Ivory netsuke representing a bamboo shoot (takenoko).
Netsuke constitute the major part of Japanese ivory of great quality. Since the Japanese costume (kimono) had no pockets, the objects were passed under the belt and the netsuke, held by a cord, was used to hold them.
From imaginary animals to natural and domestic elements, the subjects represented in netsuke are varied. The netsuke could represent elements of daily life...
A beautifully crafted Shino ware chawan with fantastic crackled glaze by Kato Gorohachi (?-1900)
The potter signature is carved on the bottom.
Probably inspired by early Korean Ido shape examples, the bowl perfectly lies in hands giving strong Wabi feel.
There is not much information available about this Meiji potter even in Japan and his birth year is unknown.
He worked in the Hinno kiln of Aichi Prefecture in late 19 century.
Shino ware pottery is produce...
A classic renditions of the Bodhidharma (more commonly known as the Daruma in Japan), this scroll from the Muromachi period (1336-1573) depicts the legendary monk who famously introduced Buddhism to China. Originally from India, he is said to have traveled across the Himalayas on foot to share the wisdom and knowledge from his studies of meditation which later spread to Japan, Korea, and other parts of the world...
Pure Aka-Raku Chawan by the 9th generation Raku Ryonyu (Raku Kichizaemon IX) 楽了入 (9代 楽吉左衛門) enclosed in its originally signed and sealed wooden box and made around the beginning of 19th century about 200 years ago during the Edo era.
This Raku chawan is particularly endowed with a structural power deriving from simple composition of features of a bowl - another reminiscence of the earlier generations of this unique family of artists.
Ryonyu was the second...
An antique Japanese Kotansu (personal storage chest) made of Kirinoki (Paulownia) wood. Hand forged iron hardware with Warabite style handles and corner drawer front reinforcements. 5 drawers for storage and organization with 2 side handles for carrying this chest from room to room. Constructed using straight dovetail joinery and hardened wooden nails. Perfect side chest or bedside night stand.
Age: Meiji Period (1880-1890)
Dimensions: 22 1/2" Wide by 22 1/2" High by 12" Deep
Outstanding Ohi Chawan from the early stage of the Meiji Era (1868-1912) with a rarely seen octopus and coral sculpture on it. The outer earthy amber glaze harmonises wonderfully with the colourful interior landscape of the bowl. A firework of colours running into each other. What an impressive demonstration of the artistry of this 19th century artist...
Tenmokujawan, a tea bowl which is mended with kintsugi with seigaiha (wave pattern) makie. Tenmokujawan is a pottery tea bowl which is fired with Tenmoku glaze (iron glaze). It is made in Seto in Aichi prefecture, one of places where copies of Chinese potteries were manufactured. 17th or 18th century. Diameter:11.8cm, H:5.8cm
A fine Japanese lacquer tray dating Taisho era, pre 1920. In excellent condition with only having some light wear to the bottom from sliding on tables or what not over the years. Measures: Length 8" x Width 6.75"
Japanese Yama Chawan (literally 'Mountain Tea Bowl'), biscuit firing ware with impressive natural glaze and slightly distorted form. It dates back to the Kamakura Period (1185 - 1333). Highlight is the inside design with a Japanese Koi image which was added by a former owner as a kind of Kintsugi to close a damage on the inside surface...
Important and extremely rare Mid Edo Period Narumi Oribe Mizusashi (fresh water container) in perfect antique condition with no cracks or repairs and with its original lid. It is almost impossible to find such an old and valuable Oribe Mizusashi - so take your chance. It comes with a very good Japanese wooden box.
Narumi Oribe ware is comprised of white and red (reddish brown) clays. The white clays are glazed with green glaze...
Amazing boro which used to be noragi (work wear). It is made of many fragments of vegetable indigo dye and hand^spun cotton cloth. It is from cold areas such as Tohoku or Japan Sea Side where cotton could not be cultivated and cotton cloth for kimono was expensive so that people bought fragments which were brought from warm areas such as Shikoku , Kandsai or Chubu districts. The second half of the 19th century. Measurement: Approx. 160cm x 150cm
We are proud to offer you a really rare antique piece of art and one of a kind: wonderful Echizen Chawan from the Momoyama Era (安土桃山時代 Azuchi Momoyama jidai; 1573–1603) without any crack, damage or repair.
There is no similar item on the antique market.
Echizen ware (called Echizen yaki in Japanese) is a type of pottery produced in the town of Echizen, Fukui prefecture...
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...
Inrô with four lacquer compartments representing eagles: eight on one side, seven on the other, one on the upper side called ten; sometimes posed on a rocky promontory in takamaki-e and kirigane lacquer, sometimes in flight near the sea. Bamboo branches. Bottom in fundame and hiramaki-e lacquer. Interior in nashi-ji lacquer.
The eagle motif is relatively rare in Japanese iconography. Most of its representations are found on older lacquerware.
Ojime in red lacquer...
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...
Inrô with five compartments with lake landscape decoration in continuity on both sides, in gold lacquer hira maki-e, taka maki-e, kirigane and brown lacquer on a fundame gold background.
The interior is in nashi-ji lacquer...
Over the years we have taken a special interest in Raku-ware and especially in works produced by the Tamamizu kiln, such as the 300+ year old ceremonial tea bowl seen here. The first in this line of potters was Yahē (1662 - 1722), an illegitimate son of Kichizaemon Ichinyu (1615 - 1768) who studied under his father and then left to open his own kiln in the village of Tamamizu (known today as Ide-cho). Though he is the first potter of this branch, he is sometimes referred to as Tamamizu VI, deno...
Revered Chinese scholar and tea master, Lù Yǔ is known as the “Sage of Tea” and is credited with advancing the practice of tea through the writing of his life’s work,The Classic of Tea. Here we see a masterful rendition of this historic figure done by one of the most iconic Kyoto painters—and founder of the Maruyama school—Maruyama Ōkyo.
Student of Ishida Yutei (1772-1786), Maruyama studied primarily Kano and Tosa painting and was influenced greatly by western art, par...
