Tsuchiya Koitsu
Sparrows
Publisher: Doi. Issued by Odawara Shoten.
Date: 1940. This edition likely post-2000.
Print size: Koban. 8 x 5.75 inches.
Koitsu catalog no.: Similar to TK-DH-90.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent.

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...

Takahashi Shotei
Shrine by the River
Date: 1930s. This edition early postwar.
Size: 5.5 x 3.625 inches
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo.
Artist's seal at lower right.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent. Top margin edge has slight browning.

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 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...

This lot includes eight marked Gorham sterling 4780 nut dishes . Two are mongrammed on the bottom( one of those has very faint etched numbers). 4" x 2-1/2" Total weight 6.8 ozs.

A collectible Scandinavian gold and amethyst pin by Kippittan Kulta of Finland. The pin is stamped with the anvil mark 585 Finland and measures 2 1/4" x 1-1/4". Weight 3.6gr.

Ohara Shoson (Koson)
Pheasants and Maple Tree
Size: Approximately 5.25 x 3.25 inches.
Date: ca. 1930s.
Shoson seal at lower right
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo.
Reference: AS.15 in Crows, Cranes, and Camellias: The Natural World of Ohara Koson.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent.

Lilian May Miller (1895-1943)
The Little Shrines on Quiet Hills
Date: 1927.
Size: Approximately 5.625 x 3.75 inches.
From the book, Grass Blades from a Cinnamon Garden.
Monogrammed within the image.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Slight toning.

German 800 silver box, ca 1910. Oval and lobed. Cover hinged and raised with scroll tab. Sides have chased and engraved fruits and foliage on stippled ground in curvilinear frames alternating with plain lobes. Cover top same with beaded frames. Gilt-washed interior. Marked. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 3 1/4 x W 7 x D 5 1/2 in. Weight: 13.7 troy ounces. #BX430

Tsuchiya Koitsu
Mandarin Ducks
Date: 1930s.
Size: Mitsugiri-ban. Approximately 15.75 x 7.5 inches.
Publisher: Doi Hangaten.
Reference: Koitsu catalog no. TK-DH-76.
Carver: Harada. Printer: Yokoi.
This seal combination indicates an early post-war edition.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent. Back top margin has tape residue.
Note: An usual subject for Koitsu.

Two pairs of German 800 silver 2-light candelabra. Made by M. H. Wilkens & Söhne in Germany, ca 1890. Each: tapering pillar on raised foot with spread c-scroll supports. Garland-entwined figure mounted to pillar top. On two, a bosomy, drapery-clad caryatid; on other two, a naked atlantes. Soft youthful flesh that contrasts with the statuary pillar. Each figure holds a stem with two open and scrolled branches terminating in single socket. Fluid and dynamic Art Nouveau mixed with frothy Rococo. ...

Also known as "The Buddha of Immeasurable Light and Life,” here in this pre-Edo Buddhist painting we see Amida and his two assistant bodhisattvas, Seishi on the left (associated with wisdom and strength), and Kannon on the right (associated with compassion and mercy), descending from the Western Pure Land to welcome newly deceased believers into the realm of paradise. In this practice known as raigō, the faithful are transported via the small lotus pedestal the Kannon holds in his...

Although reports vary, it is generally thought that Zeze-yaki had its heyday in the late Momoyama to early Edo period under the influence and patronage of legendary artists/ men of tea, Honami Koetsu and Kobori Enshu. It was also counted among the seven best kilns selected by Enshu Kobori (1579-1647), a tea master and military commander of that era. In the mid-1600s the tradition died out for a time after the destruction of the kiln by fire. The kiln was later resurrected on two occa...

With a base of dazzling red ochre clay, a technique known as “san-giri,” pioneered by the progenitor of this generational potting family and now widely used among Bizen potters, is employed here to bring out stunning mustard yellows, mossy greens, charcoal blacks, along with a range of subtler hues.

The potter, Konishi Tōko II (1927 -2018) was second daughter to Konishi the first. After graduating from women’s college she assisted her father at the family kiln, e...

This elegant work of Karatsu pottery has an unglazed foot, showing the rich ferrous clay from which it is constructed, and displays splashes of ferrous pigment on a backdrop of ashen glaze with a milky white overglaze. The triangular shape and large proportions make for a very distinctive work of e-Karatsu or “painted” Karatsu.

Like many pottery traditions in Japan, Karatsu takes its name from the city where it originated. As early as the 15th century, Korean potters...

Turn-of-the-century Art Nouveau glass vase with engraved silver overlay. Made by Alvin Corporation in Providence. Tall baluster with flared rim and short foot. Overlay in form twisted tendrils entwined and overlaid with flower heads. Glass is green. Silver fully marked including maker’s stamp and no. G3219/6. Very good condition with nice patina.

Dimensions: H 14 x D 5 in. #BX622

Chinese silver mug, ca 1865. Straight and upward tapering sides with dense low-relief frieze: Spearmen and swordsmen on foot and horse thrust and lunge and, in some cases, fall in battle. Applied armorial shield with engraved presentation dated “May 4th 1865”. S-scroll handle in form of scaly dragon with horned head peering over rim. Marked. Very good condition with deep patina.

Overall dimensions: H 5 1/4 x W 5 1/4 x D 3 1/4 in. Weight: 10.8 troy ounces. #BX464