George V sterling silver sugar caster. Made by William Hutton & Sons, Ltd in Sheffield in 1911. Girdled baluster on domed foot. Cover has ornamental piercing and vasiform finial. Fully marked. Excellent condition.
Large dimensions: H 9 1/8 x D 3 in. Weight: 10.5 troy ounces. #BV629
Seto is a pottery tradition established in the 12th century with the aim of reproducing fine Chinese porcelain and tenmoku-style tea bowls—which were hard to come by in Japan at the time. Later, during the Muromachi period, Seto potters established kilns in Mino thus starting the period known as ko-Seto, or “old Seto.” These pieces were distinctive as they were produced in small batches and with great care. Later in Edo, the large-kiln style of production or “ogama” was introduced ushe...
A very versatile and innovative artist, Sakata Jinnai produces pieces such as the vase seen here in his easily recognizable trademark style. Many of his pieces are earthy and primal in compositions, often inlaid with gold or partially painted in “makie” using various lacquers for dramatic effect. Waves and contours also feature prominently in his work; inspired, he says, by cosmic energies and architectures of the universe. Sakata very actively exhibits his pieces and looks for interesting c...
Takahashi Shotei (1871-1945)
Nihonmatsu
Date: pre-1923.
Size: Mitsugiri-ban. Approximately 14.875 x 6.5 inches.
Shotei's Kakei seal at lower right.
Number 352 in japanese on the verso.
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo.
Reference: M-144 in Shotei catalog.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Note: Blocks destroyed in 1923 earthquake.
Condition: Two lighter areas in upper sky from previous mounting.
Pair of George V sterling silver candlesticks. Made by Lionel Alfred Crichton in London in 1917. Each: Tapering and fluted pillar supporting urn socket. Raised and stepped square foot. Beading, acanthus leaves, and swags and paterae. Neoclassical form and ornament. Fully marked. Very good condition with a few pings, principally on foot rim.
Dimensions: H 11 3/8 x W 4 5/8 x D 4 5/8 in. Weighted. #BV645
American Colonial sterling silver bowl. Made by Tiffany in New York, ca 1920. Bowl has curved sides and straight circular foot. Spare historic design that works equally well in Modern interiors. Fully marked including maker’s stamp, pattern no. 19750 (first produced in 1920), and director’s letter m as well as phrase: “Reproduction / Original by / Joseph Conyers / Boston / about 1700”. Very good condition.
Dimensions: H 4 x D 9 in. Weight: 24 troy ounces. #BV648
Midcentury Modern sterling silver footed plate. Retailed by Cartier in New York. Round and gently curved with short and flared foot. Fully marked including maker’s (Worden-Munnis) and retailer’s stamps, and no. 32. Worden Munnis was active in Boston from the 1940s to 1960s. Very good condition. Well center reveals minor impression from base.
Dimensions: H 1 3/8 x D 10 in. Weight: 12.5 troy ounces. #BV472
Ito Shinsui (aka. Shikuntei)(1898-1972)
Preparing Tea
Date: 1950s.
Size: Chuban. Approximately 9.75 x 7.375 inches (25 x 19 cm).
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo. Publisher's seal on verso
Signed Shikuntei Shinsuiga. Sealed Shinsui.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent color. Slight creasing and toning.
Koizumi Kishio
Lingering Snow at Five-storied Pagoda
No. 7 from the series, Views of Nikko National Park
Date: 1936.
Size: Chuban. Approximately 10 x 7.75 inches (25.6 x 19.6 cm).
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Possibly faintly signed at lower right.
Condition: Excellent.
Ide Gakusui
Chrysanthemums
Size: Approximately 5.5 x 3.5 inches.
Date: 1950s-60s.
Gakusui signature and seal lower right.
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo
Woodblock print is tipped along the top edge to original 7 x 4.5-inch blank card.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent.
Currently in its 5th generation, the Miura Chikusen line of potters has continued to produce high-quality Kiyomizu-yaki and Kyo-yaki porcelains used in sencha for well over 150 years. The piece seen here is by the third generation potter and has the rare distinction of being endorsed by Sokuchusai, a former Head Tea Master of Omotesenke in Kyoto. Simple and elegant, a section of bamboo stands out in contrast to the white crackled porcelain glaze. If you are looking for a representative work by o...
Shoda Koho
A boy playing a flute while riding an ox
Date: 1930s.
Size: Tanzaku 13.25 x 3.125 inches.
Publisher: Hasegawa/Nishinomiya Yosaku (stamp on verso)
Artist's seal at lower right.
Reference: No. 1570
"Made in Japan" stamped on verso.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent.
Kawase Hasui
Postal Life Insurance Office
Date: ca. 1930s/1940s.
Size: 5.5 x 3.5 inches.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Hasui seal at lower right.
Rare genuine woodblock-printed postcard.
Condition: Front is excellent. Verso has residue at top corners.
First born son to Living National Treasure Isezaki Jun, Koichiro (b. 1974) has quickly made a name for himself as an independent artist. Not content to rely solely on family reputation, he has set off on his own path, making innovations in clay and also in the ideas and principles surrounding his craft.
With its well-proportioned ridged design, natural ash glaze, and coarse grade of Bizen clay still containing visible stones; the vessel seen here would be a good choice for someone ...
George VI sterling silver salver. Made by Mappin & Webb in Sheffield in 1945. Molded curvilinear rim with ogee arches. Three hoof supports. Large and heavy in traditional Georgian form. Fully marked. Excellent condition.
Dimensions: H 1 7/8 x D 16 7/8 in. Weight: 61 troy ounces. #BU966
Richly colored plique a jour beaker, ca 1910. Straight and gently tapering sides. Ornament includes stylized flower heads in rondels and beaded and guilloche borders. Colors red and blue. Silver gilt wire frames and cabled rim. Unmarked. Excellent condition.
Dimensions: H 2 x D 1 3/4 in. #BV278
Aesthetic mixed inkwell. Made by Tiffany & Co. in New York. Bell-form copper body with reeded silver foot rim. Applied silver ornament including flower-inset guilloche band and tendril border at neck. Cover hinged and domed with silver ball finial. With clear glass liner. A later version (1892-1902) of a pattern (no. 6231) that was first produced in 1880. Fully marked: “Tiffany & Co / Makers 6231 / Sterling Silver / 925-1000 / T / And / Other Metals”. Very good condition.
Dimensions: H 4 ...
George VI sterling silver box. Made by Robert Pringle & Sons in London in 1939. Rectangular with curved corners. Cover hinged and tabbed; top has engine-turned wave ornament and rectangular mono plate (vacant) in upper left corner. Interior cedar lined and partitioned. Underside leather lined. Fully marked. Very good condition.
Dimensions: H 2 x W 7 x D 3 1/2 in. Gross weight: 16 troy ounces. #BV167
Chinese-style bowl, ca 1920. Mottled green hardstone urn on silver gilt fretwork base with 4 splayed supports. A pretty ornament that works as an ashtray with silver gilt leaf cradle mounted to rim. Marked “Edward I Farmer / Sterling”. Very good with nice toning. Rim has a few fleabite irregularities.
Overall dimensions: H 3 1/8 x W 2 7/8 x D 2 in. #BV277
Edwardian sterling silver bowl. Made by Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Co. Ltd in London in 1905. Bellied with flat shoulder and gadrooned rim. Three leaf and scroll-mounted talon supports. Well circular and solid (vacant). Solid leafy ornament in open and leaf-inset diaper ground with scrollwork. Fully marked. Excellent condition.
Dimensions: H 4 3/4 x D 11 3/4 in. Weight: 41 troy ounces. #BR790
American applied sterling silver perfume vial, ca 1880. Clear glass cylinder with twisted fluting. Sterling silver collar and hinged cover with tendril, flower, and insect on hand-hammered ground; gilt interior. Unmarked. Very good condition with deep patina.
Dimensions: H 2 3/4 x D 1/2 in. #BN380
Bertha Boynton Lum (1869-1954)
Kites
Date: 1912
Size: 14.375 x 8 inches.
Pencil signed and copyrighted 1913 by the artist.
Edition: "197" noted at lower right.
Reference: Gravalos/Pulin No. 29.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Wrinkle in lower margin. Paper at a back margin.
"..the wind fills them up till they look like fish" - Bertha Lum: American Printmakers, (Smithsonian)
Kiyoshi Saito
Daitoku-Ji Kyoto (C) 1959
Edition: 99/100
Size: 23.5 by 18 inches.
Matte size: 26.125 x 21.75 inches.
Date: 1959.
Self-carved and printed by the artist. (See tag).
Signed and sealed in the image.
Titled, numbered, and dated in pencil.
Condition: Margins heavily foxed. Front image area has minimal foxing. Two bits of tape residue at top back margin.
The temple dates to 1326. This print features a brilliant band of dark plum purple behin...
A student of Itaya Hazan, one of the most sought after potters in the world of Japanese art, the ceramicist who crafted this fine vase displays here a high degree of mastery, both in form and glazing technique. For the collector who has always wanted a Hazan but has never been lucky enough to chance upon one, this may be a worthy acquisition. Although much of Inoue’s work is quite different in style to that of Hazan’s, you can find a number of pieces where the influence is unmistakeable—th...
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...
Kawase Hasui
Mount Fuji, Narusawa
Date: 1936.
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo. Black 6mm Watanabe seal in lower left corner, indicating a lifetime edition printed between 1946-1957. We've marked in red the location of the lightly applied black seal.
Size: Oban. Approximately 15.5 x 10.5 inches.
Reference: Hotei #395.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Pristine. Removed from original folder. Two original drying pinholes at top margin.
First born son to Living National Treasure Isezaki Jun, Koichiro (b. 1974) has quickly made a name for himself as an independent artist. Not content to rely solely on family reputation, he has set off on his own path, making innovations in clay and also in the ideas and principles surrounding his craft. With its well-proportioned ridged design, natural ash glaze, and coarse grade of Bizen clay still containing visible stones; the vessel seen here would be a good choice for someone looking for a ...
Over the years we have taken a special interest in Raku-ware and especially in works produced by the Tamamizu kiln, such as the 300+ year old ceremonial tea bowl seen here. The first in this line of potters was Yahē (1662 - 1722), an illegitimate son of Kichizaemon Ichinyu (1615 - 1768) who studied under his father and then left to open his own kiln in the village of Tamamizu (known today as Ide-cho). Though he is the first potter of this branch, he is sometimes referred to as Tamam...
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...
Elizabeth II sterling silver serving tray. Made by Edward Viner in Sheffield in 1960. Round with well and molded and gently scrolled rim. Pretty and old fashioned. Fully marked. Excellent condition.
Dimensions: H 7/8 x D 14 1/2 in. Weight: 33 troy ounces. #BU963
Turn-of-the-century sterling silver and brilliant-cut glass flask Made by Unger Bros in Newark. Rectilinear with curved sides and diaper inset with alternating paterae and diaper. Threaded sterling silver collar and cover with plain sides and ornamented top with dense scrollwork surrounding vacant center. Cover fully marked. Excellent condition.
Dimensions: H 6 1/4 x W 3 x D 1 1/4 in. #BV121
Eijiro Kobayashi
A High Bridge by Night.
A design influenced by James Whistler and Hiroshige.
Series: Hasegawa Night Scenes.
Date: 1910. This edition 1938-1960.
Eijiro seal at lower left.
Size: Chuban. Approximately 10.75 x 8.0 inches.
Publisher: Hasegawa/Nishinomiya Yosaku. No. 1241 in Hasegawa catalog. Nishinomiya stamp in left margin.
"Made in Japan" stamped on verso. Artist noted in pencil on back.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition...
Living in Kyoto it is not uncommon to come across beautiful antique tea bowls, however, finding pieces that are in good condition, aesthetically compelling, and with all of the trappings that let you know they were cared for by a devoted cha-jin can be quite challenging. Here we see all three. The shape of this tea bowl is exquisite and something I have not seen before in a Mino piece. The lacquer box, while not the original was undoubtedly custom made for this tea bowl and looks to be 100 - 200...
Created by Living National Treasure Isezaki Jun, Bizen pieces like the one seen here originated in Okayama (south-western Japan) and have a long history that is closely intertwined with that of tea culture. Known for employing a natural-ash glazing techniques that require extremely long firing times (7-14 days) at very high temperatures, constant attention is required to ensure good results. Here Isezaki can be seen pushing the bounds of tradition Bizen orthodoxies in interesting and creative wa...
Accents formed using iron pigment stand out across a backdrop of blue-green glaze. The base and a portion of the inside of this ceremonial tea bowl are unglazed displaying rich clay. Created by Shibayama Toshiya, this is an example of contemporary Japanese ceramics at its finest.
A native of Nagoya Shibayama (b. 1959) is exceptionally versatile, working in styles such as Seto, Shino, Karatsu, and Shigaraki among others. A practitioner of tea himself, Shibayama is known for crafting ...
Ohara Hoson (Koson)
Carp jumping for insect, wisteria above
Size: Oban. Approximately 14.625 x 10.75 inches.
Date: 1931.
Publisher: Kawaguchi and Sakai. Publisher's seal in right margin. Carver (Ito) and printer (Komatsu) seals in left margin.
Bear Koson's "Hoson" signature and seal.
"Made in Japan" stamped on verso as well as the number 39.
Reference: H39.1 in Crows, Cranes and Camellias: The Natural World of Ohara Koson (Reigle Newland).
Medium: Japanese...