This is an old silk fukusa from Meiji period (1868-1912). This type of fukusa is a covering placed over a gift at the time of a gift-giving ceremony. Lined with a deep red crepe silk, this fukusa is almost in perfect condition.

Pine trees are considered as sacred in Japan. Here, an ancient pine tree is mostly done with the gold couching, overlaying of threads (wrapped in gold) rather than going in and out of the base fabric...

This VASE is Best DESCRIBED as FANTASTIC. Acquired from a SUPERLATIVE ESTATE of a Maryland JUDGE who liked the BEST, this is a CARVED SODALITE HARDSTONE VASE. In Two Pieces the BOTTOM section Depicts a PHOENIX and a MAIDEN; the Second Side has QUAN YIN and a CHILD. The TOP Depicts a CARVED DRAGON. The CARVING is EXCEPTIONAL with much PIERCED Work Top to Bottom/ Side to Side including Two FROGS on LILLY PADS at the Shoulders of the Vase...

This Chinese vase comes from Canton from the end of the 19th century or perhaps the first few years of the 20th century. The shape is termed onion neck for obvious reasons and derives from Delft forms made in Holland in the 17th century. The bright overglaze enamel colors are typical of export wares of the era and the subject matter of boys with balloons containing characters meaning "prosperity" and "good luck".

A hexagonal Chinese covered dish, decorated in overglaze enamels win the Famille Jaune pallette. The motifs seen in the shaped collar (in the form of a ryui fungus) around the lid are Buddhist precious objects. the flowers are those usually found on such porcelains and include hawthorn (prunus), lotus, orchid, peony, chrysanthemum, etc. The mask handles on the sides would originally have had wire carriers fitted...

Please see Trocadero#38274 for details.

This is a beautiful example of an old Kyoto Yuzen dyeing. In this kimono, you can see the white lines around the designs, the very characteristic of Yuzen dye. This is where the rice paste is used to resist the dye and is later washed off. The dye on the silk bleeds. By outlining or covering the design area with the paste, the dye artists can work with the design more freely in detail than in the older pre-Yuzen method, which simply uses dip dying and/or embroidery...

This is a very well carved early 20th century ivory fan. The front is carved as grapes and leaves; the back and ribs are plain. The loop which holds the fan ribs together also is made of ivory. It is 7 ¾ inches long and 13 ½ inches wide (open). The silk ribbon is a replacement. It is in great condition.

This is a beautiful old Japanese maru obi with the design throughout on front and back. It is the kind of obi that we no longer see them produced. The white area is rich white satin and is whiter than shown in the photos. 12-1/4" wide x 154" long. Early 1900.

Chinese Song Dynasty (960~1270) brown iron glazed oil or sauce storage jar of rounded shape, boldly thrown and shaped, with spout. Good condition. H: 12 inches, Diam: 12 inches

Chinese Han Dynasty (200 B.C.~220 A.D.) green glazed burial candle holders. Both pieces have an iridescent sheen over the bodies. They are in very good condition with a few small chips. H: 4 ¼ inches, W: 2 ¼ inches

Chinese Ming Dynasty (1368~1615) 3- color glazed altar table. The top is not glazed and the rest of the body shows an iridescent sheen. It is 6 ½ inches tall, 9 ¾ inches long and 6 inches wide. Excellent condition.

Chinese Ming Dynasty (1368~1615) 3-color glazed chests (or trunks). Part of the body of each piece shows an iridescent sheen. There are a few chips on both chests. They are 4 ½ inches tall, 5 ¼ inches long and 3 inches wide.

Amazingly beautiful antique Japanese obi. This is a very high quality Nishijin obi. The condition is new with basting stitches. Very fine gold threads are woven into the base silk adding a subtle but shinny look to this obi (tan color comes from this). Crystal clear sky to turquoise blue, beautiful earth tone shades of purple to pink and moss green, you must see to believe this beauty...

Old Kyoto Nishijin obi. This obi is one of the 5 favorite obis from my collection - we have over 200 obis. It is almost impossible to find a obi like this today. The owner of the store in Tokyo where this obi was purchased once said that single good obi was coming out from one household when they go out knocking on the doors in the old town. The store had gone through changes since and no longer carries antique textiles...

Han Dynasty (200 B.C.~ 220 A.D.) 5-spout iridescent glaze vase. Beige and olive green glazes cover half the body. It is an extremely rare piece and in perfect condition. H: 10 inches, W: 7 inches

Late 19th to early 20th century Japanese Bizen Tokkuri (sake bottle). Pinched form with impressed Daikoku (one of the Seven Gods). Perhaps intentionally thrown with an imperfection. It is in good condition. H: 7 ½ inches, W: 3 ½ inches

Han Dynasty (200 B.C.~220 A.D.) green glazed burial candle holders. The entire body of each piece shows an iridescent sheen. Each one has small air hole for firing. They are very pleasant and in good condition. H: 5 inches, W: 4 ¼ inches

Meiji period Japanese bronze vase. Silver bamboo inlaid design. Signed by ¡°Nobuyoshi¡±. Maker¡¯s stamp is on the bottom. It is in good condition. H: 5 inches, W: 2 inches

Han Dynasty (200 B.C.~220 A.D.) dark green glazed bowl with cloud and crane design. Small chips on the rim. Outside there are three stacking marks from firing. Iridescent parts appear inside the bowl. It is in good condition. H: 3 ¼ inches, Diam: 6 ¾ inches

Meiji period Japanese bronze vases. Silver and copper inlaid design depicting a long-tailed rooster in a plum tree. Signed by ¡°Ichinori¡±. Maker¡¯s seal is on the bottom. They are in good condition. H: 5¡±, W: 2¡±

Japanese Edo period (1615~1868) a sage standing on the ground covered by bamboo leaves. It is signed by Kawahara and dated 1824. The base has been repaired. It is in good condition. H: 11 ¼ inches, W: 7 inches, D: 3 ½ inches

17th century S. E. Asian pottery. Dark brown glaze covers 2/3 of the entire body. The bottom shows the light brown clay. The dragon design on the top is provincial and primitive. There is a chip from kiln firing. H: 8 ½ inches, D: 5 ½ inches

19th century nephrite carving of a fisherman holding a fishing pole in one hand and two fish in the other hand. A basket is sitting on the side. Very nice carving in good condition. H: 4 inches, W: 2 ½ inches, D: 1 ¾ inches

Early 20th century Chinese Blanc de Chine. A group of four women gathered around a lotus blossom playing music. Good condition. H: 9 ½ inches, W: 7 inches

Late 19th century dark wood card case covered with a carved floral pattern. Good condition. H: 4 ¼ inches, W: 3 inches

This is a beautiful antique Japanese Imari bowl in excellent condition, no chips, hairlines, nor repairs.
The measurements of this bowl is 8 1/4 inches in diameter and 3 1/2 inches high and very solid (heavy). Signed.

Strikingly beautiful Japanese Nishijin obi. The style of the obi is the most formal and expensive style which is called maru obi; the design covers front and back, from one end to the other end. This is an older obi than it looks. The colors are vibrant yet elegant. The design is for the joyous occasion with cranes, hand drums, flowers, pines and repeated pattern of waves (sei kai ha) in gold.

Measurements:

This unique antique Japanese vase with four handles has a creamy grayish colored body with crackles and numerous pinholes. A couple of crackles are missing (shown in the photo) at the foot. It is 11 1/2 inches tall, circa early 1900s.

Alexandria, VA had a thriving salt-glazed stoneware industry throughout most of the 19th Century. Many pieces are marked with the makers name and "ALEXa" or "DC/ALEXa". Some common makers were John Swann, B.C. Milburne, H.C. Smith and E.J.Miller (a retailer). We are always interested in purchasing examples of Alexandria stoneware. If you have something you would like to sell, please send us a photo including the makers mark, size, condition and the price (we do not make offers).

Rare Chinese Northern Song Dynasty Qingbai Porcelain Duck / Goose Box

This very rare and unusual round box was made during the Northern Song Dynasty (AD 960 - 1127) at the Xicun kiln in Guangdong province. Some wares at this kiln were made for export around south-east Asia; indeed this particular example was excavated many years ago in present-day Cambodia...

A Chinese Celadon Glazed Dish. Circa, 14th-15th Century, Yuan-Ming Dynasty. Found in the Philippines. Dish decorated with carved vertical lines around its interior wall and is covered overall in a yellow-brown celadon glaze. Measurements: diameter (approximately 7”inches). Condition: there is a restoration on the dish but still presents very well...

A Chinese Qingbai Glazed Bowl. Circa, 960-1279, Song Dynasty. Found in the Philippines. Bowl covered overall in a subtle green-white ‘Qingbai-type’ of glaze, except for the base which is left fully unglazed. Measurements: diameter (17cm across). Condition: this bowl has been restored...

Interesting Cuneiform tablet, slightly rectangular and inscribed on all sides with Cunei text, Mesopotamian, probably Arkadian Cunei, late 3rd. millenium BC.

Untranslated by us.

Size: 33 x 31 mm.

Condition: Good Very fine or better, finely baked clay with almost glossy surfaces, no losses.

Ex. Old Private Collection

Fine Chinese Han Dynasty Pottery Amphora (206 BC - AD 220)

A superbly conceived design; jars of this general type have been found in excavations dating as far back as the Spring and Autumn Period (770-475 BC). Although perhaps not obviously Chinese in design, this type of vessel is one of the most recognisable forms of Han Dynasty pottery and is thought by some archaeologists to be anthropomorphic, with the shape and "swirling" design of the main body based on the female human form. 

Th...

Chinese Zhou / Warring States Bronze Ritual Wine Vessel with Cover (8/8/88)

This rare bronze vessel dates to the Eastern Zhou period (770 - 221 BC). Such vessels are invariably referred to as "ritual wine vessels". It is of a rounded rectangular form. The body stands on four feet, one in each corner and of a mythical winged-human form. The front has a loop handled surmounted with a stylised buffalo head, its mouth open wide. The cover has a reticulated oval final in the form of interlinked s...

Large Chinese Ming Dynasty Glazed Pottery "Celestial Boy" Tile

This large and impressive glazed pottery wall tile was made during the Ming Dynasty, around the late 15th to 16th century. The tile features a young boy in high relief surrounded by lotus leaves and a lotus bud on a stem. The background of the tile is coated in green glaze with the boy coated in a pale creamy-yellow glaze and the lotus bud coated in an amber coloured glaze.

For information: a similar tile, although slightly s...

A large figure of the Daruma in celadon glaze by Teishitsu Gigei-in Suwa Sozan I set on to a rosewood stand and enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The beautifully carved face and feet are in raw, burnt clay, the rest is entirely robed in pale green. It is 18.5 x 16.5 x 36cm (7-1/4 x 6-1/2 x 14 inches) plus the stand and is in excellent condition, signed inside with his koban shaped oval seal.
Suwa Sozan I (1852-1922) was born in Kutani country, present day Ishikawa prefecture, wh...

Chinese dignitary in cast bronze hot-gilded with mercury. Ming dynasty, 17th century or before. The hands and face are gilded, the rest of the figure was lacquered in several colors, traces of these pigments remain, notably red. The dress is incised with scrolls. The face expresses several feelings, kindness, compassion and joviality, were these the personal characteristics of the character or those of his function? Over the centuries, a beautiful natural verdigris patina has formed in places, e...

A beautifully formed earthen flask from the Bizen region, the fire-buffed side still gleaming softly while opposite it has absorbed time into the porous clay. It comes enclosed in a box titled Ko Bizen Kaijo Ko-Tokkuri, inside the lid is annotated the dimensions and the dating Momoyama Jidai no Saku (Made in the Momoyama period) signed by the great Bizen connoisseur Katsura Matasaburo. It is 6.5 cm (2-1/2 inches) diameter, 13.5 cm (5-1/4 inches) tall and in overall fine condition.
Bizen b...

Hemp bag with age, Meiji 24 (1892) and the owner's name, Sahiko (佐彦）、whose warps and wefts are hand-plied. It has very well-done mending and reinforcement stitches, and also a mending patch. It has letters "25 sheets", but it is not clear what was put in. It is from Niigata prefecture. In good condition. W:29.5cm, L:52cm

A set of 8 small dishes dating from the later 19th century known as Mame-zara (bean plates) covered in cream colored crackled glaze decorated in the traditional Mugiwarade pattern of alternating stripes of russet red, pale blue and orange emanating like rays from the center. Each plate is roughly 8.5 diameter and all are in excellent condition, enclosed in a modern, black-lacquered wooden box.
This traditional pattern is called ``Mugiwarade'' because its vertical stripes resemble ears o...

A very unusually and rare early security padlock from a strongbox, probably late 16th. century.

Perfectly working lock with original brass-soldering or coppering at the base. A heavy lock with a specially produced brass and iron key with elaborate slot for the period - very rare.

Size: c. 115 mm. tall and 61 mm. wide, the key is 103 mm. long.

Condition: Superb for this period, completely intact with fine brown patina.

Ex. Important old Danish collecti...

The largest key in the collection for the type and period, and fitting a large family chest or trunk in oak, mid 16th. century.

Very attractive key with a Gothic design and heavy reenforced bit. Remnants of old coppering to the details.

Size: 152 mm. long.

A very solidly built key for a large strong-box or treasury chest, c. mid 16th. century.

The key with a large, enforced bit with elaborately carved slots. The stem decorated with an octagonal collar and the bow typical late Gothic design.

The decoration of Gothic iron locks and keys was often elaborate and of the highest standard of workmanship. The motifs were frequently drawn from Gothic architecture, reproducing on a miniature scale complicated tracery patterns and even...

A lovely key for a treasury chest, late 15th.- early 16th. century.

A solidly built key with enforced bit and elaborately carved hollow stem and the oval bow decorated in the gothic manor with three globes. A rare key!

The decoration of Gothic iron locks and keys was often elaborate and of the highest standard of workmanship. The motifs were frequently drawn from Gothic architecture, reproducing on a miniature scale complicated tracery patterns and even tiny statuettes. A ...

A lovely key for a large strong-box or treasury chest, probably Italian, late 15th-early 16th. century.

A massive key with a large, enforced bit with elaborately carved slots. The stem and oval bow decorated in the gothic manor. Finely patinated with remnants of copper and gold from previous guilding. An early luxery key in the style that would dominate European key making for nearly a century.

The decoration of Gothic iron locks and keys was often elaborate and of the high...

Important large decorated iron belthook with key ring, Late Gothic, c. late 16th. century.

The fine belt hook with iron cut decoration on the front and the bended hook on the back. The hook with a large key ring for multible keys, sustained with a workable screw when keys are suspended to the ring.

Size: 17,6 cm. long and c 6,8 cm. wide.

Condition: Extremely fine for the type and age, with wear from use and lovely brown patina. Great metal and could be used today...

Six-panel byobu 屏風 screen painted on silk with floral motifs with numerous chrysanthemums. The ocher silk provides a warm backdrop for the delicate floral motifs that adorn the screen. The chrysanthemums, with their elegant shapes and shades of white, yellow and pink, are painted with precision, creating a visual effect that captures the essence of nature's beauty. Period: Meiji end of 19th century. Dimensions: 172 x 375 x 2 cm. State of conservation: Excellent condition – There ...

Ivory netsuke depicting a monk intent on decisively cutting an Oni horn using a large knife. The act itself suggests a struggle between good and evil. Shōkusai signature with engraving under the base. Period: Edo 19th century Dimensions: 4.5 x 2.9 x 1.9 cm. Conservation status: Excellent condition

An attractive hard burnt terracotta plaque of female deity, probably Ishtar, with tall headdress and fine gown, babylonian, 2nd. mill. BC.

The godess is decorated with wedge-like decoration on her breasts and lower part of gown. On the back inscribed with 4 columns of Cuneiform, untranslated by us.

Size: c. 13 cm.

Condition: Very fine, intact with repaired hairline cracks runing though the middle and at the feets. Wonderful patina with old dings, flaws from t...

Cherry blossoms. Painted with ink and pigments on silk. Signed Eitai and sealed.

Ito Eitai (1876-?) was a Japanese painter born in Nagasaki prefecture in Japan. He was a disciple of Migita Toshihide (1863-1925), Murase Gyokuden, and Kawabata Gyokusho. He specialized in portrait paintings, landscape paintings, and bird and flower paintings.

Some insignificant light marks are present on the painting itself, otherwise the painting and mounting are in fine condition. The piece is mounte...

A fine condition bronze key of the typical Roman design, c. 1st.-3rd. century AD.

Size: 63-64 mm. long.

Condition: Extremely fine, superb with even green patina.

Ex. Important old Danish collection of keys.

A high quality and very large Byzantine / darkage bronze key, ca. 6th.-9th. century AD.

The key is finely made with a square bow withy protuding finial and a two-section hollow stem.

Size: 107 mm. long.

Condition: Extremely fine, superb with dark green enamel patina. A condition rarity as such.

Ex. Important old Danish collection of keys.

A very attractive Byzantine or darkage bronze chest key approx 6th.-9th. century AD.

The key is finely made with a round bow and square decoration to the hollow stem.

Size: 75 mm. long.

Condition: Extremely fine, superb with even green patina. A condition rarity as such.

Ex. Important old Danish collection of keys.

A very attractive Byzantine or darkage bronze chest key approx 6th.-9th. century AD.

The key is very finely made with a hexagonal bow and decoration to the hollow stem.

Size: 65-66 mm. long.

Condition: Good very fine, very nice mottled green and red patina. A condition rarity as such.

Ex. Important old Danish collection of keys.

Chogappo made of fragments of choma (ramie), one of bast fibers, which is recycled from vegetable indigo dyed choma, and it has beautiful nuance of different indigo colors. Pojagi is the general name for the wrapping cloth and "chogappo" is one kind of pojagi which is patchworked with asa (choma or hemp) fragments. (Reference source: "Korean Embroidery and Wrapping Cloths from the Choson Dynasty" published by Japan Art & Culture Association in 1995). Both warps and wefts are hand-plied for all f...

Rare Warring States, circa 475–221 BCE, squat gray pottery jar, with incised wave, impressed diamond and large carved spiral patterned bands. The spiral pattern is quite interesting as this is usually only seen on archaic jade bi from the period. Some of the tips of the spiral are broken otherwise superb condition considering its delicacy and age. The surface absorbs water very quickly with a distinct petrichor scent. D: 28cm/11in and H: 14cm/5.5in.

As one of the rarest keys in the present collection, we're selling, here's a full size early gate key in an extraordinary condition, European, 14th. century.

Beautiful key with a Gothic fire-welded three-pass flute, a long straight and hollow stem, folded and hammered, and two slots in the rectangular bit.

The decoration of Gothic iron locks and keys was often elaborate and of the highest standard of workmanship. The motifs were frequently drawn from Gothic architecture, r...

An unusual mask with gaping jaws and flattened features covered in red and black lacquer with golden teeth and eyes dated a lucky day in the 6th month of Tenmei 2 (1782). The mask is of carved wood covered in cloth over which has been applied layers of colored lacquer, gold and gofun (powdered shell) to form the white eyebrows. It is quite unusual in configuration. Most masks are open at the back, however this is carved with curling hair all the way down to the neck. Two holes in the teeth we...

A rare and superb condition iron key of an unusual length, European, Late Medieval, c. 14th century or a slightly earlier.

A large and impressive key of the c. 13th.-14th. century design with an oval bow and the stem ending in a long spike, but with the wide slotted bit placed just below the finial. A very complicated slot, possibly from a large oak casket.

Size: 14,1 cm.

Condition: About extremely fine, completely intact with dark patina and very good metal be...