Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Japanese: Metalwork (23)

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.

Small pipe in cast bronze or brass, decorated with a very elegant incised geometric decoration, inspired by textiles. Japanese work from the 19th century or before. Very nice finish. Bamboo tube. Good condition, no restoration. Natural use wear for a century-old bronze object. Length:20.2mm

Japanese mirror in cast bronze, partially silvered. Rare and elegant decoration in relief, in the center the "Mon" of the Tori-O clan of Yamaguchi in Suwo, surrounded by scrolls of flowers and stylized clouds mixed with Ginkgo Biloba leaves. The handle is covered with thin strips of bamboo. Japanese work probably from the 19th century or much earlier. Diameter: 17cm Total length: 26cm .Silvering partly erased. Original bamboo. Good condition. Traces of oxidation. Some Chinese characters drawn in ink which must be the reference of a collector or a merchant.

Kozuka in sentoku inlaid with silver, gold plated strip (not gilded) details inlaid in solid gold. This is one of the 24 Chinese legends on filial piety, that of Mo-So who brings a tasty bamboo shoot to his old mother in the middle of winter. Kozuka of good quality but faded from having been worn. Part of the silver beard missing. Edo period 19th century or earlier. It would be necessary to find the name of the artist to date with certainty, I did not do it but I can do it on request. Size 100 x 15 mm

Cast Bronze Candlestick. Edo Japan Lost wax cast bronze candlestick. Beautiful cast iron and scraper finish. Decoration of Buddhist lions in relief. The candle receptacle is made of 4 hammered bronze lotus petals, these petals, thin enough, have a flexibility allowing the candles to be held perfectly. The two removable handles have the shape of Buddhist lions. Excellent bronze patina. Japanese work from the beginning of the Edo period, difficult to date with accuracy, 18th century or before. Can be used as an incense burner. Price: 800 € Artist: Edo Period: 18th century Style: Asian Art Condition: Good condition Material: Bronze Height: 52cm

Tambourine Karyobinga, depicted with butterfly wings. On the reverse an oval ring serves as a ring. It is likely that this is a scarf ring. It is certain that it is not an object that has been modified because it would have been impossible to weld without destroying the patinas. The ring and the base of the character are in shibuichi (alloy of copper silver and gold) the character is in shakudo (alloy of copper and gold) partially hot gilded with mercury tecnic (trousers, hand, top of the wings) the inlays are in gold of 2 shades (collar, wings, diadem, tambourine) and in silver. The face was probably cast separately either in silver or in shibuichi and inlaid because it is more grayish than the rest of the body. Excellent goldsmith work which will remain anonymous because there is no signature. Good condition, worn gilding. No restorations. Width: 28mm.

Dragon candlestick in bronze forming crucifix. Japan edo. This cruciform shape is unknown in Japanese art. I think it is a household crucifix for a Japanese Christian family who would have liked to have a discreet crucufix in their house. A non-Christian visitor would never have suspected that this three-candle dragon was a representation of Christ on the cross. It should be remembered that Christianity was banned and persecuted in Japan from the beginning of the 17th century to the end of the 19th century. Being a Christian was punished by death. I'm not sure what I'm saying but it seems realistic. This would make it a very rare and historically very interesting object. Fine condition. Hight about 38cm.

Cast bronze vase. Very elegant unusual shape. Decorated with a dragon in high relief. Probably Japanese rather chinese and very old Edo period, 18th century or before. The metal has an excellent patina of a beautiful brown color. Below a mark with Chinese characters. 205mm x 185mm. Slightly dented, barely visible. Original patina, not cleaned.

Wall vase in cast bronze, representing a dragon coiled on itself, its meandering body delimiting the contours of the vase. The casting must have been complicated and several holes and gaps appeared which were filled with welded bronze plates as can be seen in the detail photos. At the back a finely crafted ring allows the suspension. Most likely Japanese work. The power of the dragon, the simplicity of execution and the casting problems allow us to date it very early Edo or before, the excellent old patina confirms a centuries-old object. Was to decorate the Tokonoma and receive flowers during the Cha-No-Yu. Rare object with a lot of strength and character. 21cm high. No restaure.

Small cast bronze incense burner. The cast iron is very thick. The object is very heavy. It is treated like Japanese Raku stoneware, leaving a pronounced rustic look. Do not think of an easier job, quite the contrary, the finish with a scraper of the bronze and the polishing are neat. Style very rarely used in ceramics. On the lid a shishi serves as a button. Below an indeciphered mark cast in hollow. Excellent very old bronze patina. Probably Japanese and surely 18° or before. It is not unreasonable to date it to the 16th century of the Muromachi period. Diameter about 80mm.

Pair of Japanese sliding door handles. They are made of a copper alloy finely chiseled with scrolls and stylized flowers on a nanako background, alternately there are shakudo plates (an alloy of copper and gold, shibuichi or silvered sentoku. They are excessively heavy and of the best quality. The size is much larger than for a normal door handle (double in size) which implies very high and wide doors. It is not a usual rich house that can accommodate doors of this size. In addition, the finely decorated incised has an element (a very specific type of stylized flower) found throughout the interior of the Kyoto Imperial Palace on all the fittings that hold the wooden beams and panels of the palace together. The first handle bears the number 30 the number 19 is written on the second which implies that there were at least 15 large double doors openings in this building. This information allows me to claim that it could be handles from the Imperial Palace. I don't see what rich merchants or Daimyo could claim to have the same fittings as the Mikado. There is a stamp mark, perhaps the maker name? Edo period (17 ° -19 °) Long 18cm Weight: 740g I have in my collection a hinge for unknown use to date bearing the same flower design and of absolute quality. I could sell only one. The price is for one.

A large bronze vase with flat and relief inlays of different metals, gold, silver and sentoku. In cartouches of animated scenes. On the base a row of fabulous creatures and a row of mythological characters. Very beautiful quality model for this style of inlaid bronzes. Japanese work from the end of the 19th century. Good condition. On one of the handles a bird is missing. H: 595 mm. Bon état. Légères usures d'usage pour un bronze centenaire. Un oiseau manque à une des 2 anses, mais c'est insignifiant.

Silver damask iron box, gold details. Japanese work of the Edo period bearing the coat of arms of the Saka-I clan. I once read that this clan was responsible for security in Edo in the 18th century (to be checked). The essential feature of this box is the finesse of the iron that makes it. The blacksmith managed to hammer a wall as thin as paper. Which is a technical feat requiring a exceptionnal mastery of iron. The inlays are thick, which has ensured excellent preservation during centuries of wear. The décor is exceptionally intact which is rarely the case on utilitarian objects in nunome-zogan . The design is elegant and tasteless. It is the work of an excellent artist. On the back the décor of the Mon des Saka-I.Is it said that this type of box was used as a tobacco joke? Edo period probably around 1700. Very good condition. 2 tiny pin holes underneath, barely visible on the bottom but it's really insignificant. Traces of cold gilding underneath. Very rare object, never seen any other. Diameter about 9 cm.Extremely light. 70g

Cast silver box called "presentation box". Relief detail of Phoenix among scrolls of flowers. Japanese goldsmithery from the beginning of the 20th century, Meiji or Taisho period. Exceptionally wide 26 cm. Weight 3300g. Usually this kind of box is small, about 6 to 8 cm. Its very large size makes it a remarkable object. They are silver hallmark representing a swan which I think is the mark of guarantee for the foreign silverware entering the French territory. There are 3 caracters incised under the cover. Probably the name of the artist. Good condition.

Copper alloy vase inlaid with precious metals, shakudo (gold and copper) shibuichi (silver, gold and copper) silver and gold. Some designs are gilded, others are solid gold. The inlays are all made of the same dovetail technique. Decorated with Phoenixes in flight, Buddhist Lions, birds and stylized flowers. The style of the absolutely Japanese and compartmentalized decor, the distribution of colors, the stylized subjects, the meticulousness of the carvings and the excellent quality make us rank this vase among the masterpieces of the genre. A similar style vase is housed in the Khalili collections under number 95. Below, inlaid in gold, is the artist's mark which we have not yet identified. All the inlays are, of course, cast and not stamped. Good condition. No missing or soldering. No patina restaured. Height: 171mm Diameter: 165mm

Rare bronze ewer Japan Muromachi period, cast in one part. Signature of the artist incised under the base. This type of ewer is very rare, we know only one other similar example, smaller and less elaborate which is housed at the Minneapolis institute (usa). Excellent state of conservation, beautiful original patina. H:290mm

Cigarette holder that can be used as a card holder in steel inlaid with gold and silver. The technique used is that of damascene (nunome zogan) in the style of Komeï. Japanese work around 1900. On the front are represented in gold a temple and a pagoda dominating a lake landscape; on the back is Mount Fuji dominating a lake. In the foreground an amusing retail fishing boat, indeed a tiny bird is perched at the top of the mast, probably a cormorant which would confirm the function of the boat. Everything in the subtle Japanese spirit.90x85x10mm

Box in gilded bronze, in the shape of two superimposed fans finely decorated with lake landscapes, flowers and birds. The shape is complicated and rare. Inside very beautiful gilding, carved with birds and plants. The black patinated underside bearing the workshop's signature in gold. The box rests on three short legs. There are 2 shades of gilding, yellow and greenish. Good condition, no repairs. 62mm x 28mm