Catalog: Antiques (152)

An early Arita porcelain dish, Kakiemon, 17th Century, circa 1655~1670.

The centre of the dish with a table display of bonsai-like foliage. The curved cavetto with plant-filled lozenges against a blue ground.

The mark within the foot-rim was used at the Chokichidani kiln and the Old Kakiemon kiln in the period 1655 ~ 1670’s...

An Arita Export porcelain dish decorated with a design based on a Ming Chinese Kraak plate. A pair of Ho-o birds amongst flowers and bursting pomegranates. Arita, circa 1690 - 1720. A similar dish is illustrated in the Shibata Collection, Kyushu Ceramic Museum, item 2495.

The border pattern shows a striking similarity to that used for V.O.C. orders produced at the Hikeoba and Sarugawa kilns. Circa 1680.

Approximately 21.3 cm diameter...

An Arita Export porcelain dish decorated with a design based on a Ming Chinese Kraak plate. A pair of Ho-o birds amongst flowers and bursting pomegranates. Arita, circa 1690 - 1720. A similar dish is illustrated in the Shibata Collection, Kyushu Ceramic Museum, item 2495.

The border pattern shows a striking similarity to that used for V.O.C. orders produced at the Hikeoba and Sarugawa kilns. Circa 1680.

Approximately 21.3 cm diameter...

A Kakiemon blue & white porcelain dish decorated with a delicately painted asymmetrical scrolling foliage design. The rim with an iron-rich dressing. The back with a kin (gold) character within a double border. The kin mark is associated with the Old Kakiemon and Nangawara-Kamanotsuji kilns and used around the later period of the 17th century and possibly into the 18th.

A very similar dish is illustrated in Beauty of Prime Period Imari. Kano Seki, Ko-Imari Publication, 1990. No...

An Early Arita “Snowflake” plate. Circa 1680. The thickly potted porcelain dish decorated with snowflakes and flowering prunus. The back with a lozenge mark.

Provenance: R&G McPherson Antiques, London W8.

Approximately 18.7 cm diameter...

A Japanese porcelain “100 Boys” plate, 18th century.

This unusual plate was made in Arita between 1720 and 1760. It shows a hall crammed with boys, an elevated youthful figure surrounded by attendants, two of which are carrying fans. To me it looks like the interior of a temple with children depicting the abbot and gathering of monks. Above the Abbot can be found a sign, Hyakushindo, “The Hall of 100 Children.” ( Baizitang in Chinese )...

A fine gourd-shaped bottle decorated in Chinese Transitional style. Arita 1660 – 1680.

The bottle is decorated in late Ming style with the enjoyment of nature. These bottles are not uncommon but are seldom encountered with such fine painting.

The Catalogue of the Shibata Collection exhibits two similar bottles.

Approximately 20.4 cm high...

A fine and large Arita export octagonal jar, 1680 ~ 1700. The jar has similar painting around the neck and shoulder as those produced at the Kakiemon kilns.

Approximately 40 cm high. In fine undamaged condition. I have shown some very shallow flakes on the inside of the neck, this appears to have occurred before the firing...

A kakemono presenting an example of calligraphy by Shunsui Rai, 1743 ~ 1813. Shunsui was a Confucian scholar of some influence in the Hiroshima district and an historian. He is the father of Sanyo Rai, 1781~1832, who also became a notable calligrapher and a painter and scholar.

Overall the dimensions are 170cm x 36cm. The picture size is 91cm x 25cm. The scroll ends are rosewood. Good condition overall with just minor horizontal creases noted.

Please study the photog...

An old Japanese letter mounted as a scroll. The author is not known but was considered of sufficient merit to be mounted as a scroll. The writing paper has a hard to see light embossing of a Chinese style pattern. This shows best when written upon, otherwise it is practically invisible. A curious feature of this scroll is the addition of another document on the reverse. This does not appear to be a patch repair, rather is seems to be a complete document. The woven silk mount looks quite old. The...

A Japanese painting of bijin traveling on horseback, attended by her servant. It is an old painting that certainly has been remounted many times, this latest remount in a very bold and attractive fashion. The scroll ends are lacquered wood. Unsigned.

The former owner attributed this work to Nishikawa Sukenobu, 1671~1751. Sukenobu was a successful ukiyo-e designer of illustrated books as well as a painter, He was an important member of the Kyoto ukiyo-e school.

Overall the sc...

A Japanese porcelain chawan, tea bowl, decorated with a continuous landscape. The concave foot left unglazed. The rim has a number of kintsugi, repaired chips using lacquer and gold dust.

A similar tea bowl is shown in Sekai Toji Zhenshu, Ceramic Art of the World, Vol 8. Edo Period III, no:240, described as Nakano Kiln, Hirado, mid 18th century.

Approximately 11 cm diameter. Fine condition.

Please study the photographs.

Within the UK payment by bank transfe...

A Chinese Longquan celadon porcelain yen-yen or phoenix tail vase. Longquan ceramics are from Zhejiang Province and many moons ago we would call these crackled green glazes“Chekiang celadons”. This vase is late Ming/early Qing, 16th ~ 17th century. The unglazed foot has burned deep orange during the firing.

Approximately 26.7 high. The weight is approximately 1760 gm. Fine condition except for a largish chip on the mouth-rim.

Please study the photographs.

W...

A Chinese Shiwan stoneware fanghu vase with a jun glaze, late Ming/early Qing dynasty. The hollow tube handles associate this type of vase with the arrow game pastime but this example, given the small diameters involved would be unsuitable. The glaze is a transmutation glaze and its colour is decided by the kiln conditions at the peak temperature.

Shiwan (Shekwan) ceramics are from southern China, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province.

Approximately 21.7cm high. Weight is 935 gm. Ro...

A rare Sometsuke Mukozuke dish, the design of a partially folded fan taken directly from Chinese porcelain made especially for export to Japan during the late Ming Dynasty, Tianqi Period 1621-1627. Modelled in the form of a partially unfolded Fan and decorated with a figure on a riverbank, the river and a solitary boat before him The naturalistically modeled back is plain and has three thickly potted circular feet.

Approximately 21 cm long. This example has an old gold-lacquer (ki...

A rare Japanese Sometsuke Mukozuke dish, the design of a partially folded fan taken directly from Chinese porcelain made especially for export to Japan during the late Ming Dynasty, Tianqi Period 1621-1627. Modelled in the form of a partially unfolded an and decorated with a figure on a riverbank, the river and a solitary boat before him The naturalistically modeled back is plain and has three thickly potted circular feet.

Approximately 21cm long.

Please study the ph...

A fine early 18th sake flask, Tokkuri, of European form, the shape derived from Dutch Gin bottles. It is decorated with alternating panels of the Three Friends of Winter, Shochikubai, and a rather unusual combination of a Dragon amongst clouds, and stylised Ginko. The shoulders of the bottle are decorated with stylised Lotus mon amongst karakusa, and the top with a tako-karakusa, octopus scroll, border.

Approximately 19 cm high. In perfect condition.

Please study the pho...

The shallow dish with a roundel containing a very finely painted coiled dragon, Danryū mon, within a double circle. The cavetto is decorated with a stenciled trellis or Chinese lie-wen design against a pale ruri background. Within the foot-rim is found an apocryphal Chinese Ming Chenghua reign mark.

See Shibata vol II #612, for another example, dated to 1690-1710.

Approximately 17 cm diameter. In perfect condition.

Please study the photographs.

Within t...