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

A lovely genuine full sized Bunraku theater puppet of a mature female character dressed in a blue silk kimono with elagent head dress. The doll is fully mobile, controlled from within by switches on her neck and poles extending from her arms. The hands are flexible as seen in the photos. She stands almost 4 feet (117 cm) tall, and comes complete with a bamboo display stand as pictured. All is in excellent condition, with a few stray hairs in her coiffure. This will be the first we have had the opportunity to offer online in quite sometime.

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 fabulous bold design of crashing waves wraps about this balluster form by Miyanaga Tozan enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 26 cm (10 inches) diameter, 28 cm (11 inches) tall and in excellent condition. An unusual design and superb execution by this important artist. Miyanaga Tozan I (1868-1941) is one of the most important names in Kyoto ceramics. He was born in Ishikawa prefecture, and graduated from the (now) Tokyo University of Art. While a government employee, he represented Japan at Arts Expositions, and studied art in Europe before returning to Japan in 1902 to devote himself to the production of ceramics, with great emphasis on celadon, one of the most difficult of all ceramic wares. He was direct teacher or mentor to a number of prominent artists including Kitaoji Rosanjin and Arakawa Toyozo. He was succeeded by his adopted daughter who brought a refreshing variation of color and delicate touch to the porcelains they produced. The kiln is now in the third generation, run by his grandson.

Iron laced with tinges of blue decorates the rim, flowing into the bowl of these five abalone shaped dishes from 19th century Takatori in central Kyushu enclosed in a beautiful age darkened kiri-wood box titled Awabi Mukozuke Go Kyaku Takatori Yaki (Five Abalone Shaped Dishes from Takatori). Each is roughly 9.5 x 12.5 cm (4 x 5 inches) and each bears the “Taka” stamp beneath. No post-firing damage. One has a pre-firing chip in the rim, another a firing flaw visible in the bottom, it does not go through.

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.

Wild chrysanthemum rise along a brief poem on the cream-colored sides of these Tokkuri by Seifu Yohei enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Seizan Sakabin. They are 15 cm (just under six inches) tall and in excellent condition. There is a pre-firing imperfection in the rim of one of the Tokkuri.
Seifu Yohei I (1803-1861) founded the Seifu dynasty in Kyoto. He was born in powerful Kaga-kuni, modern day Kanazawa prefecture. After apprenticing with the second generation Dohachi, he established his own kiln in the Gojo-zaka pottery district of Kyoto. Seifu Yohei II (1844-1878) took over that world upon his father’s death and continued to elevate the family name. His work was presented at the Philadelphia Worlds Fair in 1876, that piece was purchased at the time by the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. He held the reigns for only a short time, and died at the very young age of 34, leaving the kiln to brother in law, who would hurl the name of Seifu onto the annals of history recording the highest qualities of world porcelain artistry. For more on this illustrious lineage see the book Seifu Yohei by Seki Kazuo (2012).

Nagakura Kenichi's artwork is imbued with a primal energy and balance executed with a keen understanding of composition. Each piece combines classic Japanese bamboo basketry techniques with a contemporary artist's sensibility. He steps outside traditional limitations of form, function and material, challenging our concept of customary bamboo. The transition from container to sculpture is further explored in this piece, with expressive curves and a lack of any definable shape. This earth encrusted style is perhaps the most easily identifiable in his oeuvre; a technique pioneered and unique to him. The amorphic form is 36 x 30 x 26 cm (14 x 12 x 10 inches) and in excellent condition. Light intermingling from various angles through the organic sculpture creates a dramatic, contemplative atmosphere.
Nagakura Kenichi (1952-2018) treated bamboo as a purely sculptural medium. He creates unconventional, organic forms, sometimes accented with pieces of found wood and coated with finishes of his own creation. Nagakura spent years learning traditional bamboo techniques from his grandfather before innovating his own style. Bamboo, says the artist, is an ideal material to express nature: “Bamboo can be either delicate like a spider web or solid as stone, thus embodying the natural cycles of the world.”. Bamboo Sculptures and baskets are held the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, the Herbert F Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Mint Museum of Craft in North Carolina, and in the National Gallery of Victoria, among others.

The mastery of expression accomplished by Suwa Sozan I is evident in this pair of porcelain children enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Gosai Doshi Okimono (Five Colored Figure of Children). This piece is published in the definitive book “Suwa Sozan Sakuhin Shu” (1971). In the book the photo title is more specific “Gosai Mimiakatori Karako Okimono” (Five Color Figure of Chinese Children Cleaning Ears) and the work is dated to 1913. The fellow doing the cleaning is absorbed in his work, an intense expression on his face, while the other fellow smiles with glee, leaning into his compatriots hands. It is 22 x 11 x 18 cm (9 x 4-1/2 x 7 inches). There are losses to the glazing, some of which are evident in the photograph in the book as well.
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 white pidgeon perches on a discarded or fallen roof tile decorated with calligraphy by Miyanaga Tozan enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 9 inches (23 cm) tall and in excellent condition. I believe this is likely by the second generation.
Miyanaga Tozan I (1868-1941) is one of the most important names in Kyoto ceramics. He was born in Ishikawa prefecture, and graduated from the (now) Tokyo University of Art. While a government employee, he represented Japan at Arts Expositions, and studied art in Europe before returning to Japan in 1902 to devote himself to the production of ceramics, with great emphasis on celadon, one of the most difficult of all ceramic wares. He was direct teacher or mentor to a number of prominent artists including Kitaoji Rosanjin and Arakawa Toyozo. He was succeeded by his adopted daughter who brought a refreshing variation of color and delicate touch to the porcelains they produced. The kiln is now in the third generation, run by his grandson.

A truly magnificent vase of pastel blue floral designs on yellow-green body by Miyanaga Tozan enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 8 inches (20 cm) tall and in excellent condition. It retains the original wooden base. I believe this is by the second generation.
Miyanaga Tozan I (1868-1941) is one of the most important names in Kyoto ceramics. He was born in Ishikawa prefecture, and graduated from the (now) Tokyo University of Art. While a government employee, he represented Japan at Arts Expositions, and studied art in Europe before returning to Japan in 1902 to devote himself to the production of ceramics, with great emphasis on celadon, one of the most difficult of all ceramic wares. He was direct teacher or mentor to a number of prominent artists including Kitaoji Rosanjin and Arakawa Toyozo. He was succeeded by his adopted daughter who brought a refreshing variation of color and delicate touch to the porcelains they produced. The kiln is now in the third generation, run by his grandson.

A fabulous Koro covered in damascened gold by Ibuse Keisuke enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Nunome Zogan Jungin Koro (Damascene Pure Silver Incense Burner). It is 11 cm (4-1/2 inches) tall, 9.5 cm (3-3/4 inches) diameter and in excellent condition.
Ibuse Keisuke was born in Tokyo in 1930, and began his studies of metal arts in 1950 under Unno Takeo. By the late fifties he was exhibiting with the Kofukai (where he would later be awarded) as well as the Nitten National Art Exhibition, and in the early sixties would begin exhibiting at the Gendai Kogeiten Modern Crafts Exhibition. In 1974 he would be awarded at the Dento Kogei Shinsaku Ten (New Traditional Crafts Exhibition), and in ’76 at the Dento Kogei Musashino Ten, followed by awards at the Dento Kogei Kinko Shinsaku Ten and Dento Kogei Ten with his work being collected by the Imperial Household Agency in 1981. The following years Hiroshima Prefectural Museum, Fukuyama Museum as well as again The Imperial Household Agency would purchase pieces for their permanent collections.

Leaping green fish soar up the sides over tempestuous crackled celadon waves crashing over the matte blue of this exquisite Mizusashi fresh water container by Sawada Sozan enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It comes with a pottery lid as well as a black lacquered lid (Kaebuta). It is 18 cm (7 inches) tall, 13 cm (5 inches) diameter and in excellent condition.
Sawada Sozan (1881-1963) was born in Kyoto and graduated the Tokyo School of Fine Arts. He attended the Arts Department of Columbia College in the United States where he researched design, and after touring Europe, returned to Japan in 1907 where he established the Sawada Design Institute in Kyoto. He designed textiles, posters, sake labels alongside his exploration of the clay medium. In 1917 he established a kiln in the Momoyama district of Fushimi in Southern Kyoto (this box is signed Momoyama Sozan Saku). He exhibited with the Bunten-Teiten- National Exhibitions and eventually was selected to serve as a judge there. From the mid ‘30s, with the darkening of world affairs, he began to focus more on private exhibition. Several works are held in the permanent collection of the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto.

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.

An exceptional boxed set of sake cups made by Seifu Yohei III lined with silver by Nakagawa Joeki (IX or X) enclosed in the original compartmentalized kiri-wood box signed by both artists. Each cup is unique, silver on blue, gold on red, and green on yellow, each stamped by the artist and displaying the celebratory Plum, Pine and Bamboo (Shochikubai) motif. They are 2-12 inches (6.3 cm) diameter each and in excellent condition.
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 II 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.
Likely by Nakagawa Joeki IX (1849-1911), he became the head of the Nakagawa family, a lineage of Kyoto artists who had specialized mainly in making utensils for the tea ceremony at a time when support for the Tea Ceremony reached unprecedented lows. This was due to the association of Tea with the former ruling class. Nakagawa Joeki received the support of the Mitsui family to compensate for the loss of traditional patronage during the Meiji era and is remembered for creating highly accomplished works. Nakagawa Junsaburo (Joeki X, 1880-1940) was the took the reins in 1911, He headed the line from1911-1940, covering the reign of 3 emperors, he was greatly favored by tea masters at the time.

A classic Gu vase of exquisite white porcelain by Miura Chikusen enclosed in the original signed double-wood box. It is 13-1/4 inches) tall, 19 cm (7-1/2 inches) diameter at the rim and in excellent condition. This type of Sinophile work was very popular throughout the Meiji and Taisho periods, and Sencha steeped tea had a profound impact on Japanese culture at the time. For more on that see the book ‘Tea of the Sages: The Art of Sencha’ by Patricia Graham (1998).
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 Eldest son took over after his father assuming the family name as Chikusen II, but died young in 1920 leaving a young child, whereupon his younger brother took over as Chikusen, III. However when Chikusen IIs eldest son was old enough, III relinquished the helm, appointing his nephew Chikusen IV and assuming the name Chikuken (Chikken). The kiln continues, currently under the management of the fifth generation.

Not quite the Easter Bunny, but perhaps close to an Easter Egg, the design on this vase is both classical and modern, reminiscent of Kenzan and his use of patterns and colors, surmounted by a sometsuke underglaze blue dragon among roiling cobalt clouds. The pot dates from the late 19th to early 20th century, classic Meiji period but for the unusually bright and cheerful rows of yellow, blue and green florals on red. The dragon blends with the clouds, with a single gold line delineating his body, and red flame whirling off from his legs. It is 11 inches (28 cm) tall, 9 inches (23 cm) diameter and in excellent condition.

Sakura blossoms begin to open among the draping branches of a weeping willow soughing in the breeze on this beautiful lacquer box by Inami Kirokusai enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Wajima Nuri Soshun Maki-e Suzuri Bako (Ink Stone Box of Early Spring Design from Wajima). The design is performed over highly polished black, the interior in nashiji with pine saplings in raised design around the ink stone and water dropper. It is 24.5 x 13 x 3 cm (10 x 5 x 1-1/2 inches) and in excellent condition.
The four generations of the Inami family spanning the Meiji to contemporary were the subject of a major retrospective at the Ishikawa Wajima Lacquer Museum in 2013.

A halo surrounds the emaciated figure of a Rakan (Arhat or Arahat) seated atop a stone draped in billowing robes clutching a nyoi scepter in his bony left fist. The holy figure is chiseled and polished with extreme care and attention to detail. The detail in the carving is striking, as bamboo is notoriously hard and difficult to work. Setting it apart from most bamboo carving is a complex pattern of extremely fine chiseled texture throughout. It comes enclosed in a wooden box signed Raizan and dated Showa 16 (1941). It is 19.5 x 6.5 cm (7-1/2 x 2-1/2 inches) and in excellent condition.
The Sago is a decorative spoon used in preparation of Steeped tea. For more see the definitive book Tea of the Sages: The Art of Sencha, by Patricia J Graham (1998).
In Buddhist lore the Rakan is one who has broken the chain of re-birth and overcome the three poisons of desire, hatred and ignorance. It is a popular theme in both Chinese and Japanese art.

An exquisite wooden plate in cinnabar lacquer over black wrapped in a chord bound cloth bag end enclosed in an age blackened kiri-wood box dating from the Edo period. The surface of brilliant red has been worn through with handling revealing the black beneath about the rim and edges. It is 9 inches (23 cm) diameter and in excellent condition. The bottom is a brown tinged black (the brown is a product of oxidation, inherent only with age) upon which are written two characters in red. The box is titled Negoro Nuri Bon (Negoro lacquered Tray) and inside the box lid is written the name of the owner: ?hekitei Zo-gu (Collection of ?hekitei). The first character is too abbreviated to make a definitive reading.

Rivulets of green glaze descend all sides of this sublime storage jar, the bottom raw red Tamba clay dating from the Edo period. About the rim are four “mimi” ears for tying down the wooden bung. The base is slightly concave and burnt to a rock like texture. The vessel is 12 inches (30 cm) tall, 11-1/2 inches (29 cm) diameter and in excellent condition. Tamba is considered as one of Japan’s six famous ancient kilns, along with Seto, Tokoname, Echizen, Shigaraki and Bizen. It is known for a solemn, austere atmosphere, and for the beautiful green pine-ash glaze. The origins are purported to be in the late Heian period, when it was called Onohara ware. Traditionally it is coil formed, or turned counter clockwise on a wheel. Early pieces were fired in anagama, until the Momoyama period, when the advent of the climbing kiln offered increased production and possibilities and hire firing temperatures.

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 very rare work by Suda Seika featuring a long armed monkey climbing over the rim in raw terracotta clay, contrasting brilliantly against the blue splashed white porcelain. It is 17.5 x 20 x 10.5 cm (7 x 8 x 4 inches) and comes enclosed in a period kiri-wood box. The first generation Suda Seika (1862-1927) was born the son of a merchant in Kanazawa, then part of the Kaga fief. He graduated the Ishikawa prefectural Industrial Ceramic Research Center in 1880 specializing in decoration, and moved to Kyoto the same year. In 1883 he entered the Kutani Ceramics Company, and was elevated to head of decoration two years later. In 1891, he established the Nishiki kiln in Yamashiro Onsen (Hotsprings) of Kaga city, and in 1906 opened a second climbing kiln which bore the name Seika. In 1915 he served as a mentor to the young upstart who would later become known as Kitaoji Rosanjin (1883-1959). The second generation took the reins in the mid 1920s, passing them onto the third generation around 1970.

A set of early wood panels, once doors on a votive shrine, painted with guardian shishi lions (Also called Fu-dogs) in polychrome colors, much worn with time. The doors are of clear grained hinoki (Japanese cypress) and have shrunk horizontally over the centuries, evidenced by the ari (wooden support) which is inset into them. On back one can see clearly the silhouette of the original metal-work. Momoyama to early Edo period, they are 37.5 x 47 cm (15 x 18-1/2 inches) each and would be fabulous framed as a set or individually.

A serene image of the Goddess of Mercy Kannon found in a natural black stone from the Seta River inset into a hand carved hard-wood base and enclosed in a kiri-wood collectors box titled simply Setagawa-ishi (Seta River Stone). 19.5 cm (7-3/4 inches) tall and in excellent condition.

Cranes soar before the red orb of the sun over festive young pines on these five ceramic bowls covered outside in red and black lacquer from the Nagoya studio of Toyoraku (also Horaku) dating from the mid to later 19th century, late Edo to Meiji eras. This set is exceptional! It is enclosed in a fine compartmentalized collectors kiri-wood box titled Owari Toyoraku Yaki Nuri Asahi-Tsuru-Matsu Suimono Chawan Go Kyaku (Five Owari Toyoraku Pottery Lacquered Soup Bowls Decorated with Pines, Cranes and Rising Sun). The red circle created by the lid is the rising sun, the golden crane sailing before it, and on the black bowl are young pines, symbolizing strength fortune.
The Toyoraku tradition began in the mid 1700s, however it was the fourth generation head of the household (Toyosuke IV 1813~1858) who moved the kiln to Kamimaezu in Nagoya and began applying lacquer and Maki-e to the works. He was succeeded by his son, Toyosuke V (d. 1885) who passed the kiln to his own son Toyosuke VI, (d. 1917), who was highly lauded in his lifetime and made pottery on order of the Meiji emperor, his pieces being selected for international exhibition. However from the later Meiji he concentrated on Raku-ware, and the lacquer tradition mostly disappeared from the family ouvre.

A pair of small gold doors depicting Asian Civets (Jakoneko) in a flower strewn garden dating from the early to mid Edo period (17th to 18th century) reminiscent of the famous pair of screens heralding the same image by Kano Yukinobu (Utanosuke, active Muromachi period). The handmade bronze handles are in the shape of hollyhock leaves, intimating connection to the Tokugawa clan, head of the Shogunate. The painted panels are 45 x 28 cm each (17-1/2 x 11 inches), the doors roughly 48.5 x 32 cm (19 x 12-1/2 inches) and are in remarkably good condition considering age. There is some soot built up on the gold surface as might be expected of a painting exposed to wood heat and cooking for two centuries.

Golden bamboo spreads its leaf laden branches about the rim of this aka-e Kinsai bowl by Kyoto potter Takahashi Seizan and decorated by the famous painter Hashimoto Kansetsu enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 6-1/2 inches (17 cm) square and in excellent condition. This is from the personal collection of painter Konoshima Keika (1892-1974). We will be offering more from his household in the near future.
Born into the family of literatus and painter Hashimoto Kaikan in Hyogo, in the heart of central Japan, Hashimoto Kansetsu (1883-1945) was a sinophile and manic painter trained initially by his own eye and studies of Chinese classics, then under Takeuchi Seiho (1864-1942). Very opinionated (like his teacher) on the future of Japanese painting, he eventually left Seiho’s Chikujokai school and set out to establish his own painting style which came to be called Shin-Nanga (the New Southern School). He traveled in Europe and extensively in China, and many of his scenes are inspired by that country. His former residence, which he designed entirely himself, is now a museum. Works by this artist are in so many important collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MOMAT (Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art), Adachi Museum, Kyoto National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art, and the Imperial Household collection among many others.

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.

Scratches of ink form a precipitous landscape of jagged mountains on the paper surface of this scroll performed by Fujii Tatsukichi enclosed in a wooden box titled: Painted by the elder Tatsu, One Scroll, Mountain, Annotated by Eichi. It is framed in a silk border terminating in black lacquered rollers. It is 13-1/2 x 59 inches (34 x 149 cm) and is in excellent condition.
Kato Eichi (1899-1987) was a potter from Seto who trained under Tatsukichi. Several pieces by him formerly in the collection of Tatsukichi are now held in the Aichi Prefectural Museum.
Fujii Tatsukichi (1881-1964) could be considered the father of the Arts and Crafts Movement and the modern concept of design as an art form in Japan, and most certainly an artist not to be defined by one medium. He was born in Hekinan city, Aichi prefecture near Nagoya. He was, along with Kishida Ryusei, Saito Yori and Takamura Kotaro, a founding member of Hyuzan-kai in 1912, the first organization in Japan dedicated to Expressionism in all forms through all mediums. He was one of the most important reformers of the traditional arts in Japan and a pioneer of the modern craft world. His creativity touched nearly every area: embroidery, dyeing, weaving, lacquer, pottery, papermaking, metalwork, woodwork, Painting, calligraphy, woodblock carving and printing. In the 1920s he wrote articles on home crafts for Fujin no Tomo, one of the most widely read women’s magazines of the day. He also held the first professorship of design at the Imperial Art School (mod. Musashino Art University), and his influence was enormous. The museum of contemporary art in Tatsukichi’s birth place, Hekinan, is named after him. In 1932 he established a studio in Obara, where he headed the movement to reinvent the Japanese craft paper industry. That studio (Mufuan) has been moved and is now used as a tea house by Seto City. A major retrospective on his life work travelled japan in 1996 spearheaded by the Tokyo National Museum, “Fuji Tatsukichi, Pioneer of Modern Crafts”.

The great Tang Poet Du Fu (712-770) affectionately coddles a goose chick in his left hand, his bamboo staff low and seemingly forgotten as he ponders the beloved creature in his palm. Exquisitely rendered, it is roughly 16 inches (40 cm) tall and signed on back with an engraved signature. Du Fu's poetry has made a profound impact on Japanese literature, especially on the literature from the Muromachi period and on scholars and poets in the Edo period, including Matsuo Basho, the very greatest of all haiku poets. It is said that when Basho died, a copy of Du Fu's poetry was found among his few possessions.
Yamamoto Junmin (1882 – 1962) learned the metal arts under Katori Hotsuma (Hozuma) and Asakura Fumio at the Tokyo University of Art. Living in Nara, the ancient capital, he was one of the finest metal workers of his age, carrying on the Edo-doki tradition through the early Showa era while also incorporating many ideas and innovations from Art Deco into hos oeuvre. His work was exhibited with the Teiten/Bunten National Exhibitions many times before the second world war, and with the Nitten National Exhibition post-war. The National Museum of Modern Art in Kyoto holds two works by this important bronze artist, as well as the Metal Art Museum Hikarinotani.

A spectacular pair of vases by Ito Tozan I decorated with the imperial chrysanthemum in gold between soaring phoenix; symbols of the Japanese imperial family. Both come in the original (tired) silk pouch in a compartmentalized wooden box signed by the artist. Each is roughly 6 inches tall and in excellent condition, dating from the late 19th to early 20th century (later Meiji to Taisho period).
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).

The village headman aims his arrows at the moon to dispel the evil brought on by a solar eclipse, the village women in the background standing in prayer. This scene was painted by Higuchi Tomimaro for show at the Seikosha Exhibition held in Osaka in 1938. It is an excellent look into the world of the Ainu, a native culture to Northern Japan now lost to history. He has done a wonderful job conveying the texture of the clothing, and hidden behind the grayish background is textures of floral life, only visible by shadow, an interesting and unusual technique. Pigment on paper in a simple black lacquered wooden frame with elegant metal hardware. Each screen is 186 x 169.5 cm (73 x 67 inches). They have been completely remounted without any over-painting, and are ready for the next hundred years.
Higuchi Tomimaro (1898-1981) was born in Osaka and studied under Kitano Tsunetomi from around 1910. He began exhibiting with the Bunten National Exhibition in 1915, with his painting Tsuyasan, followed by works in 1917,18 and 19. He would then switch to the Inten, exhibiting there from 1923 to 1930. At this time, he began producing Hanga woodblock prints along with Takehisa Yumeji for the Senryu magazine. In 1925 he would be accepted into the Shotoku Taishi Exhibition. In the later 20s he fell into the circle of Nishiyama Suisho and switched to the Seikosha Salon as well as moving back to exhibiting with the reorganized Teiten National Exhibition. Much lauded in his lifetime, he is remembered for Bijin-ga images of beauties and genre scenes in his youth, and Buddhist imagery in his later years. Work is held in the Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art, the Osaka Nakanoshima Musuem among others.

A rare bowl by Ninnami Dohachi from the Sangama kiln dating from the later Edo period wrapped in a silk pouch and enclosed in a fine custom made Kiri-wood collectors box. Deeply impressed into the base is the six sided Sangama kiln mark. It is 5-1/2 x 5 x 3 inches (13 x 12.5 x 9 cm) and is in excellent condition.
Ninnami Dohachi II and his son (the future Dohachi III) were invited by the local lord Matsudaira to produce pottery at the Sangama kiln in Sanuki Kuni on the island of Shikoku in 1832. He would return later, agan with his son as well as his apprentice Siefu Yohei, in 1852. This is part of a large collection of antique pottery from Kyushu gathered in the early to mid 20th century. A note inside the box states this was collected in June of 1938.
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 anals of Kyoto ceramics well into the Meiji period.

The golden orb shines out like the light of Buddhism from between the dark clouds on this exquisite 19th century image by Wada Gozan, priest of Jinko-in Temple. Ink and gold-pigment on silk in a patterned silk border with wood rollers in a period kiri-wood box titled Tsuki no ga Yokomono Ippuku (1 wide painting of moon) Wada Gozan koto (of Wada Gozan), annotated by Kuten. It is 25 x 48-1/2 inches (63.5 x 123.5 cm) and is in overall fine condition, with a minor wrinkle in the lower border. Wada Gozan (the art name of priest Gesshin 1800-1870) was a close associate of poet and artist Otagaki Rengetsu and they were known to collaborate on many occasions. She spent much of her final years in his temple Jinko-in.

A superb example of the mastery of Bizen Saiku-mono sculptures by Nishimura Shunko dating to the pre-war era. The musculature and bone structure of the creature is clearly visible, and it wears a cloak of ash glaze like fur, the tail actually covered in dry “goma” textured ash, and the lower extremities showing a fine assortment of Hi-iro flame colors on the raw clay. Stylistically there appears to be some influence of the pottery technique of Okinawan Shisa (lions). This is very likely, as the potteries of Kyushu and Okinawa held sway over the Mingei movement originating in the 1920s and 30s, when Shunko was at the peak of his abilities. The beast is roughly 10 inches (25 cm) tall and in excellent condition. It is signed Shunko Saku (Made by Shunko) inside the hollow body followed by the artists double mountain kiln symbol.
Nishimura Shunko (Yasujiro, 1886-1953) was, along with Kaneshige Toyo and Mimura Tokei one of the three pillars of Bizen pottery during the first half of the 20th century, and one credited with saving it from extinction. Born in Kyoto, he studied Japanese Painting before moving to study Awata Yaki pottery techniques under Aoyama Shunko (from whom he received his name) and then under the first Suwa Sozan. He moved to Inbe (Okayama Prefecture, home of Bizen) in 1909, where he established a kiln and became known for saiku-mono or ceramic sculptures. His genius was quickly recognized, and his works were collected by the Imperial family and given as gifts to foreign dignitaries. He served as a ceramics instructor for two years in Korea during the Taisho period. He also taught potters like Urakami Zenji (1914-2006). He was named a bearer of intangible cultural properties for his lifes work in 1942. Several works by him are held in the Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art.

A fabulous large porcelain vase by Daimaru Hoppo (Hokuho) enclosed in the original signed and compartmentalized wooden box complete with a rosewood base. The vase is a perfect example of the Sinophile aesthetic that permeated Japanese art in the early 20th century. The simplified form rises from to frets decorated with stylized cicada under a belt of archaic figures and yotsu-domoe (yin-yang) symbols. It is 14 inches (35 cm) tall plus the base and is in excellent condition.
Hoppo (also called Hokuho) would have been rated in the top 10 porcelain artist of Kyoto, along with Suwa Sozan, Ito Suiko, Ito Tozan, Miyanaga Tozan, Takahashi Dohachi, Seifu Yohei, Kiyomizu Rokubei, Miura Chikusen and Kiyomizu Zoroku, all artists active from the Meiji through the early Showa eras. He is best remembered for his Chinese forms and Sencha thin tea ware. Born in Ishikawa in 1879, he was initially trained in the Kutani tradition before moving to Kyoto in 1899 to study porcelain throwing and decoration there. He also spent several years in China where he became adept at the aforementioned Sencha aesthetic. Daimaru Hokuho II (Tatsuo, b. 1926) studied under both his father and Kiyomizu Rokubei V and VI. He exhibited frequently with the Nitten National Exhibition, where he would serve as a judge.