Japanese Imari plate from the mid-Edo period (around 1750).

It is decorated in underglaze blue as well as overglaze red, green, pink, aubergiine and gold, showing floral motifs as well as Chinese scholarly symbols.

The reverse shows a Chenghua mark ("Dai Min sei ka nen sei" in Japanese) in underglaze blue as well as scrolls and flowers.

Diameter 21 cm (8.5 inches); excellent condition.

Japanese lacquer 'chawan' (lidded bowl) from the mid- to late Meiji period (1890-1912).

It is decorated in takamaki-e, hiramaki-e and nashiji techniques as well as mother-of-pearl on a black background, featuring butterflies and some sort of grass.

There is no mark.

Diameter 12 cm (5 inches), height 9.5 cm (4 inches); excellent condition.

This is a bowl with lid made from Satsuma earthenware in the late 19th century (1880-1900, mid-Meiji period). It is decorated with overglaze enamels, depicting playing children ("karako").

Diameter 11.5 cm (4.5"), height 8 cm (3"), no marks, excellent state without chips, cracks or repairs.

Shaped Arita bowl from the mid-Edo period (1750-80), decorated in underglaze blue, depicting two birds sitting under a tree.

The bowl is marked with a stylised "fuku" (good fortune) character in underglaze blue.

Length 15.5 cm (6"), width 14 cm (4.5 cm), excellent condition without cracks or hairlines. The only blemish is an insignificant chip on the footrim (see pictures).

Japanese lidded wooden bowl decorated with gold lacquer on a black background. It dates to the mid-Meiji period (around 1900) and shows lots and lots of pine needles on both bowl and lid. A truly stunning piece!

Diameter 13 cm (5"), height 8.5 cm (3.5"), excellent state without cracks, chips or repairs.

Lidded Japanese wooden bowl from the Meiji period (1890-1910), decorated (stylised floral) with gold and silver lacquer in hiramaki-e and takamaki-e techniques.

Diameter 11 cm (4.5"), height 7.5 cm (3"), no mark. The chawan is in excellent state, without any cracks, chips or repairs.

Lidded Japanese wooden bowl from the Meiji period (1890-1910), decorated with gold lacquer in hiramaki-e and takamaki-e techniques.

The decoration shows three "minogame" (the bearded turtles of Japanese mythology; a symbol of longevity).

Diameter 12 cm (5"), height 9 cm (3.5"), no mark. The chawan is in excellent state, with just the tiniest bit of lacquer missing on the rim.

Japanese Imari chawan from around 1800 (mid- to late Edo period), decorated with three men in a garden in vibrant overglaze enamels.

It is unmarked and has a diameter of 11 cm (4.5") and a height of 8 cm (3"). Excellent state, without cracks, chips or repairs.

Arita plate from the mid-18th century (around 1750), depicting the so-called "three friends of winter", pine, prunus and bamboo, as well as other floral designs in underglaze blue.

It is marked on the reverse "Dai Men seika nen sei" (or "Da Ming Chenghua nian zhi" in Chinese).

The plate has a diameter of 19cm (7.5") and is in excellent state, free of cracks, chips or repairs

Japanese Imari bowl with lid, decorated in overglaze enamels on a mostly turquoise background. It was produced around 1800 (mid- to late Edo period).

It shows (golden) fish and seaweed as well as some abstract decoration and is marked "Dai Shin nen sei" ("Da Qing nian zhi" in Chinese) in seal script on the lid.

Excellent state without repairs, chips or cracks; just a little enamel loss, due to the quality of the material available at the time.

Kutani bowl from the mid-Meiji era (1880-1900), decorated in typical Shoza style (it may actually have been produced by the Shoza workshop) with overglaze enamels.

Ir depicts the "Shichifukujin", the 7 lucky gods of Japanese mythology, together with their attributes.

The reverse bears the mark "Dai Nippon Kutani zo"

The bowl has a diameter of 15 cm (6") and a height of 4 cm (1.5"), and is in excellent state, without cracks, chips or repairs

Japanese Imari bowl ("namasu zara" in Japanese) from the late Edo period (1800-30).

It is glazed in light cobalt blue ("ruri") and decorated with various overglaze enamels, showing two phoenices as well as stylised floral motifs