Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Japanese (903)

19th century netsuke of a dog sitting on a woven mat with its front paw on a reticulated ball with a loose ball inside it. Excellent carving with great face and superb depiction of hair and woven mat textures. Beautiful wear and patina. Signed ICHIRA (alternative readings are Itsura or Kazura) in oval reserve on the bottom. Height 1 1/2 inches.

19th century netsuke of a rooster on a drum. The subject symbolizes peace: according to a Chinese story, a drum was kept at the palace gate to alert soldiers in case of emergency, but during the reign of Emperor Yao the peace was maintained for so long, that the drum fell into disuse and became the favorite roost for local fowl. Excellent quality carving - see the rich depiction of differentiated feathers of its body and tail, eyes are inlaid with black horn...

19th century netsuke in square manju (rice cake) shape with relief carving of a man wearing a straw hat and holding a spouted kettle by a handle, falling maple leaves on the back. of a samurai subduing a rough looking man. the subject is Tadamori capturing an oil thief...

Late 18th to early 19th century netsuke of a standing Dutchman holding an oversized rooster in his hands. Excellent carving, superb depiction of bird’s head, feathers and feet, great face with overly round eyes, wonderful depiction of his knee-length coat decorated with wave designs, textured pants and Chinese style hat with feather. Eyes inlaid with black horn, stands on its own, excellent patina, compressed dust on the surface...

19th century netsuke of a recumbent goat, its head lowered as it scratches its haunch with one horn. Perfectly captured essence of the creature, wonderful carving of its face and rich fur. Eyes inlaid with amber, himotoshi formed by its hind leg. Very beautiful wear and patina, old stable age lines. Signed RANGYOKU in oval reserve on the bottom - the artist is listed on p. 1148 of NETSUKE & INRO ARTISTS AND HOW TO READ THEIR SIGNATURES by George Lazarnick. Formerly in Edward H...

Late 19th century to early Taisho period Japanese netsuke (can be viewed as a small okimono) carved as three wise monkeys performing their habitual "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” routine in an unusual way by servicing each other: Mizaru with covered eyes, Kikazaru with covered ears and Iwazaru with covered mouth. Nice faces and hairwork, good depiction of limbs, light staining, himotoshi (cord openings) are formed by their limbs, pleasant patina. Length 2 5/8 inches.

Early 19th century Japanese sword tsuba with combination of sunken and raised relief decoration of a seated man wearing eboshi (a specific hat worn by aristocrats to indicate rank) holding a bitter melon in his hands and looking at more melons and lotus leaves with flowers, design continuing on the back. Material appears to be shakudo (alloy of copper and gold) with characteristic black patination resembling lacquer...

19th century Edo period Japanese bronze kashira (metal pommel at the end of the hilt of a sword) with multimetal inlays depicting wispy clouds supporting a tiger, a shishi and a kirin, all on a punched ground texture called nanako, which means “fish-eggs” as it resembles fine rows of caviar. Unusual combination of animals, wonderfully made piece with crisp metalwork and gilding, in great condition. Length 1 1/4 inches.

Unusual 19th century kagamibuta (“mirror lid”) netsuke with copper bowl and mixed metal top depicting a tiger on rocks with bamboo grass and a dragon holding a Precious Gem in flight among swirling clouds: the two appear ready to engage in a fight. Very nice pairing of the most powerful Zodiac animals, bronze disc with gilding, eyes of both beasts are inlaid with shakudo with its characteristic strong black color...

19th century boxwood netsuke of Thunder God Raiden standing on his drum that he tore open by beating it with a striker on the clouds. According to Japanese folklore by beating the drum Raiden creates thunder. The stretched leather part of the drum is lacquered in Negoro style: red lacquer over black, so as it wears the black starts showing. The bottom of the drum is carved as a seal, with a seal script reading HARUYOSHI (alternative reading is Shunko) in a reserve shaped like a mallet of Daikoku...

19th century netsuke of a puppy wearing a collar with a bell and lying on an old straw sandal. Wonderful quality carving - see its right front paw lifting a straw rope that it is about to chew, its chubby body and perfectly rendered texture of woven straw of the sandal. Signed KAIGYOKUSAI in rectangular reserve on the bottom for Masateru, whose more common signature is KAIGYOKU MADO MASATERU (Kaigyoku’s grandson, Masateru)...

Very unusual 19th century lacquered wood sashi type netsuke carved in a shape of a cloud dragon with its head turned back onto itself, its neck forming himotoshi. Does not photograph well, impressive when handled. Elegant and clever carving, all 4 legs are in different positions, nice rendition of its face and hair. Wood is lacquered in Negoro style - red lacquer over black, so as it wears the black starts showing, gold lacquer highlights, excellent wear and patina on the surface...

19th century Japanese silver two pronged kanzashi - a hair pin - with ear pick spoon on the terminal and decoration of a sacred key and Daikoku’s magic mallet. Excellent and clever piece implying a wish of wealth to the owner, with superb quality work - see the incised wood texture of the mallet. I did not test the metal, but confident that it is silver, the sacred key is gilded. Some tarnished areas, can be cleaned if needed. Length 6 3/4 inches.

Unusual 19th century Japanese small page turner / book mark carved in low relief with two landscape scenes in scholarly taste: the front with a scholar’s hut dramatically perched on high vertical rocks above pine trees, the back with pines on rocks with a view of two sailing junks on the sea. Beautiful design perfectly imitating scroll format - what you see are really two unrolled scroll paintings, superb quality quiet carving, pleasant wear and patina...

19th century/Meiji period Japanese bone paper knife/page turner with low relief carving of a butterfly in flight above a flowering peony bush issuing from rocks. Very nice quality carving, brown, green and red ink highlight. Great patina, signed OSAI on the back, pleasant to hold, good desk object. Length 5 15/16 inches.

19th century/Meiji period Japanese bone paper knife/page turner with low relief carving of a butterfly in flight above 2 branches of morning glory, one of the in bloom. Very nice quality carving, red ink highlights. Great patina, signed GYOKUSAI on the back, pleasant to hold, good desk object. Length 6 1/2 inches.

Late Meiji Japanese Bizen pottery ware chaire (tea caddy for storing powdered green tea used in tea ceremony) with slender body and narrow mouth. Wonderful potting, beautiful patina, very nice texture and play of colors to the partial light glaze on its surface. Inscribed by the potter on the bottom. Turned bone cover lined with silver colored foil on the inside. Great piece in excellent condition. Height with cover 2 15/16 inches.

Late Meiji - early Taisho (1890s - 1910s) Japanese Arita porcelain chaire (tea caddy for storing powdered green tea used in tea ceremony) with sometsuke (underglaze blue and white) decoration. Painted in Shonsui style: initial Shonsui ware is Chinese blue and white porcelain imported to Japan starting in the reign of Tianqi Emperor (1621-1627). Starting from the 18th century Arita kilns have been producing their own items in Shonsui style...