Wonderful antique Japanese okimono of the mythical characters Ashinaga and Tenaga. The two friends live on the beach and survive on fish. Tenaga catches them with his long arms while sitting on the back of Ashinaga who wades out into the water with his long legs. Carved with great detail and whimsy out of boxwood. Meiji Period (1868-1912). Size: 14 1/4" high x 4 3/4" wide

Chinese Qing dynasty Tongzhi mark and period (1862-1874) cylindrical food container decorated around the circumference with four overglaze iron-red five-clawed dragons in profile above a band of underglaze blue waves. Each dragon is among underglaze blue clouds and separated from each other by a pair of vertical blue cloud bands shaped like opposing bats. A geometric blue band extends along the top. Each side has twisted metal handles supported by two animal mask lugs with gilt highlights. W...

DESCRIPTION: A skillfully lacquered suzuri-bako (writing box) from the Meiji Period, early 1900’s. The lid of the rectangular box is decorated with a takamakie floral design in gold, silver and shu (a hue of red-orange) lacquer on a black ro-iro ground. The interior of the lid and box are sprinkled in a nashiji cloud motif. This suzuri-bako is a complete set, fitted with the original water dropper and inkstone and its original kiri (paulownia) wood box with inscription. Excellent conditio...

Cedar wooden ‘post-hide’ or hashira kakushi that is used as a decoration of the vertical post in a room that is not a corner post, or the vertical post of the tokonoma (niche). The post-hide is the same width as the the vertical pillar posts in a Japanese house, hiding it thus almost completely in width.
Dark stained cedar wood, the sides covered in black lacquer, the front inlaid in ceramic with Raiden the thunder god who is angling with an anchor for one of his thunder drums that dro...

A pair small Chinese porcelain jars with lids, each decorated with two foo dogs among peony flowers and scrolls in the "wucai" palette with underglaze blue. Bases without glaze. Rare to find a pair with matching lids and with so fresh colors. Including two later reticulated wooden stands. Dimension with lid: 14.3 cm high, on stand: 17.3 cm high. Condition: one cover with glued area and rim chips. One jarlet with minor kiln dust and the other jar with negligible rim fritting. The wood stands with...

Antique Japanese silver kanzashi, the upper design part is gold plated with finely engraved three oak leaves. *This was one of the most popular crests among the warrior samurai class particularily among close devotees of Shinto. Top quality hand cut metal work. Circa (we think) Meiji period (1868-1912). 6 3/4" long and 1 3/8" in width.

*The Elements of Japanese Desgn by John W. Dower

Beautiful Japanese Wajima lacquer stand with gold maki-e painting on a nashi-ji (pear skin) background. The designs are scrolling vines with stylized chrysanthemums and paulonias, which are the crests of the emperor and empress. The style of sparkling nashiji lacquer work and the theme were popular in the Taisho period (1912-1926) to the beginning of the Showa era, sometime after the return of the throne to the emperor.

The stand was made for a Tokonoma as a base for a flower arrangement...

Over the years we have taken a special interest in Raku pottery, especially in pieces made by the original Raku family (16 generations) and by a branch kiln known as Tamamizu—started by the illegitimate son of the potter Ichinyū, whose work we see here. Approximately 350 years old, this piece displays a beautiful red glaze and has a shape known as “tsutsu” with high walls and a slender form making it ideal for keeping in heat during the cold winter months. Antique gold repairs...

24” high Chinese late Qing dynasty Guangxu period baluster form geyao style crackle glazed porcelain vase decorated in underglaze blue with a central panel featuring a deer and crane in a landscape on a white ground. Blue pine branches extend from the central panel to the front of the golden neck. A cream-colored crackled glaze lines the base and interior of the wide dish-form mouth. The rim is dressed brown. The splayed base holds blue and white huts among mountains in front and a celadon...

A stunning pair of sake cups depicting monkeys by the famous Kutani potter Matsumoto Saiichi 松本佐一 (b. 1930), using his signature technique, porcelain with underglaze gold leaf. Title: Sake Cups (sakazuki 坏) Medium: porcelain with underglaze gold leaf and overglaze enamel Size: Wider: 3.2 x 8.5 cm and Taller: 5.9 x 5.4 cm Signature in enamel on the bottom of both pieces: Saiichi (佐一) Date: Heisei Period, 2003 for 2004 Condition: no flaws: no cracks or r...

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...

Description:

A wood water basin was nicely carved in shape of a lotus leaf with a lotus pond.
It was preserved in very good condition by nice brownish patina.
Some of the seeds in the lotus pond were still movable when some were sticked but nothing is missing.
It was a charming and very rare piece by this type.
Most of the old wood pieces were made as brush pots in relief carving.
This piece was carved in delicate workmanship to imitate the lotus leaf by thin wall a...

A large and very impressive tomb pottery horseman, Chinese, 1368-1644 AD. The type has been thoroughly tested and was burnt approx 500 years ago, placing it in the mid Ming period, c. early-mid 16th. century.

The pottery horseman, a higher-ranking officer, was probably originally equipped with a standard of wood, that has now decayed. He is clad in body armor in blue and torquise and wears a cone- shaped helmet. He is riding a white horse with details in torquise.

A rare to...

The painting depicted court musicians playing divine music called Bugaku. Bugaku is a Japanese court music accompanied by dancing. Here one of the players plays shen (a bamboo instrument first produced in China in 7th century) and the other one sounds a massive drum with mitsudomoe crest (three comma-shaped figures in a circle). Bugaku carries a ritualistic implication and is usually played at the start before dance performance begins. Bugaku purifies the stage. Painted with ink and pigments. Si...

A fine and rare 19th century Japanese cloisonne bi-fold table screen in the Kyoto school of Namikawa, depicting a ho bird and dragon. The finely coiled wiring is gilded, as are the back panels of the screen. Each cloisonne panel is wood framed, joined with hinges of silver. Fully opened, the screen measures 8" high and 9" wide.

Condition: Quite fine, with only wear commensurate with age.

This is an extremely rare spear point crafted from pottery and dating at least to the Han period of ancient China (circa 200 BC). It could be older than that but I am having difficulty locating references on these items. Stylistically the piece is likely from one of the minority cultures in Southeast Asian and the only other ones I have seen were attributed to the Dong Son. An interesting attribute of these pottery points is that when suspended from a string they make a very melodic tone when st...

Please feel free to enjoy this Chinese wood carving of a seated Guanyin, early Qing dynasty. The Guanyin is seated in rajalitasana, royal ease, on a pierced rockwork base with one leg lowered and the other with knee raised supporting the right arm, the face carved with a poised and calm expression, wearing a tiara and loose robes falling over the shoulders and open at the chest to reveal an elaborate beaded necklace.

There are no repairs visible, but pieces of laquer had been chipped...

An excellent Palace jar from the Kangxi period. A top quality design and in an ovoid shape with ribbed middle sections. Three lines in brown making the jar very sophisticated. The scenery showing two windows with a four clewed dragon and two windows with a carps. An excellent rare jar in a quality that even very few museums can show from their collections. The jar has been in the Wayland Wieslander Collection. Condition: The rim has a polished area (probably a restored ship). And the bottom has ...