Catalog: Archives (589)

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 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).

An exquisite koro by Kiyomizu Rokube V with solid silver lid enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled: Censer engraved with flowering Paulownia. This style is called Taireiji, developed by and unique to the fifth generation Rokubei. The most famous work in this style is undoubtedly a vase decorated with parrots in a tree held in the collection of the Kyoto National Museum of Modern Art. This piece is more subtle, the imagery soft and delicate, breathtaking in person. The paulownia tree glazed in white spreads its branches out around the body of the urn, flowers rising up from the broad leaves. The rising flower of the paulownia is a symbol if the imperial family. The background, very subtle, it is entirely engraved with sasa bamboo leaves the same color as the body. This double layer of carving is very rare. The solid silver lid is signed by the silversmith, and pierced with Phoenix, another symbol of the Japanese Imperial Family. It comes enclosed in a double wood protective box (Ni-ju Bako). A masterpiece by this most important figure.
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 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.

An incredibly large vase showing a blend of art-nouveau and traditional design motifs by Miyanaga Tozan I enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 46 cm (18-1/4 inches) tall and in excellent condition. This is perhaps one of the great examples of this artists work, blending elements of traditional Chinese, Japanese and European concepts into one breathtaking work.
Due to size the cost of shipping will be accrued separately
Miyanaga Tozan I enclosed in the original signed wooden box. 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.

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 worker makes his way through the autumn tinged hills, home just a few steps away in this brilliant Nanga work by Hashimoto Kansetsu enclosed in the original signed wooden box which is in turn enclosed in a red lacquered wooden box (Nijubako). Light color on silk mounted in a superb frame of blue silk with patterned with dragon dials and featuring large ivory rollers. The scroll measures 22 x 85-1/2 inches (58 x 217 cm) and is in excellent condition.
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 Sothern School). He travelled 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 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.

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

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.

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.

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.

A shu-iro red lacquered sign in the shape of a tea jar dating from the late 19th to early 20th century. A long verse has been carved into the surface before lacquering. The back is bound with cloth and lacquered black. The sign is 16 x 20 inches (41 x 50 cm). There are minor chips typical of age, but is in overall very good condition. For an excellent delve into the distinctive fusion of art, design and commerce of antique Japanese signage see the book Kanban (2017, Mingei Museum, Alan Scott Pate). You will find in there a black lacquered Kanban of similar shape and style.

An antique Guardian mask used to ward off evil hand carved from a rough slab of hardwood. It is 14-1/2 inches (37 cm) tall and in fine condition. Usually hung under the eaves of a house, it shows weathering typical of age. Late 19th to early 20th century.

An incredible work of florals on gold signed on the base Kutani Kaburagi Sei showing the very best of that regions pottery dating from the Meiji to Taisho period, when quality and craftsmanship was at its peak. It is 9 inches (23 cm) diameter, 13 inches (33 c) tall and in overall fine condition. There is a small tori-ashi (birds foot) glaze crack in the bottom but does not leak, and is only visible on the outside bottom.

A breathtaking Taisho period image of the Buddha in meditation by Takayama Shunryo. It is performed with gold appliqué and brilliant mineral pigments on silk, mounted in a fine mounting of blue cloth ending in bone rollers and enclosed in a kiri-wood box. The scroll is is 21 x 76.5 inches (53.5 x 194 cm) and is in fine condition.
Takayama Shunryo (1886-1921) born in Yamagata, studied under Yamamoto Shunkyo in Kyoto, Exhibited with the Bunten. Helped to establish the Nihon Jiyu Gakkai with Ikeda Keisen and Hayashi Bunto in 1919. Died unexpectedly in 1921 just 35 years old.

A latticework Hoya of solid silver caps this fine porcelain koro incense burner, a joint work by Miura Chikusen and Hashimoto Kansentsu, enclosed in the original shiho-kiri-wood box signed by both artists. It is 8.5 cm (3-1/2 inches) tall 11 x 16 cm across the handles (4-1/2 x 6-1/2 inches). Beast heads form the handles with a scholarly hut on one side, a poem in ancient script opposite. It is signed on the base by Chikusen and on the side by Kansetsu.
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 Sothern School). He travelled 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.
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 set of five Porcelain Tea Cups decorated by 5 individual artists from the early 20th century; Tomioka Tessai, Tajika Chikuson, Kamisaka Sekka, Imao Keinen and another as yet unidentfied artist, stamped on the base by the kiln. Each cup is uniquely hand painted by the artist; all stamped on the base by the potter, and come enclosed in a quality custom-made period wooden box. Each is roughly 2 inches (5 cm) tall, 2-1/2 inches (6 cm) diameter and all are in fine condition. A similar set by these artists can be found in the Honolulu Museum of Art.
Kamisaka Sekka (1866-1942) is the godfather of 20th century Japanese design and the Rimpa revival. He was born in Kyoto in 1866, one of six siblings. From 1882 he began his artistic career, however did not take-off until visiting the Paris Expo in 1901, where he was exposed to Art Nouveao and Western industrial design concepts. He was adept as a painter and designer in an assortment of other media, working with various artisans to bring to life his ideas. He was employed as a teacher at the Kyoto Municipal School of Art, and was widely exhibited and prized throughout his career, which ended in retirement in 1938.
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…
Imao Keinen (1845-1924) was born in Kyoto, and initially schooled in the Ukiyoe style before becoming a pupil of Suzuki Hyakunen, from whom he received his name. Master of many styles, he was a member of the Imperial Art Committee and Imperial Art Academy, and served as Juror for the Bunten as well as teaching at the Kyoto School of painting. A very influential painter known for his detailed Kacho-ga. He is held in the collections of the Ashmolean, Metropolitan Museum NY and Museum of Fine Arts, Boston among others.
Tajika Chikuson (Also Tachika, 1864-1922) was born in Takeda (modern Oita) and initially studied painting with Fuchino Keisen before moving to Kyoto where he apprenticed under another Kyushu born Nanga artist Tanomura Chokunyu, placing him in the direct lineage of the great 19th century literatus Chikuden. Along with Ikeda Keisen and Yamada Kaido, he helped to establish the Nihon Nanga-In. He was repeatedly awarded at the Bunten National Exhibition, and left a lasting impression on the world of Japanese Nanga with his many students.
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A large basin in striking cobalt designs by Miyagawa (Makuzu) Kozan enclosed in an unsigned wooden box. The central figure is a soaring phoenix spiral n elaborate plumage surrounded by clam shaped scallops in which leaping carp vie for the prize. About the rim 3 dragons battle for the flaming pearl. Outside serpentine vines intertwine about voluptuous flowers over phoenix. All together a sumptuous and royal aura. It is roughly 32 cm (12-1/2 inches) diameter and in excellent condition. A similar work is published in the catalog of the Miyagwa Kozan Makuzu Museum: Makuzu Ware (Yamamoto, 2010) pgs. 178-179 And an identical work is published in : Yokohama Makuzu Yaki Miyagawa Kozan Ten (1986) figure 66 as well as Miyagawa Kozan and the World of Makuzu Ware (2001) p. 138.
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 celadon vase inlayed with Chrysanthemum designs by Teishitsu Gigei-In Suwa Sozan I enclosed in the original signed wooden box featuring the Imperial Art Academy Seal and titled Kiku-Zogan Hana-Ire. Tendrils of blossoming chrysanthemum climb up the sides in dark inlay on the slightly pitted celadon sueface, a perfect rendition of Korean style wares from an earlier era with the addition of the Japanese design motif. It is 10-1/4 inches (26 cm) tall and in excellent condition. Artists mark on base.
The box notes this as having come from “Rai-gamaâ€, a Korean style or perhaps Korean Kiln. It is possible that Sozan fired this on a study trip to Korea, as I have never seen another box bearing this kiln dedication. An extremely rare work certainly worthy of a museum collection.
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.

Golden cranes soar among clouds etched into the surface of this solid silver Japanese hanging incense burner (Tsuri Koro) dating from the late 19th to early 20th century. Inside is an ash-cup suspended in a triple-hinged gimble which keeps the ash pot upright no matter the angle of the ball itself. On the side is impressed the official Kokuin which reads Jungin (pure silver). The cranes have a soft golden sheen and are likely gilded or damascened with gold. It hangs from three silk chords tied to ringlets on the lower half, and a similar ringlet on bottom holds a decorative tassel. Above is a second smaller orb of the same silver construction used to tighten the suspending ropes. The incense burner is 15 cm (6 inches) diameter weighing 1.4 kilograms (3.08 lbs) and is in overall excellent original condition of hammered and chiseled silver inlaid in gold. The silk chords have faded from purple to a dark tea colored brown.

A very unusual art nouveau style Kutani vase decorated with a jagged forest of pink trees on soft green carpet, butterflies circling the shoulder which breaks into a darkened cloud of moriage beads decorated with spiraling karakusa designs in slightly raised gold. Superb workmanship, it is simply signed Kutani-zo (made in Kutani). The vase is 10 inches (25.5 cm) tall and in excellent condition and dates from the first quarter of the 20th century.

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.

Drinking dancing and shamisen playing, a skeleton crew doing donchan-sawagi on the back of a pale gray jiban crepe-silk kimono. The figures are performed in the painstaking shibori technique where each dot is hand knotted before dying, each laborious knot making up one dot in the matrix of the design. The piece likely dates from the Meiji to early Taisho era, late 19th to early 20th century. This is not one of the modern bleached versions of this theme, but an antique original. Very very rare.

Sennin, Daoist immortals, relax, Gamma with his three legged toad looking shocked upon his shoulder, Tekkai sending his spirit forth, the essential equipment of the Daoist life scattered about them. The painting is dated 1912 and signed Kodo. The artist has chosen a very humorous stance from which to depict his subjects. The silk image is mounted on a panel of applied gold flake and framed in striped Ebony,. The frame is 142 x 48 cm (58 x 19 inches). There are some minor abrasions to the surrounding gold paper. As the traditional Japanese home was made with earthen walls, which could not support weight, hengaku frames of this manner were made to be suspended from the edge of the ceiling, and supported over the transom (Kamui) which ran the entire way around a traditional Japanese room at door height.
According to the MIA, The Daoist immortals, Gama Sennin (Chin. Liu Hai) and Tekkai Sennin (Chin. Li Tieguai) “were often paired in Japanese and Chinese art because of their corresponding supernatural powers. Depicted on the right is Gama Sennin, known literally as the ‘toad hermit,’ a character based on the historical civil servant and alchemist Liu Hai of 10th century China. Various accounts associate Gama with a large, three-legged toad by which he can be identified. Gama was thought to be able to release his spirit from his body, metamorphose, and fly with the aid of his magical companion. Tekkai Sennin is the Japanese adaptation of one of the Eight Immortals (Baxian), an assemblage of Daoist and/or folk deities. He was thought to be capable of leaving his body, sometimes traveling for extended periods. On one occasion, he asked a disciple to watch over his body and instructed him to burn it if his spirit did not return in seven days. On the sixth day, however, the disciple’s mother died, so he burned his master’s body and went home. Returning on the seventh day, Tekkai’s spirit found his body gone, leaving him no choice but to adopt the corpse of an emaciated beggar that he found beside the road. Like Gama Sennin, he is associated with medicine, and is traditionally represented with a gourd that signifies his ability to transcend the body and to offer healing.”
Due to size the cost of shipping will be accrued separately.

A large bronze vase on rosewood stand featuring a dragon rising into three dimensional form from the murky surface; signed on the base Shinsui. The fearsome creature appears like a wraith, points of its armored body writhing through the dark patina. The stand itself is a work of art, exquisitely carved with four cut through diapers, on each corner of which is a squat leg, a large floral dial carved through in the center. The vase is over 9 inches (23 cm) tall, 10 inches (25.5 cm) in diameter and in excellent condition. In Buddhism the dragon is considered as the guardian of faith and the protector of sacred places. Because one could never grasp its whole personality, the dragon is usually not shown in its entirety but half hidden in swirling clouds and stormy waves.

A pair of red and silver iron lotus flowers with long handles serving as Buddhist candle-stands, the light rising from within the sacred flower. Overall raw iron, the coloration of the flower petals is from silver and red lacquer. Each is 26.5 cm (10-1/2 inches) long and in excellent condition.

A later Meiji period two panel screen, Pigment on silk, signed Hosen (Usui Hosen) dating 1900-1910. Shunkei lacquer frame with cloth backing. Quintessential for the era, the scene is brushed in an abbreviated style, allowing the viewer to participate by completing the details. Muted colors and the lack of hard lines lend the screen an ethereal quality, as if recalled from a distant memory. The screen is 56 inches x 5 feet (142 x 152 cm) and is in fine condition but for some stress in the silk in the lower portion of the womans garments. Usui Hosen (b 1881, Kyoto) graduated the Kyoto School of Art and apprenticed under Yamamoto Shunkyo before establishing himself as a known Nihonga artist in early 20th century Kyoto the cultural heart of Japan.

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.

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.

No discussion on 20th century Kyoto ceramics can skip over the importance of the Kyoto Shi Tojiki Shiken-sho ceramics research facility at which all the luminaries studied and laid the foundation for a number of the early Living National Treasures. Here is a delicate vessel with elegant curves decorated with poppies dating from the early 20th century enclosed in an age darkened wooden box titled : Kyoto Tojiki Shikensho-sei (Made by the Kyoto Ceramics Research Facility) Keshi Moyo Kabin (Poppy Design Vase). It is 22.5 cm (9 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
The Kyoto Shi Tojiki Shikensho or Kyoto Municipal Ceramics Research Institute was founded in 1903 and under that specific persona existed until 1920. The facility was the proving ground for such luminaries as Kondo Yuzo, Kusube Yaichi, Kawai Kanjiro, Hamada Shoji and Komori Shinobu among many others.

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.

An early work featuring white walls in Autumn foliage by Kitamura Seigyu enclosed in the original signed double wooden box. The box appears to be titled HakuryuJi no yu (evening around Hakuryuji). There are many places named Hakuryuji in Japan, so it is difficult ot be specific, but near his home of Hokkaido, and a place he would have passed through is a Hakuryuji in mountainous and rural Akita prefecture. This work is performed with pigment and powdered silver on silk, and dates from very early in his career, likely around 1920. The scroll is 26 x 86 inches (66 x 218 cm). There is some minor foxing consistent throughout. The scene is mounted in lavender tinged bronze brocade of superb quality and features large ivory rollers (they will need to be changed if shipped outside Japan).
Kitagami Seigyu (1891-1970) was born in Hakodate, Hokaido. He came to Kyoto to study under his uncle Kitamura Shunzan, then under Takeuchi Seiho. He Exhibited and was prized with the Bunten/Teiten National Exhibitions.

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.

An unusual chato (tea room sword) in the shape of an octopus, its 8 legs stretched out in uniform with one curled back exposing the suckers. Eyes are intimated on one side, with an old chip where the breathing hole is opposite. About the neck is wrapped a faded silk chord. It is 22 inches (56 cm) long. It is said that these wooden swords were produced from the mid to late Edo period, in lieu of swords for those not allowed to carry weapons (all but samurai). During the Edo it is true that commoners wore them to ward off evildoers at night, generally heavier versions which would double as a truncheon, and later as statements of fashion akin to other sagemono. We have found however that their production lasted through the opening years of the 20th century, as long accustomed ornaments of fashion in the tea room (where even samurai were not allowed bladed weapons). To the repertoire of bokuto and doctors sword, we thus add the name Chato, or tea sword, as they were commonly referred to in Kyoto. As with other members of the sagemono group, they were most often made by carvers of Netsuke. This is from a collection of scholar items we are currently offering from the estate of a Kyoto family involved in literati and art movements from the later Edo period on.