An antique Japanese Gifu Choba Tansu (merchant chest) made of Hinoki (Cypress) and Suginoki (Cryptomeria) woods. All original hand forged iron hardware including the Warabite stye handles. 5 exterior drawers for storage and organizing with 2 sliding doors behind which store records and books were kept. Hinged door secures 2 small drawers where valuables were hidden away. Horizontal side slats provide strength and a visual design element complimenting the sliding door slats...

Diameter approximately 9.9 cm. Height approximately 7.7 cm. The blue color on the powder box is cute. More pictures are available. In good condition.

Diameter approximately 9.7 cm. Height approximately 7.7 cm. The blue color on the powder box is cute. In good condition.

Rather unusual decent size 19th century staghorn netsuke of a horse appearing from a dried gourd that has a rope tied around its waist. According to a Japanese legend Chokwaro sennin (Chinese sage) could summon the magic horse out of his gourd to be transported wherever he wanted. Cleverly and elegantly carved piece with great face, mane and front legs...

19th century netsuke of a karako (Chinese boy) with a flower in his hand standing by a tall floor screen decorated with a dragon in flight among clouds. Very nice carving, beautiful light staining, pleasant wear and patina. Tiny old chip to rim on the top of the screen. Formerly in Mary Louise O’Brien collection (Sotheby’s NY, September 17, 1981, lot 153. Height 1 3/4 inches.

19th century kagamibuta (“mirror lid”) netsuke with multimetal top and wooden bowl. The top is inlaid with an actor wearing a mask and holding an open fan in his hand seated next to an assembly of stacked shallow boxes. Superb quality work with silver and gold inlays, excellent depiction of different designs on his robe and boxes, in great condition. The box is made of shakudo (an alloy of copper and gold) with its characteristic black patina resembling lacquer)...

Early 19th century boxwood netsuke of a crouching puppy about to pounce. Strong early piece with unusual posture, excellently captured facial expression and chunkiness of a young pup, wonderful hairwork. Eyes are inlaid with black horn, old stable age line along its back, superb wear and patina. Excellent strong netsuke. Length 1 1/4 inches.

19th century kagamibuta netsuke with iron lid inlaid with multimetal old torn fan and iron tetsubin (tea kettle) in a shape of a pig, its handle of twisted gold wire, and 2 drum strikers incised on the plate. Elegant design in Japanese taste, crisp work, beautiful patina on the lid and the bowl. Metal swinging loop on the back for hanging. Recently deaccessioned from the Framingham History Center, Massachusetts, where it has been part of the collection since 1923...

A beautiful 19/20th C. Chinese sterling silver miniature snuff bottle with jade stopper, and embellished with gem stones in excellent condition. Marked Silver H:4cm $315

19th century Asakusa school staghorn / bone netsuke carved as 2 sprays of fungus growing on a tree stump. Superb elegant carving in Japanese taste, excellent rendition of fungus head textures. Very clever design, excellent wear and patina on the surface. Height 2 1/2 inches.

19th century netsuke depicting Ashinaga seated next to a basket, his absurdly long legs raising higher than his head, wearing a skirt, a short European jacket and tiger skin pants. In Japanese legends he is often accompanied by Tenaga (long arms) whom he puts on his back and goes fishing. Very nice work, wonderful smiling face, buttons are inlaid with horn, pleasant wear and patina. Height 1 3/8 inches.

19th century wooden netsuke of a blind masseur working on a client who appears to be a scholar wearing glasses and leering as he looks through a shunga (erotic book) edition. Wonderful carving with great faces, beautiful textile lines, rich warm patina. Signed HOMIN on the bottom - for information on this pupil of Meikeisai Hojitsu see NETSUKE & INRO ARTISTS AND HOW TO READ THEIR SIGNATURES by George Lazarnick, p. 487. Height 1 3/16 inches.

19th century wooden netsuke of a theatrical mask of O-Beshimi skillfully carved in characteristic ittobori (one cut) style typical for the Hida school. Pupils are inlaid in brass, golden paing highlights, excellent rendition of facial expression, wonderful mellow patina. Signed RYOSEI (alternative reading is Ryusho) on the back. Height 2 inches.

19th century netsuke carved out of kurumi (natural walnut shell) with a reserve on the front showing a face of a tengu hatching from an egg. Tengu are mythological: creatures half men, half birds, they are usually depicted as goblins and are considered to be first-class fighters. Nice carving, black and red highlights. Fantastic deep warm brown patina, signed NIKO by himotoshi - this rare artist who seems to have specialized in using walnuts is listed in NETSUKE by Neil Davey (p...

A scarce antique lady informal padded winter robe, 19th century (Qing Dynasty), China...

Antique Chinese grey celadon ceramic military "gunpowder jar" or "bullet jar," late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)...

Stoneware food jar covered with a brown glaze, probably ash-glaze. There are adhesions which I think are firing defects because they are very hard and not marine concretions due to long immersion which could scratch easily. The clay is beige in color...

Authentic antique cast bronze brush washer of the compressed globular body with rounded sides terminating with lipped rim, 17th-19th century(Ming or Qing Dynasty), China...