George VI sterling silver tray. Made by Thomas Bradbury & Sons Ltd in Sheffield in 1946. Rectangular with molded rim and double-scroll corners; end bracket handles same. Traditional Georgian for the postwar era. Fully marked including retailer’s stamp (Peter Guille) and phrase “Made in England”. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 7/8 x W 26 3/8 x D 16 in. Heavy weight: 120 troy ounces. #BY716

George III sterling silver baby cup. Made by William Bennett in London 1811. Flared rim with low-relief fruiting grapevine border; leaf border at bottom. Cast handle in form of two snakes with entwined scaly bodies and bead-eyed heads. Gilt-washed interior. Fully marked. Very good condition.

Overall dimensions: H 3 3/8 x W 4 1/4 x D 2 7/8 in. Weight: 5 troy ounces. #BY768

Pair of Edwardian Classical sterling silver salt and pepper shakers. Made by Tiffany & Co. in New York, ca 1910. Each: Tapering ovoid body on raised foot. Cover dimed with ornamental piercing and vasiform finial. Fluting and reeding. Fully marked including maker’s stamp, pattern no. 17816 (first produced in 1910), and director’s letter m. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 5 1/2 x D 1 3/4 in. Total weight: 7.3 troy ounces. #BY474

Turn-of-the-century French Belle Epoque Classical 950 silver gravy boat on stand. Oval bowl with curved sides and elongated end spouts. Side handles entwined and split-mounted with leaves and flowers. Stepped oval foot mounted to stand with oval well and reeded and serpentine rim. Armorial engraved on stand shoulder. Marks include unidentified maker’s stamp and Minerva head. Very good condition.

Overall dimensions: H 4 1/4 x W 10 1/2 x D 7 in. Weight: 20 troy ounces. #BX235

George III sterling silver epergne. Made by Thomas Pitts in London in 1774.

Reeded and beaded oval frame; at base swags threaded through fixed rings with pendant oval vase medallions, overlapping four split-mounted leafing supports terminating in pierced and scrolled oval feet. Four reeded and scrolling leaf-capped and -wrapped arms, each terminating in oval basket, mounted to frame base alternating with four reeded and scrolling leaf-wrapped arms, each terminating in round basket, mounted to ...

George V sterling silver bowl. Made by Lionel Alfred Crichton in London in 1912. Curved with flared rim and stepped foot. Cast lion’s head side mounts in leafing-scrolled frames with loose-mounted rings. Four cast lion couchant supports with extended forepaws. Allover spot hammering. Engraved interlaced script monogram. A beautiful Edwardian Classical centerpiece. Fully marked. Excellent condition with nice shimmer.

Overall dimensions: H 9 1/4 x W 13 x D 11 3/4 in. Heavy weight: 85.4 troy o...

Pair of Edwardian Georgian sterling silver covered serving dishes. Made by John Round & Son Ltd in Sheffield in 1904. Each: Rectangular with chamfered corners and tapering sides. Cover raised and chamfered with twist-lock ring handle. Handle, covers, and rim gadrooned with scallop shells and leafing scrolls. A gorgeous twosome—make that foursome because the covers convert to bowls. Fully marked. Excellent condition.

Overall dimensions: H 6 1/4 x W 13 x D 9 1/2 in. Heavy total weight: 115 t...

Lovely Edwardian Art Nouveau sterling silver picture frame. Made by Mauser Mfg. Co. in New York, ca 1900. Oval window in same surround. Front has engraved leafing scrollwork and tubular cartouche (vacant) at top; sides plain. Open bracket supports. With glass, silk lining, and red velvet back and hinged easel support for portrait (vertical) display. Fully marked including maker’s stamp and no. 1418A. Very good condition.

Dimensions: Frame: 9 3/4 x W 6 5/8 in. Window: H 8 3/8 x W 5 5/8 in. #...

Pair of Victorian Neoclassical sterling silver 3-light candelabra. Made by Walker & Hall in Sheffield in 1898. Tapering and fluted shaft on raised square foot. Central socket on knopped base to which are mounted two leaf-capped and -wrapped scrolled arms, each terminating in single socket munted to wax pan. Sockets urn form on raised foot. Beading, ribboned swags, garlands, paterae, ram’s heads, and leaf-and-dart ornament. Fully marked. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 18 1/4 x W 15 x D 5 ...

Art Nouveau sterling silver picture frame. Made by Tiffany & Co. in New York, ca 1910. Rectangular window in flat surround. Surround front has acid-etched fronds and flowers alternating with tubular cartouches (vacant). Sides have tooled rectilinear ornament. With glass, silk lining, and velvet back with hinged easel support for portrait (vertical) display. Fully marked including maker’s stamp, pattern no. 17695G, and director’s letter m. Very good condition with strong definition

Dimensio...

Two pairs of Edwardian Regency sterling silver salt & pepper shakers. Made by Graff, Washbourne & Dunn in New York, ca 1909. Each: Ovoid body with engraved scrolled frames inset with flowers and leaves. One frame engraved with interlaced script monogram. Short neck and pierced and domed cover with vasiform finial. Foot raised with tubular piercing overlaid with swags, and open heraldic shields inset with flowers. Fully marked including maker’s stamp, no. 5542/47, and patent year 1909. Very goo...

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...

Using local materials and traditional methods, the creator of this work Masahiko Imanishi, has brought a distinctively modern interpretation to the classical form of the tsutsu chawan. At the same time, he somehow manages to maintain the simple rusticity that Tanba-ware is renowned for. Stretching back over 800 years, Tanba is counted as one of Japan’s 6 ancient kiln sites and is known for making large pots with red ferrous clay and natural ash glazes with a distinctive greenish tinge. More re...

Fabulous Chrysanthemum sterling silver coffee and tea set. Made by Tiffany & Co. in New York. This set comprises 5 pieces: coffeepot, teapot, creamer, sugar, and waste bowl.

In the celebrated pattern that is an American interpretation of a Japanese motif. To Baroque forms are applied a profusion of climbing, wrapping, and bunching flower heads. Chrysanthemum was introduced in 1880 and this set dates from the first quarter century of its production.

All pieces fully marked including maker’...

French Belle Epoque Classical 950 silver gravy boat on stand, ca 1910. Boat has ovoid bowl with helmet mouth and raised oval foot with imbricated leaf rim. High-looping and split leaf-mounted handle with armorial engraved in beaded oval frame. Stand oval with open well and four trefoil supports. Both have stippled tubular frames alternating with stylized flower heads. Reeding. Fully marked with Minerva head and maker’s stamp (Alphonse Dutac). Very good condition.

Dimensions: Boat: H 6 x W 8...

Splashed across a beautifully textured backdrop of shimmering black, the willow leaves painted in silver bring with them a sense of calm and contemplation. Generously proportioned though not too heavy in the hand, the wide base ensures stability while the upward curvature of the sides breaks with convention and offers a unique and decidedly modern flair.

Born in Kyoto as the 4th son of a famous lacquer artist named Shogo, Banura Shiro (1941-2001) followed suit and went i...

Several years ago we were invited by our very talented kintsugi craftsman to what is known as a “kura-ake” or storehouse opening. Many reading this may be familiar with the traditional storehouses in Japan (kura) with their thick plaster walls used to store valuable items—sometimes for hundreds of years—safe from humid air, insects, and the like. On occession, after the passing of a parent or relative, these storehouses are opened up and the art pieces and valuables inside ar...

Victorian Classical sterling silver coffee and tea set. Made by Tiffany & Co. in New York. This set comprises coffeepot, teapot, creamer, sugar, and waste bowl.

Each: Bellied bowl on concave foot ring. Covers raised with cast bud finial (pot covers hinged). Teapot, coffeepot, and creamer have high-looping handle. Sugar has c-scroll side handles. All handles have stylized volute scroll and dart mounts. Spare with repousse rinceaux band. Fully marked including maker’s stamp, pattern no. 1982, ...

Edwardian Classical sterling silver coffee and tea set. Made by Tiffany & Co. in New York, ca 1910. This set comprises 5 pieces: Coffeepot, teapot, creamer, sugar, and waste bowl. Tapering and fluted ovoid bodies. Feet domed. Covers double domed with vasiform finial. Handles scroll bracket (coffeepot and teapot stained-wood). Ornament acid-etched and stylized: Curvilinear fretwork and leafing borders, paterae and, on front and back, wreaths of which 1 engraved with symbol or cryptic monogram. F...

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...

Victorian sterling silver baby cup. Made by Tiffany & Co. in New York. Straight sides and banded scroll-bracket handle. Low-relief base ornament with stylized flower heads and beading. Acid-etched depiction of Goosey Gander, an English nursery rhyme that has been subject to various religious and moral interpretations. Shown here a sassy New Woman brandishing a crook and a nattily dressed and bespectacled goose. Gilt-washed interior. Fully marked including maker’s stamp, pattern no. 4254, and d...

English Georgian Regency sterling silver bowl. Made by Rebecca Emes and Edward Barnard in London, ca 1830. Bellied bowl with chased and stippled leaf and flower bowl. Concave neck and turned-down leaf-and-dart rim. Leaf-capped and -wrapped side handles with oak branch mounts. Short knopped support with egg-and-dart and leaf-and dart borders on lobed and stippled foot with applied leaves. Plain and square base. Opulent Classical centerpiece for flowers or wine. Marks worn. Excellent condition...

A beautifully crafted vase from a studio potter in the hills of Iga, a few hours drive east of Kyoto. Iga-ware has quite a long history—by some accounts dating back to the 7th and 8th century—with the major kilns being established some time around the end of the 16th century. Similar in many ways to Shigaraki pottery, the glaze is the result of kiln ash being vitrified and melted on to the surface of the clay body at extremely high temperatures during firing, which can last many days. To add...

This pretty brooch with stones mounted in silver-topped 18k gold has been designed in the shape of a flower. The petals have been formed from 5 incised citrines in a warm smokey yellow-brown color which surround a cut diamond in the center. The stem of the flower and the petals' border are all highlighted by inlaid old European and rose-cut diamonds. The back has been marked with a French guarantee stamp. The brooch measures approximately 1 3/4" X 1 1/4" and was made Circa:1880. It is a lov...

American Midcentury Classical sterling silver ice bucket. Retailed by Tiffany & Co. in New York. Urn bowl with bracket side handles and stepped foot; incised bands at top. Cover double domed with vasiform finial. Insulated interior. Marked “Tiffany & Co. / Sterling”. Very good condition.

Overall dimensions: H 9 3/4 x W 9 1/2 x D 7 in. #BZ761

Takahashi Shotei (Hiroaki)
Two Paintings of "Tama" Cats - Black and Beige
Date: Not known. There was a June 1924 Tama cat woodblock print (see our Shotei061) in which the white cat is in the reverse orientation.
Size (Black Cat): Paper: 15.5 x 11.375 inches (38.9 x 28.9 cm). Image: 13 x 9.25 inches (32.8 x 23.4 cm).
Size (Beige Cat): Paper size: 15.25 x 11.375 inches (38.8 x 28.8 cm). Image: 13 x 9.25 inches (33.1 cm X 23.5 cm).
Medium: Japanese paintings on paper. The ...

Enryakuji Temple, Hiyeizan (Hieizan), Kyoto.
Artist not identified.
Dated August 21st, 1937.
Size: 7.5 x 5375 inches (19 x 13.6 cm).
Medium: Japanese woodblock print as the cover of a dinner menu of the Nippon Yusen Line passenger ship, Chichibu Maru.
Publisher: Likely Nippon Mokuhan Co. Tokio (Japan Woodblock Co. Tokyo), who produced another of our ship menu woodblock prints.
Medium: Japanese shin-hanga woodblock print made from a carved wood block. Mechanization w...

Sabra Field (American, born 1935)
Going Home
Date: ca 1980 (as noted on separate board)
Paper size: 13 x 8.5 inches.
Image size: 9.5 x 5 inches.
Medium: Woodcut print.
Condition: Light scuff on mountain.

American Midcentury Modern sterling silver picture frame. Retailed by Cartier in New York. Rectangular window in wide and flat surround. With glass, paper lining, and wood laminate back for portrait (vertical) or landscape (horizontal) display. Liner has retailer’s stamp. Frame fully marked including retailer’s stamp, no. 53, and phrase “Hand Made”. Very good condition.

Dimensions: Frame: H 12 x W 10 in. Window: H 10 x W 8 in. #BZ570

Edwardian Classical sterling silver picture frame. Made by Gorham in Providence in 1909. Rectangular window with concave border and molded rim. With glass, silk lining, and velvet back and hinged easel support for landscape (horizontal) display. Perfect for a special wide-angled shot with room for everyone. Fully marked including maker’s stamp, no. B3936, and date symbol. Very good condition.

Dimensions: Frame: H 8 1/2 x W 11 3/4 in. Window: H 6 3/4 x W 9 7/8 in. #BZ575

Modern sterling silver mini martini shaker, ca 1930. Straight and tapering sides, curved shoulder, and short neck with snug-fitting bun cover. Spout diagonal with chained ball cap for secure shaking. Handy small size for stylish solo drinking. Fully marked including New York maker’s stamp (Currier & Roby), Boston retailer’s stamp (Shreve, Crump & Low), and no. 6711L. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 7 x W 4 1/4 x D 3 3/8 in. Weight: 7.2 troy ounces. #BZ687

Midcentury Modern gilt sterling silver flowerpot. Made by Tiffany & Co. in New York. Two blossoms with overlapping, ready-to-bloom petals and leaves on stem planted in a bucket filled with granulated quartz. Fully marked including maker’s stamp and postwar pattern no. 24061. Very good condition with nice toning.

Overall dimensions: H 4 1/2 x W 2 3/8 x D 1 5/8 in. Weighted. #BZ650

Swedish Neoclassical 830 silver serving bowl, 1932. Ovoid bowl with high-looping end handles and raised foot. Engraved leaf-and-dart mouth rim. Pierced colonnade foot rim. Fully marked including maker’s stamp (G. Graumann) and date code. Very good condition.

Overall dimensions: H 3 3/4 x L 11 x W 4 3/4 in. Weight: 8.7 troy ounces. #BZ125

Pair of Victorian sterling silver goblets. Make by Elkington & Co. Ltd in Birmingham in 1860. Each: Ovoid bowl on knopped stem; raised foot. Chased and engraved horse scenes. On one, mounted horses amble through the countryside. On the other, it’s a race to the finish with raised whip, the grandstand in the background. Victor’s wreath grapevine frame engraved with interlaced script monogram. Tooled and beaded borders. Gilt-washed interior. Fully marked. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 6...

Pair of American Modern Classical sterling silver candlesticks, ca 1925. Each: Faceted column applied with bead-and-reel borders at top and bottom; raised hexagonal foot and detachable bobeche applied with same. Marks include retailer’s stamp (“Made for Tiffany & Co.") and no. 472X. Good condition with a few minor pings on shaft.

Dimensions: H 7 1/2 x W 3 3/4 x D 3 1/4 in. Weighted. #BZ334

Modern sterling silver bowl. Made by Spratling in Taxco, Mexico, ca 1940. Curved sides and wide and flat shoulder with chased addorsed scrolls between cabochon amethysts that spill out over the crisp rim. A Pre-Columbian motif stylistically compatible with mid-20th century Western design. Fully marked including maker’s stamp. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 2 x D 12 in. Gross weight: 25 troy ounces. #BZ679