A well carved and unusual jade carving of a little boy in a reclining position. Age: 19th century. Size: See last photo. Condition: No repairs.

Description:

A scholar wristrest was intriguingly made from a piece natural burlwood.

Obtained from the bark of the alleged agalloch-the precious incense wood and followed the original shape, the wristrest was curved in the center to leave the space for the spreading scroll underneath.
It was what a wristrest used for.
On a reverse side, this wood piece was sit like a supporting vessel for putting brush-pen or ready for wet inkcakes...

A young girl reaches up to steady herself on a branch laden with plum buds, not yet ready to open, as she presses down on the ice with her bright red shoes. This is an absolutely darling image by Chishima Kayo, which came to us as a silk makuri (never having been mounted) painting, which our restorer placed in this natural field allowing the painting to show itself.
Chishima Kayo (b. 1890) was a female artist of the Meiji to early Showa periods...

A beautiful large blue & white charger painted in the style of early Yuan blue and white. The back of the charger has etched on it the name of a Temple that it once belonged to. Size: Diameter. 46.3 cm. W. 8.9cm. Condition: Perfect.

Kokeshi, wooden folk toy of NE Japan. Height: 12". This is an example of the "Yajiro-kei" tradition of Miyagi Prefecture. The artisan is Ishikawa Tokujirou, and is signed that he made it at the age of 69 years old. I have been unable to find his birth record, but believe this kokeshi to have been made during the 1970's or 1980's. For a brief story on "dentou" (traditional) kokeshi, please see our weblog, which is accessible through our Trocadero homepage.

Description: A pair of jade plates were in transparent light green tint. By a shallow and flat foot ring, the plates were decently decorated on the surface with gilding motifs of leafy flowers, fruits, bamboos and pine trees. Carved in a light way, the vibrant plants were finely rendered before gold pigment was filled in to enlighten the whole picture against the celadon jade ground. A superb design of the picture can be noticed by the sophisticated composition...

A lovely bowl of Jizhou ware. PERIOD : Southern Song Dynasty (12-13th Century). MEASUREMENT : 10.8 cm wide, 6 cm height. CONDITION : no chips, cracks, or hairlines and free from restorations.

Chinese Sui Dynasty Glazed Pottery Female Figure

This attractive pottery figure was made during the Sui Dynasty (AD 581 - 618). It is made from a relatively high-fired creamy-white pottery (often regarded as better quality and more desirable than red-pottery figures). It was originally coated in a translucent pale greenish-yellow finely-crackled glaze...

Rare Chinese Ming Dynasty Monochrome Moulded Porcelain Wine Cup

This rare porcelain wine cup was made during the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) or possibly a little earlier. To the lower body is a band of moulded Buddhist rui lappets together with a moulded seal mark within the foot. The white porcelain body is particularly translucent, highly-fired with a high-pitched ring when tapped.

Diameter 5.5 cm, height 3.5 cm...

Description:

A Yueyao water basin was in form of a squat turtle.
Well applied with characteristic greenish celadon glaze on the surface, the basin was sit on the flat bottom which was un-glazed and was revealed with the grayish-tinted body clay.
It was preserved in perfect condition and was well cleaned by ex-collecter intended for practical use.
Minute old frets and incursions were found on the glaze when slight crackles were rendered...

A large square pottery tile decorated in the "cuerda seca" technique. Yellow, manganese, green and turquoise on a bicolor ground of cobalt blue and white, depicting a lotus and saz leaves. Condition: few small glaze flakes, frittings. Dimension: 25.4 cm x 26.3 cm x 2.8 cm. Without wooden stand.

A rarely encountered limited edition Japanese woodblock print over gold leaf depicting a solitary blue, white, and gold tree set against a barren foreground titled simply "Tree" by Joichi Hoshi (1913-1979) dated 1974. Pencil-signed "J. Hoshi" and dated '74 at the lower right, with the artist's square red seal above. Pencil-titled in kanji at the lower left and marked with the edition number 6/95. Paper size: 10"V x 13"H (image: 7 1/4" x 10 1/2"). Very good overall condition...

Large Chinese Ming Dynasty Enamelled Porcelain Bowl

This attractive porcelain bowl was made during the Wanli Reign (1573 - 1620) of the Ming Dynasty. This type of porcelain is referred to as "Swatow" or "Zhangzhou" ware and was often exported to the South East Asian market. The outer wall has been decorated with a scrolling floral pattern in red and green enamels, the inner centre more simply decorated with a floral motif and two red rings...

A very rare Japanese Ballot Box of hinoki wood bound in decorative iron dating from the later 19th to early 20th century. This year the ballot is on everyone’s mind, and this is an exceptional example of both traditional Japanese decoration and cabinetry. It has locks on both sides of the lid, which can be removed to reveal an inner lid with hinged iron cover over a slot for dropping in the ballots. This inner lid as well is locked...

Description: A boxwood figure was vividly carved as a shepherd boy by mastery craftsmanship. Holding a pipe (which had been lost), the shepherd boy stands step-forwardly in a animated posture. A nice boxwood carving with nice patina was preserved good with only one small defect on his left foot(loss of two toes) and a minor crack at the rim of his straw hat. A newly made stand was included...

Fine Large Chinese Han Dynasty Painted Pottery Hu Jar & Cover

This pottery jar with cover was made during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8). It is made from a fairly high-fired fine-grained grey pottery that has been elaborately "cold painted" in various coloured pigments, including blue, a colour rarely seen on Han pottery. The pattern comprises a geometric design around the neck and a swirling cloud pattern around the waist, between wide bands.

Height 33 cm (13 inches). This is a...

Description: A beautiful silver alloyed incense burner was delicately decorated. It was the repousse technique, using hammer and chasing tools to make the design stand out from thin sheet metal. With motifs of bats, peaches, plums, pomegranates and tendrils etc. in metaphor, they were all the lucky symbols Chinese people loved. A small size like this piece was rarely seen. An inscription " XU DE TANG" -Hall of Integrity was on the bottom. Date: circa 1950. Material: Silver alloyed. Height: 5....

Chinese blue and white bottle vase with a garlic head rim. The base with a moulded design of two phoenix facing each other with outstretched wings. The same design repeated on the opposite side. There is a under-glaze blue border at the top rim with a further blue and white border at the center of the base and the base rim. The inside glazed clear with the outside a clear glaze with a bluish tint. The glaze stops short and evenly at the base rim. The base rim left unglazed with the base co...