Catalog (283)

Framed painting of a warrior with a drawn sword, holding a severed head in his hand. On his back a flag with the image of a skull. Perhaps one of the heroes of the Taiheiki, such as Endo Giemon Masatada. But between Kuniyoshi and other Utagawa artists, several series of heroes were produced. Unsigned. The style of Utagawa Kuniyoshi or Tsukioka Yoshitoshi. Black ink and colors on paper, mounted as a scroll, cut and framed. Japan, Edo period, 19th century.

Frame H 49 ½ x W 27 ¼ in. Image H 38 x W 20 in.

Some restored horizontal tears and worm holes.

Cast iron kakebotoke or votive plaque for a Buddhist temple or house shrine, showing Amida Nyorai in low relief with ajour in mandorla. Japan, Meiji era, 19/20th century.

Diameter 6 ¼ inches

Excellent condition

Pair of golden yellow silk fukusa or gift covers, with diamond pattern with water birds design in brocade weave, over which is embroidered in different hues of pink and in goldthread. The larger fukusa is decorated with a lobster carrying a treasure boat, holding several of the treasures. The smaller fukusa is decorated with a treasure boat, as well. Reverse decorated in brocade technique with a family crest in white silk. Japan, Taisho or Showa era, ca. early to mid-20th century.

H 29 ¾ x W 26 ½ inches and H 24 ½ x W 22 ¼ inches.

The smaller one with slight bleeding on the reverse (consistent with usage). Otherwise both in excellent condition.

Hanging scroll. Painting of a tiger before a rock and bamboo, text in the upper half. Black ink and some faint red color on silk. Signed 73 year old hogen Sosen hitsu. Red artist’s seal. Japan, 18th century.

Yamamoto Sosen (1679-1760), Kyoto, Kano School

Painted area: 40 x 17 inches
Overall height 73 ¼ inches

Few tiny worm holes, old very light water stain, otherwise very good condition.

Beautiful thick bronze hollow votive figure in the shape of Dainichi Nyorai sitting on a lotus base, former part of a kakebotoke. His head gear finely engraved with floral motives. Bronze with dark brown patina and traces of gilding. Kamakura period, 14th century.

Mounted on Japanese, old kiri-wood stand

H 4 ¼ inches

Excellent condition

Almost square fukusa or gift cover, with hand-painted (yuzen dye-technique) and embroidered (silk, god and silver thread) decoration of a garden landscape around a house in spring. Possibly a scene from the Tale of Genji.
Reverse of the cover is a bright red silk cloth decorated in brocade weave with cranes, chrysanthemums, bamboo, pine and shippo design.
Silk tassels. Japan, Meiji era, probably early 20th century.

H 26 ½ x W 25 inches.

One tassel missing, one sharp central fold bending some silver threads, otherwise fine condition.

Rare pair of foxes that guard a Inari shrine. One holding a jewel in the mouth, the other a key. Each squatting on a little pedestal. Earthenware with mineral color pigments red, blue, white and black. Japan, Edo period, 19th century.

H 19-1/2 x W 6-1/2 x D 9 inches.

One tail restored, key broken and partially replaced for the sake of symmetry, few chips. All in all excellent condition.

Very small double side zushi with inside the images of the Buddha Amida Nyorai and on the other side a Bodhisattva holding a covered jar. All doors painted with lotus flowers in water on a golden back ground. The zushi itself made of kiri-wood (Paulownia), which is known and used for its fire resisting qualities. Very special piece. Japan, Edo period, 18th century.

H 2 ¾ inches

Few age cracks (see photos), paint on doors a bit rubbed, otherwise excellent condition. Beautiful details.

Zushi or shrine with inside a wooden sculpture of an erect penis dressed in the typical dress of a palace groom, using the grain of the wood to accentuate belly and knees. Fertility symbol, probably used / displayed during local fertility festivals. Also classified as waraimono - things that make you smile. Japan, Meiji era, around 1900.

Case H ca. 10 ½ inches; sculpture H 6 ¼ inches

Zushi with a lot of wear. Sculpture in fine condition; was formerly glued to another base plate.

Stoneware receptacle, probably used as a kensui, or waste-water jug, in the tea ceremony. Relatively high, straight sides with a constriction under the edge, decorated with the typical green glaze patches and geometrical patterns and plant motives in iron brown on white slip. Bottom inside left unglazed. Impressed seal in bottom, in the shape of a flying plover. Seto ware, Oribe style, Japan, Taisho period or early Showa, 1920s-1930s.

H 4 ¼ inches, diam. circa 4 ¼ inches.

Inside with water stains (chalk), slightly calcified crackle of green glaze on outside, tiny glaze chip, all in all very good condition.

Bronze cylindrical handwarmer (shuro or te-aburi) with decoration of gourds plastically dangling from a band of low relief leaves and vines. The spokes in the shoulder and cover also in the shape of gourds. The flat part of the cover with fretwork in the shape of leaves and engraved vines. Playful combination of brown and yellow bronze. The handles wrapped in soft leather. Japan, Taisho/Showa eras, 1920s-1930s.
Comes with the original fitted tomobako signed and with inscription on the outside of the cover:
Nakagawa Joeki tsukuru and seal Joeki; Bronze handwarmer with [design of] gourds and vines …

H ca. 12 in. diameter ca. 8 ½ in.

Few scuffs consistent with usage, leather a bit dry and brittle.

Nakagawa Joeki X (1880-1940) was famous for excellent metal work in beautiful art deco style. He came from a family of armor makers, going back to the 16th century. His son, Joeki XI (b. 1920), is the current head of the Nakagawa family.
Although the handwarmer itself is not signed, the craftsmanship and the storage box identify the master

Small compact vase of irregular shape on a wide foot. Brown clay with white mineral and tiny pebble inclusions typical for Shigaraki and Iga ware, with green and white ash glaze over cross hatched pattern on the shoulder.
A small metal loop on the shoulder in the back to hang the vase from a beam in the tokonoma.

Bottom unglazed. Impressed seal of artist: Kozan.
Japan, Iga ware, Showa/Heisei, circa 1970s-1980s.

H 3-3/4 in., W 4-3/4 in.

Mint condition

Morisato Kozan (b. 1915). Well-known Iga ware potter

Very large pear-shaped chaire. Very dark brown stoneware, thin walls, with thin glaze of oily colors and fiery brown-red running down. Ofuke ware, Owari Province (Nagoya), Japan, late 18th century.

H 4 ½ inches

Fine condition, old handwritten label, identifying the piece as Ofuke, dating it to 1780s.

Provenance: Private collection of chaire (collection no. 37); bought from E & J Frankel, New York, May 17, 1984; ex Vassar College collection; ex Pratt Institute collection (1906)

Tall and slender, almost cylindrical chaire. Brown fine stoneware with spiraling engraving on top, covered with olive green translucent glaze with fine crackle, and with a white and blue triangular patch dripping down. Seto region, Japan, 18th century.
Comes with wooden storage box.

H 6-1/8 inches

Fine condition

Provenance: Private collection of chaire (collection no. 17); purchased at Sotheby’s New York Important Japanese Works of Art, Sale 4599Y, May 6, 1981, Lot #314; collection c.m.s.p (oval handwritten label with no. 150)

Stoneware water jar or mizusashi as used in the tea ceremony with round bottom developing into a diamond shaped edge. Greyish smooth stoneware, decorated with horizontal grooves, covered with brown iridescent glaze on the outside and with a mottled greenish-yellow glaze on the inside, dripping over the outside edge and down. Black lacquered, diamond-shaped coved. Takatori style, Japan, early Showa era, circa 1930-1950s.

H without cover 5¾ in.; with cover 6½ in.

Jar in fine condition, cover with 2 chips.

Irregularly shaped cylindrical chaire. Tea caddy used in the tea ceremony during the colder months. Dark brown or black glaze with one thick splash of yellow and green glaze. Footring. Raku style. Japan, 17th/18th century.

H 3¾ inches

Firing crack at lip, several old gold lacquer repairs at lip and foot and bottom, all in all fine condition

This probably was a drinking cup (mukozuke) originally and was converted into a tea caddy at some point.

Provenance: Private collection of chaire; purchased at Christie's South Kensington Japanese Art and Design Including Arts of the Samurai Wednesday 9 November 2011, Lot #81; Cleveland Museum of Art (paper labels TR2741; 17 146; and 17 146A); several other collection labels.

Chaire with high, flat shoulder. Whitish gray stoneware with dark brown, partially transparent glaze with ochre colored splashes on shoulder, dripping down the body in thin clouds. Perhaps Seto region. Japan, 18th century.

H 3¾ inches

Some scraping of glaze on lip and body, consistent with age, all in all fine condition

Private collection of chaire (collection no. 54); bought from ‘private dealer’ (according to label inside piece); collection number in black lacquer written on bottom: 0-Ja-2-TOK-31-G

Very small stoneware chaire tea caddy, used in the tea ceremony during the colder months. Squat body with rounded shoulder and relatively wide mouth. Fine dark gray stoneware with yellow, brown and lavender colored glazes layered over each other and dripping down the body, with a fine thin crackle. Also glazed on inside. Seto ware, Owari Province, Japan, Edo period, 17th century or earlier.

H 2.25 inches.

Three brown lacquer repaired areas around the mouth, several longer and shorter very old vertical cracks, not in the least destabilizing the piece. All in all very good condition.

Provenance: Private collection of chaire, purchased at Christie's London, 2010; ex collection Louis Gonse; ex collection George Haviland; a catalog clipping comes with the piece, dating it to the 15th century.