Extremely rare bronze Lobi 3 legged stool, in antelope form. Measures 10" high, 18" wide and 5 1/2" deep.. Lobi stools are always a lovely form, sometimes with figural designs, and bronze stools are very rare. Such examples were always made for a chief or other high ranking member of the community...

Rare Chinese Warring States / Western Han Glazed Stoneware Jar

This rare and unusual jar dates to the Warring States period (475 - 221 BC) or possibly the early part of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8). It is made from high-fired grey stoneware of the type sometimes called "proto-porcelain". The glaze, a dark green ash glaze, is quite patchy and its thickness varies. The shoulder and waist are decorated with bands of lightly incised wavy parallel lines...

Rare Chinese Eastern Jin / Southern Dynasties Celadon Glazed Chicken Head Ewer

This stoneware ewer was made during the Eastern Jin Dynasty (AD 317 - 420) or possibly the Southern Dynasties period (AD 420 - 589). Its form, body and glaze characteristics suggest it was made at the workshops in Jiangxi province. It is "heavily-potted" with two sturdy loop handles on opposing sides of the shoulder, pouring spout in the form of a chicken's head, and a decorative chicken's tail...

Fine Chinese Ming Dynasty Blue & White Kraak Porcelain Dish - Wanli

This very attractive "Kraak" porcelain dish was made at the Jingdezhen kilns during the Wanli reign (1573 - 1620) of the Ming Dynasty. The pattern, in underglaze blue of good colour, features in its centre a tasselled double-gourd vase and an artemesia leaf (one of the "eight treasures"). Surrounding this are ten roundels containing peaches and flower blossoms...

A rare and stunning set of Kinrande sake cups by the elusive Nakamura Shuto I enclosed in the original compartmentalized signed wooden box dating from the late Meiji to Taisho period. Crisp designs of shishi lions frolicking among peonies in genuine gold are expertly applied to the brilliant red outside, while inside landscapes of plum, pine and bamboo blossom in minute detail in Sometsuke blue on white. The artists seal is deeply impressed inside the foot ring...

Golden cranes soar among clouds etched into the surface of this solid silver Japanese hanging incense burner (Tsuri Koro) dating from the late 19th to early 20th century. Inside is an ash-cup suspended in a triple-hinged gimble which keeps the ash pot upright no matter the angle of the ball itself. On the side is impressed the official Kokuin which reads Jungin (pure silver). The cranes have a soft golden sheen and are likely gilded or damascened with gold...

Chinese Qing dynasty blue and white porcelain dish decorated at the center with five immortals and a young boy all surrounded by a band of bats at the rim. 8 5/8” diameter x 1/2" high. 19th century or possibly earlier. Very good overall condition with no chips, cracks, or repairs. There is kiln grit adhering to the center of the base and to the foot rim. From the collection of a former American expatriate to Guangzhou and Beijing from 1983-1987.

First edition pencil-signed Japanese shin hanga woodblock print by Takeji Asano (1900-2002) titled "Rain in Shinnyodo" in the lower margin and dated Showa 28 (1953) in the lower left margin. The artist's black ink signature is at the lower left corner of the image and the artist's name/signature is in pencil at the lower right. The left margin also bears the seal of the publisher Unsodo, the carver Okura, and the printer Shinmi. The "gei" watermark is at the lower left margin corner...

A bronze bell dated Kanbun 10 (1670) which would have been suspended in front of a Shinto shrine worship hall, and struck with a knotted rope to awaken the gods to listen to one’s prayers. Inscribed in the surface around dials of lotus flowers is: An auspicious day in the 7th month of Kanbun 10, followed by the names Honda Yasutoki Ko and Hiramoto Sukeyuki opposite a dedication to the god of water the Hachidairyu-jin followed by a place name near Awazu in modern day Shiga prefecture...

Chinese Tang Dynasty Painted Pottery Camel

This small and very attractive pottery model of a camel was made during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). It is made from a reddish pottery and has been "cold painted" in various coloured pigments, a base coat of white with yellow and reddish-brown pigments on top. Note the sculpted details on its humps and long neck.

Height 20.5 cm (8 inches)...

Fine Tall Chinese Tang Dynasty Male Courtier Figure

This impressive pottery figure was made during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). It represents a courtier and is of particularly elegant form. He appears to be holding an audience tablet. Note the detail of the clothing and headgear. The figures stands on an integral plinth. It is made from a buff-coloured pottery that has been cold painted in various coloured pigments, much of which still remain...

Large Chinese Ming Dynasty Glazed & Painted Pottery Horse

This large and impressive pottery model of a horse was made during the Ming Dynasty (AD 1368 - 1644). The horse stands upright and alert. It is "heavily-potted" and made from a pinkish pale-brown pottery that has had the saddle and details of the horse's fittings coated in yellow and green glazes...

Chinese Han Dynasty Glazed Pottery Oil Lamp in Human Form

This pottery oil lamp was made during the Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 220). It is "heavily-potted", made from a reddish-brown pottery that is relatively highly-fired and is coated in a greenish-brown glaze that is very finely-crackled. In places the glaze has acquired a silvery iridescence, a reaction of the glaze to long exposure to moisture. This oil lamp is in the form of a kneeing human figure, its hands clasped together across its c...

Fine Chinese Han Dynasty Glazed Hu Jar with Animal Frieze (with Oxford TL Test)

This tall pottery jar (hu) was made during the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25 - 220) from a fairly high-fired pale reddish-brown pottery. The neck and shoulder are decorated with deeply incised bands but the main decoration is around the waist, a moulded frieze of a hunting scene including a man on horseback, dragon and leopard.

Interestingly, the drips of glaze to the mouth rim and the pooling of glaze to the f...

Fine Chinese Han Dynasty Glazed Ding Tripod with Twin Fish Pattern

This fine example of a ding tripod was made during the middle of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8) from a fairly high-fired pale reddish-brown pottery. The green colour of the glaze varies according to its thickness, the thicker the glaze the deeper the colour. In places the glaze has acquired a silvery and golden iridescence, a result of exposure to moisture during its very long burial. The body is almost "semi-spheric...

Rare Large Chinese Han Dynasty Incised & Painted Pottery Dish

This dish was made over 2,000 years ago during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8). It is made from a fine-grained grey pottery, quite "heavily-potted" and relatively highly-fired, having a distinct ring when tapped. Its flat base is fairly small compared to its overall diameter. The lower body is of a shallow cone shape with a flat wall and rim above. To the inner surface are good remains of the original geometric and cloud p...

Descriptions:
A Song Duan Inkstone was well preserved from excavation.

Date :Song Dynasty, 12th century.

Length :14cm, Wider Width:8cm.

Rare Chinese Cast Iron Feng Shui Disc - Ming Dynasty or earlier

This very rare item dates to the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) or possibly as early as the Song or Yuan dynasty. It is a cast iron feng shui, or geomancy, disc. On the upper surface there are Chinese characters and the eight trigrams of the I Ching within circular bands. In the centre are raised dots, presumably relating to geomancy. We do not know if this item was a tool that was regularly used or if it were perhaps placed in the ...

No discussion on 20th century Kyoto ceramics can skip over the importance of the Kyoto Shi Tojiki Shiken-sho ceramics research facility at which all the luminaries studied and laid the foundation for a number of the early Living National Treasures. Here is a delicate vessel with elegant curves decorated with poppies dating from the early 20th century enclosed in an age darkened wooden box titled : Kyoto Tojiki Shikensho-sei (Made by the Kyoto Ceramics Research Facility) Keshi Moyo Kabin (Poppy ...

Gold glimmers on the rim against pale concrete tones on this rare mid-Edo period tea bowl from the Utsutsugawa kiln in Nagasaki prefecture, late 17th to early 18th century. Waves of brush strokes decorate the outside, while the white slip cascades from the rim in withering streaks within. A kutsuki on the side testifies to some event which happened during the firing, where another piece of pottery collapsed against the side, fusing and causing the bowl to deform. This force created a crack wh...

Tall Chinese Tang Dynasty Painted Pottery Zodiac Figure - Horse

This pottery figure was made during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). It takes a human form, other than the head which is of the zodiac animal represented, in this case the horse The figure stands upright with hands clasped together against its chest under a flowing robe. It is made from a reddish pottery that has been cold-painted in a base coat of white on top of which are traces of red pigment.

Height 29 cm (11.5 inches). ...

Tall Chinese Tang Dynasty Painted Pottery Zodiac Figure - Rabbit

This pottery figure was made during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). It takes a human form, other than the head which is of the zodiac animal represented, in this case the rabbit. The figure stands upright with hands clasped together against its chest under a flowing robe. It is made from a reddish pottery that has been cold-painted in a base coat of white on top of which are traces of black & red pigments.

Height 31 cm (12...

Very Rare Chinese Liao Dynasty Glazed Pottery Ewer with Oxford TL Test

This very rare and unusual (possibly unique?) ewer was made during the Liao Dynasty (AD 907 - 1125). The body is decorated with moulded leaf and floral designs, and coated in an attractive amber glaze. The mouth opening has been formed into the shape of an opening leaf or blossom and is glazed in green. To the shoulder, opposite the handle, is the short spout. The glaze falls short of the flat base revealing the pale pink...

Rare Large Chinese Song / Yuan Dynasty Qingbai Porcelain Bottle / Vase - Lotus Flowers

This porcelain vase was made during the 13th - 14th century, during the latter part of the Song Dynasty (AD 1279 - 1368), or possibly the following Yuan Dynasty (AD 1279 - 1368). It is unusually large for its type and its moulded decoration is very interesting: between bands of geometric patterns, are four lotus flowers in various stages of blooming. The outer surface and inner mouth are coated in a finely...

Rare Chinese Song / Yuan Dynasty Qingbai Porcelain Bottle / Vase

This porcelain vase was made during the 13th - 14th century, during the latter part of the Song Dynasty (AD 1279 - 1368), or possibly the following Yuan Dynasty (AD 1279 - 1368). Its moulded decoration is most unusual with two bands of raised studs surrounding the body at its waist. Around the shoulder is a more conventional floral scroll. The outer surface, as well as the inner mouth, is coated in a finely-crackled pale green ...

Chinese Song / Yuan Dynasty Qingbai Porcelain Jar / Rice Measure

This small jar was made during the 13th - 14th century, during the latter part of the Song Dynasty (AD 960 - 1279), or possibly the following Yuan Dynasty (AD 1279 - 1368). Its form is often referred to as a "rice measure". It has moulded decoration around the shoulder and is coated in a finely-crackled blueish-green qingbai glaze save for the rim and base that remain unglazed.

Diameter 8.5 cm, height 6 cm. Condition is go...

Thai 14th - 15th Century Underglazed Sukhothai Bowl

This stoneware bowl was made at the Sukhothai kilns during the 14th - 15th century. The striking floral / geometric pattern is in underglaze iron-brown on top of a white slip. The honey-coloured clear glaze is finely-crackled. The glaze is at its thickest to the upper surface. On the underside the glaze is thinner and has degraded in places leaving a matt surface. To the centre are five "spur marks". The base remains unglazed.

It is a...

Thai 14th - 15th Century Sawankhalok Celadon Tall Bowl / Jar

This stoneware bowl was made at the Sawankhalok kilns around the 14th - 15th century. It is "heavily-potted" and coated in an attractive and finely-crackled glossy celadon glaze that has just a hint of blue in places. Decoration is minimal with none to the inner surface and simple incised bands to the outer surface just below the rim and above the foot. To the unglazed base is the round mark of the pontil on which this bowl stood w...

Fine Vietnamese 14th / 15th Century Monochrome Bowl

This simple yet attractively-shaped bowl was made during the 14th - 15th century. It is coated in a translucent and finely-crackled honey-coloured glaze that has just the faintest hint of green in places. To the inner surface are five spur marks from manufacture. As is often seen on Vietnamese blue & white wares of this period, within the recessed base is a chocolate-brown wash. The foot edge remains unglazed revealing the pale grey porcela...

Chinese Song Dynasty Longquan Celadon Porcelain Dish

This porcelain dish was made during the 12th - 13th Century at the celebrated Longquan kilns in Zhejiang province. The cavetto is decorated with a carved pattern and it is coated in a celadon glaze save for the foot edge where the pale grey porcelain body is exposed. The dish is a little warped with part of a kiln spacer, or possibly the edge of another dish, fused into the glaze within the base; in our opinion, all adding to the appeal of...

Large Chinese Tang Dynasty Glazed Stoneware Jar

This attractively-shaped stoneware jar was made during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). It is made from a very pale, almost white, stoneware and quite "heavily-potted". The upper body and inside mouth have been coated in a very finely-crackled translucent pale greenish-yellow glaze, the colour of which varies a little in places according to the glaze's thickness.

A good size with a height of 29 cm. Overall condition is very good. There i...

Rare Chinese Han Dynasty Glazed Pottery Milling Shed

This rare and very interesting pottery model of a milling shed was made during the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25 - 220). The building has a doorway at the back and a gabled roof. Inside is the rice pounder and mill. It is made from a fairly high-fired red pottery. The thin pale green glaze that, due to long burial, has degraded over time and acquired a silvery iridescence, coats the roof and outer walls, whereas inside is it just the pounder...

Rare Chinese Yuan Dynasty Burnished Black Pottery Bowl

We have recently been lucky enough to have acquired a collection of very rare examples of burnished black pottery items made during the Yuan Dynasty (AD 1279 - 1368). Such items are relatively unknown and very little has been published about them. They are found in the northern provinces, particularly Gansu province in the north-west.

This bowl is fairly thinly-potted and has a flared rim and quite a sturdy foot. Diameter 12.25 cm. ...

A very unusual Toyoraku Usubata vase covered outside in black lacquer decorated with geometric gold maki-e designs, the inside nearly swamped by organic green flowing to the center. It comes enclosed in the original somewhat dilapidated wooden box signed: The 75 year old man Toyosuke. This appears to be the signature of the third generation, and so would date from 1854, only a few years prior to the death of the fourth generation who began the technique of lacquering pots. It is 25.5 cm (10 ...

Fabulous carved florals rise in vibrant color off the surface of this yellow glazed vase by Kato Keizan II enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 31 cm (12-1/2 inches) tall, 24 cm (9-1/2 inches) diameter and in excellent condition.
Kato Keizan I (1886-1963) was born in Tajimi city, Gifu, a pottery center in its own right, however came to Kyoto to apprentice under Kiyomizu Rokubei IV. He established himself in the same neighborhood in Kyoto, where he became well known for cela...

Japanese Taisho to early Showa period Satsuma earthenware charger finely decorated in polychrome enamel and gilt with a single large foliate form cartouche set against a black background that extends to cover the back walls. The cartouche features a landscape scene with temples set among high mountain peaks. A bridge over water holds a single figure. The decoration is set against a cream colored finely crackled glaze background. Koshida workshop mark to the base. Potted with three small holes in...