Catalog: Archives: Regional Art: Asian (588)

A dark forest rises in a field of white, as if still covered in frost or snow, over which is draped a poem brushed in the exquisite script of the poet-nun Otagaki Rengetsu, Itsu to naki, Tokiwa no sato ha, Hototogisu shinobu hatsune ni, Uzuki wo ya shiru?
With the first cry of the Cuckoo, in this village of Tokiwa
Will the people realize, Spring has arrived?
To the extreme left, the cuckoo flies off the page. Ink on paper in forest green silk extended in a beige with black lacquered wood rollers. The scroll is 50.5 x 113.5 cm (20 x 44-1/2 inches). There are faint water stains in the upper border (see closeup photos). It comes enclosed in an old wooden collector’s box annotated by Nanga artist Ueda Koho (1860-1944). The inscription reads Rengetsu-ni Painting, Attested to by the eyes of the 80 year old man Koho Ueda.
Much has been written about the life and work of poet/artist Otagaki Rengetsu. Born into a samurai family, she was adopted into the Otagaki family soon after birth, and served as a lady in waiting in Kameoka Castle in her formative years, where she received an education worthy of a Lady of means. Reputed to be incredibly beautiful, she was married and bore three children; however, her husband and all children died before she was twenty. Remarried she bore another daughter, however that child too perished and her husband died while she was just 32. Inconsolable, she cut off her hair to join the nunnery at Chion-in Temple, where she renounced the world and received the name Rengetsu (Lotus Moon). However this was not the end, but only the beginning of a career as artist and poet which would propel her to the top of the 19th century Japan literati art world.

A vibrant bowl in the shape of an aubergine decorated with soaring cranes and clouds by Heian Isso enclosed in the original artist signed wooden box, the inside of which is decorated with a wispy poem by friend and compatriot Otagaki Rengetsu. The bowl is large at 26 x 29.5 x 7 cm (10 x 11-1/2 x 3 inches) and is in excellent condition. This is a very interesting piece, clearly made by Isso, but the box decorated by Rengetsu, showing the depth of their friendship and artist relationship.
Hinazuru no A young crane
yukusue tooki his timeless voice heard from afar—
koe kike ba an imperial reign
miyo wo chitose to for a thousand generations
utau nari keri to celebrate in song.
According to the book Black Robe White Mist one of Rengetsu’s best known ceramic collaborators was Isso (dates unknown). A number of pieces bear his stamp, indicating that h produced the hand formed vessels while Rengetsu decorated them.
Otagaki Rengetsu was born into a samurai family, she was adopted into the Otagaki family soon after birth, and served as a lady in waiting in Kameoka Castle in her formative years, where she received an education worthy of a Lady of means. Reputed to be incredibly beautiful, she was married and bore three children; however, her husband and all children died before she was twenty. Remarried she bore another daughter, however that child too perished and her husband died while she was just 32. Inconsolable, she cut off her hair to join the nunnery at Chion-in Temple, where she renounced the world and received the name Rengetsu (Lotus Moon). However, this was not the end, but only the beginning of a career as artist and poet which would propel her to the top of the 19th century Japan literati art world.

A beautifully written tea room scroll by 19th century calligraphist and seer/soothsayer Yokoyama Marumitsu (1780-1854) bordered in pale green brocade and featuring bone rollers. The calligraphy is very expressive, dark lines varying dramatically in width as they curl down the wide sheet. The signature line reads A 72 year old man Kiosanjin Marumitsu making the scroll date to 1851 by Japanese age count(Kiosanjin was one of his many literary names). Aside from minor wrinkles (not hard creases) the scroll is in excellent condition, and measures 24-3/4 by 49 inches (63 x 124.5 cm). Born in Edo (present day Tokyo), Marumitsu was actually a bit of a forward thinking individual in his time who believed every person was born with a unique character that was buried over time by societal pressure, and the only way to live happily was to toss out ideas contrary to the inner self, thereby purifying ones true form. He was a proponent of the ancient Chinese art of Tengen-Jutsu, a fortune telling method he studied under Okuno Kiyojiro. My interpretation of the scroll: The middle lines are a bit sparse and difficult to read, however, overall the gist seems to be: Everyone has shame, The original heaven (self?) lies deep within, Gods willing (not in the western sense of god), Fortune will arise, A full life. My interpretation is: We have all a dubious past, but true heaven lies within, and gods be willing, through our own effort, the god within will shine, calling fortune. Allowing a full life. Given the context of the artist, this seems to be an apt work.

As the enlightened man is a product of this world so too the Lotus grows in the mire, a symbol of the attainable state of Nirvana. Here is a breathtaking hand-made bronze Koro in the shape of a blossoming lotus in deep red patination dating from the late Edo to Meiji period (mid to late 19th century). Consisting of 30 individual pieces, each petal is uniquely incised with veins by the hammer and chisel of some long lost craftsman. The base is a large leaf turned upside down, rising on a roundel to the base of the many petaled flower, in the center of which lies the seedpod, into which the incense would have been placed. The outer most petals are highly polished from over a century of handling, and the base is worn, glowing soft gold where it rests on the table. Truly one of the most beautiful Koro we have owned. It stands 4 inches (11 cm) tall, 5-1/2 inches (14 cm) diameter.

Two fox representing Inari, one of the principal kami (gods) of Shinto, are depicted on this Edo period talisman made at a shrine and traditionally hung in the home for protection. The two creatures hold in their mouths a buddhist jewel, symbol of knowledge, and a key to the kura, a storehouse for treasures. Between them is written Inari Daimyou Jin. Inari is the Japanese god of fertility, agriculture and of general prosperity and worldly success. In Edo Japan, Inari was also the patron of swordsmiths and Warriors. This is a wood-block printed talisman purchased at a shrine and preserved for more hundreds of years. It has been recently mounted in blue patterned cloth extended with beige and features black lacquered wooden rollers. It comes in a fine kiri-wood storage box with a paper sleeve. The scroll is 46 x 116 cm (18 x 45-1/2 inches) and is in excellent condition.

A Tokkuri decorated with an Otsu-e image of a sword bearer and a poem by Otagaki Rengetsu enclosed in a wooden box annotated by the head of Jinkoin Temple and titled Rengetsu-ni saku, Otsu-e Tokkuri, The poem reads:
Furi tate shi As if raising and lowering
mameshi gokoro no his true heart like a standard
hitosuji ni in one line
koyuru ka imo ni will he pass through to meet his love
Osaka no seki. beyond Osaka Gate?
This may be an especially poignant piece for a woman who lost so much love in her lifetime. It is 4-/12 inches (11.7 cm) tall. There is a tiny lacquer repair to the rim.
Much has been written about the life and work of poet/artist Otagaki Rengetsu. Born into a samurai family, she was adopted into the Otagaki family soon after birth, and served as a lady in waiting in Kameoka Castle in her formative years, where she received an education worthy of a Lady of means. Reputed to be incredibly beautiful, she was married and bore three children; however her husband and all children died before she was twenty. Remarried she bore another daughter, however that child too perished and her husband died while she was just 32. Inconsolable, she cut off her hair to join the nunnery at Chion-in Temple, where she renounced the world and received the name Rengetsu (Lotus Moon). However this was not the end, but only the beginning of a career as artist and poet which would propel her to the top of the 19th century Japan literati art world.

Wisteria vines in gold and silver Maki-e lacquer decorate the natural body of this beautiful sake flask cut from a section of vine, hollowed and capped with natural wood and black lacquer, a pouring spout of brass bunged with bamboo. It is 9 inches (22 cm) tall and in fine condition, dating from the 19th century.

A collection of six unique antique sake cups from various regions in Japan, each enclosed in an old wooden box.
1. A rice bale shaped Kosobe yaki bowl in thin bluish-white glaze stamped on the base, probably second or third generation (see below).
2. A Soma Yaki small bowl of pinched form with speckled green glaze from Fukushima. Soma Yaki has a four-hundred-year history.
3. A very rare Etchu Kosugi Yaki wangata cup in smooth blue green glaze with a hint of yellow at the rim.
4. Another very rare Garyuzan-yaki cup incised with white slip in basket style by Yokohagi Ikko (1850-1924) in a signed box.
5. A later Edo Korean style piece with gold repairs by Mizukoshi Yosobei bearing his five-sided seal impressed into the base (the kiln closed in 1860).
And last an anonymous celadon piece whose title I cannot read (appears to be Kyudai seiji).
The Kosobe kiln was established in Takatsuki, along the route between Osaka and Kyoto by Igarashi Shinbei sometime around 1790, The first generation (1750-1829) was known for Raku wares, Tea Utensils and Utsushi wares among more common household items. The second generation (Shinzo, 1791-1851) is remembered for Takatori, Karatsu, Korai and other continental styles. Shingoro, the third-generation head of the family (1833-1882) continued in that line, but secured a route to use Shigaraki clay and blended that with his local clays. He was known for Mishima and E-gorai styles. Into the Meiji period, the 4th generation head Yasojiro (1851-1918) saw the kiln close due to health problems of his successor Shinbei V, (Eitaro) in the late Meiji or early Taisho period.

A stunning box covered entirely in mother of pearl upon which is the crescent moon in lead under maki-e gold florals. Inside Rimpa style dear rest in lead and gold maki-e on a ground of red-tinted Nashiji. The box is in excellent condition, likely dating from the mid 19th century. It measures 22 x 24.5 x 5 cm (8-1/2 x 9-1/2 x 2 inches).

A raw earthen bottle hand formed for sake and engraved with a poem by Otagaki Rengetsu. It is 5-1/4 inches (13.5 cm) tall and in fine condition. The poem reads:
Fuyubata no On the Daikon Leaves
Oone no kuki ni In a winter field
Shimo Sae Te Frost gleams
Asatode Samushi Going out in the morning I feel cold
Okazaki no sato Here in Okazaki village
Much has been written about the life and work of poet/artist Otagaki Rengetsu. Born into a samurai family, she was adopted into the Otagaki family soon after birth, and served as a lady in waiting in Kameoka Castle in her formative years, where she received an education worthy of a Lady of means. Reputed to be incredibly beautiful, she was married and bore three children; however her husband and all children died before she was twenty. Remarried she bore another daughter, however that child too perished and her husband died while she was just 32. Inconsolable, she cut off her hair to join the nunnery at Chion-in Temple, where she renounced the world and received the name Rengetsu (Lotus Moon). However this was not the end, but only the beginning of a career as artist and poet which would propel her to the top of the 19th century Japan literati art world.

Koi frolic, splashing gold and silver waves as they leap and battle for the top of this stacking food dish dating from the later 19th century. The design is striking! Outside is polished black loaded down with gold and silver maki-e with applied kirigane cut gold squares. Inside is festive red. The box (assembled) is 25 x 23 x 38 cm (10 x 9 x 15 inches). Some minor dings but overall, very nice condition for something which has seen use.

A skull lies ethereal, only a soft circle before the ghost-like apparition of a grave-marker rising from the boldly stroked dead grasses of some forgotten field. The epitaph above reads:
“Hana no toki mayouta mo” Wavering they did while in full blossom
“Kono Kareno kana” The neglected fields of winter
Here the artist has made a comment on our lives, we blow with the winds here in there, indecisive in our prim, bobbing joyously in the winds, but all come to the same as the flowers fall and winter approaches. Ink on paper in the original paper border with transparent red lacquered wooden rollers. It is 30.5 x 185.5 cm (12 x 73 inches) and is in overall fine, original condition with some discolorations in the upper border. It comes in an old wooden box.
Takeda Motsugai (Fusen, 1795-1867) was a Zen priest of the later Edo to Meiji period born in Iyo Matsuyama (modern Ehime) on the Island of Shikoku. He used a number of names in his lifetime, Fusen was his official Buddhist name, Motsugai may be that for which he is best known, but another common name was Genkotsu Osho (Priest of the bone fist) and Dobutsuan (Place of the mud Buddha). An unruly child, he was sent at the age of five to Ryutai-Ji temple, and at the age of 12 would go to take official position under Kanko Osho at Denpukuji Temple in Hiroshima. He would become an accomplished practitioner of the martial arts there, mastering many styles and weapons. His fame in this department would spread, along with his first nickname, Shio-kara Kozo (Too-salty Bonze), and he would be asked by the Asano Daimyo of Hiroshima to take a position at Kokutaiji temple where the Asano family studied Buddhism. After causing trouble he would leave Hiroshima for Osaka where he would study Confucianism and undergo mendicant training. At the age of 18 he would become an itinerant priest given to wandering the paths and begging for food. In 1819 he would make his debut in Edo (modern Tokyo) where he would enter Kichijo-Ji temple, and two years later be posted to Ruriko-Ji temple in Yamaguchi, and it was here he woud begin writing, returning to Denpuku=ji and his first teacher Kanko-osho the following year. In 1828 he was given the reins of Zaihoji in Onomichi (Hiroshima) and here his fame as a stern teacher would spread, and many would come to learn under his unique ways known as Fusen-ryu. He became a well known writer adept at both Waka and Haiku forms of poetry. He was also known for his skills in flower arranging, Tea Ceremony, and tactical skill in the game of Go. His reputation as both a learned priest, Confucian scholar and martial prowess saw him much traveled and called upon in the troubled period of the 1860s. In 1865 he would be asked to mediate the first Choshu uprising and his application was presented to the emperor showing here the high regard for which his writing had become known. He died enroute from one of his travels in Osaka in 1867.

A quaint hand-carved image of Minogame (a sea turtle) supports this antique bamboo pipe tap dating from the second half of the 19th century, the rich dark wood highly polished from a century of fond handling glows like satin. The turtle is a symbol of longevity in Japan, and often is depicted in celebratory situations. Here the creature has been chiseled out of a solid chunk of wood, head raised over the top of its shell. From a flattened are on its back rises the goma-kasu speckled bamboo tube which is capped with a turned piece of rosewood. It appears to have been treated with something (perhaps persimmon oil) leaving only the eyes a lighter color. A wonderfully decorative bit of Mingei, it measures7-1/2 inches (19 cm) long, 6-1/2 inches (16.5 cm) tall. Mingei is a term combining the character for people and craft, or folk craft.

A loosely brushed image of a Kingfisher perched on dilapidated lotus stalk decorates the crackled gohon pale glaze of this gourd shaped Mizusashi fresh water jar by Takahashi (Ninnami) Dohachi. It features a black lacquered wooden lid. There are cracks in teh lacquer of the looping handle. The signature is consistent with works by Ninnami Dohachi (Dohachi II) from the mid 19th century. It is 5-3/4 inches (14.5 cm) tall, 6-1/2 inches (16.5 cm) diameter and in excellent condition, enclosed in a collector made wooden box. A Mizusashi in iron glaze of this same form is visible in the book Tensai Toko Ninami Dohachi (2014, Suntory Museum) page 164.
The Dohachi Kiln was established in Awataguchi by a retainer of Kameyama fief, Takahashi Dohachi I around 1760, and the name Dohachi was brought to the forefront of porcelain and ceramic production by the second generation head of the family who attained an imperial following, and grew to be one of the most famous potters of the Later Edo period to come from Kyoto. Ninnami Dohachi (1783-1855) was born the second son of Takahashi Dohachi I. Following the early death of his older brother he succeeded the family name, opening a kiln in the Gojo-zaka area of Kyoto (at the foot of Kiyomizu temple) in 1814. Well known for research into and perfection of ancient Chinese and Korean forms long held in high esteem in Japan, and at the same time working to expand the family reputation within tea circles. Along with contemporaries Aoki Mokubei and Eiraku Hozen became well known as a master of porcelain as well as Kenzan and Ninsei ware. Over the following decades he would be called to Takamatsu, Satsuma, Kishu and other areas to consult and establish kilns for the Daimyo and Tokugawa families as well as Nishi-Honganji Temple. An exhibition was held at the Suntory Museum in 2014 centering on this artist, and he is also held in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Kyoto National Museum among many, many others. The third generation (1811-1879) was known as Kachutei Dohachi and continued the work of his father, producing an abundance of Sencha tea ware and other porcelain forms, maintaining the highest of standards and ensuring the family place in the annals of Kyoto ceramics. He was followed by the fourth generation (1845-1897), and his sons Takahashi Dohachi V (1845-1897) who took control of the kiln in 1897 until 1915 when his younger brother Dohachi VI (Kachutei) (1881-1941) continued the business.

A colorful and impressive scroll featuring a bushy tailed neko-tora, or cat tiger from the late Edo period. The neko-tora is a by-product of the Japanese closed border policy, rigorously enforced during the Edo period, which eliminated outside trade and influence. Therefore, Japanese artists were forced to come up with their own ideas of what a fearsome tiger looked like based upon older paintings and skins. This is one of the most imaginative and detailed I have yet seen, with each standing hair individually painted. The cat, stopping to drink from a stream, stands before a crooked pine, caught at the moment it sights an enemy, its bulbous green eyes staring past twitching whiskers, ears flattened against its head. The sinewy creature is well depicted as is the Kano style lines in the background plants trees and waterfall. The scene is framed in dark, purple silk embellished with fan shapes, and ebony rollers. Despite some creasing, the scroll is still very presentable and would be an eye-catching hanging. It measures 29-3/4 by 69-1/4 inches (75.5 by 176 cm)

A sake set in the shape of a cha-usu tea powder grinding stone consisting of 7 pieces, each uniquely decorated with various creatures. The widest is a large sake cup decorated with cranes upon which rests the hai-dai stand, forming the base of the grinding stone. The cover is in the shape of the grinding stone itself, and forms a deep cup decorated inside with a hawk. Inside this are found three concentric cups decorated with crows, a carp and sparrows. The red grinding handle is in fact filled with small bamboo tablets upon which are written the names of the various birds and fish. A game of chance, shake one tablet out, then fill that cup to the rim and bottoms up! Very unique, I have not seen one like this before. The bottom dish is 18.5 cm (7-1/2 inches) diameter and the set is in overall excellent condition, enclosed in a dilapidated wooden box dating from the 19th century.

A fabulous large Mingei Tokkuri from the Satsuma region in the shape of an eggplant, glazed in black with crystalline blue about the neck over iron rich glazed clay. Likely from the Hirasa kilns, one of the great Satsuma production centers on the southern Island of Kyushu, 18th to early 19th century. It is 24 cm (10 inches) tall and in overall excellent condition, enclosed in a kiri-wood collectors’ box.
The history of Satsuma ware goes back to the 16th century when Japan fought in the Imjin War, ( also known as the Porcelain War), in which Yoshihiro Shimazu, Lord of the Satsuma domain, brought back eighty Korean potters, giving birth to a new ceramic tradition on Japanese soil. There are four main historical lines of Satsuma ware: Tateno, Ryumonji, Naeshirogawa, Hirasa. They are roughly separated into white wares, black wares and porcelains. Kuro Satsuma (black ware) is made by using combinations of black or brown colored glaze. The body itself is dark brown since the clay contains iron from the local soil enriched by the volcanic ash of Sakurajima.

Here is a fine hand formed tea pot of dark clay by Otagaki Rengetsu engraved with a poem and enclosed in the original signed and age darkened wooden box. It reads:
Oyamada no Hita no kakenawa, Uchi Haete, Keburi Nigiou, Miyo no aki Kana
In the hillside Paddies, Clappers with ropes as long as the smoke trails, the peaceful abundance of an Imperial Reign in Autumn…
It is 6 cm (2 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Much has been written about the life and work of poet/artist Otagaki Rengetsu. Born into a samurai family, she was adopted into the Otagaki family soon after birth, and served as a lady in waiting in Kameoka Castle in her formative years, where she received an education worthy of a Lady of means. Reputed to be incredibly beautiful, she was married and bore three children; however her husband and all children died before she was twenty. Remarried she bore another daughter, however that child too perished and her husband died while she was just 32. Inconsolable, she cut off her hair to join the nunnery at Chion-in Temple, where she renounced the world and received the name Rengetsu (Lotus Moon). However this was not the end, but only the beginning of a career as artist and poet which would propel her to the top of the 19th century Japan literati art world.

A pair of rare Koto-yaki sake flasks decorated with florals and dating from the 19th century. Written on the side is the kiln name Koto (East Lake). Each piece is roughly 6 inches (15 cm) tall and in fine condition but for a chip on the inside of the foot ring of one.
Koto ware is one of those rare and highly prized ceramics of low production, once the official kiln of the Ii clan in Hikone on the Eastern Shores of Lake Biwa, its production rand from the early to late 19th century. Under Ii Naosuke, the famous Bakumatsu Statesman, the kiln was expanded both in size and repertoire, and he brought in potters from all over Japan to teach the ways of various styles. With the assassination of Naosuke and the fall of the Shogunate in 1867 the kiln was privatized. It closed about 1895, and was known for superb quality and craftsmanship covering Sometsuke, Aka-e,Kinsai, Celadon and Ninsei.

A set of sake decanters in the shape of Split Bamboo Tea Whisks by the third generation Kiyomizu Rokubei enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The artists stamp is clearly impressed into the nunome cloth-textured base. They are 14 cm (5-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition dating from the mid 19th century.
Kiyomizu Rokubei III (1820-1883) was the second son of Rokubei II (1790-1860) and took over the family kiln at the age of 18 after his father retired in 1838. (His father subsequently went to Echigo to open the Oyama-yaki kiln at the bequest of the local Daimyo). Being at the head of the family business in the tumultuous era at the end of the Edo and beginning of the Meiji, he was a driving force behind the revival of the Kyoto industry after the transfer of the capitol to Tokyo in 1868. He produced a great deal of work in various styles, and was known for his painting skills, having studied under the great 19th century Literati Oda Kaisen. While preserving the techniques of his forebears, Rokubei III was also open to new, foreign influences. He accompanied Miyagwa Kozan to Yokohama to investigate newly imported western advancements in pottery and production (Kozan would subsequently move to Yokohama). He was greatly affected by Modernism, and produced western influenced dishes in addition to the staple Japanese fair. In 1879, he was one of the artists commissioned to make a tea service for use during the visit of former US president Ulysses S. Grant. He frequently served on juries and won medals at domestic exhibitions, including the Kyoto Exhibition (1875), the Domestic Industrial Exhibition (1877), and the Nagoya Exhibition (1878). His works also featured in exhibitions in Paris, Sydney and Amsterdam

A pair of powerful Shishi guardian carvings dating from the later Edo period, 18th-19th century, in the Ah-Un expression (Exhaling and inhaling). Ah-Un has many allusions, it is the beginning and end of the alphabet, summarizing all in between, and is said to be inhaling good fortune, and exhaling bad. Glass eyes inset into very human faces. They are 10-1/2 inches (26.5 cm) tall, 9-1/2 x 5-1/2 inches (24 x 14 cm). Ah has a chip in the foot and tip of the tail whereas the end of the tail has been broken off of Un.

Villains and travelers, Goblins and Priests, Various tales play out in 3 dimensions around the trunk and among the leafy branches of a massive tree forming the core and backdrop of this amazing 19th century altar bell stand. The piece is 6 inches (15.5 cm) tall, the same diameter. It comes enclosed in an old wooden box. This matches the Maezukue Altar table previously listed. One of the most elaborate I have ever seen.

A very rare pair of porcelain vases decorated with Plum Pine and Bamboo by Miyagawa (Makuzu) Kozan I enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Makuzu Gama Seika Shochikubai no Shuku-ga Kabin (Makuzu Kiln Plum Pine and Bamboo Celebratory Image Vases). Bamboo rise up majestically, the blossoming plum branches wrapping opposite each other, with baby pines growing on the back. All traditional symbols of celebration. The vases are roughly 25 cm (10 inches) tall each and in excellent condition, retaining their original rosewood stands. An inscription inside the lid states they were received from Hanzan (Kozan II) as a gift commemorating the wedding of Arishima Takeo in 1910 and held in the Arishima family collection.
The name Kozan was granted by Prince Yasui-no-Miya in 1851 in honor of the tea ware produced during the later Edo for the imperial Court by the tenth generation head of the Kyoto pottery family Miyagawa Chozo. The Kozan (Makuzu) kiln as we know it today was established in Yokohama in 1871 by the 11th generation head of the family where he reinvented the family business. He immediately set out on a journey which would propel the Kozan name to International Celebrity status, and send his wares throughout the globe. Pieces produced there were marked Kozan, or Makuzu, the official kiln name, or both. Although he had been running the daily operation since the late 19th century, the first son, Hanzan, succeeded as head of the kiln, in 1912, with the father officially retiring to spend more time on his own research and art. Kozan I dies in 1916. The kiln was run by Hanzan through the early Showa era, he officially taking the name Kozan II in 1917, after one year mourning for his fathers passing. Under Hanzan the kiln was commissioned for works to be presented to the Prince of Wales, the 25th wedding anniversary gift for the Taisho emperor and the Showa Emperors coronation gift. The kiln was completely destroyed in the bombing of Yokohama in 1945. For more on this illustrious family see Bridging East and West, Japanese Ceramics from the Kozan Studio by Kathleen Emerson-Dell.

A set of five Meiji period dishes hand painted by Suzuki Hyakunen in commemoration of the Gosho-Nai Dai-Hakurankai (Exposition in the Imperial Palace, Kyoto) stamped on the underside with the event name and each individually signed by the artist. The literati scenes include a scholar contemplating a waterfall, Mountain retreat lost in rugged hills, sails on the lake, traveler in the hills and horses on the lakeshore under weeping willows. A beautiful and very rare set, each dish is roughly 4-1/2 inches (11 cm) diameter and in fine condition. They come in an older custom made kiri-wood box.

A massive evocative painting exhibited at the first Bunten National Exhibition in 1908 by Ito Koun enclosed in a large period wooden box and pblished in the Nitten-shi series volume I. It is performed with pigment on silk, and shows that soft, almost mystical touch typical of late Meiji Rekishi-ga historical imagery. The samurai crouches at the gate, letting fly arrows at his overwhelming opponents. Metal tipped shafts pierce the thick wood of the gate before him and broken arrows lay scattered among the fallen leaves at his feet; a poignant reminder of the fleeting life of the warrior. The scroll is 120 x 149 cm (47 x 98 inches) and is in overall fine condition; a museum class painting.
Ito Koun, (1879-1939) was born in Tokyo with the name Ito Tsunetatsu in July of 1879. He studied under Murata Tanryo, and exhibited with the Bunten National Exhibition to which he was named a committee member after 1925. He specialized in Rekishi-ga and historical scenes.

Jingu, guardian Empress of Japan, stands ready to defend her princely child Ojin held by General Takenouchi Sukune within a painted border of martial articles. Swords, armor, bows and quivers full of arrows, a horse-bit and court cap, tea bowl and other implements precious to the samurai tradition all hand-painted about the central image, laid scroll-like over top but actually all part of the same canvas. The composition has been freshly mounted in toffee colored brocade reflecting the original mounting and retains the original large bone rollers. It comes enclosed in a period wooden box. The scroll is 17-1/2 by 71 inches (44.5 x 181 cm). There is some toning and marks but nothing worthy of distraction. The stamp appears to read Shinsei

Two austere Bodhisattva play music and spread lotus petals before the benign countenance of Kannon while a fierce green God (god of thunder or wind) recoils, flame spouting from his mouth. This is a very unusual triptych enclosed in the original age darkened compartmentalized kiri wood box signed Urata Tenka titled Daiji Kannon no Zu (Image of the most merciful Kannon), Takahashi Koko Sho (Painted by Takahashi Koko). Urata Tenka was the first art-name (go) used by famed Meiji artist Takahashi Koko. The tension created by the movement and posture of the left figure juxtaposed against the serene silence of the celestial figures on the right is striking, with the central figure an island of calm and compassion in a tempestuous world. Pigment on silk in fine silk border with solid bone rollers. The scrolls are (Center) 96 x 223 cm (left & right) 52.5 x 222 (38 and 20-3/4 x 87-1/2 inches respectively). Overall they are in excellent condition, with toning of the silk typical of age. Beside the original Urata signature on the box has been added at a later date: By the deceased Takahashi Koko.
Takahashi Koko (1875-1912) was born the eldest son of Unkoku school painter Urata Chojiro (1846-1913)in Yamaga City Kumamoto Prefecture and was trained from an early age in the Unkoku style of his father as well as absorbing other styles. While working as a teacher in Kumamoto City at the age of 20 he met actress Takahashi Ko, who was visiting the area. Under the guidance of Takahashi, who was impressed by his artistic talent, he moved to Tokyo in 1890 and entered the painting school of Japanese-style painter Matsumoto Fuuko who honed his skills in historical genre painting. He exhibited with a number of different art organizations, and together with Yukihiko Yasuda and Shikō Imamura, he livened up the art world of the Meiji era. His ability was recognized by Okakura Tenshin, and was invited to the research institute in Izura. During this time, he exhibited at the Tatsugakai and Kojikai, and received many awards. In 1908, he was nominated as a judge by the chairman of the Kokuga Tamaseikai. In 1912 he was commissioned a work by the Minister of Korea Hanabusa Yoshitada, and visited Manchuria and Korea for research where he contracted scarlet fever. He died suddenly at the age of 37 after returning to Japan. A major figure in the art world, he left a solid mark on the Meiji painting stage. Work by him is held in the collection of the Sankei Kinenkan (Yokohama), Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art, Kumamoto Municipal Museum, Senoku Kokan Museum (Kyoto) and Adachi Kyodo Museum (Tokyo) among others.

A very unusual vase by Teishitsu Gigei-In (Imperial Art Academy Member) Ito Tozan I enclosed in the original signed wooden box showing decidedly Art Nouveau styling. It is 20 x 8 x 32 cm (8 x 3 x 12-1/2 inches) and is in excellent condition.
Ito Tozan I (1846-1920) began as a painter in the Maruyama school studying under Koizumi Togaku. In 1862 he became a pupil of Kameya Kyokutei, as well as studying under Takahashi Dohachi III and Kanzan Denshichi (who made the dishes for the imperial table). In 1867, with the fall of the Edo government, he opened his kiln in Eastern Kyoto. Much prized at home, he was also recognized abroad at the Amsterdam, Paris and Chicago World Expositions. With an emphasis on Awata and Asahi wares of Kyoto, he began to use the name Tozan around 1895. In 1917 he was named a member of the Imperial Art Academy, one of only five potters ever given that title, and like his teacher Denshichi, created the dishes from which the Imperial family would eat. He worked very closely with his adopted son, Ito Tozan II (1871-1937).

A large screen depicting a samurai replete with the Jakumei crest of the Takeda Clan rearing his horse in a shout of battle, wand extended at arms length giving the order to charge. The horse appears to be fighting panic, possibly at the deafening sound of the guns of Oda Nobunaga, a sound which brought in the modern era of warfare to Japan in a pitched battle between Oda forces and those of Takeda Shingen. The scene is depicted in a typical Meiji Rekishiga-style, light pigments on silk, wrapped in a green silk border with black lacquered frame. Each panel is 77.5 x 193 cm (30-1/2 x 76 inches). Overall it is in fine condition, with some toning to the silk typical of age, and one light indentation on the far left panel about 1 cm (1/2 inch) long. The screen is signed Beizan Utsuru, followed by a stamp which appears to read Tanryo. Matsubara Beizan was an award winning Meiji era artist based in Tokyo.

A Meiji scene of samurai preparing for battle, a noble women looking on with apprehension as a courier brings word from the battlefield. The lord fixes the knot on his helmet, preparing to rush into the fray. The scene is performed in pigment on silk, and we have had it completely re-mounted with a black frame reflecting the original style with sturdy cloth backing. Likely dating from the last decade of the 19th century, when the genre of Rekishiga was at its peak, it is stamped in the lower right corner (read right to left) Eisei. The extreme detail and delicate touch reinforce that dating, an era when the arts of the Meiji were peaking both within Japan and abroad. The screen measures 53-1/2 x 55 inches (136 x 140 cm) and is in excellent condition.

A Carved and Gilded Buddhist Reliquary containing a polished pink stone exhibited at the Shimane Prefectural Musuem Arakawa Kisai exhibition in 1974 enclosed in a custom-made wooden box and retaining the loan papers from the museum as well as the original pamphlet. The wood body has been carved in tempestuous waves, lacquered black and gilded, with a polished pink orb inside a flame shaped finial. It is 7 inches (18 cm) tall and in excellent condition.
Arakawa Kisai (dates disputed, roughly 1827-1906) was born the son of a carpenter in Shimane prefecture. He was considered a child prodigy by the age of five, and began sculpting around his tenth birthday. He received a proper education, and by the time he was twelve his clay sculptures were a popular collector’s item. At the age of fourteen his artistic training began in earnest, working as a netsuke carver, he studied shrine architecture while also taking painting lessons from Nabeshima Ungaku, his son Kagaku and Buddhist sculpture under Kato Saori (sp?). Successful in these endeavors, at the age of 28 he would also begin metal sculpting while keeping company with artisans of all trades, absorbing many skills. With the opening of the country in the Meiji era, he would begin studying Nanga painting under Nakanishi Koseki as well as Western style oil painting under pioneering artist Yokoyama Matsusaburo who would be considered a master at photography, lithography and painting. He submitted a piece to the first Naikoku Hakurankai (1877 National Industrial Exhibition) which was awarded and collected by the Imperial Household. He studied Physics, and developed a number of important inventions including weaving machines. His work was awarded at both the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, and the Paris World Exposition in 1900. One work considered his masterpiece, a carving of the mythological Princess Inada, is held in the collection of Izumo Shrine, one of the most holy sites in Shintoism. The Arakawa Kisai Ten in which this was featured was held n 1974, and his work was again the focus of attention with the exhibit “The Japanese Aesthetic Hearn Loved, Sculptor Arakawa Kisai and Lafcadion Hearn held in 2018-2019. An excerpt from that show: In August of 1890, Lafcadio Hearn would be transferred to Matsue, and discover a certain stone statue while out for a walk. Hearn became mesmerized by the statue, a friendly Buddhist Jizo which overflowed with benevolence and belonged to the Ryusho-ji Temple in Teramachi. Hearn immediately asked after the sculptor, and this was how he came to know the name Arakawa Kisai. The very next day, Hearn visited Kisai’s workshop, where he became enamored with the skill and demeanor of the master sculptor. The two men discussed the arts and are said to have hit it off very well (San-in Shimbun Newspaper). Hearn would go on to commission pieces from Kisai in an effort to introduce the sculptor to the world, as a producer might promote an artist. The bond these two men shared can be glimpsed today in Hearn’s writings; the diaries of Nishida Sentaro, who was Deputy Head Teacher of Shimane Prefectural Common Middle School and Hearn’s good friend; letters to Nishida; contemporary newspaper articles (San-in Shimbun); and other sources.

A stunning delicate cup made from a hollowed egg-shell. Inside is matte-black with patches of gold gilding, while outside the silhouettes of pines and a soaring Hototogisu (cuckoo) are deftly brushed with shiny black lacquer. The imagery instantly calls to mind Japanese poetry, which extols the song of the cuckoo, a harbinger of Spring and warmer weather. There is also something melancholy about the cuckoo call, as they are always deep in the forest, out of sight and alone. This is simply a phenomenal piece, and comes in an old custom-made wooden box dating from the Meiji period. It is It is 4.5 cm (just under 2 inches) tall and in perfect condition.

A very elegant pair of Antique Andon lamps dating from the Meiji period in the original storage box from a Kyoto estate. The box is dated Meiji 36 (1904) and stylistically these fit perfectly into that era, with a fine transparent red lacquer finish. They are in excellent condition, each standing 31 inches (79 cm) tall, 8-1/2 inches (22 cm) square. Due to size these will require special shipping consideration, the cost to be accrued separately.

This baluster form vase is quite large by Japanese standards at 14 inches (35 cm) tall and in perfect condition. Chrysanthemums decorate the sides in rich, dark blue. There is a slight yellow tinge to the white glaze. It is signed on the base Makuzu Kozan Sei. The name Kozan was granted by Prince Yasui-no-Miya in 1851 in honor of the tea ware produced during the later Edo for the imperial Court by the tenth generation head of the Kyoto pottery family Miyagawa Chozo. The Kozan kiln as we know it was established in Yokohama in 1871 by the 11th generation head of the family where he reinvented the family business. He immediately set out on a journey which would propel the Makuzu Kiln to International Celebrity status, and send his wares throughout the globe. The first son, Hanzan, succeeded as head of the kiln, in 1912, with the father officially retiring to spend more time on his own research and art. Kozan I dies in 1916. The kiln was run by Hanzan through the early Showa era, he officially taking the name Kozan II in 1917, after one year mourning for his fathers passing. Under Hanzan the kiln was commissioned for works to be presented to the Prince of Wales, the 25th wedding anniversary gift for the Taisho emperor and the Showa Emperors coronation gift. The kiln was completely destroyed in the bombing of Yokohama in 1945. For more on this illustrious family see Bridging East and West, Japanese Ceramics from the Kozan Studio by Kathleen Emerson-Dell.

An unusual Meiji period bronze image of the jolly Daikoku-ten, one of the 7 gods of fortune, looking incredibly relaxed and content. His hat is removable to reveal a chamber for burning incense, and the smoke would be exhaled though his open mouth. It is 6-1/2 x 8 x 5-1/2 inches 16.5 x 20 x 14 cm) and is in overall fine, original condition. The artist chop is in a raised cartouche on the base and appears to read Yoshioka Minpo.

A Gasaku joint effort by Kyoto porcelain master Takahashi Dohachi V and Scholar artist Tomioka Tessai (1837-1924) dating from the late Meiji to Taisho period. Enigmatic Characters in cobalt strike firmly from the smooth alabaster surface. The bowl is 4-3/4 inches (12 cm) diameter, 3-1/2 inches (9 cm) tall and in perfect condition. Written on the side is Sho-Do Ki? Sue, Nyu Chyu? Ho-nari followed by the signature Tessai Gai-shi. It is signed on the base Kachu-tei Dohachi-Sei (Made by Dohachi of the Kachu Pavilion). Takahashi Dohachi was one in the line of great porcelain masters of Kyoto. The family began potting in the 18th century, and was brought to the forefront of porcelain by the second generation head of the family. From then it was known as one of the top three families in Kyoto for porcelain production. The fifth generation took control of the kiln in 1897. Tomioka Tessai was a scholar artist trained from age seven in the traditional Confucian manner. After the death of his father he was apprenticed to a Shinto shrine, and later moved to work under Otagaki Rengetsu, from whom he was heavily influenced. He held a number of important positions, culminating in being appointed the official painter of the Emperor and a member of the Imperial Art Academy; the highest honor in Japanese Art circles. He was known to have worked with Dohachi in porcelains, as well as Eiraku Zengoro. This piece comes in a wooden box simply titled Hai.