Catalog (196)

A large and very attractive vase by Taizan, delicately painted in coloured enamels and gilding with two continuous fields of decoration, the neck with irises above a cloud band of floral trellis pattern, a swathe of scrolling foliage between formal borders. The base signed Dai Nihon Taizan sei and impressed Taizan.

Approximately 30.7 cm high. This vase appears to have had a charmed life, the enamels, and especially the gilding, are in an exceptional condition.

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This little chap is looking remarkably relaxed considering he has lost the tips of his fingers on one hand. And the tip of an ear also. Still, he is quite a rarity and makes a fine desk companion.

Approximately 6.5 cm high.7.5 cm maximum width.

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Customers resident in China must make arrangements to pay by International Bank Transfer in GBP, fees paid.

Pleas...

A Chinese export lacquer dish dating from the early 19th century, circa 1820.

Approximately 16 cm diameter. Good condition generally with just some minuscule flakes to the black lacquer on the back and light wear from use.

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Within the UK payment by bank to bank transfer is preferred.

Customers resident in China must make arrangements to pay by International Bank Transfer in GBP, fees paid.

Please note that all purchases w...

An attractive copper and brass food container from Tibet. I am attracted by its simplicity and note that the copper part is brass brazed with a large dovetail seam around the middle.

Approximately 28.5cm high. One or two small dents from use.

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Within the UK payment by bank to bank transfer is preferred.

Customers resident in China must make arrangements to pay by International Bank Transfer in GBP, fees paid.

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The bowl and cover with moulded panels of shi-shi and botan, peony flowers. All against an underglaze blue karakusa ground. The cover is surmounted by a seated shi-shi.

Unusually, the coloured decoration appears to have been applied in Europe, not as ‘clobbering’ but in reserves left blank for just such painting. Sotheby’s sold a pair of jars and covers, perhaps from the same workshop, as “Japan, Edo period, 18th-19th century, the painted decoration, Piedmontese.” Sotheby’s, 1...

Oliver Impey illustrates a coffee pot of the same form and design in ‘Japanese Export Porcelain, the catalogue of the Collection of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.’

Made for the European market during the last quarter of the 17th century and probably copied from a Dutch metal version. These coffee pots have a purpose-made opening in the lower body but taps seem to have been fitted upon arrival in Europe. This example has been fitted with a hinged pewter lid and the taphole has been stop...

A set of five Japanese porcelain bowls of tapering square form, the corners with shallow concave chamfers, decorated with alternating panels of flowers and Ho-0 birds.

Each base has a ‘Fuki Choshun’ four-character mark in underglaze blue.

Two similar bowls are illustrated in the Catalogue of the Shibata Collection, #2673 and #2674. Dated to 1690~1730.

Approximately 9.5 cm square at the mouth and 6.8 cm high. One with a little very light age related non-stained crazing on...

The decoration of flowers on this khendi has been reduced to the absolute minimum possibly denoting its destination as South East Asia where early exports from Arita were made.

Approximately 20cm high. Weight: 1.30 kg. Fine condition.

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Within the UK payment by bank to bank transfer is preferred.

Customers resident in China must make arrangements to pay by International Bank Transfer in GBP, fees paid.

Please note that ...

The dish is shaped in the form of a folded paper letter. Unusually it is decorated with a stenciled design of what appears to be a formal pattern of lightning behind an arrangement of stylised flowers. The back is simply decorated with pine needles.

Two dishes of very similar shape are illustrated in the Catalogue of the Shibata Collection, items 2604 and 2635, dated to 1690 ~ 1730.

Approximately 13.8cm wide. In fine condition. In the photograph of the back the foot-rim looks a...

The dish is shaped in the form of a folded paper letter. Unusually it is decorated with a stenciled design of what appears to be a formal pattern of lightning behind an arrangement of stylised flowers. The back is simply decorated with pine needles.

Two dishes of very similar shape are illustrated in the Catalogue of the Shibata Collection, items 2604 and 2635, dated to 1690 ~ 1730.

Approximately 14cm wide. In fine condition. This dish has a fine scratch in the porcelain, benea...

Decorated with a carp diving in waterweed executed in typically thick and strongly hued enamels. The back similarly decorated with oysters and weed, the centre with a large Kutani mark.

The Yoshidaya kiln was a short-lived venture, situated in Yamashiro, intended to revive earlier Kutani-style wares. The founding investor was Toyota Denuemon IV (aka Sekio, lived 1751-1827), a businessman who used the professional name Yoshidaya. He chose not to situate his kiln in Kutani because of the ...

A Japanese Porcelain food bowl and cover, 19th century.

The delicate porcelain bowl decorated with breaking waves, autumnal maple leaves and chrysanthemum flowers. Within the foot-rim is a coloured ‘clove’ mark. The lid, of similar design, sports a splendid flowerhead knop.

Approximately 15.2 cm diameter. Generally in good state but with some stained crazing. The rim of the bowl has small flakes filled with white. The lid has a little roughness on one part of the ...

A Rare Chinese ‘SHEN DE TANG BO GU ZHI’ Bowl, 16th ~ 17th Century

A fine and large porcelain bowl with a brown glaze draining from the mouth and leaving the rim with an attractive white line showing off the foliate edge. Within the foot-rim can be found the six-character mark shen de tang bo gu zhi, which may be translated, 'Antique made for the Hall for the Cultivation of Virtue'. The clear glaze has a distinct pale blue-green tinge. Noted is that the interior of the bowl exhibits a s...

An unusual Arita wall-vase, kakehana, circa 1750. The seed-shaped hollow body is moulded with trailing vines supporting a dragonfly. The painter has used two different greens, aubergine, yellow and black. The unglazed back is pierced for suspension. It is probable that this kakehana was made for the home market.

In 52 years of business I have found only two of these unusual vases, this one I kept for my collection.

Approximately 16.7cm long. Perfect condition with only a little w...

An unusual Arita porcelain tea pot styled after a cast-iron example. The textured surface is described as “nail head” when it appears on an iron tetsubin. Late 18th ~ early 19th century.

The Shibata Museum compendium has a pot of similar shape and cartouche, no nail head texture or iron dressing  but with additional cobalt decoration, item#3782.  1780~1820.

This example is approximately 17.5 cm high. The handle has a very obvious stress crack but no other problem. Fine ...

A Kutani “Yoshidaya Revival” dish, early 19th century.

The Yoshidaya kiln was a short-lived venture, situated in Yamashiro, intended to revive earlier Kutani-style wares. The founding investor was Toyota Denuemon IV (aka Sekio, lived 1751-1827), a businessman who used the professional name Yoshidaya. He chose not to situate his kiln in Kutani because of the site's remote location, but his wares emulate the earlier Kutani wares in a variety of ways.

Approximately 15...

A pair of Japanese Export porcelain models of Karashishi, the fabled Buddhist lion-dogs of Japan. Arita, early 18th century. White porcelain with iron-red enamel decoration.

Each is approximately 6.5cm high, 6cm long. The first is in fine condition with some firing lines as issued. The second has a largish chip to the tail and leans slightly.

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An Arita porcelain whistle in the form of a reclining Chinese boy. Decorated in Kakiemon-type underglaze blue, green and iron-red enamels. Circa 1680 ~ 1700.

A similar whistle is illustrated in Christiaan J. A. Jorg’s ‘Fine & Curious, Japanese Export Porcelain in Dutch Collections.’

Approximately 7.4 cm long. Perfect condition.

Please study the photographs.

Within the UK payment by bank to bank transfer is preferred.

Customers resident in China...