triptych of the same subject by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, that was published in 1883. The triptych was created after Yoshitoshi submitted a painting of roughly the same design to a national exhibition in the fall of 1882.

Stoneware moon flask, decorated on one side with three pieces of cloth hanging in the wind from a flowering cherry tree (the cherry blossoms in tiny specks of silver, the clouds done in gold); on the other side with peonies that are covered against late spring snow (the snow on the cover and the veins of the leaves in silver, the outlines of the peony petals in gold). On the rounded side an irregular pattern in tea dust glaze, sprinkled with cherry blossoms in silver. The neck and foot are glazed iron red and are decorated with silver karakusa. Bottom with underglaze impressed mark Taizan and with overglaze signature Dainihon Taizan sei. Stoneware with creamy crackled glaze and polychrome enamels, iron red, silver and gold. Japan, mid Meiji era.
Height 7.5 inches (19 cm), width ca. 6 inches (15,2 cm).
Gold somewhat rubbed, silver oxidized but easily restorable. Very good condition.

The Takahashi family started producing for the export market (mainly USA) in 1872. The kiln was closed in 1894 under the 9th generation Taizan. Since both body and decoration of the flask are marked Taizan, it can be safely accepted that this flask stems from before 1894. After the closing of the kiln, the last Taizan occasionally seemed to have decorated blank objects from other manufactures, among whom Kinkozan.

Tall slender vase with slightly narrowed waist and square shoulder. The ribbed body of middle brown coarse clay covered with two elongated patches of thin brown glaze. The lip with splashes of green glaze, inside gray glaze. Karatsu ware. Japan, late Edo period.
Height: 12.25 inches (30.5 cm).
. Firing crack in bottom, NOT trough and through, otherwise mint condition.

Storage jar for liquids with pouring spout. The brown stoneware body wrinkled and irregular, the neck shaped by hand with many finger impressions of the potter. The body covered with transparent glaze; on the neck and shoulder a thick splash of transparent glaze, mixed with white, green and brown pigments and some small splashed underneath. In the bottom impressed seal mark in the shape of a double gourd. Probably Karatsu ware. Japan, 18th century.
Comes with wooden storage box that is not original to the piece.
Height 11 1/8 in. (28.2 cm), diameter ca. 9 in. (23 cm).
Two old thin cracks running down from the mouth.

Sturdy sake bottle with creamy white glaze over grayish white stoneware with a fine crackle, the neck covered in dark brown glaze, dripping down. Seto ware, 19th century.
Height: ca. 10.25 inches (ca. 26 cm).
Neck broken and restored.

Mizusashi in the shape of a Chinese boy, holding Hotei’s large bag. Over brownish beige very fine stoneware a layer of mottled brown glaze, over which a blue-green finely crackled flambé dripping glaze. The inside with brown mottled glaze, the bottom left free. In the bottom the impressed mark in an oval cartouche of Kato Shuntai. Japan, 19th century.
Height: 3 ¼ in.; diameter: 6 in. (8.3; 15.2 cm)
Excellent condition.
Box, inside of cover inscribed with authentication of piece as a mizusashi in the shape of a karako in ao-Oribe, made by Kato Shuntai from Seto. Authentication signed by Matsumori An.....

Kato Shuntai (1802-1877) worked in many ceramic styles. The splashes of flambé crackled glaze are very typical for his works (Shuntai-yaki). His works and the works of his ancestors can be found in museums around Japan and the US.

Gourd shaped ewer or water dropper. Cream colored stoneware with finely crackled clear glaze, on which a decoration of blossoms and lucky symbols along a meandering stream between mountains in red, green, blue, yellow, aubergine enamels and gold. Kyo yaki, or Kyoto Satsuma. Japan, 19th century. The stopper is missing.
Height 4 7/8 inches (12.3 cm).
Spout broken and restored with silver band, few abrasions in enamels, otherwise very good condition.

Storage jar of hexagonal shape with a dripping tea dust glaze over a fine dark brown clay. In the side the name of Asakura Sansho (or Yamaki) has been stamped, partly covered under the glaze. Bottom impressed with a leaf, which burnt during firing. Japan, late Edo, early Meiji period.
Measurements approximately: height 8 ½ in. (21.5 cm), diameter at widest point 10 in. (25.5 cm), diameter at bottom 6 ½ in. (16.7 cm).
Mint condition.
The name of Asakura Sansho is also connected with Tanba ware. A hexagonal jar from an earlier period, signed with the same name, in typical Tanba clay and glaze was found as well. This family may have worked in a variety of styles.

Ex collection CC Wang.

Plate with short upstanding rim, or flat bowl with design in underglaze blue that seems to have etched itself into the clay. Thick, fine crackled white glaze in the style of Shino ware. Sketchy design in Chinese style of a deer standing in a landscape with trees. The outside of the plate with brown glaze. Six spur marks on the outer bottom, six spur marks on the inner bottom. Several glaze imperfections. Japan, Seto?, 19th century.
Diameter 10 7/8 in. (27.5 cm), height 1 ¼ in. (3.2 cm).
Some abrasions in glaze, piece broken out and re-stuck in rim (length 5 3/8 in.(13.7 cm)). Nice and unusual piece, despite damage.
Kiribako with paper label, merely describing the contents as an underglaze blue flat bowl. Another label describes the contents as in Chinese style (annan).