Japanese women's small tansu with hardwood drawers, and charming burl front panels. The gilt copper hardware conveys floral motifs of Kiri leaves, flower petals, and fruit. The chest is configured with eight drawers of varied size and a pair of small sliding door panels opening to a roomy compartment. Each drawer has a plush black material lining.
Taisho Period - circa 1920's
Dimensions: 21 1/4" l x 11 3/4" d x 11 3/8" h
Japanese hand-forged iron jizai, used for suspending a tea kettle over a fire pit within the home. Made with a charming iron fish with incised details of scales, face, and separately attached fins.
Edo period (1603-1868)
Dimensions: 8" w x 48" - 53" long
A stunning Chinese porcelain Dayazhai-type jar grisaille painted with yellow ground. The monochromatic imagery of black and grey peonies against a yellow enamel ground scrolls around the body under a band of ruyi heads below a band of key-fret. With descriptive tag on the base "From the Hall of Embodied Harmony". There is also a Museum Porcelain Exhibition tag. The tag has some losses but shows that the Exhibition was in the 1960's - item #238...
Antique Chinese vase with lid, made of green jadeite, with 8 faceted sides. Carved with scrolling floral motifs and filigree, with open carved filigree handles. The lid has a large finial over carved drapery. The base is carved with a lotus form over the tall, deeply recessed foot.
Dimensions: 4" w x 3 1/2" d x 11 3/4" h
Antique hand-woven bamboo basket, originating from the Jarai culture in Vietnam. Secured with wood frame, baskets of this kind were primarily used for collecting and storing rice. The lid is woven with a tall, wood finial with pierced hole for securing it down with ties. The sides of the basket are woven with alternating darker and lighter bamboo to create a pair of bands over a geometric diamond design, with remnants of red pigments.
Dimensions: 14 1/2" W x 34 1/2" H
Antique hand-woven basket, originating from the Jarai culture in Vietnam. Secured with wood frame, with rope shoulder strap for carrying. Baskets of this kind were primarily used for collecting and storing rice. The lid is woven with concentric circle design.
Dimensions: 13" W x 22 1/2" H
Sodenashi (vest) made of silk crepe fragments which are: katazome (stencil-resist-dye), stripes with yama-mayu (wild silk), itajime (clamp-board dye), plain etc. All vegetable dye such as indigo, benibana (safflower), shikon (root of purple grass). In excellent condition. The second half of the 19th century. 37cm x 57cm
Rare Tibetan hand-painted lacquer altar cabinet. Original finish with patina. The front three panels depict three faces. The left face has red skin and green hair with eyes opened wide. The middle face is upside down with eyes coming out of its skull, representing the kapala or skull cup used in sacred Tibetan Buddhist ceremonies.
The face on the right is called citipati, representing both the eternal dance of death as well as perfect awareness...
Chinese monochrome porcelain brush pot in a Turkish blue color underglaze, with reticulated carved scenes of cranes and pine branches against a ground of stylized lingzhi clouds and ocean waves. The base with six character Qianlong cartouche.
Republic Period
Dimensions: 7 1/2" w x 7 3/4" h
A terracotta figure of the Three Wise Monkeys - Mizaru who is covering his eyes, Kikazaru who is covering his ears and Iwazaru who is covering his mouth. All three embody the proverb "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil". The figure is combed terracotta with blue, black and brown paint. The robes of the monkeys are painted with Japanese symbols on the back. Provenance: A Pvt. San Franciso Collection
Date: Meiji (1868 - 1912)
Dimensions: 8.5" X 5.5" X3.5"
Antique Sino-Tibetan cloisonne enamel bronze container in the form of a kapala or skull cup. The lid has a four prong vajra finial, and is decorated with intricate enamel design of floral scrolls, lotuses, waves, and four points around the vajra finial. The container's interior is done in red enamel, and the base is done in white enamel with a red cranial fissure line to emulate a skull...
Large flat figure wearing a skirt, a turban and appliques. Condition: damage to the appliques, left arm repaired. Provenance: Arte Primitivo, New York, September 2005. H. 19 cm.
Rare Japanese Yonazawa Keyaki (zelkova) burl front tansu with original golden honey lacquer finish. The round lock plates on each drawer feature the emblem of the Taira clan, whose mon is the swallowtail butterfly or ageha...
A fine Kakiemion dish painted in sometsuke style with a Fuyo-de pattern with four landscape vignettes in European style adapted from a Delft original attributed to Fredrick van Frytom (see image no 6) which in turn provided elements of the so-called Deshima or Scheveningen with contrasting panels of stylised Peonies, Botan karakusa. A central motif of wreath form composed of Pomegranates...
A nagazara or long dish of bean-pod form, a very unusual shape, decorated with auspicious un-ryu, dragons and clouds, in its central reserve, surrounded by Matsu-fuji, entwined Pine branches and Wisteria vine, a traditional Japanese motif associated with longevity. The reverse decorated with further auspicious Dragons and precious objects, cash and scrolls with flaming pearls...
A good Kakiemon long dish, nagazara, of a wide boat, sanpan, shaped form decorated with stylised lotus karakusa. The reverse decorated with Karakusa motifs and a Fuku in seal characters within a double square. An identical dish is illustrated in the Shibata Collection, see volume 5 no 154, there dated 1690-1710.
The dish is in good condition no cracks, chips or restoration. It measures 20.8cm long and is 14cm wide, standing 3.8cm at the rim. It weighs 365 grams...
A rare Ancient Near East Bronze short sword or large dagger dating to 1st-2nd mill BC.
Commonly termed Luristani by dealers and collectors.
Fine style weapon with square shoulders and a flat central midrib. As a rare feature, on this short sword the lower part of the hilt is intact, which is seldom seen on this type of bronze age weapon.
Size is 42,7 cm - 16,8 inches.
Condition: A very nice ancient bronze...
A wonderful boxed set of six 800 silver Jugendstil (“Art Nouveau”) demitasse or chocolate spoons, each featuring a scene from different Brothers Grimm fairy tales. The tales include “Bremen Town Musicians”, “The Frog Prince”, “Little Red Riding Hood”, “Hansel & Gretel”, “Sleeping Beauty”, and “Puss in Boots”. Bruckmann, one of the most important Imperial German silversmiths of the Jugendstil period, worked with many leading designers...