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...

An often overlooked implement in tea ceremony, here we have the humble kogo (incense box) with an image of a sleek and flowing dragon. Commonly thought to represent strength, freedom, good luck, and magic, dragons are a popular theme in the artwork across Eastern cultures. Interesting to note, the dragon here is portrayed in the Korean style with four claws, with dragons in China typically having five claws and dragons in Japan typically having three. Fashioned by one of the few great female Jap...

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...

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...

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’...

Crafted from locally sourced Bizen clay, this mid-Edo period vase embodies simplicity, beauty, and understated elegance. Its unassuming form showcases the natural beauty of the clay, enhanced by a delicate ash glaze. The texture and shape evoke a sense of rustic charm, reflecting the profound harmony between human creativity and the organic world. Now several centuries old, this piece continues to serves not only as a functional display piece, but also as a symbol of the enduring leg...

During Japan's Momoyama period, spanning from the late 16th to the early 17th century, Bizen pottery flourished, producing exquisite pieces such as this symmetrical and elegant flower vase. Crafted from locally sourced Bizen clay, this vase embodies simplicity and understated elegance. Its unassuming form showcases the natural beauty of the clay, enhanced by a delicate ash glaze. The texture and shape evoke a sense of rustic charm, reflecting the profound harmony between human creati...

From a well-known series entitled “Chōtō” (Listening to the Waves) this large contoured vase features a sandy glaze that the sculptor claims is an expression of the features of the landscape where he grew up. The Chōtō series that launched his career proved to be wildly popular and today a number of pieces are held by museums around the world including: Brooklyn Museum; Hyôgo Museum of Ceramics; Metropolitan Museum of Art; Minneapolis Institute of Art; Musée National de Céramique, Sè...

Victorian Classical sterling silver baby cup. Made by Gorham in Providence in 1888. Straight sides and lobed bracket handle with reeded bands. Stylized ornament: Scrolled frame surrounded by scrolls, leaves, flowers, and a couple hovering insects. Butler finish. Mouth rim has egg-and-dart border. At bottom cast low-relief rinceaux band between reeded borders. Gilt-washed interior. Interlaced script monogram. Full marked including maker’s stamp, date symbol, and no. 3875. Very good condition.

Saint Dunstan sterling silver water pitcher. Made by Tiffany & Co. in New York, ca 1910. Globular with high-looping and capped handle, helmet mouth, and reeded foot ring. Girdle with pendant fleurs de lys applied to shoulder. Fully marked including maker’s stamp, pattern no. 14116E, director’s letter m, and volume (4 3/4 pts). Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 8 1/2 x W 8 1/2 x D 6 in. Weight: 28 troy ounces. #BZ354

American Midcentury Modern sterling silver picture frame. Retailed by Cartier in New York. Square window in wide, flat, and plain surround. With glass, silk lining, and wood laminate back and hinged easel support. Fully marked including retailer’s stamp, no. 77/17, and phrase “Hand Made”. Very good condition.

Dimensions: Frame: H 6 1/2 x W 6 1/2 in. Window: H 4 1/2 x W 4 1/2 in. #BZ639

Gorgeous museum-quality Japonesque sterling silver trophy bowl. Made by Gorham in Providence in 1884. Large and round with allover ornament in relief. Horned serpents swim slack-jawed through the water. Talons and heads “puncture” the surface to form side handles. Astride one sits an artist, brush in hand recording the thrashing undulations and roiling waves. At mouth rim are applied strewn shells. Foot in form of entwined snakes.

Modish exoticism a world away from the fresh air and fair p...

George V sterling silver picture frame. Made by Cohen & Charles in Birmingham in 1928. Flat rectilinear surround with lobed top. On front engine-turning between plain borders; sides plain. With glass, silk lining, and stained-wood back and hinged-easel support. Fully marked. Very good condition.

Dimensions: Frame: H 9 1/4 x W 7 1/4 in. Window: H 8 3/4 x W 6 1/2 in. #BZ720

Pair of Edwardian Georgian sterling silver candlesticks. Made by Munsey & Co. in Cambridge in 1903. Each: Banded spool socket with detachable concave square bobeche; flanged and knopped shaft on raised and stepped concave square foot with scrolling leaf corners. Fully marked including London assay stamp. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 10 x W 4 3/8 x D 4 3/8 in. Weighted. #BZ215

Midcentury Modern sterling silver bowl. Made by Tiffany & Co. in New York. Curved sides and splayed foot ring. Cover top gently curved and mounted with cast strawberry and leaf finial. Fully marked including maker’s stamp, postwar pattern no. 23923, and director’s letter L (1956-ca 1965). Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 4 1/2 x D 4 7/8 in. Weight: 14.5 troy ounces. #BZ359

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 ...

German Rococo 800 silver snuffbox, ca 1910. Oval with hinged cover; on top is chased scene depicting a large bird confronting two cherubs with soft chubby bodies and ethereal wings. Probably an allusion to some or other episode in Classical mythology, but can be enjoyed without esoteric literary knowledge. Hanau maker’s mark (Wolf & Knell). Very good condition with deep patina.

Dimensions: H 7/8 x W 2 3/8 x D 2 in. Weight: 2 troy ounces. #BZ256

Victorian Classical sterling silver tray. Made by Tiffany & Co. in New York. Solid oval well with curved sides. Shoulder wide with chased flowers, scrolls, and open diaper in scrolled cartouches. Rim has applied leafing scrolls, flowerheads, and scallop shells. Fully marked including maker’s stamp, pattern no. 11239 (first produced in 1892), and director’s letter T (1892-1902). Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 1 1/4 x W 12 1/2 x D 10 1/8 in. Heavy weight: 20.5 troy ounces. #BZ617