Asa (hemp）kimono with katazome (stencil-resist-dye) whose wefts and warps are hand-plied. Dyed with vegetable indigo. In excellent condition except for two rips in the center back (7mm and 5mm). The third quarter of the 20th century. 126cm x 134cm

Chinese porcelain monochrome vase with a muted green glaze, a long neck in the form of a bamboo shoot, widened body narrowing towards the bottom. Celadon blue mark within double rings. Size: 11" height, 4.5" width

This is a beautiful dark blue Japanese Uchikake (wedding gown) made in Nishijin, Kyoto. The label states the name of Nishijin and the use of pure gold. The gown is woven with fans and Gosho (palace) flower carts which is one of the favorite motifs used for Japanese wedding gowns. They are remainders of the Heian period (794-1192) which was the last graceful era of the aristocrats. The gown is meticulously hand sewn to perfection as most Japanese kimonos are...

Takamatsu Yomeiri Ningyo; Clay Bridal Trousseau Dolls from Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture, Shikoku Island. Set of 5 depicting auspicious images: Happy Couple, Dog, Rabbit, Ebisu with Tai (Sea Bream,) Dog with Tai. H. .75" to 1.125" (2cm-2.75cm) x W. .875" to 1.375" (2.25cm - 3.5cm;) painted clay, ca. 1972. Condition notes: .75cm paint chip on back of Ebisu, paint chipped away on fish of Dog with Tai figure. Others all in excellent condition...

A large Plate by Living National Treasure Hamada Shoji enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Mori-sara. Splashes of black supplant the rich red Mashiko glaze. It is 12 inches (31.5 cm) diameter and in fine condition.
Hamada Shoji was born in Tokyo, and enrolled in the Tokyo Technical University at the age of 19. In 1918 he met the important British potter Bernard Leach, and the history of ceramic arts was forever changed...

Kokeshi, wooden folk toy of NE Japan. Height: 9.75". This is an example of the "Naruko-kei" tradition of Miyagi Prefecture. It was made by the artisan, Oonuma Hideo, who was born on February 17, 1930 (Showa 5.) It is dated September 15th, Showa 50 (1975,) but it is not clear if this was a production date signed by the maker, or a purchase date signed by the collector...

This is a beautiful Japanese wedding gown (uchikake). Featured on brownish orange (when you looked at it where the gold does not take over, the basic color looks more like brownish red) silk are flocks of white cranes and stylized water in roundels of gold. The tone of the gold is rich but soft. The design is unique, elegant, artistic and well executed with excellent workmanship. The condition is almost new...

A unique Japanese kanban (shop sign) in the shaped of a pipe, with gilt kanji. It hangs from a length of iron chain. A very fun and attractive piece. Vintage age c1950 Size: 8" height (17.5" hanging) 26.5" length

Gorgeous art deco Tamekichi Mitsui III signed Kutani plate. He received his artist's name Tamekichi III in 1961 from his teacher, and was soon afterward commissioned to create a plate for Edwin Reischhauer's visit in 1962. He was a favorite of the royal family who bought numerous pieces in 1976. Also from 1979-1988 Japanese Prime Ministers took his works abroad as gifts during state trips. He was a professor of art in Washington D.C...

Bag handmade of bamboo strips with nice color. Handles are also made of thin bamboo sticks. In excellent condition, no break or loose part. The second half of the 20th century. W:39cm, H:23cm, 6cm

An unusual woven basket of bamboo strips and roots in the shape of a cocoon or bird nest dating from the 20th century. It can be used flat on a table or even better suspended on the wall or pillar. It is 43 cm (17 inches) long and in excellent original condition.

Cotton and silk, mixed weave haori with shibori asanoha (hemp leaf) pattern which is dyed with the root of murasaki or murasaki-sou (lithospermum), one kind of grass. It is called "shikon-zome". Murasaki was grown since Asuka period (very late 6th to early 8th century) and purple was thought as the noble color...

A sculptural Green form by Yamazaki Akira (Yamazaki Koyo II, b. 1927), one of several enigmatic works we have acquired by this artist dating from the 1970s to early 80s. With the right lighting we can see a pattern of large black spots under the glaze on the bottom half of the body reminding me of the flintstones. The vase is 17 x 7-1/2 x 10 inches (43 x 19 x 25 cm) tall and in fine condition, signed on the base Akira. There is no box...

A beautifully shaped green vessel by Miyashita Zenju enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It stands 10 inches (25.5 cm) tall, 8-1/2 inches (22 cm) diameter and is in fine condition.
Zenju (1901-1968) studied pottery in Japan, Korea and China, and is held in the Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art as well as the Kyoto National Museum. Work by the artist was exhibited pre-war at the Bunten and Nitten National Exhibitions as well as the 1939 and 1940 World Exposition. Post war he put his...

Latticed windows of gold shine softly through the translucent blue glaze of this shapely vase by Kutani Master Matsumoto Saichi enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The vase is 11 inches (28 cm) tall, and in excellent condition, dating circa 1985, a time of upheaval in the artist life where he established a wood fired climbing kiln in his new home village of Yoshinodani. Saichi comes from a distinguished line of potters, his Father being Sahei and grandfather Sataro. Both were prominen...

Kondō Yuzō is one of the more recognized names in the world of modern Japanese pottery of the 20th century. Though known mainly for his sometsuke creations (blue and white porcelains), he did not settle on this style until well into his potting career that lasted nearly seven decades. The pieces shown here then would be from an earlier period and are evidence of his competency with varied styles and glazes—not just the ones he is most well-known for. The intricate brushwork on ea...

A perfect example of why Shigaraki is one of Japans most popular ceramic styles; a large tsubo urn covered in Hai-yu ash glaze by Yamamoto Ryuzan, enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Thick glaze covers the shoulder and runs in glassy rivulets down the charred front, while the back of the Tsubo, positioned away from the flame, remains pale white. Bidoro, flying ash all over with a dark kutsuki on front and brittle molten ash-charring at the base. On a small base, the piece leans slight...

Kokeshi, folk toy of NE Japan. Wood, height 10". Made by Sugawara Toshi, born Showa 13 (1938) and passed away in December of 1992 at the age of 55. Akiu Onsen is a hot spring resort not far from the city of Sendai. It is thought to be one of the oldest kokeshi-making locales in the Tohoku region where all traditional (dentou) kokeshi originate.

Representing the culmination of over 1,000 years of Shigaraki potting tradition, this bold guinomi with rough exterior and natural ash glazing was produced by well-known and admired potter Takahashi Rakusai

Born Mitsunosuke, the eldest son of Takahashi Rakusai III, the fourth Rakusai potter succeeded the family name in 1976 with his father’s passing. The Takahashi family on the whole has been one of the most important, influential, and longstanding among Shigaraki potters, playing...

A red earthen cylinder inlayed about the rim with dragonflies by JCS award winner Imai Masayuki enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The dragonflies (also called Katsumushi, or insect of victory) are inlayed into the red clay with white and buff clay, covered with resist, and a thin iron slip applied over the remainder of the vase. The slip color is so closely matched to the underlying brick-red clay one cannot see the difference. The vase is 9 inches (23 cm) tall, 4 inches (10 cm) dia...

A charred Tsubo blasted with ash by Takahashi Rakusai enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It reflects the style of early Shigaraki, with an engraved crosshatch belt circling the flaring mouth. The piece is 8 inches (21 cm) tall, roughly the same diameter and in excellent condition but for one tiny nick in the base.
Born in Shigaraki in 1900, Rakusai was considered one of the true masters of Shigaraki and Iga-yaki, along with Naokata and later Michio. He worked toward the revival...

A sizable rectangular platter covered in pale mottled earth-toned glaze by Shigeya Iwabuchi (1925-1993) enclosed in the original signed wooden box. A simple slab of clay, 1 inch (2.2 cm) thick, curled up in the corners. The simplicity is refreshing, the disparate surface natural and cool to the eye. It measures 16 by 11-1/2 inches (40 x 30 cm) and is in perfect condition. Shigeya was born in 1925 in Kyoto. He graduated the Kyoto Ceramics division of the Kyoto Industrial Research School, and ...

A spectacular Iga Tsubo by Shimizu Hiroshi enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Bidoro, Tombo-no-me, tobi-hai, shiseki…the surface is an exploration of kiln affects, every slight turn bringing new surprises. It is 15 inches (38.5 cm) diameter, 17 inches (43 cm) tall and in excellent condition. Due to size the cost of shipping will be accrued separately.
Shimizu Hiroshi was born the grandson of the first generation potter Shimizu Rakuzan in Mie prefecture in1941. He began work...

An elegant celadon receptacle with custom made black lacquered lid by important female potter Suwa Sozan II titled Seiji Mizusashi and enclosed in a wooden box annotated by the third generation head of the family. The Taru shape (a traditional bound shallow wood bucket) is surmounted at the rim with lily pads upon which rests a tiny frog. In the center of the base is her circular stamp. It is 24 cm (9-1/2 inches) diameter, 12 cm (5 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Suwa Sozan (1...

We kindly like to offer you a fantastic Chinese Zisha Tea Pot of Yixing clay, made by famous Bao Zhiqiang.

It has an artistic form, rare to find and it is marked with 'BAO ZHIQIANG'.

Yixing clay (traditional Chinese: pinyin: Yíxīng; Wade–Giles: I-Hsing) is a type of clay from the region near the city of Yixing in Jiangsu province, China. Its use dates back to the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279) when Yixing clay was first mined around Lake Taihu in China. From the 17th...

Four-panel kon (dark-blue) indigo-dyed cotton bed cover, red and white threads woven into warp and weft creating patterns of circles , squares, and checks. Top cover only, no backing or wadding, very good condition. Early 1900’s. L.69”(175cm) x W.55”(140cm.) Futonji, bed covers, were a common bridal trousseau item in feudal and early-modern Japan. They may have been made by the bride before marriage (in very rural areas,) or more likely commissioned by the bride’s family. The bed cover...

A finely crafted pumpkin shaped Zisha clay Yixing stoneware teapot decorated on one side with applied pumpkin vine decoration. This item carries three seal marks which all bear the name Shi Yu Zhen. Condition: excellent - no chips or cracks and no restoration. For additional pictures please view item #0563 at our Liverpool shop website at 69aliverpool.co.uk. 15cm (6 inches) long; 7.5cm (3 inches) high.

This small vessel, similar in a shape to a tokkuri, is a fine example of Oni Shino (carbon trap and natural ash glazing) that Tsukigata is so well-known for. Coining the term in the mid-50’s after countless failed experiments—which ultimately culminated in the discovery of this unique style of pottery—“Oni” translates roughly to demon or ogre. Fired at extreme temperatures for days in an anagama, the iron in the clay and in the glaze fuse, drip, and coalesce—while at the same time bl...

From our Southeast Asia Collection, a massive Indonesian teak wood carved panel executed in high-relief, depicting a scene from the Ramayana.

Indonesia, like Burma, has a long standing and very accomplished woodcarving tradition where generations of craftsmen have been producing great woodwork for decades. This particular piece is especially large and animated with great depth to the carving, and makes for a very dramatic statement in any room where it is displayed.

Size and Con...

Japanese contemporary ceramic dish with blue and gray flecking designs on one side, and a large red glazed area on the other. Interesting gradient orange/tan crackle glaze inside, and engraved signature on the foot. Size: 6" height, 14" length

A bottle form vase by important 20th century artist Yagi Kazuo enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The vase is 4 x 4-1/2 x 7-1/2 inches (10 x 11.5 x 19 cm) and in excellent condition.
Volumes have been written about pioneering artist Yagi Kazuo (1918-1979) and I am sure he needs no introduction. His birth on Independence Day seems to have been a portent of things to come. He was the son of the ceramicist Yagi Isso, and grew up surrounded by the characters of the Goja-zaka potter...

Sakiori obi for an everyday kimono. It is handwoven of cotton and silk strips of old kimono and cotton yarn for warps. Some wefts are from kimono with kasuri. In excellent condition. 20th century. W:16.5cm, L:2m92cm

A pair of men-tori gourd shaped sake flasks by Living National Treasure Kondo Yuzo enclosed in the original signed wooden box. One flask is decorated in blue with bamboo and the characters Sei-Fu (pure wind). The second is dated in blue and pink with pomegranates with the inscription “For the use of Yuzo, October 27, 1976”. Both are signed on the base. It is likely these came from the artists own personal collection. Each stands roughly 5 inches (13 cm) tall. There are two fractures vis...

From our Southeast Asia Collection, a superb Indonesian ebony wood carving of Ruana, expertly rendered with such animation and ferocity that the character looks almost demon-like, so much so that we actually find this particular piece a bit creepy.....But that is ultimately testimony to the tremendous skill of the carver.

For those unfamiliar with the differences between ebony wood and the other woods in the hardwood / rosewood family, ebony wood is especially dense and heavy and very d...

Kokeshi, wooden folk toy of NE Japan. Height: 8.25". This is an example of "Kijiyama-kei" tradition of Akita Prefecture. The artisan was Abe Heishirou. It is not dated, but was most likely made in the 1960's to 1970's. For a brief story on "dentou" (traditional) kokeshi, please see our website, which is accessible through our Trocadero homepage.

From our Southeast Asia Collection, a superb Indonesian ebony wood carving of a Legong dancer, expertly rendered capturing the marvelous grace and elegance of this traditional Balinese dance.

As Wikipedia describes it, "Legong is a form of Balinese dance. It is a refined dance form characterized by intricate finger movements, complicated footwork, and expressive gestures and facial expressions. Legong probably originated in the 19th century as royal entertainment. Legend has it that a pri...