A terracotta figure of the Three Wise Monkeys - Mizaru who is covering his eyes, Kikazaru who is covering his ears and Iwazaru who is covering his mouth. All three embody the proverb "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil". The figure is combed terracotta with blue, black and brown paint. The robes of the monkeys are painted with Japanese symbols on the back. Provenance: A Pvt. San Franciso Collection

Date: Meiji (1868 - 1912)

Dimensions: 8.5" X 5.5" X3.5"

Antique hand-woven basket, originating from the Jarai culture in Vietnam. Secured with wood frame, with rope shoulder strap for carrying. Baskets of this kind were primarily used for collecting and storing rice. The lid is woven with concentric circle design.

Dimensions: 13" W x 22 1/2" H

A stunning pair of Himachal Pradesh bracelets with double Makara heads. Made of high grade silver (acid tested) with details in green and blue enamel. Finely engraved details. Inner size: 5,5 x 4 cm. Outer size 7,3 x 5,5 cm. Weight 361 gr. Very good condition. Provenance: Collection Baobab, Amsterdam, collected in situ in the 1980’s. Private collection Amsterdam.

An antique, Japanese boxwood lacquer comb with two kanzashi hair pins decorated with niello silver & mokoume-gane etched cat on gilt. The fine toothed comb is hand carved with floral motifs and a man walking over a bridge. The reverse side shows a house surrounded by mountains. Wooden combs in Japan were once believed to have shamanic qualities. Women would brush their black hair thinking that the combs would gather each strand’s spiritual energy. In later years, they were used to create elabo...

This is a fine Japanese Satsuma sake pot or small teapot. It is signed by Kinkozan. Still retains part of the original Kinkozan sticker on the underside of the lid. Which means this piece was never used as a saki or teapot. It measures 4 1/2 inches across at the spout. The handle is slightly tattered but the pot is in excellent condition.

A precious antique pale pink Peking Glass wine cup. It is molded glass, cut/grinded with a short carved foot. Chinese glass was largely used to imitate more precious materials such as white jade, Lapis Lazuli and other valuable minerals.

Date: early 19th C

Dimensions: 1.73" X 2.5" diameter

A nice rare scalloped Liao plate, boldly incised with blossoms and leaves, under a cream and bright leaf green and amber glaze. Comes with a certificate from the Chinese Government Auction House. Size: Diameter. 13.5cm. Condition: A broken piece at the rim that was glued back on probably at the site. It is almost invisible on the front of the plate. See photos.

Ohara Koson
Fishing Boats at Sea
Size: Chu-tanzaku. Approximately 14.5 x 5 inches.
Date: ca. pre-1910.
Publisher: Kokkeido.
Artist's signature and seal and publisher's seal at lower right.
Reference: K44.20 and cat. #29 in Crows, Cranes and Camellias: The Natural World of Ohara Koson.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent.

Japanese limited edition sosaku hanga woodblock print depicting three chickens titled “Jealousy” by Kiyoshi Saito (1907-1997) dated 1952. Pencil-signed and numbered 91/300 in the bottom margin. Visible paper size: 14 3/4" x 10 1/4" (image: 13 3/4" x 9 1/4). Framed size: 24 7/8” x 19 3/4.” Visibly in very good overall condition and color. The print is currently framed but can be purchased and shipped either framed or unframed. A color illustration of this print can be found on page 1...

Occupation era original Japanese shin hanga woodblock print titled "Moonlit Night at Miyajima" by Kawase Hasui (1883-1957) dated in the lower left margin Showa 22 (1947). The artist's black ink signature and red seal are at the lower right corner of the image. The 6mm circular seal of the publisher Watanabe (used 1946-1957) is at the lower left corner. Paper size: 15 1/4" x 10 1/2" (image size: 14 1/8" x 9 1/2"). Very good overall condition. There are tape stains to the back margins that show ...

Pair of Korean black lacquer over brass vases with mother-of-pearl inlay. The brass is re-purposed from unused artillery shells and the vases are heavier than one would expect. One of the rim looks a little irregular, but the were purchased in Japan, as is, in the first half of the 20th Century. They measure about 7 inches high.

Chinese Export Porcelain large Mandarin Tankard, or Mug, Ca. 1790, Qianlong period, 5 3/4" high, 4 3/4" diameter-top rim, 7" wide include handle, very intricate detailed Iron Red and purple water along the shore, Chinese Merchants pointing to the other side ware house building area on the shore embankment, Sampans are docked near the shore, ware houses and Europen style Buildings are on both side of the shore inside large main Cartouche under Black and Iron Red diaper on the top rim, followed b...

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. Wa...

Exquisitely painted cherry blossoms (sakura) and willow branches (yanagi) on a background of jet-black traditional lacquer.

The craftsman, Wakashima Takao (b. 1935) was born in the north of Japan in the picturesque town of Wajima. The lacquer technique particular to this region (Wajima-nuri) is rather unique in its use of an undercoating incorporating special compounds that make it exceptionally durable over time. Wakashima perfected this demanding technique and, over the course of...

An antique Japanese bronze platter of mixed metals with silver. The image is of a masked swordsman. Bugaku court dance and music is the Japanese traditional dance that has been performed to select elites mostly in the Japanese imperial court, for over twelve hundred years. The dance is marked by its slow, precise and regal movements. The dancers wear intricate traditional Buddhist costumes which usually include striking masks. Gagaku is the court music that goes beside the Bugaku court dance. G...

An antique small tansu of kiri wood from the Taisho period. Sliding doors behind which books and small objects were stored. Lower drawers were used to store documents, photos, ephemera, receipts, etc.

Original bronze hardware. The sliding door handles feature a quarter moon casting light on a garden of flowers and the lock plates have a Kamon *family crest" design of a Botan (Peony) blossom with its leaves encircling the flower.

Date: Taisho period (1912-1926)

Dime...

The colors seen in this ceramic piece are not often encountered in the world of Japanese tea-ware pottery—a field dominated mainly by styles such as Raku, Hagi, and other traditions with relatively conservative and predictable color schemes. The aquamarine blue is rather striking, reminiscent of coral encountered in the pristine waters of tropical and remote destinations. What really makes this extraordinary however, is that this piece relies mainly on kiln conditions and a natural ash glaze t...

1st edition Japanese woodblock print by Natori Shunsen (1886-1960) depicting the actor Nakamura Ganjiro in the role of Sakata Tojuro from the series "Creative Prints, Collection of Portraits by Shunsen" (1925-1931). This image was known to have been published by Watanabe in 1925 in an edition limited to 150 impressions. The black recangular "Watanabe-ko" seal is at the right side and the red ovoid "Natori" approval seal is at the lower left. These seals are only found on first edition impressio...