Late 18th Century Musha Ningyo of Minamoto no Yoshitsune. This wonderful early example of high quality has a great presence, sumptuous brocades, gold lacquered armor, a spectacular helmet, and many other fine details. His face is gorgeously and masterfully carved with finely burnished Gofun. An extraordinary example. Figure height: 15.75 inches, 40 cm. Overall dimensions: 20 x 20 inches, 51 x 51 cm. Excellent Condition.

A rare mirror black "famille noire" enamelled jar and cover depicting two birds perched on a branch of iron red flowering prunus blossom over green enamelled rockwork. This item is decorated in late Kangxi style (circa 1700-1720) but it was made later, during the reign of the Guangxu emperor (1875-1908). Condition - there is a hairline crack to the cover (please view enlargement 9); the jar itself is in excellent condition with no damages and no restoration...

ca. 1710-20s
Kangxi Period, Qing Dynasty
Porcelain with overglaze famille verte enamels
Diameter: 21.3 cm
From a Paris, France metro area estate

An interesting late Kangxi period famille verte export plate, marked with a ding censer to the base in underglaze blue, and decorated in to front in a style reminiscent of Kakiemon porcelain from the same period.

Condition: Good antique condition...

A beautiful powder jar of colorless crystal cased in rose crystal, cameo cut and then etched. The delicate pattern of wild roses stands out in rose against the frosty etched background. The design is beautifully worked. The bottom has a large concaved polished pontil. Several examples of this coloring and technique, although in different floral patterns, appears in Curtis’ exhaustive book, “Baccarat”.

Origin: France, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent, no chips or cracks...

Marvelous and Rare Sakura Porcelain Head Doll of a an American Baby Girl, with Bisque arms and legs. Her clothes are all original. An absolute must for the serious doll collector. She has a wonderful presence and a beautiful face. Sakura dolls were the first attempt by Japanese doll companies to imitate western porcelain doll making techniques, mainly for export purpose...

Antique Japanese rare two-section isho tansu (clothing chest) with a very interesting burl wood front, and lacquered sides. Each of its very large drawers has its own custom incised lockplate with imagery of cherry blossoms, bamboo, cranes, and other auspicious elements. Meiji period (1868-1912) Size: 51.25" height, 35.75" width, 16.75" depth

Japanese samurai dolls are part of the display used for Boy’s Day on every 5th of May in Japan. The dolls are figures of historical heroes or legendary people to inspire the boys of the family (probably husbands are also included today) with their manliness and hopefully discipline and bravery to go along with them. Samurai’s Yoroi armor, Kabuto helmet with swords, bow with arrows are popular items chosen today for the day.

This is a large, very impressive musha ningyo (warrior doll)...

Extremely Rare Edo Period late 18th/early 19th Century Buraku Theater Puppet. This very large puppet was operated by three puppet masters, with an operator manipulating the head and face to create a wide variety of expressions. We think this puppet was used to portray Benkie, the 13th century warrior monk of Hieizan and trusted adviser to Yoshitsune. He wears a black velvet robe and sumptuous textiles and fiercely brandishes his nagitana weapon...

Large rare antique Japanese choba tansu (merchant's chest), from the Mikuni area of Japan, made of heavy solid keyaki (elm) wood throughout, wooden bracing on sides and back, large compartment with sliding panels has 4 smaller interior drawers, safe box has 2 small interior drawers, beautiful heavy iron work, has 3 keys, Edo Period. Size: 35 1/2" high x 47 1/2" wide x 19 1/4" deep.

Japanese antique large musha ningyo (samurai warrior doll) of the great epic hero, Minamoto no Yoshitsune. His handsome face is set in a determined expression, he is seated with sword and saihai (command baton). He wears a spiked helmut, armor and silk robe woven with dragons. Edo Period. Size: 26" high (to very tip of helmet)

This is a wonderful pair of Derby putti disguised as flower sellers, dating from the 1770 period. The figures are mirror images of each other, as true pairs should be. Each putti has a basket of flowers over one arm, while a single flower is held in the hand of the other arm. The height is 5 1/2", considerably larger than the usual putti...

A rare Yuan dynsaty under glaze copper red yuhuchun vase, pear shape with flower design copper red and covered with good bluish qingbai glaze, vase has been broken and restruck please see picture for detail, size: 25 cm height.

Japanese Boys Day Horse. This white horse is of the highest quality and artistry. Carved of palomar wood and lacquered 30 to 40 times with gofun (oyster shell lacquer) to create a naturalistic effect. It is completed with the most fabulous trappings, a fine saddle, bells, and a ponga Buddhist symbol on his back. Presented on a lacquered stand with fine gold. The high quality makes it most likely that this fine piece was made for the Daimyo class, and may have been presented to a shrine...

A fine turquoise ground famille rose jar, wood cover and stand. The vase decorated with flowering lotus on a turquoise ground. The base unglazed. 19thC. Height 20.9cm, with wooden cover 23.0cm. Condition: perfect, no cracks, chips or restoration.

Large Meiji Period Bunraku Puppet of Tokagawa Ieyasu. Extremely rare on this grand scale (4 feet high, 122 cm). This fine quality puppet was possibly made at the request of the puppeteer Kiritake Monjuro II, as the hero in Bunraku plays. It has a fantastic dynamic presence, and is carved of Poloma wood covered in gofun (oyster shell lacquer) featuring sumptuous silk brocades with Tokagawa crests and dragons.

Beautiful antique Japanese single-section tansu from Sado Island, its front frame entirely covered by iron work. It has two large main drawers with large rectangular lockplates, the top incised with a crane and the bottom with the image of two turtles, referencing the old saying Tsuru Sen-nen, Kame Man-nen (as the crane lives one thousand years, the tortoise ten thousand years) to represent longevity...

Beautiful Japanese Bonbori lanterns for hina dolls. Hand painted on silk and it is indeed one of a kind. The bonboris are placed on each side of the Emperor and Empress hina dolls during the Hina Matsuri Festival, Girl's Day, in March.

We have not seen this type of lantern until now. The silk is lifted here and there and detached from the frames with some deterioration (probably a reaction to the glue or metal)...

A beautiful 18th C. Chinese nephrite jade thumb archers ring. It has a hair line crack inside the ring, but it did not go to outside. D:2cm

Antique Japanese chose tansu also known as a merchant chest. Made with solid kiri (paulownia) wood. Every drawer has decorative locks and iron hirute shaped handles. Two sliding opens open to reveal a roomy storage compartment. Bottom safe box has three small doors within. Meiji period (1868-1912) Size: 31" H x 31" W x 16" D