A testament to the brilliance of traditional Japanese craftsmanship, this lacquered mizusashi—skillfully handcrafted from bamboo—showcases a deep crimson hue that radiates warmth and sophistication. Its seamless design and flawless finish reflect the skilled hands of the first generation artisan who crafted it, achieving a harmonious balance between form and function. Designed for use in Japanese tea ceremony, this indispensable implement would love to be put back into service o...

Japanese Jubako, traditional stacked lacquerware food boxes, represent not only culinary refinement but also an important aspect of Japanese food culture. These elegantly tiered containers, often adorned with intricate designs and vibrant colors, are integral to the presentation of special occasion meals such as New Year’s celebrations and formal picnics. Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, Jubako boxes like the one featured here showcase the artistry of Japanese lacquerwa...

Stemming from the philosophy of wabi-sabi—often described as the beauty found in the imperfection and transience of the world—cracks and repairs in a work of pottery are often seen as highlighting the history and importance of a ceramic object. Practitioners of tea in particular are fond of reminding us that works repaired with lacquer and gold such as the one featured here become more resilient and beautiful for having been damaged. In this case, the gold repairs undoubtedly enhance the bea...

Living in Kyoto it is not uncommon to come across beautiful antique tea bowls, however, finding pieces that are in good condition, aesthetically compelling, and with all of the trappings that let you know they were cared for by a devoted cha-jin can be quite challenging. Here we see all three. The shape of this tea bowl is exquisite and something I have not seen before in a Mino piece. The lacquer box, while not the original was undoubtedly custom made for this tea bowl and looks to be 100 - 200...

Japanese inlay ceramics (zōgan) are created by making incisions on the surface of a clay body which are then filled with various colored clays, creating a pattern. After the pattern is finalized, an overglaze is applied and the piece is sent to the kiln to be fired. As can be seen here, the results are quite striking and produce unique patterns that cannot be replicated through painting alone. Inlaying as a technique is thought to have originally derived from practices in metal and ...

Pair of English Retro Deco sterling silver wine coolers, 2014. Each: Chamfered and tapering bowl; stained-wood side handles with stepped sterling silver mounts. Tapering and stepped support mounted to chamfered square base. All planes and angles for holding a round bottle. Super stylish style-of barware. Fully marked including unidentified maker’s stamp (R&SN) and London assay stamp. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 10 3/8 x W 8 5/8 x D 7 1/2 in. Heavy gross weight: 170 troy ounces. #BZ651...

Two Modern sterling silver drink stirrers:

1) Thin round stem with ball terminal; bowl in form of golf club head. Marked “Tiffany & Co 925”. Very good condition. Dimensions: H 7 3/4 x W 1 3/8 in.;

2) Long round stem and oval bowl; cast figural rooster terminal, suggestive of either the early-bird special or the morning-after hair of the dog cure. Marked “Tiffany & Co. Makers Sterling”. Very good condition. Dimensions: H 10 3/4 x W 1 1/4 in.

Total weight: 1.8 troy ounces. #BZ347 ...

Rare Chrysanthemum sterling silver soup tureen. Made by Tiffany & Co. in New York. Lobed and oval bowl with scalloped and turned down scalloped rim. Bracket end handles and four splayed volute supports. Cover double domed with bracket finial. Dense and textural cast ornament in form of alternating flower heads and leaves applied to rim and cover shoulder. With dense profusion of same applied to feet and wrapped and mounted to handles. A big, drool-inducing centerpiece made soon after this histor...

George VI sterling silver box. Made by WH Manton in Birmingham in 1938. Rectangular with curved corners. Cover hinged with gently curved top and tapering tab. Cedar-lined and partitioned interior; wood lined underside. Fully marked. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 2 3/4 x W 7 1/8 x D 3 3/4 in. Gross weight: 18 troy ounces. #BZ609

Modern double picture frame. Retailed by Cartier in New York. Two vertical (portrait) rectangular windows in horizontal (landscape) rectangular surround. Sterling silver borders and sides. On front red guilloche enamel in shade of throbbing scarlet. For a hot twosome. With beveled glass, red lining, and same velvet back with hinged easel support. Marked “Cartier Sterling 925 Italy”. Very good condition with strong intact color. Velvet wear and discoloration.

Dimensions: Frame: H 3 1/2 x W ...

German 800 silver lady’s shoe, ca 1920. Plain sole and low heel, and loose-mounted c-scroll strap. Chased leafing and flowering scrolls on stippled ground. Hanau marks. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 2 5/8 x L 7 3/4 x W 2 3/8 in. Heavy weight: 6.8 troy ounces. #BZ641

Set of 6 Belle Epoque cast 950 silver candlesticks in Louis XVI style, ca 1910. Made by J. Gruhier in France, ca 1910. Each: Spool socket with stepped and detachable bobeche. Tapering paneled shaft with stippled and elongated egg-and-dart; domed foot on octagonal base. Gadrooning and reeding. Substantial and elegant. Fully marked including Minerva head and maker’s stamp. Five have retailer’s stamp for Boin-Taburet, a Paris firm associated with adapting and reproducing historic French wares. ...

Traditional German gilt sterling silver stirrup cup, ca 1950. Conical bowl mounted with cast stag head—a furry, gaping beast with flexed-back ears and big antlers. Marked. Very good condition with nice toning.

Overall dimensions: H 6 1/4 x W 5 1/4 x D 3 in. Weight: 10.5 troy ounces. #BZ595

Tall Classical sterling silver wine ewer. Made by Moore for Tiffany & Co. at 550 Broadway, New York, ca 1855. Ovoid bowl with helmet mouth and raised round foot; cast high-looping fruiting grapevine handle. Foot rim encircled with same. Chased and engraved outsized leaves and squiggly tendrils, and bunches in relief. Irregular round frame (vacant). Early marks (1854-70) including maker’s stamp and retailer’s stamps, and pre-1860 pattern no. 488. Very good condition with deep patina.

Over...

Pair of tall Edwardian Neoclassical sterling silver candlesticks. Made by Gorham in Providence in 1908. Fluted columnar shaft on stepped square base. Composite Corinthian capital with detachable, concave, and chamfered bobeche. Beading. Fully marked including maker’s stamp, no. A3208, and date symbol. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 12 5/8 x W 4 1/8 x D 4 1/8 in. Weighted. #BZ394

Pair of Edwardian Classical sterling silver candlesticks. Made by Gorham in Providence in 1917. Each: Fluted column and composite Corinthian capital. Bobeche detachable with chamfered rim. Stepped and square base. Beading. Fully marked including maker’s stamp, no. A3207, and date symbol. Very good condition with some pings.

Dimensions: H 10 1/2 x W 4 1/4 x D 4 1/4 in. Weighted. #BZ434

Pair of Edwardian Classical sterling silver candlesticks. Made by Gorham in Providence in 1916. Each: Fluted column and composite Corinthian capital. Bobeche detachable with chamfered rim. Stepped and square base. Beading. Fully marked including maker’s and retailer’s (Berry & Whitmore) stamps, no. A3207, and date symbol. Very good condition with some pings.

Dimensions: H 10 1/2 x W 4 1/4 x D 4 1/4 in. Weighted. #BZ433

German Cold War-era parcel gilt sterling silver globe. In c-scroll frame mounted to cast dolphin support in turn mounted to round foot. The world as it used to be with Us and Them (The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) as well as a selection of secondary players. South America is made up of Brazil and Argentina and the Middle East of Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Anybody missing? Sure, but a great icebreaker nonetheless for office peace talks, and source of reflections on the transience of power. L...