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...

Modern sterling silver tray. Made by Tiffany & Co. in New York. Deep well, wide shoulder, and flat rim. Fully marked including maker’s stamp, pattern no. 20188, and director's letter L (1956-ca 1965). Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 7/8 x D 13 in. Heavy weight: 28.5 troy ounces. #BY657

Craftsman sterling silver porringer. Made by Gorham in Providence, ca 1910. Traditional form. Unusual open geometric handle. Allover spot hammering. Fully marked including maker’s stamp and no. A5235. Very good condition with nice shimmer.

Dimensions: H 2 x W 6 5/8 x D 4 3/4 in. Weight: 7.8 troy ounces. #BX326

Bird’s Nest sterling silver egg spoon. Made by Gorham in Providence, ca 1880. Leafing twig stem and nest terminal lain with 3 eggs. Bowl elongated oval and gilt with monogram engraved on verso. Marks include maker’s stamp from last quarter of 19th century. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 4 1/2 x W 1 in. #BY578

Danish Midcentury Modern sterling silver compote. Wide and round bowl mounted to shaft with understated Classical ornament: Urn with bold and stylized leaf-and-dart ornament on sides, in turn mounted to baluster with half fluting; wavy borders. Domed foot. Visible hand hammering. Fully marked including maker’s stamp for Roif Fritiof Bratland, who was active from 1956-73, as well as no. 85A. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 11 3/4 x D 10 1/2 in. Weight: 33 troy ounces. #BY987

English Georgian sterling silver salver, 1926. Retailed by Tiffany & Co. in England. Round with molded serpentine rim. Four scroll-mounted hoof supports. Fully marked including maker’s stamp (Thomas Bradbury & Sons Ltd) and London assay stamp as well as retailer’s stamp (“Tiffany & Co / England”). Very good condition.

Large dimensions: H 1 5/8 x D 16 3/8 in. Heavy weight: 64 troy ounces. #BY289

Victorian Classical sterling silver coffeepot. Made by Tiffany & Co. in New York. Baluster with vertical spout and hinged and domed cover. Stained-wood finial and capped scroll handle. Repousse rinceaux bands and applied gadrooned borders on body; repousse twisted leaves on cover top. Fully marked including maker’s stamp, pattern no. 6233, and director’s letter T (1892-1902). Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 9 3/8 x W 8 3/4 x D 5 1/2 in. Gross weight: 23.4 troy ounces. #BX707

Turn-of-the-century Chantilly-Grand sterling silver 3-piece coffee set. Made by Gorham in Providence. This set comprises coffeepot, creamer, and sugar. Scrolled rims, spread and scrolled foot, and reeded and leaf-capped scroll handles. Two scrolled cartouches of which one vacant and the other engraved with interlaced script monogram. Coffeepot has hinged and domed cover with leaf-ring finial, and leaf-capped scroll spout. Creamer has scrolled helmet mouth. Creamer and sugar have gilt interior. A...

Edwardian sterling silver salver. Made by Charles Stuart Harris & Sons in London in 1908. Round with solid well. Tapering and pierced shoulder with applied swags, vases, and laurel-wreathed heads. Rim has applied Vitruvian scrollwork. Four supports same. A pretty piece in fashionable Regency Revival. Fully marked. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 1 1/2 x D 12 in. Weight: 30.5 troy ounces. #BQ521

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...

Seto is a pottery tradition established in the 12th century with the aim of reproducing fine Chinese porcelain and tenmoku-style tea bowls—which were hard to come by in Japan at the time. Later, during the Muromachi period, Seto potters established kilns in Mino thus starting the period known as ko-Seto, or “old Seto.” These pieces were distinctive as they were produced in small batches and with great care. Later in Edo, the large-kiln style of production or “ogama” was introduced ushe...

This scroll contains a sutra written as [寿至蓬莱不老僊], pronounced in Japanese as “Jyu-Ita-Hōrai-Furō-Sen.” Originating from Chinese, the characters “蓬莱” refer to the mythical land of “Penglai,” home to the immortals. According to legend the trees that grow here cure all disease; there are rice bowls and flasks of wine that never go empty; and its great castles are built entirely out of gold and silver.

The brushwork is done by a Rinzai sect m...

This tall and lovely Hagi chawan rests firmly on a wari kodai or “split foot” pedestal that is unglazed—displaying the coarse rich clay. The crackled milky glaze covers the curves and contours of the bowl, contrasting dramatically between the foot and the clay body. Hagi-ware such as this is part of a tradition stretching back over 400 years and is a high-fired stoneware type of pottery. Hagi-ware is prized for its subdued colors and classical features, especially the glazing, ...

Set of 4 Edwardian sterling silver place card holders. Made by Charles & George Asprey in London, 1906 to 1908. Each: A cast fox head pokes through a horseshoe clip; round and flat base. In leather-bound case with silk and fitted-velvet lining. Perfect for the hunt dinner. Fully marked including date letters 1906 (1), 1907 (1), and 1908 (2). Retailer’s stamp (Asprey). Excellent condition.

Dimensions: H 7/8 x D 1 1/8 in. Case dimensions: H 1 3/4 x W 6 7/8 x D 2 3/8 in. Total weight (silver o...

Going back over 1,300 years, Seto-ware has the distinction of being Japan’s oldest pottery tradition still active today. Made from the rich clay and silica of the region of production, Seto porcelain in particular has been highly prized throughout the history of Japan. The piece shown here can be described as Seto-guro (Black Seto) and is an excellent example of this type of pottery. The writing on the box describes it as being from Muromachi, so well over 400 years old. The form and compositi...

Large Japanese Meiji silver chalice, ca 1890. Oval bowl with irregular rim on tall cylindrical shaft flowing into raised and scalloped foot. Spout hammered ground. Double walled. Applied iris and chrysanthemum flowers and blossoming branches. Wire stem with flower head and bud wrapped around shaft. Mount Fuji-form mono plate (vacant). No cliché left behind. A wonderful ceremonial vessel for the advanced export market. Japanese marks and “Kuhn & Komor / Sterling”. Kuhn & Komor was a Hungari...

Victorian Gothic sterling silver goblet. Made by James Charles Edington in London in 1857. Tall and flared bowl with gilt interior; girdled cylindrical stem on raised foot with studded lobes and scalloped rim. Bowl has four studded and stippled strapwork frames of which two inset with flowers and a third with a medieval horseman galloping through a rocky landscape accompanied by a dog, all in relief. Fourth frame engraved “Hugh Eayrs / Memorial / Trophy”. Eayrs (1894-1940) was president of t...

During the Kamakura period in Japan (1185-1333), a remarkable form of Buddhist sculpture known as the votive Buddha emerged. Commonly referred to as kakebotoke (hanging Buddhas), pieces like this would have been mounted on spherical plaques made of bronze or copper and hung in a Buddhist temple or possibly even in a Shinto shrine. These small-scale sculptures were created to serve as objects of devotion and were often commissioned by wealthy individuals or temples. The Kurakama perio...