A pair of nio figures, standing on a rock-shaped base. Wood with red, black ochre and green lacquer. The eyes inlaid in glass or crystal. Typical style of an unidentified studio that has been active at least since the 18th century and that often produced oni no nembutsu, ceremonial dagger holder in the shape of demons and other often witty subject matter. Japan, early 19th century.
Height: circa 20.5 inches and 21 inches.
A: wooden kegs in feet re-placed and refitted (with pegs). A and Um: Some restored and unrestored cracks, all in all excellent condition.

De-accessioned from the Denver Art Museum. Original label still on the bottom.

Sash clasp or belt buckle for the flat, braided type of obi, made of dry lacquer, in the shape of a no mask. The mask is Uba, the old woman. On the back there are two metal loops through which the obi is pushed. Signed on back: Kyu.
Comes with its original kiri-wood tomobako. Inscription on box: Obidome, nomen, Uba (kanshitsu), meaning: sash clasp, no mask, Uba (dry lacquer).
Japan, probably Taisho period, first half 20th century.
With Total height: 1 3/8 inch (3.5 cm).
Four hair cracks in the face (not visible without loupe), one fissure on the back. Minimal traces of usage on the hooks in the back. All in all good condition.

Dry lacquer (kanshitsu) is a technique, whereby the object is made of lacquer only, no wooden or paper core is holding up the form. This allows for a very free flowing kind of shape, but it is a very labor intensive procedure.

Trede, Melanie, and Julia Meech, Arts of Japan: The John C. Weber Collection. Berlin: Museum fur Ostasiatische Kunst Staatliche Museen zu Berlin 2006. Softcover.
Catalog of 78 objects from the Weber collection, with essays by Quitman Eugene Phillips, Melanie Trede, Alexander Hoffman, and Terry Satsuki Milhaupt. Numerous color illustrations.
Like new condition

Group of four altar pieces: One larger altar table, wood, red, ochre and black lacquer, and gilded at the front and top. Two smaller altar tables, wood, red, ochre and black lacquer and gilded at front ant top. One small empty shrine, black lacquered wood and gilding. Japan, later Showa period. The shrine and one of the smaller stands earlier 20th century.
Larger table 14 ¾ in. long x 5 in. high x 4 ¾ in. deep; smaller tables each ca. 11 in. long x 4 ¾ in. high x 3 ½ in. deep; shrine ca. 7 ½ in. high.
All with slight, but unoffending traces of usage, very good condition.

Canister of sorts, perhaps for tea, perhaps for candy, made of molded and lacquered papier-mache, in the shape of the lucky dwarf Fukusuke, wrapped in a black overcoat, over red pants, decorated with snow covered pine branches. His large head above his knees. He wears an oddly shaped hat that functions as the cover of the container. Glass eyes inlaid in his face, a metal edge inserted on the top. The material used indicates that the container was made for export. Japan, Meiji period.
Height: 5 ½ inches.
Material around metal edge retracting, some restoration, very good condition.

A pair of most unusual black lacquer panels of rectangular shape, with mother-of pearl and bone inlay. In the middle in an oval outline a craftsman has been portrayed at work. The left panel shows the maker of Buddhist sculpture, in the process of applying the decoration on the garment of a standing Kannon figure. The left panel portrays sculptor who is chiseling a guardian fox for an Inari shrine. Each of them signed on a inlaid piece of bone. Japan, Meiji period.
Each ca. 22 5/8 x 15 3/8 inches.
Some dents, cracks and losses, one repaired spot, basically in very good condition.

A pair of exquisitely carved wooden stands in three parts, used for offering food or other things on a Buddhist altar. The hexagonal stems have each six inset wooden panels with finely carved fretwork in the shape of birds between flowers, colored with gold and bright colors. Each of the panels show different birds and different flowers. Over the stem there is a hexagonal middle section, inserted with each six finely carved pieces of fretwork in the shape of different flowering plants. A hexagonal offering stand crowns the whole, surrounded by lotus shaped fretwork. Each petal decorated with either a chrysanthemum or a paulonia flower (one kiku-mon between five kiri-mon and one kiri-mon between five kiku-mon), symbols of the imperial household. The framework of the stands covered in black lacquer, decorated in gold and silver with chrysanthemums between karakusa. Both stands are completely different from each other. Japan, Meiji period.
Overall height 9 in. (22.8 cm); width at widest point 5.5 in. (13.3 cm).
Four pieces of fretwork broken, three of which are glued and repainted. Some cracks in the lacquered frame along the seams of the wood, some of the gold and silver lacquer rubbed and chipped. The color on the fretwork dried out and crumbling. Damages due to age and use. All in all in rather good condition.

Kakudo, Yoshiko, Later Japanese Lacquers, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. Exhibition, July 18 – November 15, 1987. With a Foreword by Rand Castile, Director.
14 pp., 23 x 15.5 cm. Paper. English text. 17 colour illustrations.
Almost perfect condition.

The brochure was produced in connection with an exhibition of Edo period (1615-1868) lacquer objects owned by the museum. Shown are writing boxes (suzuribako), a tray decorated with Daikoku’s hammer by Zeshin, a set of 12 incense containers of globular shape, each decorated and signed by another Taisho-period (1912-25) lacquer master, a sho flute, and a picnic-set.
Essay by Kakudo Yoshiko, entitled ‘Later Japanese Lacquers’, sub-titles ‘Surface Decoration’, ‘Writing Implements’, ‘Objects for Incense and Tea’, ‘Objects for Dressing’, etc., pp. 2-11.
Detailed list of the objects shown in the exhibition, measurements, inv.-no., etc., and Suggested Further Reading, pp. 12-14.

Item location: Europe.

Speiser, Werner, Lackkunst in Ostasien Herausgegeben im Auftrage der Herbol-Werke–Herbig-Haarhaus AG, Koeln.
Holle Verlag, Baden-Baden, Germany, 1965, 375 pp., 25.5 x 21 cm. Cloth. German language. 37 colour plates, 256 b/w illustrations.
Dust cover faded and slightly worn at spine, slight foxing at page edges, otherwise perfect condition.

Lackkunst in Ostasien (East-Asian Lacquer Art) is one of the first overviews written in German language on the subject of lacquer. The book begins chronologically with illustrations of more than 2000 years old Chinese lacquer objects, continuing to Chinese, Japanese, and Korean lacquer boxes and screens of later epochs. Samples are shown of all kinds of techniques and styles, including lacquer paintings by Shibata Zeshin. The majority of objects shown here were owned by two rivalling industrial-lacquer producing companies: the Herberts and the Herbig-Haarhaus companies, in Wuppertal and Cologne, Germany. Owner and director of both companies were interested in lacquer art and began in 1937 to exhibit family treasures. Later they systematically bought lacquer objects at auctions and exhibitions. During the 2nd World War a large part of the Herberts collection, especially lacquered furniture, was destroyed. However, smaller items of Chinese and Japanese lacquer art, being easier to transport, and perhaps more precious, were stored in rural places and survived. Beatrix von Rague was responsible for the collection of one company during the years 1952-1959. Edith Straesser was responsible for the other company-owned lacquer museum from 1967 until 1987.
In 1982 the lacquer collections of Dr. Kurt Herberts were acquired by the BASF Lacke + Farben AG, who now exhibit them in their Museum of Lacquer Art in Muenster, Germany.
Appendix: Zeittafel (Table of Chinese dynasties, reigns of Japanese emperors, Korean eras, from 1600 B.C. to 1925 A.D.), pp. 356-359. Bibliography, pp. 360-364. Index, pp. 365-374, Museums and collections presented, p. 375. Table of contents, p. 376.

Rare early reference. Item location: Europe.

Set of five black lacquer, circular dishes. Each dish decorated with a plant of the season: flowering plum beside waves, young ferns and grasses, flowering Malvern plant, red maple trees at a hill, and bamboo beside the full moon. All on glossy black lacquer ground, the decoration in shades of gold, silver, red and brown sprinkled lacquer (hiramakie), and with gold powders. Decorations in the style of Ogata Korin. Made for Heiando by Wanyo. Japan, ca. 1985.
Diameter: 6 ½ inches (16.5 cm).
Perfect condition.

In fitted wooden box, 7 ½ x 7 ½ x 4 inches (19 x 19 x 10.2 cm), inscribed on the lid KÔRIN-sai-gahen-maki-e, ichimonji meimei-sara (Dishes individually decorated in KÔRIN style). Signed and sealed inside the lid HEIANDÔ & seal Heiandô, and Wanyo (?) & seal Wanyo.

Items located in Europe.

Small box, probably for incense. Square format with rounded corners, flat cover with rounded edges. On the cover against a black lacquer background with some clouds of gold sprinkle, sits a bird on a flowering plum tree. The trunk of the tree and the clouds extend onto the lower part of the box. The plum blossoms in a vibrant red with details in gold. Inside and bottom of box in dense silver togidashi. Japan, late Edo period, 18/19th century.
L 3 5/8”, w 2 5/8”, h 1 1/16” (9.2 x 6.8 x 2.5 cm).
Lacquer on top of cover dried out, some water stains and finger prints in that area, paper labels on inside and bottom of lower compartment. Few minor traces of usage, as to be expected.

Inventory numbers in red lacquer: 84.113-A and –B. Ex coll. Toledo Museum of Art.

Expressive mask of Hannya, the demon-woman, with wide open mouth and tongue coming out between the fangs. Wood, lacquered in black and strong red. The eyeballs in gold. Paper label on back. Four holes for string, as is usual for this type. Japan, 19th century.
Height approx. 11 in. (28 cm), width 6 ¼ in. (16 cm), depth 6 in. (15 cm).
Lower jaw restored.

Cylindrical incense box with a domed lid. Sides and top are decorated with a spray of chrysanthemums in gold and silver togidashi on a background of okibirame. Bottom and inside in dense nashiji. Unsigned. Japan, Edo period, 19th century.
Height 1 in. (2.5 cm); diameter 3 in. (7.5 cm).
Lacquer somewhat dry due to exposure, two tiny bubbles on the bottom, otherwise good condition. On the inside of cover traces of paper label and one paper label.

Inventory number in red lacquer on bottom and inside of lid: 48.110-A and –B. Ex collection Toledo Museum of Art.

Hair pin, or kanzashi. Lacquered tortoise-shell, decorated in sprinkled red, green and gold lacquer (hiramakie, takamakie), with a stylised wave pattern. The reverse with a diagonally divided pattern of square wells, in gold lacquer on a red ground. Signed Shinzan. Japan, 19th century.
Length 6 11/16 in. (17 cm), width of head 1 ¼ in. (3.2 cm).
Perfect condition.

Set of 5 Japanese deep red lacquer plates decorated with three gold foil squares (ichimatsu-e). Japan, ca. 1990.
Diameter: 6 ¾ in. (17.5 cm); height: ¾ in. (2 cm).
In fitted wooden box, inscribed on the lid in black script Meimei sara 5, ichimatsu-e (5 plates with chequered pattern), and with circular red seal imprint inside lid of box. Size of box 17 3/8 x 17 3/8 x 3 9/16 in. (19 x 19 x 9.2 cm).
One dish with tiny scratches to edge, otherwise perfect condition.

Pieces located in Europe.