19th century miniature Hirado porcelain sculpture of a reclining karako (Chinese boy) leaning on his right elbow. Excellent crisp modeling with incised details - see his superb dreamy face, well defined hands and clothing details. Unusual feature - the unglazed flat bottom is well incised with the continuation of the design. Beautiful glaze with numerous tiny bubbles giving it depth, in excellent condition (no chips, cracks or repairs), very pleasant to the touch...

Antique Japanese Choba Tansu (merchant chest) made of Keyaki (Zelkova) and Hinoki (Cypress) woods. Multiple drawers of 8 exposed and 4 hidden behind the lower sliding doors. The upper sliding doors hides a spacious storage area where the merchant kept his store records and books. All original hand forged iron hardware with construction using straight dovetail Japanese joinery and hardened wood nails. Natural darkening surrounding the metalwork where the original patina had built-up...

19th century boxwood netsuke of Okame holding a setsubun bean box in one hand and throwing beans with the other. Setsubun is performed during the New Year by throwing beans around the house to exorcise the evil spirits. Excellent carving with wonderful face and beautifully incised textile pattern of pine saplings, expert staining, beautiful mellow patina. Signed HIROTSUGU on the back - the artist is listed on p. 469 of NETSUKE & INRO ARTISTS AND HOW TO READ THEIR SIGNATURES by George Lazarnick...

19th century Japanese bronze mae-kanagu (tobacco pouch clasp fitting) in a form of a running boar. Wonderful dynamic design, great crisp detailing, gilded eye. Comes with original backing with design of a stone on it. Length with backing 1 9/16 inches.

A rare antique Sakata Hangai (captain's business transactions chest) made of Keyaki Burl (Zelkova) and Kirinoki (Paulownia) woods. All original Urushi lacquer and hand forged iron hardware including the Hirute style handles. It feature a top drawer and a lift out front security door with lock and key. Behind the door are 5 drawers of varying sizes. In particular is the center bottom drawer that purposely exterior lacquered since it received the most use...

An antique Japanese scholar's table made of Kokutan (Ebony) and Bamboo. Beautiful original Urushi lacquer finish and constructed using Japanese joinery for strength and durability. Beaded Ebony contains the Bamboo that decorates the stand and leg structure creating an elegant refined presentation. The stand has beautiful negative cutouts on the apron front and back...

Late 19th century netsuke of standing Okame wearing a long robe with a belt tied around her waist, one hand raised, the other holding a folded fan. Wonderful chubby face with with a wide smile, excellent depiction of various textile patterns on her robe. Superb quality multicolored staining, beautiful warm patina. Signed YAMAJI in oval reserve on the bottom - the artist is listed NETSUKE & INRO ARTISTS AND HOW TO READ THEIR SIGNATURES by George Lazarnick, p. 1215...

19th century boxwood netsuke of Fukurokuju with his characteristic elongated head wearing a long sleeved robe and holding a fan in his hand. He is one of the Seven Gods of Good Fortune, his name consisting of Japanese words fuku (happiness), roku (wealth) and ju (longevity). Great face, wonderful flow to the lines of his robe, beautiful patina. Signed SHUZAN for Nagamachi Shuzan in irregular reserve on the back - this very distinct artist is listed on p...

Japanese Wood Compass Ojime, 19th C. Meiji period, 3/4" diameter round, 3/8" deep, front part has glass front, needle is moving, holes on both side for cord go through, back is rounded solid wood with double circles. Ojime is the small object with very interesting and humorous design go through the cord between Netsuke and Inro.

19th century netsuke carved as a group of four seals - two of simple square section, one in a shape of a natural lotus bud stem (its stem serving as himotoshi), and one with shishi and ball finial. Elegant design in Japanese taste, bottoms are carved with raised and sunken characters in seal script and stained to resemble real seals - one of them could be a signature of the carver. Possibly made for a silk merchant - the seals resemble actual chops used for stamping silks...

An interesting Hizen-yaki, Arita kilns foliate rimmed bowl. Center decoration of a Chinese scholar in tropical landscape. The cavetto and exterior decorated in the Kraak manner. A spurious four character Xuande mark on the bottom, inside the unglazed high foot rim. 19th century. Good condition. Diameter, about 6 5/8 inches. Height, about 2 2/8 inches.

Soft, light weight wood, dark and light brown mottled, netsuke representing a snake coiling through a rock. The snake in gilt yellow bronze. Signed at the bottom: Osai. Japan, Edo or Meiji period, mid 19th century.

L 2 x W 1 ½ x H 1 ½ inches.

Very good condition.

Perhaps persimmon.

19th century netsuke carved as a fox sitting on a base with 4-character seal bottom and scenes with lobsters and shells on the sides. This particular fox represents Inari - the benevolent and well disposed creature, being the messenger of the God of rice and harvest, as opposed to the other foxes, which in Japan are generally believed to be evil creatures. Enlargement 1 shows the seal flipped left to right presenting what the imprint of the seal will look like...

Height: 3.3 cm (1.4 in)
Width: 3.5 cm (1.5 in)
Depth: 2.9 cm (1.2 in)

Fine Japanese wood netsuke of a seated reader calling; very high quality carving with detailed features picked out; this artist worked in exotic Chinese timbers; rare; early 19th century; signed; good condition

Ko Kutani "mountain bowl" enameled in yellow, aubergine, green and blue with a mountain landscape. Fu Ku mark. Edo/Tokugawa period. 8 1/2 across, 3 1/2" high. One of two of this type currently available.

This Meiji period vase is made of fine white porcelain fashioned after classic Chinese motifs.. The potter, first generation Miura Chikusen, is the same generation as many of the better known Imperial Court artists (Kozan, Siefu, Tozan, etc…) and just as accomplished in terms of mastery of technique, level of artistic expression, and volume of pieces produced.

An exceptionally skilled Meiji potter, Chikusen (1854 – 1915) specialized in high-quality Kiyomizu-yaki and...

Gorgeous and dramatic antique Japanese Satsuma ware lidded container, stands on 3 legs, decorated with three lively fu-dogs, body is decorated with designs of noblemen on one side and children playing on the other, minor repair to one leg, Meiji Period (c. 1880's). Size: 17 1/2" high x 13" wide.

19th century Japanese bronze mae-kanagu (tobacco pouch clasp fitting) depicting chidori (plovers) in flight above and among cresting waves. Elegant design, great crisp detailing, differently colored patinas, comes with original backing. Length 1 5/8 inches.