A fine and very rare bat-shaped porcelain censer with what are apparently bat head feet. We believe that there would originally have been a wood cover secured into the two outer holes and that the incense smoke would have escaped through the three central holes.

This item was made in China for the domestic market as a temple or home alter piece in the early 18th Century, probably during the reign of the Kangxi emperor (1662-1722).

Condition - excellent - no damages and no restoration.

8...

Offered is a fabulous pair of antique Apothecary Show Globes which includes one fancy Victorian style hanger. Photos provide close-up views of these intricately detailed, high-end show globes, and the 1891 photo from the WHITALL TATUM COMPANY catalog, establishes the age of these beauties.

The overall condition of the globes is very good with the imperfections and wear expected given their 130+ years of age. The decorative frames are sturdy and the globes hold water with ease. At some point ...

A rare and very attractive Chinese seated Cloisonne Elephant which can be secretly used as a jar (perfect safe/hiding place for valuables!) 19th Century, very striking designs and unusual colors. Excellent workmanship. Condition: overall good. The head and ears are removable and the elephant can be ingeniously used as a jar with a lid, which is extremely rare, please see photographs (the lid can be put on the jar rim prior to mounting the head and ears to conceal the lid completely from view!)Si...

A large and very expressive, ceramic figure of sitting shishi, lion-dog, with turned head. It is covered in a creamy, white crackled glaze. The open, staring eyes made of inserted glass are rendered with gold. Unsigned. Japan, late Edo, before 1850. H. 35 cm, L. 25 cm, W. 16 cm. Condition: good, but for a few chips, fire cracks and minor area of repair on underside.

9 METER-LONG GHOST SHUNGA SCROLL

Rare find of very long shunga (pornographic painting) scroll without any texts on paper, approx. 29 x 900cm (11.41 x 354.33in), early 20th century, Japan. Some expected creases and worm holes as is. The story is that an woman who married with a high-ranking Buddhist priest had shortly treated as an object for the sexual pleasure of many priests then died and became a vagina ghost and revenge on those priests.


se...

The size of Screen: 277cm Wide x 138 cm High (109 " x 54 3/8")
The both side Left/Right Panel size: 47.2 cm x 138 cm (18 1/2" x 54 3/8")
4 panels in between size: 45.5 cm x 138 cm (17 7/8" x 54 3/8")
Each Fan design size: 55 cm (21 5/8") wide.

This is wonderful 6 panels Japanese Byobu screen from 1750's middle 18th Century with 21 Ougi (fans) design with gold leaf background. This type of painting properly called, "Senmenga" with fan design Byobu called "Senmen Byobu". Th...

The size of Noren : 27 1/2" Wide x 44 1/4" Long
The size of Straw Woven Mats: 19" L x 12" W
The size of Wooden Lantern, Tsuji Andon: 7" H x 3 1/4" Sq Btm
This is a group of Japanese Timekeepers items auctioned by Bonhams Auction house in London
The John Read Collection of Fine Antique Japanese Timekeepers, 11 May 2010.
You can see auction page at the following site.
https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/17764/lot/13/?category=list&length=12&page=2
Lot No.13 as auctio...

Beautiful Japanese Daki Ningyo standing at the unusual height of 26 inches (66 cm), making him a very rare and striking figure of the merchant class. He is wearing an Inro with a pair of Kokishiki dolls inside. It is most uncommon to see this type of Ningyô outside of Japan, for they are highly prized by the Japanese. A widely held theory has it that these dolls were commissioned by patrons of Geisha as presentation gifts. This one is outstanding in every way. It has a wonderfully expressi...

A rare original printing with dust cover of the art book ANGELICA KAUFFMANN, R.A. HER LIFE AND HER WORKS by Lady Victoria Manners and Dr. G.C. Williamson, published by John Lane The Bodley Head Limited London. This 11-1/4 x 9-1/2" book has 272 pages and it was issued in 1924 in a limited edition of only 1000 copies. It has numerous print plates in colour and black and white and it retains the original Kraft style paper outer wrap/dust jacket with a printed spine. Condition: DUST JACKET - spl...

A very rare well-potted and painted 8.25" Ko-Imari model of a standing boy reaching into an urn. The boy's face is painted with black hair and features a gilt head band. Both his robe and the urn are painted in blue, orange and iron red.

Condition: Excellent, with no chips, hairlines or repairs.

Rare pair of foxes that guard a Inari shrine. One holding a jewel in the mouth, the other a key. Each squatting on a little pedestal. Earthenware with mineral color pigments red, blue, white and black. Japan, Edo period, 19th century.

H 19-1/2 x W 6-1/2 x D 9 inches.

One tail restored, key broken and partially replaced for the sake of symmetry, few chips. All in all excellent condition.

Wooden mask imaging the old hag Datsueba with an emaciated face, high cheekbones, long eyebrows and a sagging mouth in which teeth are missing. Beautiful caricature, very rare subject matter.
The old woman is most likely Datsueba, the old hag that sits at the the Sanzu River, the entrance to Buddhist Hell.
The mask has light traces of usage on the inside and was probably used in a country side theater situation.
Japan, probably Meiji era, 1900-1910s.

H 9 ½ x W 7 ¼ inches....

A wild boar kōgo by famous Kyoto potter Imai Masayuki 今井政之 (b. 1930). Decoration is a stylized version of the ancient Chinese character for wild boar. Masayuki used his famous inlaid colored clay technique in producing this piece. Imai Masayuki and the late Miyashita Zenji are considered the two masters of the colored clay technique in Japan. Title: Inlaid Zodiac Wild Boar Incense Container (Zōgan kanshi i kōgo 象嵌干支亥香盒) Colored and inlaid stoneware, 3.8 cm high and...

Fine Chinese Tang Dynasty Painted Pottery Foreigner with Oxford TL Test

This fine and rare pottery model of a foreigner was made during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). It is made from a red pottery that has been cold-painted in a thick white pigment with the facial details picked out in red and black pigments. This elegant figure, a groom, stands with his shoulders raised, head raised and turned to his right, one hand outstretched. Note the detail of the clothing, the headgear and especiall...

A Fine And Rare Khmer bronze figure of Hevajra, Angkor Baphuon Period 11th Century. Standing in Paryankasana with his sixteen arms radiating around his body and formely the hands holding separate casted attributes. Wearing vertical striated sampot secured by a belt and with long fish tail shaped flange falling between his legs. The reverse with butterfly shaped element, bejewelled, his head with nine faces with incised ridged eyebrows set above incised almond shaped eyes, broad noses, pouti...

A very rare pair of Antique European late 19th century cold painted spelter sculptures on elaborated square bases. The finely and realistically modelled sculptures depict a Chinese man and a Chinese woman in national costumes. The man is wearing a long green robe with gold swirl motifs, grey Balloon Pants and red shoes on his feet, the hair is braided and drawn back under a black hat. His left hand is grasping a Chinese musical stringed instrument (Erhu). The female is wearing a lavish robe, ela...

Offered for sale is a very rare, circa 1890s, trade sign or display advertisement for “KESSLER’S – SMOOTH AS SILK“ WHISKEY-- shaped in the form of a TOP HAT!

This fabulous advertising piece is made of papier mache’, is painted black, and sports cream-colored lettering on both sides of the hat.

The firm of Julius Kessler Dist. Co., Inc., in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, originated in 1888 and created an American blended whiskey known for its silky smoothness!

The condition of this fab ...

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...