Fine example of a Jomon Period Dogu, the earliest known Japanese figure. This figure was purchased in Japan and belonged to the renowned Japanese art historian, Shirley Day. The Dogu acted as effigies of people. They manifested some kind of sympathetic magic. For example, it may have been believed that illnesses could be transferred into the Dogu, then destroyed, clearing the illness, or any other misfortune. Because of the ritual destruction of Dogu, they are quite rare...

Pair of Exquisite Gilded 18th Century Japanese Angels Wood Sculpture. One angel has her scarf unfurled and caught in a tree. The other is up in the clouds in heaven. Legend has it the angel’s scarf is caught in a tree and did not allow her to heaven. A young man passing heard her and fell in love with her, but was distraught at her sadness and released her scarf so that she could fly back to heaven...

Late 1800s

Patterned after a Chinese Kangxi “Hawthorn” design. This bottle is delicately and rather thinly potted with a long, narrow neck rising from a bulbous body. It is painted in underglaze cobalt blue with a “cracked ice” pattern scattered overall with plum buds and blossoms—a design known among English connoisseurs in the early 20th century as the Hawthorn pattern...

1800s

Elegant pear-form vase with a gracefully tapering neck is raised on an elongated and subtly flaring foot. It is covered overall in a medium-blue robin’s egg-type glaze mottled with lighter and darker blues that drains toward the foot with violet-toned mottling. The base and interior are both glazed with a clear glaze that is tightly cracked. The footring is unglazed exposing the buff-colored china-like soft paste porcelain...

This pair of Chinese lotus shoes, aka bound feet shoes, have a soft golden color silk vamp. Each side of the shoes is embroidered with the same pattern, and uses satin stitch silk thread.

The embroidery pattern on these lotus shoes has always mystified me. There is a woman and an animal that is possibly intended to be a giraffe. I vaguely remember some bits of information. The Chinese first heard about the African giraffes from verbal and written descriptions...

Jar of Guan form, decorated in underglaze cobalt - blue with a classic scroll and a continuous chrysanthemum scroll set between horizontal lines. Porcelain body covered with a transparent glaze. Base unglazed. H : 6,6 cm. D : 9,4 cm. Jingdezhen or Fujian. Yuan Dynasty, fourteenth century. Condition : The glazed area of the piece is in a absolute perfect condition ( nice glaze, no chip and no crack ) but to be absolutely correct : there is a minute chip on the inner side of the body resp...

An elaborate Japanese coral, silver, and gilt kanzashi (hair pin) formed as a peony spray with butterfly shaped pendants hanging from silver chains. The body is made out of stronger mixed metal, Meiji/Taisho period. Kanzashi 8" long, chains 3 1/4" long.

An elaborate Japanese coral, silver, and gilt kanzashi (hair pin) formed as a peony spray with butterly shaped pendants hanging from silver chains. The body is made out of stronger mixed metal, Meiji/Taisho period. Kanzashi 8" long, chains 3 1/4" long.

Presented is a large Jardiniere (1 of 2 offered) of a rustic but well known and designed theme of a dragon, phoenix, rooster, and peony. The dark green glaze is well aged and in pristine condition for this mid-19th century or earlier artifact of interest. This Jardiniere is from Guandong Province and is the highly sought after and collectible Shiwan (Shekwan, Cantonese) and is getting very difficult to find; please contact us if you desire the pair for a different price and offer...

A Fine Pair of Kossu both sides woven Panels on Silk: China, Ching period, 19th Century, Each of the kesi panels is woven in both sides as a same patern, depicting horsemen galloping through mountain passes with in a rectangular border of flaming pearls and floral scrolls, the ground to the border of pale green grey, the ground planes between the mountains woven in gilt thread and the remaining subtly colored in shades of peach, brown, grey white and green. and lavender outlined by blac...

1800s

This cream-white glazed vase is covered overall with a network of fine crackles stained over time with a pale brownish tone. The small meiping form tapers gracefully from a broad shoulder to a narrow waist and flares out again at the base. The base is glazed leaving the slightly rounded footring unglazed. The interior is glazed and the crackle pattern continues inside the neck. Vases like this one were used in the scholar’s studio...

Ca. early 1900s

Heavy bronze mallet is cast with a stylized floral motif framed by a key fret design in a rectangular panel wrapping partially around the barrel-form mallet head. The mallet faces are both inlaid with copper and niello (copper, silver, sulphur alloy). The handle is inlaid with niello and incised with the artist’s signature reading “Kozan saku” (made by Kozan). The hole in the base of the handle was for a decorative silk cord, now missing. The mallet head is silvered o...

Qianlong mark, but 1800s

The black enameled background provides a striking contrast with the colorful flowers in brilliant shaded enamels. Lilies, chrysanthemums, peonies, iris, and other blossoms cover the entire exterior of the bowl, even the entire exterior of the foot down to the footring. The interior is glazed white and left undecorated, further enhancing the contrasting effect of the exterior and interior. The base is glazed white and displays a four-character Qianlong mark in iron-...

A Very Fine and Horizontal Long Silk Kessi Panel: China,19th Century, This large horizontal panel is finely woven and painted with related scene depicting people’s daily life with elaborate river landscape showing figures fishing, collecting wood for fire, enjoying viewing at a pavilion horse-back riding, sailing and boating, the banks studded with verdant trees receding to cloud-enveloped mountains in the back ground, all woven in muted tones of green, blue, rust, yellow and the deta...

Early 1900s

Red and black lacquer applied over a bronze jar form with interior and base glazed with thick deep brilliant blue enamel. The bronze jars are first applied with red cinnabar lacquer which has been finely-carved with an undulating wave design. Overlying the red is a thick layer of well-carved black lacquer landscapes including rocky cliffs, trees, islands, dwellings and boats. On the neck is a deeply carved repeating floral design; a floral design also surrounds the tall foot. F...

Japanese Meiji period Imari porcelain 7 1/4” diameter x 3” deep bowl. The center of the bowl holds a central circular medallion with a stylized floral pattern pattern in underglaze blue (sometsuke). The interior and exterior sides are decorated in underglaze blue and overglaze polychrome enamel with gilt highlights and features three cartouches with flying phoenix birds on a white ground separated by rust-red and gilt medallions holding an animal motif set against a cobalt ground. Late 19th...

Ming Dynasty, ca. 1500s

Cast with flowing robe and benevolent facial expression. Stands upon a base cast in the form of sea waves surrounded by low a fence raised upon a hexagonal plinth. Figure and base were cast separately with the figure being attached to the base with two bronze pins. The figure was originally lacquered overall then gilded. Remains of this gilt lacquer can be seen especially in the creases of the robe and the hair around the edges of the hood. The figure is well-modele...

Meiji period, 1868-1912

Shallow bowl-shaped dish is raised on a tall foot and is decorated in underglaze blue with a branch of cherry blossoms encircling the interior. The painting is well-executed and the image is possibly based on a textile design. The underside is painted with three chrysanthemum sprays and the foot is decorated with the characteristic comb tooth pattern. Dish is glazed overall in a clear glaze leaving only the footring unglazed exposing the fine porcelain paste. There ...