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

Japanese Jubako, traditional stacked lacquerware food boxes, represent not only culinary refinement but also an important aspect of Japanese food culture. These elegantly tiered containers, often adorned with intricate designs and vibrant colors, are integral to the presentation of special occasion meals such as New Year’s celebrations and formal picnics. Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, Jubako boxes like the one featured here showcase the artistry of Japanese lacquerwa...

Handwoven with delicate precision, this Japanese bamboo ikebana basket showcases the beauty of traditional bamboo weaving and the elegance of classic Chinese design that much of Japanese traditional art is based on. Its sturdy construction and balanced proportions make it perfect for ikebana arrangements, merging floral artistry with cultural aesthetics.

Though little is known about this artisan, I was able to find examples of their work in several high-end Japanese g...

The style of this vase, known in Japanese as karakane (“kara” meaning Chinese and “kane” meaning copper), has been carried on by Japanese craftsmen since its theorized introduction during China’s Tang Dynasty. Falling in and out of fashion over the centuries as Japan alternated between preferences for Chinese style tea-ware and more homegrown versions, today it remains a common fixture in many tea rooms. With beautiful red accents on a dark background, this is surely one of this artist...

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.

This piece is quite unique for its brown color which may have been produced using a copper glaze under very specific conditions. Typical o...

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 ...

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...

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...

The distinctive and easily recognizable style of Bizen pieces, such as the one featured here, originated in Okayama (south-western Japan) and has a long history that is closely intertwined with that of tea culture. Bizen-ware is known for employing a natural-ash glazing technique that is unique to this type of pottery and which requires extremely long firing times (7-14 days) at very high temperatures. This means that constant attention is required to ensure good results. The tea bowl shown here...

German Rococo 930 silver sweet meat coach. Imported to England by David Bridge in 1894. A round coach harnessed to a prancing reindeer with large antlers. A trumpet-blowing cherub holds the reins, and two more cherubs support an armorial in strapwork frame. Chased scenes depicting pastoral landscapes and frolics. Wheels rotate for a quick journey around the table. Fully marked including Hanau maker’s marks and English import marks, including London assay stamp. Very good condition.

Overall d...

Danish Modern sterling silver box. Made by Georg Jensen in Copenhagen. Rectangular with straight sides. Cover hinged and raised with flat border. Square corner supports. Fully marked including maker’s (1945-77) and designer’s (Harald Nielsen) stamps, and no. 827. Very good condition.

Overall dimensions: H 7/8 x W 8 1/8 x D 3 1/2 in. Heavy weight: 17.5 troy ounces. #BZ773

Modern sterling silver box. Made by Georg Jensen in Copenhagen. Rectangular; straight sides bisected by wraparound rectilinear band. Corner bracket supports. Cover flat and hinged with stepped rim. Midcentury Danish design by Harald Nielsen. Fully marked including Georg Jensen & Wendel maker’s stamp (ca 1945-51), which was limited to wares sold in Copenhagen, and designer’s stamp. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 1 1/2 x W 6 1/4 x D 3 1/4 in. Weight: 15 troy ounces. #BZ775

Modern sterling silver box. Made by Georg Jensen in Denmark. Rectangular with wraparound reeded sides and inset corner bracket supports. Cover flat and hinged with rectangular and gently curved tab. Between-the-Wars Classicism. A made-in-Denmark Swedish design by the Duke of Uppland (that is, Sigvard Bernadotte). Fully marked including maker’s (1933-44) and designer’s stamps, and no. 712. Very good condition.

Overall dimensions: H 7/8 x W 5 1/4 x D 3 1/2 in. Weight: 8.8 troy ounces. #BZ776...

Modern sterling silver water pitcher. Made by Tiffany & Co. in New York, ca 1907. Ovoid body, stepped foot, short neck, and helmet mouth; soft bracket handle with trefoil shaped tail mount. A spare full-bodied vessel. Nice heft. Fully marked including maker’s stamp, pattern no. 16974 (first produced in 1907), director’s letter m, and volume (4 pts). Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 8 1/4 x W 7 1/2 x D 5 1/8 in. Weight: 28.5 troy ounces. #BZ676

Modern sterling silver hinged double picture frame. Each: Rectangular window in plain and flat surround. With glass, silk lining, and velvet back and hinged easel support. Fully marked including stamp for Web Silver Co., a Philadelphia maker active from the 1950s to 1970s. Very good condition.

Dimensions: Each frame: H 10 1/4 x W 8 1/8 in. Each window: 8 7/8 x W 6 7/8 in. #BZ723

Set of 12 Modern sterling silver place card holders. Retailed by Cartier in New York. Each: Folded disc with turned down front mounted to round base. Fully marked including retailer’s stamp. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 7/8 x W 1 x D 3/8 in. Total weight: 3 troy ounces. #BZ695

Elizabeth II sterling silver box. Made by Padgett & Braham Ltd in Birmingham in 1980. Rectangular with straight sides. Cover hinged and tabbed; on top stand a horse and jockey in a faint surround suggestive of a cloud (of dust?). Box interior cedar-lined and partitioned. Box underside leather lined. Fully marked. Very good condition.

Dimensions: H 2 x L 8 1/8 x D 3 5/8 in. Gross weight: 19 troy ounces. #BZ737