Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian (159)

Gold and black lacquer painted box. The decor consists of reserves containing pictural scenes of characters in gardens with pavilions. The bottom is decorated with flowers.
The inside of the lid is decorated with tea leaves in gold lacquer on a black lacquer background.
This box rests on four wood polychrome lacquer feet carved in the shape of a bat.

China circa 1880
Height 4.72 in. (12 cm) – Width 11.42 (29 cm) – Depth 8.27 (21 cm)

Pair of ceramicware toads with three legs on their bases engraved in wood. One of them holds a pearl in his mouth.

The tree-legged toad, derived from Chinese mythology, is a Feng Shui symbol representing prosperity and wealth. Chan Chu, the three-legged toad, is mentioned by the poet Qu Yuan in Chu’s Songs...

Covered pot in Chinese Imari porcelain decorated with peonies and chrysanthemums in a pot. The domed lid is surmounted by a seated figure in gilt bronze.
The lips and the circumference of the lid are underlined by a floral motif in blue underglaze arranged in a frieze, enhanced by gilding and punctuated by small cartouches. The golden handles remind a plant motif...

Perfume fountain in porcelain Imari kinrandé mounted in gilt bronze from the same set of porcelain. The cup and the bowl form the base, the pot covers the perfume container.
Blue under-cover decoration with gold highlights of interlacing lotus flowers. On each of the ceramic pieces, two four-lobed spaces and sides with floral motifs (pine, yellow and red lycoris, carnation, phlox moss, bamboo) and two foxes. Top of the pot with a chrysanthemum pattern...

Circular kobako in gold lacquer, decorated with cranes and pines on a nashiji background. The interior is in nashiji lacquer. On the lid, we can see the mon of the Tsugaru family (津軽).
This family is a samurai clan from the province of Mutsu, in the north of Japan. It was originally a branch of the Nambu clan, which became free during the Azuchi Momoyama period (1573-1603)...

An amazing japanese table composed of two beautifully decorated shelves. The upper shelf depicts a waterfall, high waves and pine trees in gold and brown takamaki-e, hirakami-e lacquer and kirigane on a base of nashi-ji. It lies on two openwork side panels.
The lower shelf is more sparsely decorated but still finely executed. It depicts a cottage surrounded by hills and trees in gold and brown takamaki-e and hiramaki-e lacquer, kirigane and nashi-ji...

Ikebana basket made of dark brown varnished bamboo wickerwork, square shape with rounded edges. Thicker bamboo braids on both sides and on two of the four sides in the extension of the handle. Removable handle in five segments. Round pot to hold flowers.
Transport box included.

Weaving similar technique to a ikebana basket conserved at the Musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac, Paris : Anonymous, Hanakago Karamono - Utsushi, Edo-Meiji period, 19th century...

Carved wooden tray decorated with two dragons.

Indochina – First half of the 20th century
Height: 1 in (2.5 cm) – width: 13.4 in (34 cm) – length: 23.6 in (60 cm)

Child Jesus as a Good Shepherd ivory statuette on a pedestal. He is naked and his face is gently leaned. His hairs are sculpted in fine strand of hair shaping curls. His almond eyes and his fixed look suggest a mystic and pensive attitude. The Christ child is seated, he is in a deeply meditation...

Polylobed lacquer box (kobako) with chrysanthemum decoration. On the lid, maki-e lacquer decoration, a slight relief in the center of the two flowers. Sides in fundame and base in nashi-ji.

Inside, two decorations of vegetal landscapes with flowers (campanulas, pampas, pampers) and butterflies in maki-e on a nashi-ji background...

Pair of stamped brass stirrups decorated with Hashizuka, Ito and Manabe Mon.

Japan - Edo (1615-1868), 18th century.
Height 10.24in - 26 cm
Length 12.6in - 32 cm
Width 4.72in - 12 cm

As in Western culture, the culture Japanese stirrups were part of traditional accessories used only by the nobility and the people belonging to the upper class...

Bamboo sitting toad. The node of the wood is used as the base of the statuette.

The toad and the frog, referred to by the same term in Japanese (kaeru) are associated with good luck and wealth. Kaeru means both "toad" and "coming home" in Japanese. This extension of meaning is due to the ability of the toad to return to the pond of its birth every year...

Bamboo toad on a bluebell flower. The node of the wood is used as the base of the statuette.

The toad and the frog, referred to under the same term in Japanese (kaeru) are associated with good luck and wealth. Kaeru means both "toad/frog" and "coming home" in Japanese. This extension of meaning is due to the ability of the toad to return to the pond of its birth every year. A gong in the shape of a toad can thus sometimes be used as a door hammer or to protect a house. The bluebell...

Banko pottery teapot with polychrome birds decoration in relief on a natural background imitating a basketry resting on a saddle. Different birds decorate the edges of the teapot, the neck of one of them and the tail of another forming the passersby of the handle, a duck with outstretched wings and a large beak forming the spout.

Banko pottery is a type of Japanese pottery originating from Yokkaichi (Mie prefecture) in central Japan. Banko pottery has existed for 270 years, far bey...

Japanese lacquered gold and silver hira maki-e biwa shape box (kobako).

Japan, Edo period

Length 7,67 in – Width 3,14 in – Heigth 0,7 in

The biwa is a japanese short-necked fretted luth, often used in narrative storrytelling. The biwa is chosen instrument of Benten, goddess of music, eloquence and poetry.

Two big eight-sided kaioke boxes in black lacquer, decorated with mon and maple leaves in golden lacquer.

Japan, Meiji period (1868-1912)
Height: 17,6 in (44,7 cm) -Width : 14,9 in (38 cm)

Kobako box decorated with stylized foliage in black and gold hiramaki-e lacquer. The motif is karakusa, a growing plant extending in all directions. It symbols prosperity and longevity. Interior is lined with a floral fabric and topped with a pewter border.

Japan – Meiji era (1868-1912)
Height: 2.5 in / 6.5 cm – width: 3.5 in / 9 cm – depth: 3 in / 7.5 cm

Inrō with four boxes in black and gold lacquer, representing characters and a pavilion in a snowy landscape.

Small boxes formed of compartments that fit one on top of the other, inrō (印 籠) are traditional Japanese clothing items. Since the kimono had no pockets, everyday objects were carried in small boxes (sagemono) hung on the belt (obi). To prevent them from slipping, a netsuke, a small wooden or ivory figurine, was used to hold the cord of the inrō or o...

Suzuribako box (empty) in black lacquer. Gold maki-e decoration of a river bordered by peonies, one with red highlights. The edges of the lid are in gold lacquer. Nashi-ji interior.

Japan – Meiji era (1868-1912)
Height: 1.8 in (4.7 cm) – width : 8.3 in (21.3 cm) – dept: 10 in (25.5 cm)

Golden patinated bronze representing a lying crane with its baby bird on its back.

The Japanese crane is also known as tanshozuru (丹頂鶴) which mean “red crowned crane”. It is known to be standing for longevity since the tale told this animal to be 100 years old. The crane is omnipresent in Japanese culture, mostly in the tales of “Tsuru no Ongaeshi” and “Tsuru Nyobo".

Furthermore, if you fold and bound a thousand crane of a paper to each other throughout ...

Okimono sculpture in bronze of a crow perched on a tree stump in varnished wood. Its eyes are in shakudo.
In Japan, the crow (karasu) is a symbol of gratitude and family love. It is also considered as the divine messenger of good omen. The Kojiki (713) relates that the crow Yatagarasu guided the mythical founder of Japan, Emperor Jinmu (660-585 BC), on a military campaign to Yamato.

Signed under the crow within an oval cartouche 義光, Yoshimitsu.

Japan - Mei...

Okimono in bronze of a frog.
Seal of the founder or of his factory on its belly, not identified.

The frog (kaeru) is associated with luck and wealth. Kaeru means both "frog" and "coming home" in Japanese. This extension of meaning is due to the ability of the frog to return each year to the pond of its birth. A gong in the shape of a frog can thus sometimes be used as a door hammer or to protect a house.

Japan - Meiji Era (1868-1912)
Height: 1.4 in. ...

Okimono in bronze of a frog.
Seal of the founder or of his factory on its belly, not identified.

The frog (kaeru) is associated with luck and wealth. Kaeru means both "frog" and "coming home" in Japanese. This extension of meaning is due to the ability of the frog to return each year to the pond of its birth. A gong in the shape of a frog can thus sometimes be used as a door hammer or to protect a house.

Japan - Meiji Era (1868-1912)
Height: 0.9 in. ...

Frog on a water lily and a lotus root at the base. The whole is in bronze with a dark brown patina.

In the Japanese bestiary, the frog has a special place, carrying positive values. Both the frog and the toad, called kaeru, come back every year, no matter how far away they are from the pond where they were born. The word Kaeru is a synonym for "coming home". It is the protective animal for travelers and the symbol of hospitality. Its effigy is present on door hammers or gongs placed...

Black-patina bronze hare standing on its hind legs.

In Japanese, the hare and the rabbit are designated by a single word: usagi. The hare occupies an important place in the legends and superstitions of Japan. Like many other animals, it is supposed to reach a fabulous age and become blue at five hundred years.

Japan - Meiji Era (1868-1912)
Height: 5.7 in. (14.5 cm) - width: 2.8 in. (7 cm) - depth: 4.3 in. (11 cm)

Black-patina bronze hare standing on its four legs.

There is only one Japanese word for both hare and rabbit : usagi. Hares hold an important place in Japanese myths and superstitions. As many other animals, they were believed to reach a fabulous age and become blue at five hundred.

Japan - Meiji Era (1868-1912) Height : 4.9 in. (12.5 cm) - width : 2.8 in. (7 cm) - depth : 4.5 in. (11.5 cm)

Bronze incense burner representing an old man, riding a carp hands joined, in a tumultuous sea.

The man could also remind the deity of fishermen and prosperity, Ebisu, which is often represented with a carp. However, it is usually represented with a large hat called kazaori eboshi.

The carp is a fish symbolizing perseverance, courage and wisdom, as it swims up rivers and waterfalls against the current. It is said that if it manages to swim up the Yellow River, facing th...

Dark brown patina bronze figure of a standing kappa with its right leg leaning on a cucumber. The figure is put on four-legged rattan-like bronze stand.

The kappa (河童) is a aquatic creature taken from Japanese folklore having the appearance of an anthropomorphic turtle.
His skull is either slightly hollowed out to accommodate water, from which it derives its power, or hidden with a water lily leaf hiding this sag. Naturally polite, it is advisable to bow to him in order th...

Bronze sculpture of a giraffe beetle (Prosopocoilus girafa). The top of the abdomen is raised, revealing a perfume burner. The lucanus, in Japanese kuwagata mushi, is highly valued for its playfulness and aesthetic value.
Insects (mushi) have a very important place in Japanese culture. Insect hunting is a popular pastime, especially among children. Using nets and cages, they catch cicadas, beetles and other insects to observe them. Mushi can indeed be seen as familiar animals, playing a ro...

Polychrome bronze statuette of a group of mice around a pumpkin and a pomegranate. The five mice have a dark brown patina, while the hollowed-out gourd is dark brown and the split pomegranate is dark red.

Written in a cartouche on one of the pumpkin slices, "Shôsai Foundry" (正齊鋳, shôsai-chû).
Japan – Meiji era (1868-1912)
Height: 6.4 in. (16.3 cm) – width: 7.8 in. (20 cm) – depth: 7.3 in. (18.5 cm)

Japanese bronze representing two mice, one of them pulling a treasure bag.

The mouse or the rat (both called nezumi in Japanese), one of the zodiac signs, is a symbol of fortune. This bag can be compared to the treasure bag of Hotei, one of the seven gods of Happiness. A figure of prosperity, he is also the god of joy, abundance and the guardian of children. His bag contains everything a person needs in his daily life.

Unidentified seal below.

Japan - M...

Japanese bronze brown patinated representing a hare laying on a crescent moon.

Japan – Showa (1912-1926)
Height: 11 cm – 4,3 inches

The Hare is a very beloved animal in Japan. Each year, on the 15th day of the 8th month of the moon calendar, Japanese are celebrating “Tskukumi”, a party paying tribute to the hare of a tale.
A God decided to get down on earth as a starved man. He went to the forest to see how animal used to find something to ea...

Bronze okimono with brown patina of a mouse lying down. The coat, the tail and the legs are chiselled. The details of the head are particularly detailed, such as the moustache hairs and the long eyelashes.
In Japan, the term nezumi refers to both the mouse and the rat. They are regarded as the messenger of Daikokuten, the deity of trade and wealth. In the Chinese zodiac, taken over by Shintoism in Japan, the rat (or mouse) is the first of the twelve animals, a place that, according to the ...

A bronze okimono of an owl, constructed in two sections, the short-eared owl (detachable) perched on a tree branch with its head cocked quizzically to the right and its wings folded at its sides; signed on one side of the branch Seimin chu within a rectangular reserve, by Murata Seimin (村田製眠, 1761-1837)

Japan - Edo period (1603-1868)
Height : 10¼ in - length : 10¼ (26 cm x26 cm)

Group of three bronze rabbits with black patina, partially chiselled. Two rabbits resting on their four legs, the third trained on its hind legs. In Japanese, the hare and the rabbit are designated by a single word: usagi. The hare occupies an important place in Japanese legends and superstitions. Like many other animals, it is supposed to reach a fabulous age and become blue at five hundred years old.

Japan - Meiji Era (1868-1912)
Small Rabbit: Length: 8 cm - Width:...