Noh theater mask, with a vivid fierce expression, representing the character of Otobide. Wood, painted in gold, silver, black and red to enhance the mask features. Japan, 19th century. Height: 21.2 cm. The mask is nicely mounted on a custom stand. Old accidents and restorations, otherwise good condition.

Historical Masterpiece - Early Edo (17c) Ko-Seto Chawan made by Kato Kagemasa (?-1659) with the old cloth and the wooden box of the period.

Kagemasa Kato was the 16th head of the Seto kiln family, counting from the 1st Kagemasa Kato (1168 - 1249), the legendary founder of Seto ware.

The bowl is covered with old Seto glaze creating a deep Sabi scenery. Thrown on a potter's wheel, the body was intentionally distorted and slightly stretched...

Lovely pale Gohon Mishima Hanshi Chawan made in Korea in late Joseon dynasty (18-19cc).
Supplied with the old box.

Such bowls were exported to Japan where they were used for tea ceremony giving the birth of Japanese Mishima ware.

Size
Height 9cm
Width 15cm

Condition
There are fixed cracks on the rim, scratc
hes of the surface and minor chips on the foot.

Rare Handmade E-Shino tea pot made by Shuhan Genpo 宗般玄芳 (1848-1922), the head of the Daitoku-ji temple, Rinzai school of Japanese Zen.

Shuhan Genpo was the 468th Daitoku-ji temple's head monk, Japan's most famous Zen temple located in Kyoto.
He was a student of Nakahara Nantenbo, a leading Zen artist during Meiji period...

An exceptional web of gold interspersed with nishiki-cloth patterned designs on gold lacquer fuses this once broken 16th-17th century Koro with ami-me net patterned solid silver lid. This was likely originally made as a tea cup, considering that the entire interior is glazed. Broken and reassembled using the Kintsugi gold technique and placing unusual patterns on the missing portions, this is an exceptional work of art...

Antique Japanese kimono made of chirimen silk died black with a dramatic paste resist and painted design depicting a group of shōjō. The red-haired mythical fairies that live in the sea are shown drinking sake from a large jar. They have long handled ladles and red sake bowls. They are dressed in beautifully patterned robes...

Antique Japanese porcelain figure of Manjushri. The bodhisattva is seated on a moss covered rock with one hand on a sword and scroll and the other on the fu-dog in his lap. Manju is usually seen riding on a large fu-dog, this image is a sweet departure from that tradition. The fu-dog look up admiringly. Mulit color glaze and gold details.

Age: Late Meiji Period

Dimensions: 18" high x 9" wide x 7" deep.

A Northern Chinese black ware dish; Jin to Yuan dynasty. Probably from Henan province. Overall covered in a dark glaze which terminates to the exterior well above the foot. The interior of the dish was fully glazed, then a ring wiped clean for stacking purposes. The dish is decorated to the interior with five evenly spaced splashes of iron-oxide; which have fired reddish brown. In good condition. Diameter 16.8 cm

Finely painted and early Indo-persian manuscript depicting a important with elephants and royalty. The other side with text. Finely coloured and gilt in parts!

Size: 24,7 cm x 17 cm.

Ex. Strømberg Antiques, Copenhagen, 1980s.

A very finely painted Nabeshima Okawachi porcelain bowl on a high footrim of Mokuhaigata form decorated in under-glaze blue with a pattern of five Hydrangea's in Bloom painted in “Korin Style”. The reverse decorated with three Peony motifs, botan karakusa, and the foot-ring with finely painted kushide comb pattern to the outside of the footring. The dish dates to the late Edo period circa 1800-1840...

A beautifuly formed iron sake kettle known as a Choshi with a solid silver lid and featuring sliver inlay designs on the handle enclosed in an age darkened kiri-wood bos titled Tetsu Choshi Jungin-futa. It is 8 cm (just over 3 inches) diameter, 16 cm (6 inches) to the top of the handle, and is in excellent condition.

Antique, Indo-Persian, Indian lacquered hide shield Dhal Separ 18th century, Islamic Mughal India...

An antique Japanese Kotansu (personal storage chest) made entirely of Kiri (Paulownia) wood. All original bronze hardware including the stylized Gumbai handles and the metal embossings symbolizing the four seasons; Maple leaves on the handles representing the Fall season, Mums representing Spring, etc. Constructed using straight dovetail joinery and hardened wooden nails.

Age: Meiji Era (1900-1910)

Dimensions: 23 1/4" Wide by 16 1/4" High by 11 1/4" Deep

Antique 17th- 18th century Chinese Qing Dynasty bronze hanging censer (incense burner). The compressed, rounded shape of the censer is perfectly balanced, with a bulbous body adorned with two intricately detailed lion-heads on either side. The rim of the censer is affixed with three suspension loops, which not only adds to its functionality but also adds an elegant touch to its overall design...

An Arita Blue and White Tea Bowl and Saucer. Decorated with a Sage and attendant visiting a Lady, two geese seemingly arguing below them. Arita, Japan C17/18thC. Diameter saucer; 11.6 cm. Condition; tea bowl perfect, some glaze crazing to the saucer

An exquisite dark bronze image of the deity Benzaiten playing a four stringed lute known as a Biwa signed in a cartouche inset into the base and dating from the early 20th century (Later Meiji to taisho period). The figure is 20 x 16 x 18 cm (8 x 6 x 7 inches) and is in excellent condition.
Benzaiten (or Benten) is the Japanese embodiment of Saraswati, the hindu god of the arts. Benzaiten is depicted a number of ways in Japanese art...

An antique Japanese Todana Tansu (cabinet chest) made of Keyaki (Zelkova) and Sugi (Cryptomeria) woods. All original hand forged iron handles including the Warabite handles. Two sliding doors behind which lies a large storage area, a lift-out door where additional storage was used and 6 drawers of varying sizes used to organize ones belongings. Side slates added strength and support. Constructed using both single and double through mortise and tenon Japanese joinery...

Chinese Ming dynasty blue and white dish with birds Motive. 25,5 cm diameter. Dish has hairlines has been restorations.

Chinese Ming dynasty blue and white bowl with dragon motive. 15,5 cm diameter. Bowl have chipped at the rim on restorations.

Important dish, very decorative, in porcelain enamelled in polychrome, underglaze blue and gold, Imari, decorated with chrysanthemums and peonies in reserves of different shapes. Period: Meiji (1868-1912). Diameter: 63cm.

Futonji with tsutsugaki (paste-resist-dye with free-hand)) auspicious motifs, such as crane, treasure ball, plum flower, bamboo, pine, fan etc. It is made of hand-spun cotton and vegetable indigo dye. In excellent condition except for a mending patch and a few tiny holes (4mm x 4mm). Meiji period (1968～1912). 126cm x 148cm.

An unusually small and rare antique Japanese Cha Tansu (tea chest) made of Kuwa (Mulberry) and Kuri (Chestnut) woods. All original bronze hardware. Two sliding doors behind which tea accessories were stored. A lift-out door behind which housed a tea canister of dried tea leaves ready for brewing. With four drawers of varying sizes to store additional tea accoutrements.

Age: Meiji Era (1900-1910)

Dimensions: 17 1/4" Wide by 18 1/4" High by 9" Deep

An antique Japanese Kotansu (personal storage chest) made of Urushi lacquer on Kuri (Chestnut) and Sugi (Cryptomeria) woods. All original hand forged iron hardware including the Kakute style handles. Featuring 4 drawers of varying sizes and a safety hinged door hiding two small drawers where valuables were kept.

Age: Meiji Era (1880-1890)

Dimensions: 24 3/8" Wide by 22" High by 12" Deep

Antique Japanese large single section mizuya (kitchen chest) with 8 wide drawers. Made with all fine-grain hinoki (Japanese cypress) wood on the front and frame. Each drawer has iron corner brackets, hirute shaped drawer pulls and square lock plates.

Age: Meiji Period (1868-1912)

Dimensions: 37 1/2" high x 74" wide x 21" deep

One of the most unusual pieces I have ever seen from this innovative artist, an octopus shaped Koro by Suwa Sozan I enclosed in the original signed wooden box bearing the Teishitsu Gigei-in seal of the Imperial Art Academy. The bulbous top of the head is removable along a line as if the creature were wearing a hachimaki head band, revealing the incense chamber within. It is 26.5 cm (10-1/2 inches) tall, 19.5 cm (roughly 8 inches) diameter and in excellent condition...

An exquisite porcelain vase decorated with a delicate depiction in over-glaze enamel of plum and bamboo by Suwa Sozan I enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Gosai Bichiku-e Kabin (Vase with Plum and Bamboo in Five-Color Glaze). A rare work reflecting his roots in Kutani ware. It is 29.5 cm (11-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition...

Huge cotton cloth with dynamic and vivid Shishi (lion), peonies, waves and tachibana (citrus) with tsutsugaki (glue resist dye). The tsutsugaki technique is excellent and lines are very smooth and powerful by a prominent craftsperson. Judging from the shape and size, it might have been used for "Shishimai" (lion dance) at the festival, held in Fukui, Toyama or Ishikawa Prefecture. In excellent condition. Meiji period (1969～1912)

An exceptional Oki-goro Incense Burner in the shape of a dark glazed Catfish by Suwa Sozan I enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Namazu Koro dated the 6th month of Taisho 10 (1921). This would have been placed over a dish in which a burning incense cone would have been placed. It is 48 cm (18-1/2 inches) long, 23 cm (9 inches) tall and appears in excellent condition...

Unusual cloisonne vase in flattened geometric shape, with narrow base and neck, the background color a very soft yellow, with floral and scrolling elements in shades of green, blue, white, red and deep yellow, the bands at top and bottom in blue, red and mustard yellow with turquoise blue interior. Brass base and wires. Measures 4 1/2" high, 2 1/2" wide and 1 3/4" deep. Unsigned. Late Qing era. Very well made with especially nice coloration, would make a fine addtion to any any collection o...

You are considering a rare and beautiful Archaic Chinese Jade Scepter or Tablet, "Gui," dating to circa 2000BC. The piece measures 7.5 inches (18.5cm) in length and is, as one would expect, carved (drilled and polished) entirely by hand. As the photos will show, the stone is predominantly a gray-green nephrite, with some areas of darker brown. There are "striations" visible on the surface, which may indicate that the piece had been wrapped in a cloth/textile, which left an imprint. A similar, al...

A crow at rest upon a rock raises its head in a gruff cry by Suwa Sozan I enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Karasu Okimono. It is pierced in the back, allowing it to be an oki-koro incense burner. It is 34 cm (13-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition. A nearly identical piece was published in the 1923 book Sozan Toko, attributed to his late period.
Sozan I (1852-1922) was born in Kutani country, present day Ishikawa prefecture, where he initially studied before mo...

Were one to describe THE piece which epitomizes the vase aesthetic of Suwa Sozan I, it would be this epochal Red Fish design flaring celadon bottle. This is a superlative example, exquisite detail and come enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 29.5 cm (11-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Suwa Sozan I (1852-1922) was born in Kutani country, present day Ishikawa prefecture, where he initially studied before moving to Tokyo in 1875. Over the next 25 years he would...

A Chinese bronze garlic-neck wine bottle, Western Han dynasty,2nd-1st century BC, of unusual elegant compressed form, 25 cms high, 22cms wide. Provenance: The estate of the award winning costume designer Anthony Powell (1935-2021). Purchased at Christie's London circa 1999.

Antique Japanese Karatsu ware chawan (tea bowl) with crackle glaze and kintsugi. Beautifully crafted with a small flattened area for the hand to grasp and a magical elegance to the touch. Evaluation done in the 1930's by TZ Shiota when the family was inheriting the collection from their great grandfather, Federic Torrey. The collection was stored in a trunk since his death in 1935.

Age: 19th century

Dimensions: 2 3/4" high x 6 1/4" wide

Provenance: From the persona...

Antique Japanese Yatsushiro Ware chawan (tea bowl) with gray and cream color Hakeme glaze. Magnificent deep tea bowl with gray white crackle glaze and indention for thumb. Evauation by TZ Shiota (#4) done in 1930's, a tea ware expert from San Francisco Bay Area. A great piece.

Age: 18th century

Dimensions: 3" high x 5 1/2" wide

Provenance: From the personal collection of Frederic Cheever Torrey (1864-1935), partner of Vickery, Atkins & Torrey, interior design firm ...

Keman in cut, chiselled and gilded copper alloy détails in shakudo. The keman were suspended from the ceilings of the temples and replaced the baskets of real flowers. This model already existed in the 13th century at the time of Kamakura. It is therefore difficult to date them, I think this one is Japan Edo period. The inscription in Chinese characters should give us a precise date. Good condition, gilding a little worn. 44cm x 31cm.

A Chinese Canton enamel dish vividly panted with two cockerels beside flowers issuing from rockwork within a border of plum flowers, cracked ice, ruyi heads and waves, the reverse with three flower sprays. Qianlong, 18th century. 23 cms diam. One small area of restoration to the white on the back of the rim. Otherwise in good condition bar the odd usual stress crack.

A large table made of layers of lacquer carved through to reveal the various colors by Suwa Sozan I enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Guri Joku and bearing the Teishitsu Gigei-in Seal of the Imperial Art Academy. It is 65 x 40.5 x 20 cm (25-1/2 x 16 x 8 inches) and is in excellent condition. The artists seal is expertly incised into the back of one ball shaped foot.
Sozan I (1852-1922) was born in Kutani country, present day Ishikawa prefecture, where he initially studie...

Suwa Sozan I enclosed in the original wooden box titled Kagyu-tsuki Take Kake-hana-ire (Bamboo Hanging Vase with Snail) bearing the Teishitsu Gigei-in Seal of the Imperial Art Academy signed inside “Sozan, with Amateur Skill” followed by the artists seal in red. It is 49 cm long and in excellent condition. The only other I have ever seen in this style is published in the rare 1971 book Suwa Sozan Sakuhin Shu page 59.
Sozan I (1852-1922) was born in Kutani country, present day Ishikaw...

An exceedingly rare (in fact the only one I have ever seen) Tenmoku-Dai stand for a Tenmoku Chawan by Suwa Sozan I enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kuruwa Tenmoku Dai (Curved Circular Tea Bowl Stand). It is made of layer upon layer of lacquer, carved with scrolling designs revealing the depth of the lacquer in a style known as Guri. The artist has carved his seal into the inside of the base. It is 15 cm (6 inches) diameter7.5 cm (3 inches) tall and in excellent condition.

A Fine and Rare Korean 8 Panel Pictorial Ideographs (文字圖)-19th C. : Korea, Joseon dynasty, 19th century, separated from a framed screen (unframed screen). 문자도(文字圖): 효제충신예의염치(孝悌忠信禮義廉恥) Painted in ink and color on paper and decorated with bird, turtle, dragon, big carp, shell fish, mountain with pavilion, bamboo, fan, boat sailing, flowers, and a large crane are painted with a decorative rubric to form the Chinese character for each pr...

First we hear the clang of the hammer striking the bell, then the steadily approaching clop of his wooden shoes before the horrifying creature dressed in the robes of an itinerant priest appears; a ledger in one hand noting our sins. This is a very rare ceramic figurine by Suwa Sozan I enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Nenbutsu Oni and bearing the seal of the imperial Art Academy. It is 30 cm (12 inches) tall and in excellent condition. He would have originally held a hammer, ...

Antique Japanese ema of a horse. This ema is a dedication plaque that was made as an offering in a shinto shrine. Horses are considered vehicles of the gods, so this ema was made at the highest level in order to convey an important wish as speedily as possible. Painted in mineral colors on keyaki (elm) wood.

Age: Meiji Period (1868-1912)

Dimensions: 29 3/8" high x 43 1/4" wide x 2" deep

Chogappo made of fragments of ramie which is recycled from old textiles. 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). Hemp or ramie ones are for wrapping summer clothing. In excellent condition. Late 19th to early 20th century. 100cm x 104cm

Chogappo made of fragments of hemp which is recycled from old textiles. Both warps and wefts are hand-plied. Pojagi" is the general name for the wrapping cloth and "chogappo" is one kind of pojagi which is patchworked with asa (choma, ramie or hemp) fragments. (Reference source: "Korean Embroidery and Wrapping Cloths from the Choson Dynasty" published by Japan Art & Culture Association in 1995). The first half of the 20thHemp or Ramie ones are for wrapping summer clothing. This one is made of he...

A Chinese bronze water-dropper, Late Ming/Qing, 17th/18th century, well cast as a flower issuing from rockwork in a quatrefoil shaped jardiniere. 8cms long.

What an amazing statue: early 18th century four-armed Avalokiteshvara purple bronze Buddha, the Bodhisattva of infinite compassion.

The statue is made of high class purple bronze, with rests of gilt and color, very impressing with 51 cm (20'') height and a weight of approx. 10kg.

Spontaneous as a poet’s imagination, or the flow of the waters of a rivulet descending down a mountain peak, there seems to flow in the fluidity of the lines and contours of the statue the com...

Layer upon layer of lacquer has been carved with scrolling designs revealing the depth of the surface in a style known as Guri by Suwa Sozan I enclosed in a wooden box titled Guri Kobon. It is 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13 inches) and in excellent condition, the artist seal inlayed in mother of pearl beneath. The box is annotated by his adopted daughter and heir Torako (Suwa Sozan II).
Sozan I (1852-1922) was born in Kutani country, present day Ishikawa prefecture, where he initially studied before...

Antique Japanese fushima (sliding door panel). Painting with a crane and pine tree on a background of gold mist. Painted in mineral colors on a sugi (cryptomeria) wood panel and framed with black lacquered hinoki (Japanese cypress) wood.

Age: Meiji Period (1868-1912)

Dimensions: 68 1/4" high x 36 1/4" wide x 1 1/4" deep

Here we see a Chinese style celadon floral bowl by one of the 5 Imperial Court Artists of Meiji. The potter, Sozan, spent his life perfecting techniques for celadon production first used in the Southern Song Dynasty as evidenced here with his powdery blue “kinuta” glaze. The low-relief floral design really brings an elegance to this work and the celadon glaze seems to have an inner radiance all its own.

Sozan (the first) was born in an area of what is known today as ...

A classic Chinese Song dynasty Jian ware hare's fur tenmuko tea bowl. Dia. 11.7. Dia. 6.7 Condition: perfect with no restore, in good condition as shown. Shipping from Taipei, Taiwan via EMS at actual cost. Item selling at various platforms, please inquire before ordering. Duration of shipment may take up to a month due to the pandemic.

A nice Chinese Song dynasty Jian ware hare's fur tenmuko tea bowl. Dia. 11.7. Dia. 6.5 Condition: tiny chipped inner mouth rim, please refer to enlargement 5, no restore, in good condition as shown. Shipping from Taipei, Taiwan via EMS at actual cost. Item selling at various platforms, please inquire before ordering. Duration of shipment may take up to a month due to the pandemic.

Large Indian Tantric painting on cotton showing a yogi with both hands raised his body with 5 chakras. Extensive text inscriptions. Minor tears, bottom edge frayed. Undated, estimated to be late 19th early 20th cent. Can be viewed in central London and shipped worldwide.

Japanese scroll painting of 3 skeletons celebrating Obon. One skeleton dances with a fan while two others pay a drum and a shamisen. The Obon festival happens in summer and is a time to honor the dead with music, dance, parades and other events. It is believed that ancestors' spirits return to the world of the living during Obon. Painted in ink and light colors on silk. Signed and with seal of Takeuchi Seiho (1864 - 1942) Seiho traveled and studied in Europe was being strongly influenced ...

A Chinese bronze two-handled vase cast in relief with mountains, masks and ribbons, 28 cms., Song/Yuan dynasty, 12th/13th century. Unusually large for a vase of this type, it has had the base plate removed and put back, like many such vases for some reason.

A nice pair of very scarce bronze bells with great patina and raised design, Chinese probably Warring States, BC.475-221 or earlier

Both are made for hanging and are decorated with geometrical patterns.

Size: c. 70 mm each.

Condition: Nice patinas, both with losses. One still has the gong.

Ex. Hafnia Coins stock, bought in Denmark in the late 1990s.

Superb hanging stand, carved in sandalwood with boxwood details. Decor of 2 dragons presenting a Chinese character, certainly that of longevity "Shou". The stand is carved with the greatest care, a perfect work of cabinetmaking with an excellent finish. In the upper part there remains a hook and a piece of chain in gilded bronze with mercury tecnical. The suspended object, now missing, must have been of exceptional quality, probably imperial. Maybe a jade? but not necessarily. A precious object...

Rare porcelain vase with marbled decoration. The oxides are passed randomly to imitate marble.This type of decoration imitating stones is rare, the known examples are most often clumsily executed. Our vase is an exception because the imitation of marble is perfect both in the design of the veins and their color. Also the double gourd shape is interesting.Chinese work from the end of the 18th century, reign of Qianlong or Kiaking. In a perfect condition. No restoration. Height:22cm. A simil...

A large and unusual Chinese bronze arrow vase, Yuan/early Ming dynasty, with tubular handles on the tall tapering neck, the globular body finely cast in relief with three dragons. Height 39 cms. Provenance: House clearance in Staffordshire, UK.

The 2 monkey figure, expressively carved fighting each other, Standing on a rectangular base. Wearing jeweled bracelets, armlets and collars. With pendeloque ear rings tiara in front of conical-shaped headdress finely decorated behind. A very rare piece, extremely hard to find. Measurements: Height - 82 cm (32 In) Estimate Value: $10 000 - $15 000 Don't hesitate to send your offer, we always do our best to offer the most attractive pieces for ...