Title: Tokumochi
Artist's signature not read. The second kanji in the signature is read "haru" or "shun."
Print size: Approximately 5.125 x 3.375 inches.
Date: ca. 1930s.
Publisher: Takemura Hideo.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print tipped along its top edge onto a 6.625 x 4.75-inch greeting card containing a signed message.
Condition: Print excellent. Card is discolored.

Ohara Koson (?)
Three Birds (Gallinules) (Matsumoto catalog name)
Size: Approximately 14.4 x 9.0 cm. 5.75 x 3.625 inches.
Date: ca. 1910.
Sealed "Yamagishi," which may be the carver Kazue Yamagishi (1891-1984).
Publisher: Matsumoto (no. 420)
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent.
An early and rarely seen design. Not found in Crows, Cranes and Camellias: The Natural World of Ohara Koson (Reigle Newland) but similar to the artist's gallinule...

Arai Yoshimune
Suma Beach
Date 1910s. Printed 1938-1960.
Size: Chuban. 10.75 x 8.0 inches.
Sealed by the artist at lower left.
Publisher: Hasegawa/Nishinomiya Yosaku. From the famous "Night Scenes" series. Hasegawa catalogue No. 1252.
Nishinomiya publisher's seal at left margin.
"Made in Japan" stamped on verso.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent.
Note: The figures on the beach are gathering salt.

When the founder of the Urasenke style of tea ceremony, Sen-So Soshitsu (1622 -1697) was invited to Kanazawa as the master of tea ceremony for the powerful Kaga lords in 1666, the first Chōzaemon came with him and established Ōhi-yaki in Kanazawa. Chōzaemon had been the chief apprentice to the Raku family in Kyoto and took with him many of the principles and ideas associated with Raku-ware. Since those auspicious beginnings, Ōhi-ware has held a high place in the world of tea cere...

An excellent offering from Higaki Ryota of Katsura Kiln, this piece displays a classic and iconic shape coupled with a beautiful Kase-guro glaze said to be used over 400 years ago by Chojiro. The color of this tea bowl changes quite dramatically, taking on the characteristics of its environment; light and cheerful in direct and bright lighting, more austere, deep, and reflective in standard tea room lighting. Perfect for those venturing into the world of Raku tea-ware or for those lo...

Birds Eye View of Kiyomizu Temple in Snow
Artist: Not known. After a similar Hasui design.
Print size: Approximately 5.625 x 3.5 inches.
Date: 1950s-60s
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo.
Print is attached along its top edge only to original blank card.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent.

Japanese silver box, ca 1890. Rectangular with straight sides and hinged cover. On cover top and box sides are chased and engraved iris flowers and tendrils in eddying water. Stippled ground. Box and cover interior lined with stained wood. Open bottom. Meiji-era Art Nouveau for the cosmopolitan West. Appears to be unmarked. Very good condition with deep patina.

Dimensions: H 3 x W 6 3/4 x D 3 5/8 in. Gross weight: 15 troy ounces. #BX248

In the tranquil pond, a solitary turtle finds repose upon a weathered rock. With its ancient shell glistening under the gentle sunlight, it sits in serene contemplation. The stillness of the water mirrors the turtle's quiet presence, as it basks in the harmony of its surroundings. In this harmonious scene, time seems to slow, and the turtle becomes a symbol of patience and tranquility amidst the ever-changing world.

Deep in the water A serene heart resides Floating above it...

Fujiwara Fuseki
A Scenic Spot in Atami, Mt. Izu Coast
Not dated. ca mid-century.
Publisher: Nisshinbo
Size: The artwork measures 5.75 x 3.75 inches and is attached along its top edge only to a 7.5 x 5.75 inch paper frame.
Sealed by the artist.
Medium: While this piece has the look of a watercolor, the cover states "hand-printed woodblock print".
Condition: Artwork is excellent. Paper folder is toned.
Note: The print features mica highlights.

Helen Hyde
Day Dreams
Date: 1901
Size: 12.125 inches in circumference.
Signed in pencil by the artist.
Edition of 200.
Reference: Mason catalog #37.
Condition: Trimmed margins and laid to board. Some fading.
Note: If desired, we will ship the scuffed circular frame in which the print was found.

Father to internationally known Hagi potter Kaneta Masanao (the 8th generation Sanzaemon potter), though he never achieved the same level of notoriety as his son, his pieces have a grace and elegance all their own as demonstrated here with this charming tea bowl. With its milky crackled glaze and split foot (wari-kodai) showing the rich clay this piece was fashioned from, it possesses strong character and has a calming presence, bringing a sense of stability. Perfect for those deepen...

A truly unique work of Shino pottery developed among the company of some of Japan’s most respected and influential potters of the last century. Defying conventions of form and genre, this exceptional mizusashi looks like it could have emerged from the ground fully formed, the result of geological processes lasting millennia. The creator of this fine work is none other than Tsuboshima Dohei, a true master of the ceramic arts.

Born in 1929, at the age of 17 Tsuboshima took an appre...

Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)
Snow at Nezu Gongen Shrine
Date: 1933.
Size: Oban. Approximately 15.5 x 10.5 inches.
Signed and sealed by the artist.
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo. Watanabe 6 mm seal at lower left, indicating a lifetime edition produced between 1946 and 1957.
Reference: Hotei #345.
Condition: Slight toning as seen in margin. Tape residue at top back margin.

Arai Yoshimune
Five-Storied Pagoda
Date: ca. 1910.
Size: Approximately 17.2 cm 12.6 cm. 6.75 x 5.0 inches.
Artist's seal at lower left.
Publisher: Matsumoto (No. 429).
Condition: Light wave in paper where the original publisher's tag is applied to the back. Some toning of paper.
An early and rarely seen design.

The Months of Japanese Ladies for 1904 (26 pp. inc. covers)
Date: 1902. This edition February 7, 1903.
Published by T Hasegawa Tokyo (38 Yotsuya Hommura) and Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Co., London.
26 pages including covers.
Size: 7.0 x 5.0 inches.
Artist: Arai Yoshimune
These charming, profusely illustrated books consist entirely of woodblock prints on creped paper bound with ties and glue. Hasegawa employed some of the best woodblock print artists of the ...

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...

Kawase Hasui
Spring Rain at Gokokuji
Size: Oban. Approximately 16 x 10.75 inches.
Date: 1932.
This edition 1948-50.
Publisher: Doi Hangaten. Carver: Katsumura (same carver as first edition). Printer: Ito.
Doi publisher's watermark at upper left corner margin.
Artist's signature and seal at upper right.
Condition: A surface dot on the base of the lantern. A few light margin creases. Back top corners have two small bits of paper residue.
- A wonderful e...

First presented at the Ishikawa Traditional Crafts Exhibition, this fine mizusashi crafted with extraordinary precision is a testament to the generational knowledge, skill, and dedication of one of Japan’s top traditional craftsman. Its tapered polished sides have a beautiful texture and luster that compliment perfectly with the hand-crafted custom lid adorning the top. Truly an exceptional artwork fused with the aesthetics of tea culture that gives it a sense of stability, calm, a...