Catalog: Archives: Regional Art: Asian: Japanese (581)

A colorful work by Ueda Manshu (1869-1952) enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Nangokufushu (Taste of a Southern Wind). A boy rides the back of an Ox through a marsh, he happy and dry and the beast happy in the cool water. One can also be reminded of the Zen tales of the Ox-herd, and connotations of enlightenment. Very much in the Taisho style with equal effort on the background as on the fore. The pigment on silk work has been remounted in a gold threaded pale brocade with beige extensions reflecting the original border and retaining the original bone rollers. It measures 71 x 230 cm (28 x 91 inches) and is in fine condition.
Ueda Manshu studied under Imao Keinen and graduated the Kyoto Municipal School of Fine Art. He was exhibited and prized at the Naikoku Kangyo Hakurankai (Meiji period) and later with the Bunten National Exhibition. He was also a prominent figure in the Shotokutaishi-Ten, Jiyugadan-Ten and was prized at the 1904 Saint Louis World Exposition and was featured in other International Exhibitions as well. Works by the artist are held in the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art (MOMAT) among others as well as decorating the walls and doors of such important temples as Zushun-In, Kyoto

Cranes rest in the boughs of a massive blue pine overlaying the white clouds billowing on the pink tinged body of this large vase by Seifu Yohei III enclosed in a signed wooden box annotated by Seifu IV. An identical vase held in the collection of the Ashmolean is visible on page 19 in the book Sandai Seifu Yohei (Seki Kazuo, 2012). Seifu III was known to have made few large works, so this is a very important piece. It is signed on the base Dai-Nippon Seifu Zo. It is 46 cm (18 inches) tall, 26 cm (10-1/2 inches) diameter, and retains the original rosewood stand kept in a separate compartment in the box. The box is titled Seikaji Pine-Crane Vase, Made by the Honorable Previous Yohei; Attested to by the 4th generation Seifu. He has employed the Teishitsu Gigei-in seal of the third generation top left of the inscription.
Seifu Yohei III (1851-1914) was the adopted son of Yohei II. Sent at the age of twelve to study painting under then the top Nanga artist Tanomura Chokunyu, he returned in 1865 due to illness. The next year he entered as an apprentice the Seifu studio, then under the control of the second generation. As so often happens in these situations, in 1872 he married the daughter, becoming a “Yoji” or adopted son of Yohei and taking the family name, established himself as an individual artist. Within the year his genius was discovered, and works by him were sent to the Vienna World Exposition. Seifu II retires of illness in 1878, and III succeeds the family kiln. Once again he is honored as the new head of the kiln to produce the dinnerware for the former president of the US Ulysses Grant. His work was highly acclaimed, both domestically and abroad, drawing honors and prizes at the Naikoku Hakurankai (National Exhibition), Chicago and Paris World expositions and being named one of the first members of the Imperial Art Academy specializing in ceramics in 1893 (Tei shitsu Gigei In). Works by this rare artist are held in Museums and collections throughout the world. He was succeeded by the fourth generation Seifu (1871-1951) in 1914.

A large baluster form Sumidagawa vase decorated in slips of green and black glaze over crackled red with a three-dimensional tokage (lizard) crawling down the side. The detail on the creature is superb, from the textured body to the white claws with which it seems to grip the sides of the slippery surface. On the backside is a raised gourd shaped stamp reading Ishiguro Koko (One of the most prominent Sumidagawa potters). Sumida ware was first produced around the beginning of the 19th century, coming into full fruition after the arrival of Perry in the 1850s. Sumida pottery was made almost entirely for export, and by the turn of the 19th century, the Mckinley Act had required that all foreign goods be so marked. The ware was then marked Nippon, and later Made in Japan or Foreign. This vase is unmarked, indicating, and datres from the period between 1890 and 1920. It stands over 11 inches (28 cm) tall and comes enclosed in an antique chirimen-silk bag and kiri-wood box. The right rear leg of the animal appears to have been repaired, and although well done there is a slight color variation. There are also several flakes missing in hte red paint. This helps to bring the piece into a more affordable price range.

An incredible hand painted Taisho period bijin scroll signed Hakuho; so lifelike it looks to be a photograph. An angelic, Kimono clad beauty pauses to gaze out the garden window. One arm resting on the sill, she tranquilly stares past the hanging lantern and bamboo close at hand, her beautiful almond eyes fixed on the distance, she appears to be looking not at the garden, but at her own world. A colorful comb decorates her full hair while a pendant dangles from a kanzashi above her ear. A colorful obi holds her black kimono over the flower patterned under kimono. This arresting scene is intricately detailed, down to the tarnish on the lantern and individual threads running through the reed blind. The scene is mounted in creamy brocade embossed with vines, extended top and bottom in beige and ending in lacquered wooden rollers. The scroll has been meticulously restored and remounted and measures 21-1/2 inches (54cm) by 79 inches (2 m) and comes in a wooden box.

Finely crackled which glaze covers this late Meiji Chinese inspired form clearly stamped inside the footring Tozan Ito Tozan. There is an incredible sense of mastery in the concise lines and perfectly sculpted form. It is 13 inches (33 cm) tall, 10 inches (26 cm) diameter and in excellent condition, enclosed in an older custom made wooden box.

A large porcelain vase covered in olive green upon which grows a rush of white bamboo and a brief epitaph by Miura Chikusen I enclosed in the original signed wooden box dating to the late Meiji or early Taisho period. It is 15 inches (37.5 cm) tall and in excellent condition. The box has much darkened with age. Works of this size by Chikusen, who largely specialized in the minute world of Sencha ware are quite rare.
Miura Chikusen I (1854-1915) made a name for himself as a strict adherent to and supplier of Sencha tea wares in Kyoto; one of the most important artists in the country for that genre. He studied under Takahashi Dohachi from the age of 13, before establishing his own studio in 1883. He was a feature in the literati community of Kyoto and was well known also as a painter, poet and calligraphist. His porcelains were considered of the highest grade throughout the Meiji era, and are still highly collectable today. The kiln continues, currently under the management of the fifth generation.

A small round heavily lacquered box made to contain incense carved with Peonies by Imperial Artist Suwa Sozan I enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Layer upon layer of lacquer has been applied over time, each subsequent layer allowing for drying, then the entire is carved through with the floral motif. This would likely have been years in the making. This kogo is 3 inches (7.5 cm) diameter and in perfect condition signed underneath Sozan. Sozan was known best for his impeccable celadons, and was one of only five potters ever recognized with the status of Teishitsu Gigei-In (Member of the Imperial Art Academy). Lesser known is his predilection for lacquerware. An ardent Literatus and Sinophile, Sozan would try his hand at various art forms, including painting, calligraphy, carved lacquer, inlayed lacquer, porcelain and pottery.
Suwa Sozan I (1852-1922) was born in Kutani country, present day Ishikawa prefecture, where he initially studied before moving to Tokyo in 1875. Over the next 25 years he would gravitate between Tokyo and Kanazawa, working at various kilns and research facilities. He again relocated, this time to Kyoto in 1900 to manage the Kinkozan Studio before establishing his own. His name became synonymous with celadon and refined porcelain and was one of only five potters to be named Teishitsu Gigei-in. The Teishitsu Gigei-in were members of the Imperial Art Academy, Perhaps in modern terms one might call them the predecessors to the Living National Treasures. However unlike the LNT, there were only five Pottery artists ever named Teishitsu Gigei-in, Ito Tozan, Suwa Sozan, Itaya Hazan, Miyagawa Kozan, and Seifu Yohei III. He was succeeded by his adopted daughter upon his death. He is held in the Kyoto National Museum among many others.

A wispy bearded sage clutches his staff, robes draped loosely about his emaciated frame as he peers ahead in interest, a curious smile on his wizened visage. The figure is beautifully crafted with a slightly textured patina and signed on the base Seiko. Slight wear to the base reveals the pure gold of the underlying bronze. It is 36.5 cm (14-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent original condition.

Gazing at the back of the traditional Maiko apprentice, pins and combs hold her coiffure perfect, our eyes travel down to the neck revealed as it joins the white painted shoulders, the luxurious kimono with its signature high and draping sash: She has the two of hearts! A very unusual painting reflecting the oddities of western influence at the opening of the 20th century by Matsumoto Ichiyo (1893-1952). It is truly a sketch, very possibly made from life while the young apprentice artist watched his teacher being entertained by the young apprentice geisha. It is performed with light color on silk, bordered in the Taisho manner with horizontal stripes of a softly charred blue, ivory and orange. The Ichimonji and integral Futai are streaked with true gold thread. It measures 40 x 195 cm (15-1/2 x 77 inches) and is in overall very nice condition, with yellowing of the silk to attest to age. There is some loss to the white Gofun clouds on the obi (sash), and it appears that red at the back of the collar may have been re-painted, possibly when it was mounted (which appears to be slightly later than it was painted).
Matsumoto Ichiyo was born in Kyoto, midway through the tumultuous Meiji period, and attended the city art primer before entering the Municipal School of Painting (Later Kyoto University of Art) where he jointly studied under the private tutelage of Yamamoto Shunkyo at his studio. While at school his first painting was accepted into the 9th Bunten (1915) National Exhibition. With a great emphasis on the revitalization of Yamoto-e tradition, he remained active on the National level, being consistently exhibited and prized, and later serving as professor at his Alma Matter. After the Second World War he served as a juror for the Nitten, and continued research and resurrection of Yamato-e until his death in 1952.

Something I have never seen before, a set of pillows for one couple from Shimabara, one of the oldest pleasure districts of Kyoto, enclosed in the original Kiri-wood storage box. The man’s pillow is a simple roundel of soft leather. The woman’s, made for a geisha and her elaborate coiffure, is a small tapering black lacquered box with a drawer for a hair pin, to the top of which is secured a brocade pillow with a silk chord. The box itself is a work of art, with copper handles on the sides, and an inlaid tab in the sliding lid made of ebony. The pillows are housed within on a sliding stand. The prestige placed upon these specific pillows shows them to be much more than ordinary. actually ceremonial. The box is 50.5 x 27.5 x 25.5 cm (20 x 11 x 10 inches). The man’s pillow is 14 cm (5-1/2 inches) diameter, the woman’s 21.5 x 11 x 18 cm (8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 7 inches). They are in an excellent state of preservation.

A set of five sencha steeped tea tea cups by the first Suwa Sozan decorated with three seasonal or auspidcious fruits and a poem by famed literatus Tomioka Tessai enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Each cup is 2-1/4 x 2 inches (5.7 x 5 cm) and is in fine condition.
Sozan I (1852-1922) was born in Kutani country, present day Ishikawa prefecture, where he initially studied before moving to Tokyo in 1875. Over the next 25 years he would gravitate between Tokyo and Kanazawa, working at various kilns and research facilities. He again relocated, this time to Kyoto in 1900 to manage the Kinkozan Studio before establishing his own. His name became synonymous with celadon and refined porcelain and was one of only five potters to be named Teishitsu Gigei-in. The Teishitsu Gigei-in were members of the Imperial Art Academy, Perhaps in modern terms one might call them the predecessors to the Living National Treasures. However unlike the LNT, there were only five Pottery artists ever named Teishitsu Gigei-in, Ito Tozan, Suwa Sozan, Itaya Hazan, Miyagawa Kozan, and Seifu Yohei III. He was succeeded by his adopted daughter upon his death. He is held in the Kyoto National Museum among many others.
Tomioka Tessai (1837-1924) 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 was forced to escape the capitol to Kyushu to avoid arrest for anti-governmental actions he had taken on part of the Imperial cause. Here he began serious study of Literati painting and furthered his scholarly research. Upon returning to Kyoto he was befriended by and moved to work under Otagaki Rengetsu, from whom he was heavily influenced. He helped to establish the Nihon Nanga-In and 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 is represented in innumerable important collections. Information on this important person is readily available, for more see Scholar Painters of Japan by Cahill (1972), Roberts Dictionary, or a quick internet search will find plenty of reading. He is held in the Tokyo National Museum, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Kyoto, V&A etc…

A pimpled toad looks to the sky exhaling a clouded spirit, a truly superb version of this theme in deep caramel bronze dating from the Meiji period. It is an interesting theme, the ugly creature elevated to the status of saint. Judging by color and quality, we attribute this as the work of Kanaya Gorosaburo (1836-1890), a bronze artist of Kyoto fond of this color and known for his superb modeling and detail. Not always signed, Gorosabutro was often known to sign only the box. This piece is unsigned. It is 7-1/4 inches (18 cm) tall, with the basin 5 inches (12.5 cm) diameter.

A massive museum quality Chinese style Pot by leading Kyoto artist Ito Tozan enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The bulb-form body is sculpted with 14 flutes, a pair of beast heads serve as handles. The glaze is olive covered in red, bleeding through in places, the combination of color quite striking. The vase is 18 inches (46 cm) tall, 14 inches (36 cm) diameter and in perfect condition and comes with the original rosewood stand. The box is simply titled Horo-Kama Kabin signed inside Tozan Kinsei and stamped Tozan. The Ito family, spanned three generations. Ito Tozan I (1846-1920) began his artistic career studying painting in the Shijo manner under Koizumi Togaku before moving to the plastic arts under a number of teachers, including Takahashi Dohachi. He began using the name Tozan in 1895, and later received a number of prizes from the Imperial family, as well as being internationally acclaimed in the Paris, Chicago and Amsterdam Exhibitions. He was named a member of the prestigious Imperial Art Academy in 1917, three years before his death. He worked very closely with his adopted son, Ito Tozan II (1871-1937). He too began life as a painter, but his talent was seen by Tozan I, who adopted him and converted him to pottery, where he both succeeded and excelled as a member of one of Kyotos most well known pottery families. The line unfortunately died with the third Tozan in 1970.

Swirling eddies decorate the rim of this gorgeous vase of huge dark hollowed vine, golden minnows swimming up the sides of the natural current made by the winding wood. A very unusual piece which exemplifies the Japanese awe and care for nature. Minor burls and burs in the wood act like rocks under the swift moving water, the pattern rolling over them in a raucous rush. This special piece of wood, extremely large for a vine, appears to have been naturally hollowed out over time, the twisting pattern outside duplicated roughly within, as if the wood had slowly hollowed out over the centuries. Taking this natural form, the artist has inscribed on its sides a theme which both matches the unusual pattern of the wood and depicts another aspect of the natural world. A one of a kind piece to decorate the Tokonoma of a tea room. The vase is 11-1/4 inches (29 cm) tall, 6 inches (15 cm) in diameter, and comes enclosed in an ancient wooden box. In Shintoism it is believed that gods inhabit the ancient growths. Perhaps when this piece fell, the artist sought to preserve some portion of that ancient being with this amazing work. Unfortunately my photographs fail entirely to capture the true beauty of this amazing piece.

A sheer cascade of silver mist drops into the darkness beyond a golden outcrop harboring an ancient pine laden with blossoming wisteria vines. Togidashi, taka-maki-e and kirigane, this is a breathtaking box dating from the 19th to opening of the 20th century. Inside is elegantly decorated with drifting clouds of golden mist. Overall in excellent condition, enclosed in a period wooden box. It is 23 x 21.5 x 4.3 cm (9 x 8-1/2 x 1-3/4 inches).

A rare opportunity to pick up a perfect condition Mingei pot from the former Yonezawa Clan's Narushima-kiln of Imaizumi on the border between Yamagata and Fukushima prefectures, one of the Edo period Daimyo feudal kilns, dating from the later 19th to opening years of the 20th century. It is 7-1/2 inches (19 cm) diameter, 6-1/2 inches (16 cm) tall and in fine condition with no chips, cracks or repairs. Very similar in appearance to nearby Tsutsumi-yaki of Sendai, the lesser lip between the glaze lines is indicative of Narushima-ware, and the clay is less brick-like in appearance. It is rare to see a functional piece like this in perfect condition. Narushima-yaki was established under the orders of Uesugi Yozan, one of the great leaders of the Yonezawa Uesugi clan, when he sent Sagara Kiyosaemon to study the techniques of nearby Soma-yaki and open in kiln in the first year of Tenmei (1781). The kiln flourished throughout the second half of the Edo, but, like most provincial kilns, began to flounder in the Meiji period with new technology making the old ways obsolete, and it closed in the early 20th century. It has since been revived in the post-war era.

A fetching scene of colored washes very　much in　the Taisho style by important artist Ono (Ohno) Bakufu. Pigment on silk in superb Kinrande mounting. It is roughly 21-1/2 x 79 inches (56 x 200 cm).
Born in Tokyo Ono Bakufu (1888-1976) relocated to central Japan after the great Kanto earthquake of 1923 where he became an honorary member of the Hyogo Prefectural Academy of Fine Arts. Often displayed at the Teiten National Exhibition, he is best known for paintings of fish, which were serialized in 72 woodblock prints from 1937-1942 (Dai Nihon gyorui gashu).

A pair of spectacular Mino Yaki Porcelain vases from the studio of famed artisan Kato Gosuke decorated with clusters of grapes under drying late summer leaves. It is 32.5 cm tall, 21 cm diameter and both are in excellent condition, enclosed in a wooden collectors box titled Mino Yaki Kabin Ittsui, Kato Gosuke Saku (Pair of Mino Yaki Vases by Kato Gosuke). Each bears a signature in overglaze on the base, along with two impressed seals. The square seal reads Kato Gosuke.
Kato Gosuke (1837－1915) was a master craftsman of Mino ware who was active in the Meiji period, fired elaborate and precise dyed porcelain, and his works were sold not only in Japan but also overseas, contributing to the improvement of the quality of Mino ware. Born in Tajimi into a traditional potting family, at a time when Mino ware was being produced on a large scale with low standards, and was considered a pottery for daily use. Gosuke was selected by Nishiura Enji III to manage production of his high quality porcelains, a task to which Gosuke excelled. Eventually, Gosuke became independent. His submission to the Philadelphia World Exposition is now housed in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and in 1878 a vase depicting Mt.Fuji was awarded bronze at the Paris World Exposition solidifying his reputation.

Pine Tray with Kintsugi gold and silver lacquer repairs featuring an intricate depiction of a butterfly in silver and gold maki-e flying around a pool formed of the natural dark and light wood grain. Splits on both ends are perfectly joined with inset wood “Butterflies”. Cracks have been filled with gold and silver creating streaks of light on the aged wood surface. It is 34 x 24 x 2.5 cm (roughly 14 x 10 x 2 inches) and comes in a period wood box titled Jidai Matsu ki-ji (Old Pine Wood) Koban-gata Kobon (Coin Shaped Incense Tray). I must confess my heart skipped a beat the moment I saw this piece. It is so perfectly representative of the Japanese scholar aesthetic with its reverence of the natural world and sublime sense of beauty combined with the pathos of the intransient rooted in the ideas of wabi-sabi.

A quintessential Taisho style painting of a boy in a mystical forest of flowers, pigment on silk by Hoson Reisui (b. 1897). The ethereal image seems not so much to be drawn on the silk, but to eminate from it. The boy too seems as if a sprite living in some fantastical reality. There is a minor water streak opposing on the bottom outside of both panels (near the signature) and some loss to the white gofun petals. Each panel is 34 x 59 inches (86.5 x 149.5 cm) and is in overall fine condition. Reisui studied in Tokyo under Hashimoto Seisui, placing him in the lineage of Gaho and Taikan. He later changed his name to Hoson Ryosaku.

A large Ukibori vase covered in iron with yellow slip raised imagery of birds in a pomegranate tree by Ito Tozan I enclosed in the original signed wooden box dated 1917. It is 16 inches (40 cm) tall 10-1/2 inches (26 cm) diameter and in fine 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 long bamboo incense case with dark wood lid carved exquisitely with blossoming lotus and calligraphy. The deteriorating leaves rise from the bottom, blossoms spreading their petals to the sun. Above three lines of calligraphy descend to meet like the squirreling rays of late summer light. The piece is 20-1/2 inches (51.5 cm) long and in perfect condition, enclosed in a cloth sack and kiri-wood box. It is signed (Japanese reading) Fusui(lotus water)Sanjin Koku (carved by Fusui, man of the mountain). The carving is one of the best I have seen.

A breathtaking Taireiji pottery vase by Kiyomizu Rokubei V enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Chrysantheum in raised relief grow ghosly white on the soft pink surface. It is 32 cm 12-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition. Taireiji was the most important development by this innovative artist, and pieces are exceedingly rare.
Kiyomizu Rokubei V (Shimizu Kuritaro, 1875-1959) initially studied painting and decorating technique under Kono Bairei, one of the foremost painters in Japan in the Meiji era. After graduating the Kyoto Municipal Special School of Painting, he took a position under his father at the family kiln however. That same year he exhibited his first work at the National Industrial Exposition. He was a co-founder of Yutoen with his father and Asai Chu, and worked ceaselessly to promote the pottery of Kyoto. He helped to establish the Kyoto Ceramics Research Facility (Kyoto Tojiki Shikensho) at the turn of the century which would be the proving ground for many young artist of the era. Doctor Maezaki Shinya has noted that Teishitsu-Gigei-in (Imperial Art Academy Member) Seifu Yohei III also fired his acclaimed works in the Rokubei kiln in the Taisho era. Due to his father’s poor health Rokubei V took the reins unofficially in 1902, commanding the helm until assuming the name Rokubei V in 1913. It was in 1928 that Rokubei changed the reading of the family name from Shimizu to Kiyomizu and applied it retroactively to previous generations. He exhibited constantly, and garnered a great many awards. He worked to get crafts added to the National Art Exhibition (Bunten/Teiten) and served as a judge in 1927, the first year crafts were allowed. In 1937 he was designated a member of the Imperial Art Council (Teishitsu Bijutsu Inkai). Despite changes in the world around him Rokubei persevered, working in all manner of materials and styles. He retired in 1945, perhaps as exhausted as Japan was with the end of the war, or perhaps seeing that capitulation would signal a new era in need of new leaders and a new aesthetic. He passed the name Rokubei to his son and took the retirement name Rokuwa. Uncontainable he continued to create pottery under that name until his death in 1959. His influence is so pervasive he was voted one of the most important potters of the modern era by Honoho magazine, the preeminent quarterly devoted to Japanese pottery. A multitude of works by him are held in the The National Museums of Modern Art, both in Tokyo and Kyoto, the Kyoto Kyocera Museum, The Kyoto Hakubutsukan Museum and the Philadelphia Art Museum among others.

A decidedly different version of this theme, a Festive carved wooden Tai (Red Snapper) fish with removable side for sashimi coated inside in gold with bone teeth and inlayed bone eyes. The craftsman ahs gone to great lengths to make this as realistic as possible, from the textures of the skin to the folds in the fins and coloring. Unusually, most dishes in this vein are one sided, however this is equally realistically carved on both sides. It is 47 x 21 x 6 cm (18-1/2 x 8 x 2-1/2 inches and is in overall excellent, antique condition.
It may seem strange, but the red snapper is a representative good luck "charm." There are two reasons. One, the pronunciation of red snapper (Tai) is the same as the end of the word for "fortunate" or "worthy of celebration" (Medetai), and two, the red snapper is known for living a much longer life than other fish and is seen as a symbol of long life. In fact, the deity Ebisu-sama is most often depicted holding a red snapper under one arm.

A superb image by Hirai Baisen depicting the fire lit on the mountains surrounding Kyoto on the final day of Obon enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled “Okuribi”. It is performed with washes of ink and gold on silk, bordered in a fine frame of patterned brocade. It is 22 x 79 inches (56 x 200 cm). It features large ivory rollers, which will need to be changed if shipped outside Japan. There is a wrinkle in the scroll (not a hard crease) through the line of housing (see photo)
Hirai Baisen graduated the Kyoto Municipal School of Fine Arts and was a regular exhibitor with the Bunten from 1907-1931. Having worked in any number of styles, he was a true Jiyu-gakka who excelled in the early years of his career. However he did slowly withdraw from the competitive world of Japanese art beginning in the war years. His works are held by the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and a plethora of important public and private collections.

Incredible attention to detail defines this large Pagoda entirely gilded in gold. It is 32 inches (81.5 cm) tall, 16 inches (41.5 cm) square at the base and in excellent condition. This would have been displayed in a Butsuma as a reliquary container. Both upper and lower doors open to reveal gold lined chambers in which the Buddhist objects could be stored. A couple of the small bells dangling from the eaves have been replaced or re-hung with wire. Due to size the cost of shipping will be accrued separately.

The seven gods of fortune are depicted in rich gold, vibrant colors and textures on this exceptional set of Kutani Sake Cups from the Kaburagi Studio enclosed in the original compartmentalized wooden box. Each cup is unique, measuring roughly 5.5 cm (2 inches) diameter, 3 cm (1 inch) tall and all are in excellent condition. The Kaburagi studio produced some of the finest wares in Kutani. Founded in 1822, it survives to this day under the same family, now in the 8th generation. These date from the very early 20th century. The Seven Gods, or Shichifukujin as they are called in Japanese, are:
Benzaiten, Goddess of the arts, including music often seen with a lute.
Bishamonten, God of warriors.
Daikokuten, (or just Daikoku) God of wealth and commerce with his magic hammer pounding out gold.
Ebisu.God of Merchants and Fisherman, often depicted with a fishing pole and Tai (sea bream) whose name is a homonym for celebration.
Fukurokuju, God of Longevity associated with deer.
Hotei,God of Abundance and Health usually pictured with his large sack of treasure.
And Jurōjin, Also a god of Longevity usually seen with a crane

Steam coils about the petit young woman at the public bath, a fine Taisho era painting signed Ikuho. The color blends into the silk, leaving a soft edge enhancing the sense she is being viewed through the steam and heat of the bath. Pigment on silk, mounted later in green patterned cloth extended with grey and featuring wooden rollers. As pictures of nudes were forbidden, Ikuho is likely a pen-name, possibly taken from Ikuho Street in Northern Kyoto city where the artist may have resided. The scroll is 19 x 78-1/2 inches (47.5 x 199 cm) and is in fine condition but for a faint water stain in the upper right corner and some minor marks.

Exquisite floral designs rise softly beneath the rich yellow glaze on this large porcelain vase by Seifu Yohei enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Crisp clarity defines the petaled blooms in slight relief blossoming on scrolling vines. A style both Seifu III and IV were well remembered for. It is signed simply on the base Seifu. The vase is 9 inches (23 cm) tall, the same diameter and in perfect condition. This is likely the work of the fourth generation Seifu, dating from the 1910s or 1920s. Seifu, unlike many potters of the time, was low production and tenacious in approach. The third generation head of the family (d. 1914) was honored as a member of the Imperial Art Academy (Teishitsu Gigei-In).

The Heron Maiden coquettishly covers her face, the intimation of snow in the vacant background with large occasional flakes falling in the fore on this large work by important 20th century artist Kitano Tsunetomi. Pigment on silk in the original silk border with solid ivory rollers (these will be changed if exporting). It comes in a later collector’s double wood box. The scroll is 46 x 206 cm (18 x 81 inches) and in overall fine, original condition. There are faint scattered foxing marks typical of the era.
In the Japanese folk- tale of The Heron Maiden (Sagi Musume), a young man comes across a wounded heron, and he takes it in and nurses it back to health. When the heron has regained the use of its wings, he releases it, and the heron flies away. Time passes and the young man meets a beautiful young woman with whom he falls in love. They get married and begin living happily together. The young wife weaves a particular kind of silk brocade in which the designs appear in relief. The young man sells the fabric, and the two are able to support themselves in this way. But the young woman places a constraint upon the man: He must never observe her while she is weaving her fabric. Of course the young man cannot resist the temptation to look, and when he does he sees a heron at the loom. Before his eyes the heron is transformed into a beautiful woman. Now that the secret has been exposed, the heron Maiden’s happy life with the young man must come to an end. She bids her husband a sad goodbye, and flies off to her heron companions.
According to the Nakanoshima Museum in Osaka: Kitano Tsunetomi (1880–1947) was born in Ishikawa Prefecture in 1880. His real name was Kitano Tomitaro. He subsequently moved to Osaka, where he studied under Inano Toshitsune, before working for the Osaka Shimpo newspaper illustrating novels serialized in the paper. In 1910, Sudaku-mushi (Chirping Insects) became his first work to be selected to appear in the 4th Bunten National Exhibition, and he gained a reputation as one of Osaka’s foremost bijinga artists. In 1912, he formed the Taisho Bijutsu-kai (Taisho Art Association.) In 1914, he set up the painting school Hakuyosha, and successfully submitted his work Negai-o-ito (Thread of Hope) to the 1st Inten Exhibition. After the 9th Bunten he became active in the Nihon Bijutsuin, an artistic association dedicated to promoting painting and sculpture in Japan, particularly nihonga, and became a judge of the Inten Exhibition. He played a key role in the Osaka art world, participating in the creation of the Osaka Art Exhibition in 1915 and the formation of the Osaka Sawakai in 1918. … He passed away in 1947 at the age of 67..

White wisteria (fuji in Japanese) drape from the gilded rim of this Kutani vase signed from the pre-eminent Kaburaki (Kaburagi) studio dating from the opening of the 20th century. The imagery is exquisitely performed with over-glaze enamels on a pastel gray ground. The vase is large at 13 inches (33.5 cm) tall, 8-1/2 inches (22 cm) diameter and is in excellent condition, with some wear to the gold rim.

Smooth black lacquer covers the mirror like surface of this wooden boat inlayed with mother of pearl down the sides, hiding under the low roof a brass tray for flower arranging. The prow is flecked with gold and the roof decorated with karakusa maki-e designs in black on the flecked surface. The tiller is removable for cleaning. It is 28-1/2 inches (72 cm) long, the ship dating to the opening of the 20th century. There are some minor chips in the lacquered corners in the stern, however overall it is in fine condition.

A long “Hengaku” framed painting meant to sit above the transom by Yoshimura Horyu featuring monkeys riding on the back of a deer. One has fallen and is being dragged along like a water-skier by vines tangled in the deers horns. A very humorous scene by this rare Osaka artist. Pigment and ink on silk mounted on gold with a carved rosewood frame. The frame is 154.5 x 50 cm (61 x 20 inches) and is in fine condition, with toning to the silk typical of age.
Yoshimura Horyu (1874-1936) was born in Osaka and studied under Mori Niho (1818-1891), excelling at paintings of animals in the Shijo style of observation from life. Due to size the cost of shipping will be accrued separately.

A young girl, her hair loosely bound, drifts off into a fond memory with a smile as she brushes a letter, the reem of paper draped from her left hand, the bamboo brush idle in her right. Incredible detail from the Kinkozan Kiln in Kyoto stamped on the pale clay of the base. It is 18 cm (7 inches) long, roughly the same height and in excellent condition. Better known for Kyo-satsuma style pottery works, this is a rarity.

A giant mingei carved mask of an oni (demon) embodying the indefinable sense of madness particular to Japanese Demon images. The face has a mysterious mixture of sadness and evil not duplicated in any other culture, a truly pitiable character. The mask, carved from a single block of wood, is just over 2 feet (66 cm) tall and in fine condition.

An unprecedented musuem quality seventeen piece Sencha Tea Set, each piece decorated by Zen Preist Hashimoto Dokuzan, each piece of pottery made by ceramic master Miura Chikusen I, the others made by masters in their felds, all enclosed in their original signed wooden boxes. The set consists of a Ryoro brazier, Ryoro dai tile for under the brazier, Kogo for incense, Fukin Tsutsu for a towel, Kensui for spent tea or water, two bisque fired teapots, a porcelain tea pot, a set of 5 tea cups, a set 5 of turned wood saucers, a woven fan for the coals, a Hawk feather wand, a wooden tea scoop, a wood plate for the tea pot, a silk fukin napkin, an exquisite pair of tea caddies and a red lacquered storage box with an inlaid Chinese jade handle; the door decorated with bamboo by Chikusen. An unprecedented set by these very important artists. The Ryoro is 10 inches (25 cm) tall. The tea pot is 7 x 5 x 5 inches (18 x 13 x 13 cm). All parts are in excllent condition.
Hashimoto Dokuzan (Gengi, 1869-1938) was born in Niigata, and was sent to Kyoto at the age of 16 to study painting and philosophy under Tomioka Tessai. At the age of 20 he entered Tenryuji under Gazan. He received Inka from Ryuen. In 1910 he moved to Shokokuji, and then was assigned the foundation of Nanonji Temple in Tottori Prefecture. He served as abbot of Tenryuji Temple and Shokokuji, both important Zen temples in Kyoto.
Miura Chikusen I (1854-1915) made a name for himself as a strict adherent to and supplier of Sencha tea wares in Kyoto; one of the most important artists in the country for that genre. He studied under Takahashi Dohachi from the age of 13, before establishing his own studio in 1883. He was a feature in the literati community of Kyoto and was well known also as a painter, poet and calligraphist. His porcelains were considered of the highest grade throughout the Meiji era, and are still highly collectable today. The kiln continues, currently under the management of the fifth generation.