Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian (370)

Shibuichi box inlaid with solid gold, shakudo, silver and sentoku. Several techniques are used, chasing, engraving, inlays in relief and flat. Interior lined with silver. Signature of the silversmith underneath with his stamp in gold inlay. Exceptional goldsmith's work. The scene must represent the god of the sea, his servants are an octopus and a fish wearing kimono. The octopus is particularly amusing with its angry and authoritarian look. Dimensions about 125 x 92 x 60 mm Good condition.

. The bronze is very thick yellow, the casting is made in several parts, the arms are cast separately and welded, the ribbons too. The finish is very neat. The old patina is beautiful. The base is cast separately, the walls are thin unlike the statue, but it is indisputable that the two were made together. On the base and at the bottom of the statue are incised characters that date it. I do not know what the exact time is, but I can do research on request. The glory is added later. Interestingly, this is the re-use of a magnificent Kamakura era glory that has been resized to surround this Kwannon. On the reverse side of the glory we can see the signs of superimpositions and rivets which testify to it. The Kwanon can be sold with or without its glory. The price listed is without the glory. High without glory: 39,5cm High with glory: 49,5cm

Rare porcelain dish decorated in cobalt blue underglaze. In the center the prestigious mark VOC (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie) of the Dutch East India Company. The decoration of flowers and birds in cartridges inspired by the Chinese style of the late Ming.This dish was created for a member of the powerful company. Japan Genroku period end of 17th century. Perfect condition. Diameter: 35 and 35,5cm.

Buddhist lion in gilded bronze. Japanese work from the Edo period (17 ° -19 °) difficult to date with precision. However the style of the round patches of the coat does not seem to me to be 17 °, it is more reasonable to think 18 ° -19 °. The cast iron is of good quality and very thick which makes it very heavy (18 kilograms). The bronze was hot gilded with mercury and then covered with translucent lacquer which gives an orange color. A suit of 17 ° -18 ° gilded in the same way is housed at the Tokyo National Museum I have attached a photo of the sleeves.The carving is precise and deep.Statuary of very high quality. The lion is hollow and has an opening on the back, it serves as an incense burner. There must be a ball between the paws missing. Height approx: 37 cm Weight: 17.5 kg

Jade water bucket in form of amusing toad.Inlaid with yellow metal. It is impossible to check if it is gold because it would be necessary to tear off encrustations to test ,however the object has not been cleaned for several years and only gold can remain shiny, bronze or brass would have oxide. The metal wires in some places are split in half lengthwise, which is probably due to a certain technique? The work is very neat, underneath there are traces of tools which should help a specialist. The patina of the stone is beautiful, satiny without being shiny. 102 x 18mm. Chinese work Han périod or Qing copy or fake modern?

Lacquered and painted wood travel coffer or cabinet with iron mountings and lock. Japanese work. The exterior is black lacquered decorated with gold and polychrome. Some typical patterns allow us to date it with certainty around 1580 more or less 20 years. Very rare specimen, few similar models exist. The lock is one of the very first executed in Japan because it was the Portuguese who brought the technique when they landed in Japan around 1550. This said it could have been made in Portugal but I don't think so, knowing the immense skill of Japanese blacksmiths they had to make them instantly. It is partly very uneven. The decoration on the top has completely disappeared as well as the one on the front. Both sides and the back are in good condition. The interior is excellently preserved and the colors have kept the original liveliness allowing an excellent study of the very first Japanese lacquers (Namban) for export. It is the physical witness of the unique adventure of the very beginning of Japanese exports to Portugal, an important page of history for these 2 countries, then at their zenith. I found in a magazine of the 30's the photo of a Namban chest of the same shape, dated by the V&A end Muromachi beginning Momoyama. Approximate dimensions 40x40x45 cm. On the interior original paper printed. Some japanese caracters under and inside I don't know that's write but surely interesting.

Sculpture in white steatite representing a mountain landscape with forests dotted with pavilions. The sculpture is of high quality, the artist has made no mistakes, the volumes are perfect, the drawings harmonious and the whole exudes a feeling of quiet calm . It is rare to find soapstone of this quality, usually sculptures in this material are technically mediocre and without artistic interest. We could think of an illustrious destination but there is no signature. Qing period, early 19th century or earlier.Probably a brush rest Some wear and scratches from use but nothing serious. Length 27cm. Photos taken in natural light.

Colossal incense burner in cast bronze representing the divine carp ridden by the fisherman who spared her when she was little. To reward him, she takes him to heaven and immortality. Wooden base. Very good quality of cast bronze and carving. Bronze sculptures of this quality and size are usually made for universal exhibitions. We have not yet found any trace of this one. Despite the quality this sculpture is anonymous. Japan late 19th century. Height 230cm. Weight 104 kilograms.

An extremely rare gilt bronze folding sundial-compass. Enamel dial, details in glass beads. The metal is finely chiselled with elegant volutes and gilded in the oven using the technique of gold-mercury amalgam. Very beautiful thick gilding that has withstood wear and tear well over the centuries. Chinese work from the qianlong period towards the end of the 18th century.This type of scientific instruments ordered by the qianlong emperor, were manufactured in the workshops of the imperial palace, inside the forbidden city.There are in the collections of the palace 2 identical instruments, but smaller, worn, incomplete, and of less good quality. The one presented here is in perfect condition and has part of its original box. Length 16,5cm.

Terracotta horse from the Wei period. The clay is gray. It is of very good quality. There are traces of red polychromy and there is still gilding on the rump. This gilding is composed of thick gold leaves that we call in French goldsmith's trade a "feuillard" it's thicker than the classic leaf to gild the furniture. In the past, I read somewhere that gilding was only applied on Wei or Tang terracotta on princely tombs. (To be verified). The sculpture is of excellent quality, the horse is full of life, the artist knew how to give the movement of a sudden stop of the beast, indeed the elements of the caparison go forward, as well as the tassels of the chest as the drape of the saddle. Perfect condition except the tail glued back. No transformation, no restoration. Height 35cm. Due to the fragility and the perfect state of conservation this piece will not be shipped out of respect, you will have to come and pick it up or I will come personally. Test of thermoluminescence of oxford 2001.

A very rare Japanese lacquer cabinet made for the Dutch export. The quality of this model is very good and surpasses the usual cabinets of this period. The landscape decorations are very finely and artistically painted, notably the trees whose foliage is swayed by the wind. The frames of the panels are painted in the honeycomb style which requires a lot of work and precision and can only be found on high quality lacquers, to my knowledge there are only 2 other known "honeycomb" models of which I enclose pictures, one in Munich at the "Staateliche Munzsammlung" and the second in the Czech Republic at the "Kinzvart Castel". Both are published in the excellent book of Oliver Impey. Here is the third one. It is interesting to compare the door on the right and the one on the left, whose drawings are painted by two different artists. The interior is particularly rich and as often, well preserved.Some rocks are in very pronounced relief. The lock cover between the bottom drawers is missing, which shows the orange color of the original nashiji. Wear, cracks, missing lacquer all visible on photos but no restoration which is rare. The mounts are all in yellow metal, which seems to me to be either bronze or gilt brass. They are unusually thin and I think they are original. Dimensions: 445 x 435 x 30 cm .

Deity head in hammered bronze. The bronze is very thick, the ears are cast separately and welded. The hair is perfectly chiseled with a lot of elegance. The patina is verdigris and recalls that of ancient Roman bronzes. It is highly probable that this head was buried for several centuries. We were unable to locate it geographically. India, Himalayas, Afghanistan, Swat valley....? The appearance of the metal and its patina would indicate a high period of several centuries. A millennium would not be impossible. High 132mm. Had to be twisted is straightened . About ten years ago an exhibition of art from Afghanistan which took place in Italy, presented a terracotta head with an identically curly hairstyle which was announced as Afghanistan 6th century.

Set of menuki. Sold individually to complete an incomplete sword. Price from $50 to $150 each. We can provide you with more photos, dimensions and details on request.

Rare tetrapod censer representing a stylized elephant. The censer is in cast bronze.The cast is beautiful and the finish is perfect,probably scrapped,no holes or roughness. The old patina proves the authenticity of the object. A frieze carved with swastika surrounds the elephant in its upper part representing a caparison. The ears are represented by 2 spirals as well as the tusks. The artist knew how to simplify the shape of the animal in a discreet way so the elephant fulfills its function of censor with elegance and sobriety.First we only see a censer at 4 feet,it's only after observation that the elephant appears.Excellent thought.This object was certainly commissioned by a ruler or scholar with a subtle mind and during a culturally and quite period.There is no trace of gilding or lacquer. I think this is Chinese rather than Japanese work, as the swastika frieze is not perfectly chiseled. A Japanese artist would have done a perfect job, while a Chinese artist would have stuck to the simple decorative aspect. In addition, early Edo Japanese bronzes were very often lacquered and there is always a little lacquer somewhere, here no trace,finally,I have never seen an object of a similar style anywhere in Japan. I think Qing around 1800 or before. Good condition,patina well preserved. Long:16cm

Exceptionally large Kyoto ceramic incense burner. It is turned in a typical clay, a kind of sandstone earthenware covered with finely cracked glaze . A charming decor, animated by chinese children playing, develops over the entire surface, enamelled with colors predominantly green and blue. Gold details. On the sides, bouquets of flowers and leaves bloom elegantly. It is rare to find such harmonious sculptures on Japanese ceramics, usually they are ostentatiously excessive and vulgar. Below glazed Chinese characters certainly indicate the name of the kiln or the potter. There is also a small mark stamped in the hollow before firing. It is very complicated to fire a ceramic of this size and weight and we don't know of anything else comparable. The quality of the drawings, the reliefs, the enamelling and finally the dimensions make it an exceptional object commissioned by an important Japanese sponsor. Certainly not for export. Edo period 19th century or before. The translation of the mark should allow precise dating. There are accidents, the shishi has been reattached, as well as some petals and leaves and a foot. Otherwise good condition. Large: 50cm Hauteur: 56cm Weight about 10 kg or more. The weight, size and preciousness mean that this work will not be shipped. It will be collected in Nice south of France or I will deliver it personally if possible.

Cast bronze candlestick. Finely chiseled decoration of tao tie masks and stylized cicadas in the archaic Chinese style. The cast is perfect without the slightest defect. The carving is precise without error. The object has a very elegant atypical shape. Below a mark of 6 characters must announce the name of the artist who is necessarily excellent. Very beautiful object absolutely unique. In a perfect state. Wear of multi-secular use. Japan Edo period. Height about 25cm.

An absolutely exceptional and unique object, a pagoda roof in cast bronze, very heavy, gilded and inlaid with glass paste. If there are some rare examples of Chinese gilded bronzes inlaid with hard stones and some even rarer inlaid with transparent glass, to my knowledge we do not know of any other inlaid with glass paste. Here the glass imitates perfectly the white jade, the lapis lazuli, the ruby, the green jadeite emerald. The use of glass paste in 18th century China is not a depreciative element, on the contrary, at that time it was easier and less expensive to cut stones. The gilding is with hot mercury. It is very thick of excellent quality, certainly many layers.The interior laquered in red gilded with gold powder. It is certainly an imperial order and the base is probably marked on the front, Kien-Long. The goal is to try to reunite the three elements that history has dispersed. Either by selling the roof or by buying the base and the column. Height: 12cm Diameter 14,5cm

3 embroidered silk panels. Birds and butterflies flying among bamboos are embroidered in colored silk on a yellow background. In the 1970s in Nice (south ofFrance), the saleswoman claimed to be the granddaughter of an imperial concubine who had been able to bring back only these 3 panels as a memory when she left China at the fall of the Qing. I don't think it was an invented story because in the 70s Chinese objects had little interest and their price was low, but above all, the story was told to us when the deal was concluded. Given the exceptional dimensions of these panels it is quite possible that they actually decorated the imperial apartments but with a simple concubine because although very decorative they are not of remarkable technical quality. This provenance should be verified by a specialist by consulting an inventory of the palace or photos. They are in very good condition, except for one of them which is discolored as can be seen in the photos. No restorations or tears. Each panel measures 295 cm by 125 which in total makes an exceptional set of 375cm x 295. If they were made to cover columns, these had a diameter of 40 cm. It would be necessary to check the diameter of the columns of the apartments of the concubines of the Palace. Two of them have embroidered characters which must indicate a weaving workshop.