Austrian Rococo silver candle snuffer, 1827. Hinged with flower-head mount and flat vertical blade that fits into rectangular box with curved and lobed top. Ring handles on s-scroll mounts. Three baluster supports. Marks include year and alloy, which is 13 loths (that is 812 silver). Very good condition. Dimensions: H 6 1/2 x W 2 1/4 x D 1 5/8 in.
With: Austrian Rococo silver stand, 1847. Waisted rectangle with dynamic scrollwork surrounding plain and lobed well. Marks include year and initial...
English Georgian sterling silver hot water kettle, 18th century. Globular with s-scroll spout and rattan-wrapped swing handle with scroll supports and mounts. Hinged and flush cover with stained-wood finial. Chased scrollwork, diaper, and scallop shells. Marked. Short and straight foot. Very good condition. Dimensions: H (with handle) 9 1/2 x W 9 x D 6 1/4 in.
With: Sterling silver stand. Cast open floral apron and 3 scroll and scallop shell supports with stretchers supporting heating element,...
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...
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
French 950 silver inkwell on stand, ca 1910. Straight sides with vertically applied strapwork bands; curved bottom and raised foot. Cover hinged and domed with flower-head finial. Gadrooned rims. Interior has engraved curvilinear border and clear-glass liner. Mounted to oval curvilinear stand with ornamental border. Fully marked including maker’s stamp CG. Very good condition.
Overall dimensions: H 5 x W 9 3/8 x D 5 7/8 in. Weight (without glass): 15.5 troy ounces. #BT381
The poem etched on the side of this exceptional piece reads: "As a pastime ― bringing clumsy, fragile things to sell ― at Uruma Market ― how lonely!" A very significant poem as it conveys a bit of irony; for the Edo period nun who inscribed this poem would go on to create a legacy of art, beauty, and philosophy that endures even today. The poem also suggests that this is one of her earlier works that would have been produced before she became renowned throughout Japan for her...
European silver and enamel compact, ca 1920. Rectangular and hinged. On cover sits a pretty kitty with pink nose, dangling forepaws, and soft thick fur. A portrait of feline docility but beware the intense stare emanating from green dilated eyes. This one looks ready to launch. Interior has 3 compartments for touching up the makeup if things get out of hand. Engraved monogram. Wrist chain. No visible marks. Very good condition with intact and nuanced color.
Dimensions (without chain): H 2 3/8 ...
Edwardian Classical sterling silver gravy boat on stand. Made by Dominick & Haff in New York in 1907. Boat has helmet mouth, leaf-capped high-looping handle, and 3 leaf-mounted scroll supports. Stand has oval well. Turned-down and irregular scrolled rims with chased leafing scrolls and applied scallop shells. Engraved interlaced script monograms. Fully marked including dated maker’s stamp, retailer’s (Bigelow, Kennard) stamp, and no. 2340. Very good condition.
Dimensions: Boat: H 5 1/2 x W...
American Modern sterling silver and glass inkwell on stand, ca 1920. Lobed melon-form glass bowl; sterling silver cover domed with overlapping ovoid ring finial. Stand has well and large lobing. Cover interior numbered 38. Stand and cover marked “Sterling”. Very good condition.
Overall dimensions: H 3 3/4 x D 4 3/4 in. Total weight (silver only): 2.3 troy ounces. #BY033
Austrian Classical 800 silver and glass vanity jar on stand, ca 1910. Jar clear glass with fluting. Cover silver; gently raised with beaded border. Stand oval with tapering sides and beaded rim. Marks include Schwarz & Steiner stamp and letters RS. Very good condition.
Overall dimensions: H 2 1/2 x W 5 7/8 x D 4 3/8 in. Weight (silver only): 7 troy ounces. #BU140
1960's Chinese green and white jadeite carving of lotus and bamboo on a custom wood stand. A frog is perched on one of the lotus leaves and a bamboo stalk in the background serves to hold calligraphy brushes or fresh flowers. In excellent condition, it measures 7.25" high, on stand 8.75" high, 5.5 across, and about 3.5" deep.
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, ...
Sometime around the year 1600 the first Takatori kiln was constructed at the foot of Mt Takatori in Fukuoka. This tradition was based on styles created by Korean potters brought to the shores of Japan during its colonial expansionism of the late 16th century. A favorite of the Kuroda lords of the time, its production and use was closely guarded until later in the 19th century when the domain system was abolished, freeing it up to be more widely used. Though Takatori-ware has been admired by many...
Born the second son of Ryônyû, the 10th Raku Kichizaemon Tannyû took over the family kiln in 1811 at the age of 16 and served until his retirement and subsequent handing on of the title of Kichizaemon to his son-in-law Keinyû some 34 years later. Retaining many of the unique stylistic innovations of his father including his clay trimming technique, Tannyû went on to establish several new family kilns and to produce wares for both 10th and 11th Tokugawa Lords. The piece seen here is a classi...
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...
Appearing to be from a 2006 excavation site in Tokyo known to be a former residence of the Owari Tokugawa clan—the most senior contingent of the Tokugawa clan that united Japan under one rule—this lovely Mishima tea bowl is one of just two I have seen appear on the Japanese art market over the years. The previous bowl also listed on our site had a large portion reconstructed with a gold repair. This piece meanwhile is entirely intact and even has its original box. Details about t...
Oribe is a visual style named after the late-16th-century tea master Furuta Oribe (1544-1615). Typically, black or green glazes are applied to the bodies of these works and light-colored windows are created using feldspar. These high-contrast areas then act as a canvas upon which abstract, minimalistic, and often naturalistic themes are painted.
As can be seen here, this piece is of the green variety and looks to be from the mid-to-early Edo period as can be determined ...
At various times over the long history of tea practice in Japan, Korean-ware has come into high fashion and ships full of the finest ceramics from the neighboring country were brought to its shores. Such pieces have long been favored by learned cha-jin (tea people); and, older pieces such as this are quite prized today as relatively few from this era have survived in good condition. While it is possible this piece is of Japanese origin, its apparent age would make it more likely to h...