A crane rises elegantly from a truncated tree, the legs intricately crafted and the body flowing in a liquid grace. This is Bizen Saikumono, a body of Bizen popular throughout the Edo, Meiji and early 20th centuries. Craftsman carved wild animals, mythical beasts, human figures and many other figures out of the smooth Bizen clay, relying on perfection of form, allowing the firing to add color without overt decoration. This figure is 34 cm (13-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition...

A Fushina (Fujina) yaki image of the three monkeys made to support the Kettle lid in the Japanese Tea Ceremony dating from the Edo period. A warning to all, the little creatures hear nothing, see nothing and speak nothing. What happens in the tea room, stays in the tea room! The figure is 4.5 cm (roughly 2 inches) diameter the same height and in excellent condition. Impressed into the base is the Rakuzan seal. It comes in an antique woven thread pouch...

A Bairin Yaki Suiteki water dropper in the shape of an eggplant and bowl covered in that quintessential Bairin purple and green glaze flowing into the water bowl. It is 10.5 x 6 x 4.5 cm (4 x 2-1/4 x 2 inches and is in overall nice condition, with miniscule chips repaired on the rim. Suiteki are used to provide water for grinding ink on an ink stone.
Bairin Yaki was a resurrection of the ancient Omi style of ceramic called Zeze favored by Kobori Enshu and Honami Koetsu...

A diminutive image of Hotei (Putai) the lucky god of fortune from the Edo period kilns of the Matsudaira clan of Matsue in their distinct golden color. It is 4.5 x 3.3 x 4 cm tall and is in excellent condition. Fushina-yaki was the Goyogama clan kiln of the Matsudaira of Matsue Han in modern day Izumo, established around 1764...

A classic bun-shaped Koro incense burner by Miyagawa Chozo pierced with Incense-clock-patterns enclosed in the rare original signed wooden box. It is 8.8 cm diameter, 7.5cm tall and is in excellent condition. The box contains a hand written note in old Japanese describing the origins of Makuzu-ware.
Miyagawa Chozo (1797-1860), also known as Chobei was born a direct descendant of Chokansai and would be the father to Miyagawa (Makuzu) Kozan I (1842-1916)...

An Edo period Kogo incense case of pale earth tones decorated with geometric shapes and green copper glaze in the oribe style with a scrawling streak of kintsugi gold extending down two sides. Kintsugi is the art of repairing using lacquer and powdered gold. Kintsugi is a traditional Japanese art form of repairing broken pottery or ceramics using lacquer and powdered precious metals...

The surface of this black glazed bowl signed on the base Dohachi has been impressed all over with seals in a style known as In-chirashi. It comes in an ancient wooden box with ebony rim titled inside Dohachi Saku (Chirashi-in) Chawan, while outside a much-worn paper label reads In-chirashi Dohachi Saku Chawan. The original silk pouch, much deteriorated, is included, but no longer strong enough to hold the bowl...

A set of 8 small dishes dating from the later 19th century known as Mame-zara (bean plates) covered in cream colored crackled glaze decorated in the traditional Mugiwarade pattern of alternating stripes of russet red, pale blue and orange emanating like rays from the center. Each plate is roughly 8.5 diameter and all are in excellent condition, enclosed in a modern, black-lacquered wooden box...

A set of three spouted nesting bowls decorated in the traditional Mugiwara pattern of alternating stripes of russet red, pale blue and orange emanating like rays from the center. The larger bowl is 9.5 cm (just under 4 inches) diameter, 5.5 cm (2 inches) tall. The smallest is roughly 7.5 diameter, 4.5 cm tall and all 3 are in excellent condition, enclosed in an old kiri-wood box.
This traditional pattern is called ``Mugiwarade'' because its vertical stripes resemble ears of wheat...

Storage jar with beautiful dark brown glaze drippings from the neck and shoulder down, over a dark brown stone ware with countless inclusions. Around the neck engraved with cross pattern. Shape somewhat distorted. Height 11 inches, width 10 inches. Two short cracks at the rim, one small chip at the rim, glaze partly rubbed due to extensive usage. Overall condition good. Japan 18/19th century.

An Edo period Oribe sake bottle of simple but full proportions and with classically Japanese Zen decoration - austerely yet sensitively placed grass and blooms decoration in iron oxide on the softly crackled opaque off-white glaze ever so slightly scorched in the kiln on two sides where the body is almost slightly exposed and oxidized to a buff tone at those points. The cut foot also glazed save for a crescent reserve around the center where the warm gray body is exposed...

Old sake bottle of strong conical shape with a short neck and everted rim.
Underneath the beautiful milky feldspar glaze a cobalt bue and black sketch-like drawing of sprigs of bamboo. Bottom glazed brown, as is typical for this ware. Mingei.

Most likely Ofuke (or Ofukei) ware, made near Nagoya, Japan.
Edo period, circa 1800
H ca...

Sturdy storage jar for tea leaves or other goods with horizontally ribbed surface, sloping shoulder with very short neck. Coarse but dense clay with small inclusions. Outside middle brown with cream-colored and yellow natural ash glaze. Mingei.
Japan, 18th/19th century.

Height 7.5 inches, width 6 inches at the neck. Ash glaze partially rubbed off at upper edge and at the body commensurate with holding and using, otherwise very good condition.

Edo Period (19c) Karatsu Guinomi (sake cup) from old Kansai pottery collection.

Karatsu pottery is one of most desired pottery type in Japan based in Karatsu, Saga Prefecture since 15th century.
It is made from high in iron clay often decorated with an iron-based underglaze, giving an earthy and natural feeling to the fired items.

Width 5.7cm
Height 6.7cm
Weight 89g

In excellent antique condition. No cracks. No chips. Supplied with two wooden boxe...

Karatsu pottery is one of most desired pottery type in Japan based in Karatsu, Saga Prefecture since 15th century.
It is made from high in iron clay often decorated with an iron-based underglaze, giving an earthy and natural feeling to the fired items.

Width 6.6cm
Height 3.4cm
Weight 73g

No cracks. No chips.
Supplied with wooden box with the label "Ko Karatsu"

Japanese Oribe Seto Ware Andon-Zara Dish - Edo Period

This stoneware dish is an andon-zara (or abura-zara), an oil lamp dish. It was made in the early 19th (or possibly late 18th) century, during the Edo period (1615 - 1868). It is particularly heavily-potted and has a flat, slightly concave base. It is coated in a crackled glaze and decorated in underglaze iron-brown, the pattern featuring three stylised flowers above what may be a fence. To the top right is an area of green glaze. On the f...

Japanese Oribe Seto Ware Andon-Zara Dish - Edo Period

This stoneware dish is an andon-zara (or abura-zara), an oil lamp dish. It was made in the early 19th (or possibly late 18th) century, during the Edo period (1615 - 1868). It is heavily-potted and has a delightful slight warp to it. It is coated in a crackled glaze and decorated in underglaze iron-brown, the pattern featuring a stylised flower, two interlocking circles above what may be a fence. To the top right is an area of green glaze....

Kyoto ceramic statuette of Guanyin. The clay is not earthenware, but rather stoneware fired at low temperature. An enamel decoration, applied to a cracked glaze, covers the entire statuette. The rock-base is enamelled in green and blue, stained with gold. The dress of the deity is enamelled with stylized flowers and scrolls in blue, green and red, but the whole is dominated by gold. This statuette is of excellent quality, elegant and rare. A large firing defect split the underside of the base in...