A technique most commonly seen in Tenmoku tea bowls, “konoha” is accomplished by applying a coating to an actual leaf and then attaching the leaf to the surface of an artwork before firing. The exact details of this process seem somewhat murky as it appears to be a well-guarded secret among potters. After some research we were unable to identify the potter; and, although there is a signature on the bottom that appears to read “Raishō,” we could find no potter by this name. R...

Takahashi Shotei
Shrine by the River
Date: 1930s. This edition early postwar.
Size: 5.5 x 3.625 inches
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo.
Artist's seal at lower right.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent. Top margin edge has slight browning.

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...

Turn-of-the-century Art Nouveau glass vase by historic maker Loetz with engraved silver overlay. Cylindrical with bellied top and bottom, and short inset neck. Overlay in form of open and horizontal pattern with stylized leaves and scrollwork. Glass is Titania pattern with shaded streaky green in vertical leaf arrangement. Silver marked “Sterling”. Excellent condition.

Dimensions: H 7 x D 3 1/4 in. #BV932

American Modern sterling silver flask, ca 1920. Rectilinear and curved; cover hinged, threaded, and cork-lined. Front engraved with a camel, a paragon of drought survival, standing on parched ground with scattered shoots of greenery. In background are palm trees and pyramids. Drink up to survive the desert—physical or metaphorical. Back vacant for engraving. Marked “Sterling”. Very good condition with strong definition.

Dimensions: H 7 x W 5 x D 7/8 in. Weight: 9 troy ounces. #BX740 ...

This lot includes eight marked Gorham sterling 4780 nut dishes . Two are mongrammed on the bottom( one of those has very faint etched numbers). 4" x 2-1/2" Total weight 6.8 ozs.

A collectible Scandinavian gold and amethyst pin by Kippittan Kulta of Finland. The pin is stamped with the anvil mark 585 Finland and measures 2 1/4" x 1-1/4". Weight 3.6gr.

Ohara Shoson (Koson)
Pheasants and Maple Tree
Size: Approximately 5.25 x 3.25 inches.
Date: ca. 1930s.
Shoson seal at lower right
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo.
Reference: AS.15 in Crows, Cranes, and Camellias: The Natural World of Ohara Koson.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent.

Lilian May Miller (1895-1943)
The Little Shrines on Quiet Hills
Date: 1927.
Size: Approximately 5.625 x 3.75 inches.
From the book, Grass Blades from a Cinnamon Garden.
Monogrammed within the image.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Slight toning.

Edwardian Regency sterling silver jewelry box. Made by William B. Durgin in Concord, ca 1910. Rectangular with straight sides and hinged drop-front. Cover hinged and flat. On sides, wraparound garland held-up by sweet bare-bottomed cherubs. Cover top encircled with same (center vacant). Reeded rims. Interior velvet-lined. Fully marked including maker’s stamp and no. 1809. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 4 x W 9 3/8 x D 4 1/2 in. Heavy gross weight: 40.6 troy ounces. #BX652

Tsuchiya Koitsu
Mandarin Ducks
Date: 1930s.
Size: Mitsugiri-ban. Approximately 15.75 x 7.5 inches.
Publisher: Doi Hangaten.
Reference: Koitsu catalog no. TK-DH-76.
Carver: Harada. Printer: Yokoi.
This seal combination indicates an early post-war edition.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent. Back top margin has tape residue.
Note: An usual subject for Koitsu.

Pair of George III sterling silver gravy boats. Made by William Bond in Dublin in 1794. Each: Ovoid with helmet mouth and gadrooned rim. Leaf-capped double-scroll handle mounted to scrolled end. Three scallop-shell mounted leaf supports. Engraved armorial. Gorgeous Georgian Neoclassicism from across the Irish Sea. Fully marked. Very good condition with nice patina.

Overall dimensions: H 6 3/4 x W 8 3/4 x D 4 3/4 in. Total weight: 39.7 troy ounces. #BW160

Olympian sterling silver wine cooler. Made by Tiffany & Co. in New York. Each: Round with gently tapering sides and three reeded c-scroll handles with leaf mounts and caps. Foot ring with beading and bead-and-reel ornament, and 3 paw supports with leafy volute-scroll mounts. At bottom a dense repousse frieze of love-making, harp-strumming nymphs, gods, and cherubs. Gilt-washed interior. A beautiful early piece in the celebrated Beaux-Arts pattern that was conceived by French designer F. Antoine ...

English Victorian Modern sterling silver smoking box 1885. Rectangular with straight sides. Scroll-bracket handle mounted to central panel between two hinged covers. On one in blue enamel “Cigars”; on other “Cigarettes”. Cedar lined. Felt-lined underside. Fully marked including London assay stamp and maker’s initials “T.W”. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 4 x W 7 3/4 x D 6 1/2 in. Gross weight: 28.3 troy ounces. #BX649

Romantic Edwardian Art Nouveau sterling silver frame. Made by Tiffany & Co. in New York. Heart-shaped window in same and curved surround flowing into bracket feet. Acid-etched leafing scrollwork and flowers. At top shaped cartouche vacant for engraving a lovey-dovey message. With glass, silk lining, and velvet back and hinged easel support for portrait (vertical) display. Fully marked including maker’s stamp, pattern no. 14282, and director’s letter C (1902-7). Excellent condition with stro...

Chippendale sterling silver serving tray. Made by Gorham in Providence in 1944. Round with flat curvilinear ogee rim. A large and heavy piece in this pattern. Fully marked including maker’s stamp, no. 42613, and date code. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 1/2 x D 13 3/4 in. Weight: 38.4 troy ounces. #BW956

George II sterling silver salver. Made by Robert Abercromby in London 1741. Molded scroll and shell rim and 4 scroll-mounted hoof supports. Armorial engraved in well center. Great heft and balance. Fully marked. Very good condition with period patina.

Dimensions: H 1 1/2 x D 12 3/8 in. Weight: 28.7 troy ounces. #BX211

Also known as "The Buddha of Immeasurable Light and Life,” here in this pre-Edo Buddhist painting we see Amida and his two assistant bodhisattvas, Seishi on the left (associated with wisdom and strength), and Kannon on the right (associated with compassion and mercy), descending from the Western Pure Land to welcome newly deceased believers into the realm of paradise. In this practice known as raigō, the faithful are transported via the small lotus pedestal the Kannon holds in his...

Although reports vary, it is generally thought that Zeze-yaki had its heyday in the late Momoyama to early Edo period under the influence and patronage of legendary artists/ men of tea, Honami Koetsu and Kobori Enshu. It was also counted among the seven best kilns selected by Enshu Kobori (1579-1647), a tea master and military commander of that era. In the mid-1600s the tradition died out for a time after the destruction of the kiln by fire. The kiln was later resurrected on two occa...

This elegant work of Karatsu pottery has an unglazed foot, showing the rich ferrous clay from which it is constructed, and displays splashes of ferrous pigment on a backdrop of ashen glaze with a milky white overglaze. The triangular shape and large proportions make for a very distinctive work of e-Karatsu or “painted” Karatsu.

Like many pottery traditions in Japan, Karatsu takes its name from the city where it originated. As early as the 15th century, Korean potters...

Paul Jacoulet
The Wandering Buddhist Priest, Korea (Le Bonze Errant, Corée)
Date: 1948.
Edition 165/350. (Fewer than 50 impressions from this edition were produced.)
Print size: Approximately 18.5 x 14.375 inches.
Publisher: Self-published by the artist.
Carver: Maeda. Printer: Honda.
Signed, and sealed with the "peach" seal. PJ watermark.
Reference: No. 95, The Prints of Paul Jacoulet (Miles).
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Top ba...

Japanese Modern silver box on stand, ca 1930. Rectangular with curved corners. Box has straight sides and cover top is gently raised and has applied gilt medallion with dramatic dragon in low relief. Box and cover interior lined with stained-wood. Stand has wide and tapering shoulder and flat well border with open stained-wood bottom. Marked. Very good condition.

Dimensions: Box: H 2 1/2 x W 6 1/2 x D 4 3/4 in. Stand: H 7/8 x W 8 1/8 x D 6 3/8 in. #BX437

Belle Epoque Rococo soup tureen on stand. Made by Tetard Frères in Paris, ca 1910. Ovoid bowl with tapering sides and curved bottom with fluted and turned-down leaf handles. Sides have projecting volute scrolls inset with leaves. Leaves stippled and irregular. Sides have curvilinear panels applied with leaf and berry garlands with central branches forming wreaths. Raised oval foot. Cover domed and paneled with fluted top on which is mounted a cast finial in form of two embracing cherubs, their ...

The pottery style know as “nerikomi” or sometimes “neriage” in Japan is a technique where various colors and consistencies of clay are stacked together and then cut through to reveal a unique pattern. Here we see a beautiful execution of this approach by potter Wakasugi Naomi (b. 1974) who spent many years perfecting the technique. Wakasugi typically uses Shigaraki clay and porcelain clay from Kyoto in her works and says that when she first started out very few people were ma...

A key figure in the Japanese folk craft movement of the 20th century, Fujita Kyohei is credited with helping to develop a thriving glass-working community within Japan. Best known for his “dream” or “Liuli” boxes—very colorful and skillfully crafted boxes that often incorporated gold and silver leaf into their designs. Here we see a piece that would likely have been crafted earlier in his career but that demonstrates his masterful technique even then. In 1972 Fujita, along ...

The craftsman who fashioned this piece, the 9th Ohi Chozaimon (1901-1986), is the most widely recognized and most accomplished of the now 11 generations of Ohi potters. Born in Ishikawa Prefecture at the start of the 20th century, he took up the family craft and, at the age of 26, became the head potter. Raku tea bowls made by Ohi 9 are some of the finest you will encounter, comparing favorably to even tea bowls made by the main Raku lineage in Kyoto. The lightness of the clay, the s...

Hasui Kawase
Kasuga Shrine, Nara
Series: Collection of Scenic Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition.
Size: Oban. 15.375 x 10.25 inches.
Date: 1933
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo. Publisher's 6mm seal (printed 1946-1957).
Reference: Hotei #317.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Slight toning. Excellent color.

Pair of Midcentury Modern sterling silver 2-light candelabra. Designed by Alphonse La Paglia (d. 1953) for International Silver Co. in Meriden, Conn. Two arms, each comprising two open quadrilateral scrolls inset at center with volute scroll terminating in buds overhanging sides. Each arm terminates in socket. Sockets tall and tapering with wide flat rim and stylized leaves and beads at bottom. Arms mounted to raised foot with knop comprising alternating rings and beads. Marked “International ...

Gako
Moon, Beach, and Tree
Date: 1910s-30s.
Size: Chuban. Print size: Approximately 10 x 7.75.
Matte board size: 14 x 11.
Signed "Gako" by the artist.
Publisher: Takemura Hideo. Round, red Takemura seal.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Print is fully adhered to the board. The board is foxed.

Gorgeous turn-of-the-century Martelé-style Art Nouveau 950 silver basket. Made by Black, Starr & Frost in New York. Flared and ovoid mouth and cylindrical body flowing into spread foot on 4 turned-under scroll supports; fixed and shaped c-scroll handle. Ruffled and irregular rims. Chased and applied ornament with flowers and climbing and entwined tendrils overlaid with leaves. Hand-hammered ground. Fully marked with maker’s stamp, no. 7577, and phrases “Exclusive Design”, and “950 Fine�...

Arai Yoshimune
Suma Beach
Date 1910s. Printed 1938-1960.
Size: Chuban. 10.75 x 8.0 inches.
Sealed by the artist at lower left.
Publisher: Hasegawa/Nishinomiya Yosaku. From the famous "Night Scenes" series. Hasegawa catalogue No. 1252.
Nishinomiya publisher's seal at left margin.
"Made in Japan" stamped on verso.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent.
Note: The figures on the beach are gathering salt.

Sugimoto Sadamitsu (b. 1935) is one of the most important Shigaraki potters alive today and continues to create master works into his old age. Originally a resident of Tokyo, at the age of 33 he moved to Shigaraki and started creating high-quality tea-ware implements, most notably, fine tea bowls in the style of early Raku masters. A devotee of Zen and a lover of tea, Sugimoto is able to create tea bowls that are not just attractive, pleasant to hold in the hand, and a joy to drink f...

Kihei Sasajima
Shitenno Jikokuten (one of the Four Heavenly Guardians)
Date: ca. 1960s.
Publisher: Yoneda Minoru (impressed colorless seal at lower margin).
Date: 6.5 x 5 inches.
Medium: Woodblock print.
Condition: Toning in margin. Margin trimming.

Kihei Sasajima
The Buddhist Goddess Kisshouten
Date: ca. 1960s.
Publisher: Yoneda Minoru (impressed colorless seal at lower margin).
Date: 7 x 5 inches.
Medium: Woodblock print.
Condition: Slight toning. Margin trimming.

Set of 4 Edwardian sterling silver place card holders. Made by Sampson Mordan & Co. Ltd. in Chester, 1904-6. Each: Two flat discs mounted to flat and circular base. Front disc smaller and enameled with fox loping through forest. In leather-bound case with fitted velvet and silk lining; lining has gilt retailer’s stamp (Arnold & Lewis, Manchester). Fully marked including date letters 1904 (3) and 1906 (1), and design nos. 402227 (2) and 429790 (2). Very good condition with strong color.

Dimen...

Joichi Hoshi (1911-1979)
Field
Size: 32 inches by 17.25 inches.
Date: 1974.
Edition: 63/99
Signed, dated, and numbered by the artist.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print on gold leaf.
Condition: Light toning at margin. Back margin has tape residue and one reinforced corner.
Note: Please see additional images for texture and metallics.