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...

Gorgeous natural Baroque pearl pendant. Irregular and ovoid with wraparound gold-tipped sterling silver snake encrusted with rose-cut diamonds and gold-mounted diamond head. Gold bail. Gold is 18k. Italy, ca 1970s. Marked. Excellent condition.

Approximate dimensions: H 1 3/4 x W 3/4 in. #1114

Pair of dramatic sterling silver seafood serving bowls. Made by Buccellati in Italy. Each: Two joined scallop-shells bowls on scallop-shell supports. A traditional form enlivened by the figure of an octopus squatting in the center, its curled and tangled legs draped over the bowls. A graphic contrast between the scales and suckers of the octopus and the controlled and stylized ornament on the shells. Very original. Beautiful craftsmanship.

Fully marked including “Buccellati” stamp and post...

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...

A very versatile and innovative artist, Sakata Jinnai produces pieces such as the vase seen here in his easily recognizable trademark style. Many of his pieces are earthy and primal in compositions, often inlaid with gold or partially painted in “makie” using various lacquers for dramatic effect. Waves and contours also feature prominently in his work; inspired, he says, by cosmic energies and architectures of the universe. Sakata very actively exhibits his pieces and looks for interesting c...

Takahashi Shotei (1871-1945)
Nihonmatsu
Date: pre-1923.
Size: Mitsugiri-ban. Approximately 14.875 x 6.5 inches.
Shotei's Kakei seal at lower right.
Number 352 in japanese on the verso.
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo.
Reference: M-144 in Shotei catalog.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Note: Blocks destroyed in 1923 earthquake.
Condition: Two lighter areas in upper sky from previous mounting.

Pair of Edwardian sterling silver candlesticks. Made by Gorham in Providence in 1905. Each: Ovoid, tapering, and fluted shaft with interlaced script monogram; stepped oval foot. Urn socket with detachable bobeche. Fully marked including date symbol and no. A705. Very good condition with a few minor pings to foot rims.

Dimensions: H 10 1/2 x W 5 3/8 x D 4 1/4 in. Weighted. #BP969

American Colonial sterling silver bowl. Made by Tiffany in New York, ca 1920. Bowl has curved sides and straight circular foot. Spare historic design that works equally well in Modern interiors. Fully marked including maker’s stamp, pattern no. 19750 (first produced in 1920), and director’s letter m as well as phrase: “Reproduction / Original by / Joseph Conyers / Boston / about 1700”. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 4 x D 9 in. Weight: 24 troy ounces. #BV648

Midcentury Modern sterling silver footed plate. Retailed by Cartier in New York. Round and gently curved with short and flared foot. Fully marked including maker’s (Worden-Munnis) and retailer’s stamps, and no. 32. Worden Munnis was active in Boston from the 1940s to 1960s. Very good condition. Well center reveals minor impression from base.

Dimensions: H 1 3/8 x D 10 in. Weight: 12.5 troy ounces. #BV472

Large Classical sterling silver covered urn. Made by Currier & Roby in New York, ca 1920. Girdled bowl with leaf-capped s-scroll side handles, stepped foot and stepped and domed cover with vasiform finial. Traditional form with extra oomph. Beautiful proportions and plenty of room for engraving. Fully marked. Excellent condition.

Dimensions: H 13 1/4 x W 12 x D 7 1/2 in. Heavy weight: 71.5 troy ounces. #BV545

Ito Shinsui (aka. Shikuntei)(1898-1972)
Preparing Tea
Date: 1950s.
Size: Chuban. Approximately 9.75 x 7.375 inches (25 x 19 cm).
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo. Publisher's seal on verso
Signed Shikuntei Shinsuiga. Sealed Shinsui.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent color. Slight creasing and toning.

Koizumi Kishio
Lingering Snow at Five-storied Pagoda
No. 7 from the series, Views of Nikko National Park
Date: 1936.
Size: Chuban. Approximately 10 x 7.75 inches (25.6 x 19.6 cm).
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Possibly faintly signed at lower right.
Condition: Excellent.

Ide Gakusui
Chrysanthemums
Size: Approximately 5.5 x 3.5 inches.
Date: 1950s-60s.
Gakusui signature and seal lower right.
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo
Woodblock print is tipped along the top edge to original 7 x 4.5-inch blank card.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent.

Currently in its 5th generation, the Miura Chikusen line of potters has continued to produce high-quality Kiyomizu-yaki and Kyo-yaki porcelains used in sencha for well over 150 years. The piece seen here is by the third generation potter and has the rare distinction of being endorsed by Sokuchusai, a former Head Tea Master of Omotesenke in Kyoto. Simple and elegant, a section of bamboo stands out in contrast to the white crackled porcelain glaze. If you are looking for a representative work by o...

Edwardian Regency sterling silver box. Made by Gorham in Providence in 1917. Square with straight sides. Cover hinged with gently curved top and scrolled top. Allover engine-turned wave ornament on box sides and cover top, which also has engraved garland and wreath (vacant) with pendant flowers; cover sides plain with pointille borders. Interior velvet lines. Perfect for jewelry and keepsakes. Fully marked including maker’s stamp, date symbol, no. 7113, and letter R. Excellent condition.

Ove...

Shoda Koho
A boy playing a flute while riding an ox
Date: 1930s.
Size: Tanzaku 13.25 x 3.125 inches.
Publisher: Hasegawa/Nishinomiya Yosaku (stamp on verso)
Artist's seal at lower right.
Reference: No. 1570
"Made in Japan" stamped on verso.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent.

Set of 13 American Modern sterling silver place card holders, ca 1950. This set comprises 12 place card holders and 1 menu holder. Each: Cast figure of recumbent whippet with gracile limbs and imperious pointy head mounted to oval base with applied gadrooned rim. The place card holders have a ring clip and the menu holder has a heart clip. Mondaine novelties guaranteed to raise the tone of one’s dinner parties. Marked “UV [in circle] Sterling”. Excellent condition.

Dimensions: Place card...

Georgian-style sterling silver coffeepot. Retailed by Cartier in New York. Lobed baluster body, hinged and domed cover with vasiform finial, high looping stained-wood handle, s-scroll spout, and raised and round foot. Fully marked including no. 80, pattern name Dublin, retailer’s stamp, and maker’s stamp for Worden-Munnis who were active in Boston from the 1940s to 1960s. Excellent condition.

Dimensions: H 9 1/2 x W 7 x D 4 in. Gross weight: 17.5 troy ounces. #BV446

Kawase Hasui
Postal Life Insurance Office
Date: ca. 1930s/1940s.
Size: 5.5 x 3.5 inches.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Hasui seal at lower right.
Rare genuine woodblock-printed postcard.
Condition: Front is excellent. Verso has residue at top corners.

First born son to Living National Treasure Isezaki Jun, Koichiro (b. 1974) has quickly made a name for himself as an independent artist. Not content to rely solely on family reputation, he has set off on his own path, making innovations in clay and also in the ideas and principles surrounding his craft.

With its well-proportioned ridged design, natural ash glaze, and coarse grade of Bizen clay still containing visible stones; the vessel seen here would be a good choice for someone ...

Pair of turn-of-the-century German 800 silver bobble-head boxes. A two-man percussion band comprising baby-faced drummer and wizened cymbalist. Rotund bodies squeezed into olden-days doublet and hose with neck-ruff covers. Feather-capped heads bob, bob, bob along to the music. Perfect timing not guaranteed. Marked. Excellent condition.

Approximate dimensions: H 7 1/2 x W 3 1/4 x D 4 1/4 in. Total weight: 25.5 troy ounces. #BV204

Turn-of-the-century Chinese silver mustard pot. Round and bellied bowl with plain concave neck, thin scroll handle, and spread foot. Modish floral ornament in form of chased and applied water lilies and pads heightened with engraving on stippled ground. Chinese marks. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 2 3/8 x W 3 1/4 x D 2 3/8 in. Weight: 2 troy ounces. #BV330

Richly colored plique a jour beaker, ca 1910. Straight and gently tapering sides. Ornament includes stylized flower heads in rondels and beaded and guilloche borders. Colors red and blue. Silver gilt wire frames and cabled rim. Unmarked. Excellent condition.

Dimensions: H 2 x D 1 3/4 in. #BV278

Aesthetic mixed inkwell. Made by Tiffany & Co. in New York. Bell-form copper body with reeded silver foot rim. Applied silver ornament including flower-inset guilloche band and tendril border at neck. Cover hinged and domed with silver ball finial. With clear glass liner. A later version (1892-1902) of a pattern (no. 6231) that was first produced in 1880. Fully marked: “Tiffany & Co / Makers 6231 / Sterling Silver / 925-1000 / T / And / Other Metals”. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 4 ...

Chinese-style bowl, ca 1920. Mottled green hardstone urn on silver gilt fretwork base with 4 splayed supports. A pretty ornament that works as an ashtray with silver gilt leaf cradle mounted to rim. Marked “Edward I Farmer / Sterling”. Very good with nice toning. Rim has a few fleabite irregularities.

Overall dimensions: H 3 1/8 x W 2 7/8 x D 2 in. #BV277

American applied sterling silver perfume vial, ca 1880. Clear glass cylinder with twisted fluting. Sterling silver collar and hinged cover with tendril, flower, and insect on hand-hammered ground; gilt interior. Unmarked. Very good condition with deep patina.

Dimensions: H 2 3/4 x D 1/2 in. #BN380

Bertha Boynton Lum (1869-1954)
Kites
Date: 1912
Size: 14.375 x 8 inches.
Pencil signed and copyrighted 1913 by the artist.
Edition: "197" noted at lower right.
Reference: Gravalos/Pulin No. 29.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Wrinkle in lower margin. Paper at a back margin.
"..the wind fills them up till they look like fish" - Bertha Lum: American Printmakers, (Smithsonian)

Dramatic sterling silver seafood serving bowl. Made by Buccellati in Italy. Two joined scallop-shells bowls on scallop-shell supports. A traditional form enlivened by the figure of an octopus squatting in the center, its curled and tangled legs draped over the bowls. A graphic contrast between the scales and suckers of the octopus and the controlled and stylized ornament on the shells. Very original. Beautiful craftsmanship. Fully marked including “Buccellati” stamp and post-1967 Italian mar...

Kiyoshi Saito
Daitoku-Ji Kyoto (C) 1959
Edition: 99/100
Size: 23.5 by 18 inches. Matte size: 26.125 x 21.75 inches.
Date: 1959.
Self-carved and printed by the artist. (See tag).
Signed and sealed in the image.
Titled, numbered, and dated in pencil.
Condition: Margins heavily foxed. Front image area has minimal foxing. Two bits of tape residue at top back margin.
The temple dates to 1326. This print features a brilliant band of dark plum purple behin...

A student of Itaya Hazan, one of the most sought after potters in the world of Japanese art, the ceramicist who crafted this fine vase displays here a high degree of mastery, both in form and glazing technique. For the collector who has always wanted a Hazan but has never been lucky enough to chance upon one, this may be a worthy acquisition. Although much of Inoue’s work is quite different in style to that of Hazan’s, you can find a number of pieces where the influence is unmistakeable—th...

Market-fresh Japonesque mixed metal and sterling silver water pitcher. Made by Tiffany & Co. in New York, ca 1879. Gently curved bowl and inset undulating rim with wide lip spout and integral scroll handle with tendril mounts that wraparound mouth rim. Handle has lily pad “cap” with crouching figure of frog. Applied leaves with copper-inlaid veins with one overlapping bold and scrolling interlaced acid-etched monogram on neck. A solitary beetle meanders along near the bottom. Dense allover s...

Set of 6 turn-of-the-century Art Nouveau sterling silver demitasse spoons. Made by R. Wallace & Sons. Mfg Co. (later Wallace Silversmiths) in Wallingford, Connecticut. Each: Handle has dense and dynamic ornament including scrolls, tendrils, and beading with fan terminal. Back plain. Oval bowl with double-sided gilding. Fully marked. Excellent condition with deep patina.

Height: 4 1/4 in. Total weight: 2 troy ounces. #BV256

Kawase Hasui
Mount Fuji, Narusawa
Date: 1936.
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo. Black 6mm Watanabe seal in lower left corner, indicating a lifetime edition printed between 1946-1957. We've marked in red the location of the lightly applied black seal.
Size: Oban. Approximately 15.5 x 10.5 inches.
Reference: Hotei #395.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Pristine. Removed from original folder. Two original drying pinholes at top margin.

First born son to Living National Treasure Isezaki Jun, Koichiro (b. 1974) has quickly made a name for himself as an independent artist. Not content to rely solely on family reputation, he has set off on his own path, making innovations in clay and also in the ideas and principles surrounding his craft. With its well-proportioned ridged design, natural ash glaze, and coarse grade of Bizen clay still containing visible stones; the vessel seen here would be a good choice for someone looking for a ...

Over the years we have taken a special interest in Raku-ware and especially in works produced by the Tamamizu kiln, such as the 300+ year old ceremonial tea bowl seen here. The first in this line of potters was Yahē (1662 - 1722), an illegitimate son of Kichizaemon Ichinyu (1615 - 1768) who studied under his father and then left to open his own kiln in the village of Tamamizu (known today as Ide-cho). Though he is the first potter of this branch, he is sometimes referred to as Tamam...

Edwardian Classical sterling silver bowl. Made by Gorham in Providence, ca 1910. Round with lobed and concave sides. Wavy shoulder with applied leaves and flowers, and scrolled rim. Well center engraved with interlaced script monogram. Fully marked including maker’s stamp and no. A3038. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 2 3/4 x D 12 1/4 in. Weight: 16 troy ounces. #BH744