Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Japanese (899)

Late Meiji (1890s - 1910s) marine netsuke of a standing tanuki (badger) holding some huge unspecified part of its private parts in its paws. In Japanese folklore tanuki is a notorious trickster: he drums with his paws on his large belly (tanuki no hara tsuzumi), imitating the sounding of gongs in temples and inns, and leading tired travelers astray in the darkness...

Late Meiji / early Taisho miniature Japanese porcelain vase depicting a family of 3 egrets in different attitudes. Perfect potting, elegant shape, beautiful underglaze powder green ground, eyes and beaks of of the birds are done in underglaze blue, in perfect condition. Signed in underglaze blue SENPO SENO SEI (Made in Senpo’s pottery) on the bottom. Height 3 3/8 inches.

19th century small underglaze blue and white Japanese Arita porcelain sweetmeat dish used during tea ceremony, in lozenge shape with decoration of 2 boys among bushes on the inside, and scrolling vines on the outside. Very nice potting with indented corners, wonderful thick glaze with minute bubbles, beautiful dark spots in the paste consistent with age. Very good quality freehand painting, overall in excellent condition. Length 4 1/8 inches.

19th century kagamibuta (mirror lid) netsuke, the top being Chinese carving adopted as netsuke, with deeply undercarved scene of 4 scholars among trees and pavilions. Wonderful crisp carving, great wear and patina, overall in great condition, beautiful rosewood bowl with rich warm colors, freely rotating wooden peg on the back for hanging. Diameter 1 11/16 inches.

Late 18th to early 19th century bronze suigaraake (ashtray) netsuke in a modified hexagonal drum shape, its outside cast with a sinuous water dragon chasing a Precious Gem. Very well designed piece, good detailing, functional netsuke shape. Nice old piece with very pleasant patina on metal. Maximum diameter 1 3/4 inches.

Pair of early 19th century menuki - Japanese sword fittings - each depicting a pair of pigeons in different attitudes. Superb design, excellent casting and detailing, beautiful patina. Length 1 3/16 inches.

Pair of early 19th century Japanese sword menuki depicting two dancers - a samurai with sword, and a merchant with fan. There is a nice detail for a netsuke lover - merchant is wearing an inro suspended by a gourd netsuke. Elegant design, superb detailing with gilding, in excellent condition. Fantastic example of Japanese metalwork. Height 1 1/8 inches.

Pair of early 19th century menuki - Japanese sword fittings - each depicting a wasp in different attitude on a tube containing their eggs. Shakudo with gilding, fantastic design, superb casting and detailing, beautiful patina. Length 1 7/16 inches.

Pair of early 19th century Japanese sword menuki depicting young Yoshitsune and Benkei at the Gojo bridge in Kyoto. For an account of this significant encounter see H. Joly LEGEND IN JAPANESE ART, p. 82. Do not photograph well. Shakudo body, silver inlaid highlights, in great condition. Length of Yoshitsune menuki is 1 inch.

Pair of early 19th century menuki - Japanese sword fittings - each depicting different hanaike - hanging container for flower arrangement, one made out of a bamboo stem, the other out of a hollow double gourd. Fantastic unusual design in Japanese taste, excellent casting and detailing, beautiful patina. Length 1 7/16 inches.

Pair of 19th century Japanese sword menuki each depicting an undulating dragon among clouds in different attitude. Did not photograph well - photos came out too harsh. Excellent design, bronze with fire gilding, superb casting and detailing, beautiful patina. Length 1 7/8 inches.

Pair of early 19th century Japanese sword menuki depicting lobsters on a bed of sea weeds. One menuki has Daikoku mallet on top (stands for wealth), and the other a character meaning long life. Excellent work with great detailing - see various textures of the shells. Bronze with coppery patina, gilded water drops on the sea weeds, overall in great condition. Length 1 9/16 inches.

Pair of early 19th century Japanese sword menuki depicting what appears to be different proverbs. The first one llustrates a sentence “A gourd against a catfish” meaning useless effort similar to trying to catch a slippery fish with a gourd. The other one depicts a puzzled man scratching his head by a samurai spear - I am not sure what this particular story is. Elegant design, bronze and shakudo with silvering and gilding, overall in great condition. Length 1 9/16 inches.

Pair of early 19th century Japanese sword menuki each depicting a samurai with a weapon in different attitudes: one is wielding a sword, the other a naginata (a machete on a wooden shaft). Wonderful work, bronze with silver inlays and gilding, slight wear, in great condition. Length 1 1/16 inches.

Pair of early 19th century Japanese sword menuki depicting egrets wading in a stream with swirling water, grasses and flowering water lilies. Elegant design, bronze with silvering and gilding, overall in very good condition. Length 1 3/8 inches.

Pair of early 19th century Japanese sword menuki each depicting a pair of armored samurai in sword fights in different attitudes. Wonderful work, bronze with gilding, slight wear, in very good condition. Length 1 1/4 inches.

Pair of early 19th century menuki - Japanese sword fittings - each depicting a pigeon in different attitude. Superb design, excellent casting and detailing - see the differentiated feathers of the birds, gilded highlights, beautiful patina. Comes with kiriwood box, fitted cushion with stretchy bands for holding menuki. Length 1 inch.

Pair of early 19th century Japanese sword menuki depicting wild boars resting on rockery, one with young. Great design and detailing, bronze with dark patina, gold highlights. Length 1 1/2 inches.