Heavily glazed Japanese katakuchi bowl in the shape of a “Sazae” turban shell. Written on the lid is “made by Matsuyama” and “kashiki” (dish for serving sweetmeats). On the reverse side, there is a signature, "Kei Ho-o En" with a seal. We are not quite sure if this is an original box. Meiji, late 1800s. Great bowl for the kaiseki cuisine? A hairline crack (enlarged photo #7) is a surface crack (does not go through to the other side). Approx. dimensions: 6 3/4" x 6" x 3 1/2...

From our Japanese Collection, a truly spectacular, massive, and published pair of imari double gourd vases, late Edo to early Meiji Period circa 1855 -1875, executed in the typical imari palette of iron-red, blue, orange, and gilt, with birds and dragons set against the "Three Friends of Winter" design of pine, prunus, and bamboo.

The double gourd shape is a very desirable form for imari collectors, but rarely is it encountered in such monumental proportions like this massive pair. Typica...

Antique uchishiki, Japanese alter cloth, embroidered on silk satin with Chinese theme, “The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove”. Probably from late 18th to mid 19th century. 26 3/8" x 25" (67cm x 63 1/2cm).

Condition: This is a beautiful antique textile even with some obvious damage and wear, still solid with a thick cotton backing. The wear is seen particularly on both ends of the design. This quality of needle work is seldom seen.

From our Chinese Polychrome Collection, a truly superb example of Qianlong Period (1736-1795) Famille Rose porcelain, depicting a lady receiving what is either wine or tea, while her female servant attends to her with a fan. The outer border is decorated with eight individual reserves executed alternatively in either puce or black, with each puce reserve so well-executed that they are essentially miniature paintings in their own right. The inner border is decorated with smaller puce cartouches ...

From our Early Chinese Collection, an exceptional Northern Qi Dynasty Tomb Guardian (550 - 577 AD), boldly modeled in full military armor with chest and back plates, fringed mail tunics over knee guards, and battle helmet with leather side flaps. His left hand rests upon a leonine shield, the right hand would have clenched a wooden spear which has decomposed long ago. This imposing figure reflects the strong facial features typical of other known Northern Qi statuary, such as the ominous bulging...

From our Southeast Asia Collection, a superb original and signed acrylic painting on canvas depicting an Indonesian Barong Dance, deaccessioned from the Agung Rai Museum in Ubud, Bali in 1997.

The Barong Dance is one of those wonderful and almost magical expressions of Indonesian mythology, where themes of good and evil are pitted against one another through a cultural tale played out as a dance. According to the tale, an evil sorceress named Rangda summons her army to go after Erlangga, ...

Description:

An ivory plaque was kept in perfect condition.
Being preserved in enduring old condition-the darken patina and the naturally yielded crackles all over the surface, the plaque was used to be a pendant.
By rare and good quality, it was kept in plain form which was responding to a Chinese proverb-- Niang Tsa Bu Zhuo, A High-Ranking Material Is So Precious That Should Be Saved from Carving.
An old-drilled hole was found at the top for hanging.
An old amber bead wa...

From our Shipwreck Porcelain Collection, a fine blue and white porcelain dish, ex-Christie's, executed in the "Boatman Pattern" from the so-called "Nanking Cargo," which is the term applied to the porcelain recovered from the wreck of the Geldermalsen that sank on January 3rd, 1752. The Geldermalsen was a cargo ship belonging to the Dutch East India Company that struck a reef on its way back from Canton China, and sank off the coast of Indonesia in the Linnga archipelago. It took with it to the ...

From our Early Chinese Collection, a large and magnificent Southern Song Dynasty qingbai funerary urn (960 - 1279 AD). Based upon published and nearly identical examples dated to 1209 AD, we can probably safely date this piece closer to circa 1190 - 1230 AD. The lower bell of this extraordinary lidded urn is smooth and glazed, while the upper section is deeply ribbed and glazed featuring hand-formed and applied figures of people and animals, including a coiled dragon, a tortoise, a cockerel, a...

From our Chinese Polychrome Collection, a very fine Rose Medallion punch bowl, mid-late 19th century, most likely late Daoguang to Tongzhi Period circa 1845-1874, and certainly no later than Guangxu Period (1875-1908). Executed in the typical palette of pinks, blues, greens, yellows, whites, and gilt, depicting a large and well-painted panel of figures in the center well that seems to represent some scene of officialdom, along with three trapezoidal panels of figures on the bowl's interior separ...

Wonderful, large ancient Chinese ceramic jar, round shape, stands on three small feet, beautiful blue green glaze has become iridescent with time, dramatic drips

Han Dynasty (206 B.C. - A.D. 220)

Size: 10" high x 12 1/2" wide.

From our Chinese Blue and White Collection, a truly once in a lifetime find, this massive and breathtaking piece is an exceptionally rare Kangxi Period (1662- 1722) blue and white porcelain fishbowl, ex-Sotheby’s, potted in classic deep U-form with rolled rim. It is very well-painted in a rich underglaze blue of the highest quality, the design depicting Chinese style flower baskets within four individual lotus shaped cartouches, each separated by reserves of stylized aster sprays. Additionally...

From our Japanese Collection, a very fine and very early imari charger, late 17th - early 18th century (circa 1690-1730), decorated with a flower pot, a scholar’s rock, and a large tree in full bloom upon a terraced pavilion, all executed in the typical early imari palette of blue, orange-red, and gilt, with the border done in a rich brocade of flower motifs.

Ordinarily, we do not gravitate much towards early Japanese imari simply on aesthetic grounds. These earlier pieces, while of cou...

From our Chinese Blue and White Collection, a very fine and rare pair of Kangxi Mark and Period (1662 - 1722) aster dishes, ex- Christie's (see last photos for actual Christie's catalog listing), well-executed in a deep Mohammedan blue, with three aster blooms painted amidst a reserve of scrolling tendrils on shallow petal-lobed bodies. These are encircled by sixteen aster sprays symmetrically painted on the border and repeated on the reverse, along with the six character Kangxi Mark (and of the...

Rare Old Korean Map with Beautiful Topographic Detail of Korea's many mountain ranges. The list of kings at the bottom ends with Sukjong, whose reign ended in 1720. It also has a list of distances from various places to the capital, and mileage charts of distances between various locations. Map: 42 x 24 inches, 106.5 x 61 cm; Frame: 59 x 30.25 inches, 150 x 77 cm.

From our Japanese Collection, a large and beautiful imari charger, Meiji Period (1868-1912), one of two similar pieces we have, of scalloped-edge form with a basket of flowering mums in the center medallion sitting upon a terrace enclosure, and with panels of prunus, chrysanthemums, and other flowering branches in the outer border, all vibrantly executed in traditional imari palette including iron-red, blue, orange, gilt and green. This is a rich and gorgeous piece with great presence.

Si...

From our Chinese Blue and White Collection, a Transitional Period (1635 - 1650) blue and white kraakware charger of the rare Border IX Type, depicting 2 figures in a central garden setting, surrounded by alternating figures with Iznik style flowers in the border, known as Border IX . See Kraakware, A Moment in the History of Trade, by Maura Rinaldi, pp 112- 115; (Rinaldi's work is widely considered to be the seminal treatise on Chinese kraakware).

The so-called Transitional Period (or I...

From our Japanese Collection, a large and beautiful imari charger, Meiji Period (1868-1912), one of two similar pieces we have, of scalloped-edge form with a basket of flowers in the center medallion, and panels of prunus and karakusa in the outer border, all vibrantly executed in traditional imari palette of iron-red, blue, orange, and gilt. This is a rich and gorgeous piece with great presence.

Size and Condition: A large piece at 17 1/2 inches in diameter, 2 1/2 inches deep. There is o...