George II sterling silver mug. Made by Samuel Welles in London in 1759. Baluster bowl with leaf-capped double-scroll handle. Raised foot with tooled leaf border. Chased and engraved bucolic scene with hounds racing through an orchard. A later Victorian homage to the tranquility of rural life. An even later engraved presentation in the frame formed by the leafing, overhanging trees: “Palm Beach Golf Club / Florida / State Championship / 1916 / First Prize / Runner Up / Won By”. No name follow...

Fin-de-siecle Classical sterling silver loving cup. Made by Tiffany & Co. in New York. Urn-form with bellied bottom. Three leaf-capped and mounted scroll handles. In relief are men and women, nude with legs merging into leafing scrolls, their embraces abetted by cherubic cup bearers. Subdued eroticism on stippled ground with fruiting grapevines. Reeded foot with stylized egg-and-dart rim and three leaf-and-scroll mounted paw supports. Gilt-washed interior.

At top engraved presentation: “Samu...

Stylish and jokey sterling silver cabbage head sauce bowl and ladle. Made by Buccellati in Italy. Domed cover set in bowl, both comprising overlapping leaves with realistic veins and irregularities. Ladle has branch handle and leaf bowl. Clear glass liner. Ladle marked “Buccellati Italy Sterling”. Bowl has post-1967 mark (26 MI) with “Buccellati / Italy / Sterling” and “925 [in oval]”. Excellent condition.

Dimensions: Bowl: H 3 1/2 x D 5 1/2 in. Ladle: H 4 1/2 in. Total weight: 12 ...

American Edwardian sterling silver figural letter opener, ca 1910. Cast terminal in form of gaunt face surrounded by feather headdress. Neckcloth spills over onto round frame (vacant). Back plain. A nice piece of turn-of-the-century Native Americana. Marked “Sterling / 97”. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 10 5/8 x W 2 1/8 x D 3/4 in. Heavy weight: 6.4 troy ounces. #BZ429

A Zohiko covered soup bowl. Colorful leaf decoration sparsely applied on black ground with almost iridescent effect with gold and silver maki-e and red details. Zohiko mark in silver lacquer inside the bowl's foot rim. 20th century. Bowl diameter 4 9/16 inches (11.59 cm). Condition is relatively quite good with only a small abrasion to the lacquer on foot rim of the bowl. The lacquer otherwise is in good condition with no distress or wear of note. A quirk in the underlying wood (not an issue wit...

Sometime around the year 1600 the first Takatori kiln was constructed at the foot of Mt Takatori in Fukuoka. This tradition was based on styles created by Korean potters brought to the shores of Japan during its colonial expansionism of the late 16th century. A favorite of the Kuroda lords of the time, its production and use was closely guarded until later in the 19th century when the domain system was abolished, freeing it up to be more widely used. Though Takatori-ware has been admired by many...

With pottery shards from excavated kilns dating back to the 5th Century, Mino-ware is one of the oldest and most revered pottery traditions in all of Japan. Though the piece featured here does not fit neatly into any of the typical categories of Mino pottery such as Kiseto, Setoguro, Oribe, or Shino; the shape and overall feel of this piece unmistakably places it within this pottery tradition.

Exceptionally well-proportioned and utterly unique, this tea bowl displays a ...

Edwardian Art Nouveau vanity jar. Made by Foster & Bailey in Providence, ca 1910. Crystal with curved sides and short inset neck. Cut geometric ornament and stylized flower band; star on underside. Cover sterling silver; top curved with enameled ornament: Pink and blue flowers on radiating white ground bordered by pink guilloche wave ornament. Cover marked. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 2 x D 2 1/4 in. #BU317

English Egyptian-Revival 18K gold brooch with scarab, ca 1870. Winged sun with fluted and stepped form. Entwined and scaly serpent forms round and open center, inset with rotating double-sided carnelian scarab: On front is a carved beetle; on back the Roman God Mercury. Fine condition with beautifully toned patina.

Overall dimensions: H 7/8 x W 2 5/8 x D 3/8 in. Gross weight: 9.5 dwt. #1180

Edwardian Classical brilliant-cut glass water pitcher with sterling silver collar. Made by Wilcox (part of International) in Meriden, Conn., ca 1910. Baluster with c-scroll handle; ornament in form of leaf flutes, ferns, and stars. Beaded collar with helmet mouth; engraved interlaced script monogram. Silver marked “Sterling” with maker’s stamp. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 9 1/4 x W 8 1/2 x D 5 1/2 in. #BZ300

Occasionally while browsing through the temple markets of Kyoto or perusing backstreets tea-ware shops, an attractive piece will catch my eye for no particular reason. When this happens, I typically buy it immediately without hesitation, trusting that I will be able to place it to a specific period or kiln given enough time and research. In some cases however, this proves to be a fruitless task and I am left only to appreciate the beauty and form of the object without having access to too many d...

When the founder of the Urasenke style of tea ceremony, Senso Soshitsu (1622 -1697) was invited to Kanazawa as the lord of the tea ceremony for the powerful Kaga lords in 1666, the first Chozaemon came with him and established Ohi-yaki ware in Kanazawa. Chozaemon had been the chief apprentice for the Raku family in Kyoto and took with him many of the principles and ideas associated with Raku-ware. Since those auspicious beginnings, Ohi-ware has held a high place in the world of tea ceremony desp...

This lovely Shino tea bowl fashioned from coarse Mino clay is covered in feldspar glazing, has a classic ferrous abstract painting across the front, and shows nice age—most likely from early to middle Edo.

Shino-ware dates to the Momoyama period when potters were attempting to recreate white porcelain-wares that were being imported from China at the time. Originally they were made in a single-chamber anagama style kilns set into the hillsides. Later, with the advent of large-batc...

When the founder of the Urasenke style of tea ceremony, Sen-So Soshitsu (1622 -1697) was invited to Kanazawa as the master of tea ceremony for the powerful Kaga lords in 1666, the first Chōzaemon came with him and established Ōhi-yaki in Kanazawa. Chōzaemon had been the chief apprentice to the Raku family in Kyoto and took with him many of the principles and ideas associated with Raku-ware. Since those auspicious beginnings, Ōhi-ware has held a high place in the world of tea cere...

Here we have a beautiful scroll with a mounted letter penned by famed Japanese poet Kobayashi Issa (1763-1828) who is known as one of the 4 great haiku poets of Japan along with the likes of Bashō, Buson, and Shiki. As one might expect, Kobayashi’s life was one of turbulence punctuated by several tragedies including the death of his mother at an early age and a lengthy legal battle with his step-mother over the family inheritance after the death of his father. Through it all Kobay...

Edwardian sterling silver baby bowl on plate. Made by Gorham in Providence in 1911. Bowl has curved and tapering sides. Plate has well and wide shoulder. Both have whiplash-scrolled rim and applied figures—an eclectic frieze that includes dog-petting hobos, stickball playing boys, tool-bearing workmen, and pipe-smoking grannies. Fully marked including no. A4479 (bowl) and A4480 (plate). Plate also has date symbol and retailer’s stamp (JE Caldwell). Very good condition.

Dimensions: Bowl: H...

Palmette sterling silver bowl. Made by Tiffany & Co. in New York. Curved sides and flared rim. Rests on 4 side-mounted stylized floral supports. Each support radiates 3 incised vertical lines. An early piece in this pattern (no. 23238), which was first produced in 1947. Fully marked including maker’s stamp, pattern number, and director’s letter M (1947-56). Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 4 x D 8 3/8 in. Weight: 23.6 troy ounces. #BZ778

Danish Modern Classical sterling silver box. Made by Georg Jensen in Copenhagen. Rectangular with straight sides; short inset foot with engraved egg-and-dart. Cover hinged with open bracket finial; to has flat raised border. Fully marked including maker’s stamp (1945-77) and no. 825. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 7/8 x W 5 1/4 x D 3 3/8 in. Weight: 10 troy ounces. #BZ777