Magnificent pottery Ding. The long legs and “cockscomb” design where, the legs join the body, are in keeping with bronze vessels from the Zhou to Warring States period, which pottery pieces were trying to emulate. There are traces of a repetitive meandering impressed band below mid circumference. The body is thinly potted with very light gray clay and originally had a dark gray slip applied to the outside (the original gray slip is still intact in the cavity). All the legs and one ha...

Crafted with meticulous attention to detail and showcasing a soft and gracefully executed red glaze, this Raku tea bowl exudes a sense of ease, tenderness, and tranquility. Adorned with subtle crackling patterns and variations in texture, the tea bowl's surface adds to its unique and organic feel. Made by one of the true veterans of Japanese pottery, these are some of the finest Raku tea bowls you will find in all of Japan.

Sugimoto (b. 1935) is one of the most important...

Crafted from locally sourced Bizen clay, this mid-Edo period vase embodies simplicity, beauty, and understated elegance. Originally crafted as a tokkuri, or sake flask, it was recovered from the estate of a tea-practitioner who reportedly cherished it as a vase that would hold colorful flowers and various grasses throughout the seasons.

Thanks to the dedication and passion of a researcher by the name of Katsura Matasaburo (1901-1986) we can be assured that this vase is a...

Japanese bamboo crafting, known as "Takezaiku," is a traditional art form that involves the skilled manipulation of bamboo to create various functional and decorative objects. Craftsmen trained in this art carefully select bamboo of appropriate size and quality, then use specialized tools to cut, shape, and join the bamboo pieces. Techniques such as splitting, bending, weaving, and binding are employed to achieve intricate designs and durable structures. Bamboo crafting encompasses a...

This scroll contains a sutra written as [寿至蓬莱不老僊], pronounced in Japanese as “Jyu-Ita-Hōrai-Furō-Sen.” Originating from Chinese, the characters “蓬莱” refer to the mythical land of “Penglai,” home to the immortals. According to legend the trees that grow here cure all disease; there are rice bowls and flasks of wine that never go empty; and its great castles are built entirely out of gold and silver.

The brushwork is done by a Rinzai sect m...

Antique Japanese 4-panel small screen painting of landscape. Mountain landscape with rocky outcroppings, huts and trees on the edge of a wide expanse of water. A group of scholars contemplate a water fall. More figures sit outside waterside huts. A lone figure fishes from a boat. Painted in ink and light colors on paper. Signed Unkoku Toeki (1591-1644).
Unkoku Toeki was the second son of Unkoku Tōgan. (1547–1618), heir to the artistic legacy and patrons of Sesshû Tōyō (1420–15...

This piece was fired in the kilns of one of Kyoto’s most prolific Raku-yaki workshops by an artist known as Heian Shoraku. In 1905, the first generation Shoraku established a kiln near the famous Kiyomizu temple, nestled at the foot of the eastern mountains in Kyoto. In 1945, the kiln was moved to Kameoka near Yada shrine where it remains today. While not directly associated with the famous Kyoto potting family now in its 16th generation and stretching back over 450 years, this pot...

During the Meiji period in Japan, the humble iron kettle, known as a "tetsubin," emerged as an iconic symbol of traditional craftsmanship and functional artistry. Crafted with meticulous attention to detail and often adorned with intricate designs—as can be seen here with a cherry blossom motif and a what appears to be a pine-cone for a gripper—they became an essential tool in the Japanese tea ceremony. These kettles were prized not only for their practicality in boiling water bu...

Antique Chinese pair of ceramic roof tiles in the form of flying horses. Galloping through swirling clouds with back legs kicking. Glazed yellow with black details.

Age: Qing Dynasty

Dimensions: 9 1/2" high x 10 1/2" long x 5" wide

A pair of 1950’s variegated green serpentine jade stone Chinese phoenix birds with rosewood stands. The birds have great sharp details with wonderful coloring, and the polishing is simply gorgeous. The stands are deep rosewood and carved to fit each piece. In excellent condition, they measure 9.5” high on stand. Birds only measure 8" high, 4" wide, 1.5" thick. NOTE: Serpentine stone as is often referred to as "serpentine jade" due to its many similarities to jade such as its hardness, ...

Antique Chinese fudog. Carved of heavy, hardwood and lacquered red and gold. Intricate details especially in the carving of the fur.

Age: Mid-Century

Dimensions: 13 1/2" high x 25" long x 14" deep

The snuff box is made with a mold in 2 parts. On the sides are two Buddhist lion heads in relief, their eyes are made by 2 small clay balls. stuck to the slip. The decoration is painted in underglaze cobalt blue, the design is vigorous and goes to the essential, it represents 2 dragons pursuing the sacred pearl in the sky, surrounded by clouds and sparks. Below is written in 4 Chinese characters the apocryphal mark of the Ming emperor Tcheng-Hoa. The style of the dragons allows us to date this s...

Ota Shumin (1884-1950, Japanese)
Boats on River (given title).
Date: 1930s.
Size: Oban. 17.25 x 12.625 inches.
Signed "Shumin" by the artist.
Medium: Japanese watercolor.
Condition: Tonal difference at edges where formerly matted. Light creasing visible in side light.
Note: Shumin participated in a painting event at the 1936 Olympics.

Fine Chinese Song Dynasty Qingbai Glazed Porcelain Bowl with Moulded Floral Decoration

This fine porcelain bowl was made in the Southern Song Dynasty (AD1127 - 1279) around the 13th - 14th Century. The inner surface is decorated with a deep and crisp moulded pattern featuring lotus blossoms above which is a key fret band. Save for the unglazed rim, it is coated in a very finely-crackled qingbai glaze of a pale yellowish-green colour.

Diameter 15.5 cm (6 inches). It is a lovely example in...

Chinese Song Dynasty Qingbai Glazed Porcelain Bowl with Incised Decoration & Foliated Rim

This fine-quality deep porcelain bowl was made in the Song Dynasty (AD 960 - 1279) around the 12th Century. It has a foliated rim and the inner surface is decorated with incised and combed wave patterns. It is coated in a pale blue qingbai glaze of good colour, save for the small recessed flat base that remains unglazed.

It is quite a large bowl with a diameter of 19cm (7.5 inches). Although it is f...

Chinese Song Dynasty Qingbai Glazed Porcelain Bowl with Incised Decoration

This deep porcelain bowl was made in the Song Dynasty (AD 960 - 1279) during the 12th - 13th century. The inner surface is decorated with swirling incised / combed patterns. It is coated in a finely-crackled pale blue qingbai glaze, save for the small flat base that remains unglazed. The glaze is uneven and is a little stained in places suggesting it lay alongside a rusting iron object during its long burial.

It ...

Very Rare Chinese Song / Yuan Dynasty Textured & Interior Glazed Porcelain Wine Cup

This extremely rare (unique?) porcelain wine cup was made during the 12th - 14th Century (Song - Yuan Dynasty). The inner surface is coated in a finely-crackled pale olive-green celadon or qingbai type of glaze. But its most interesting feature is the unglazed textured outer wall, decorated with cord or fabric impressions. There is a firing bubble to the inner surface.

Height 3.8 cm. It is in fine conditi...

Fine Small Chinese Song / Yuan Dynasty Celadon Glazed Porcelain Jar

This attractive small porcelain jar was made in the 12th - 14th century during the Song (AD 960 - 1279) or the Yuan Dynasty (1279 - 1368). It is quite "heavily-potted" and coated in a thick pale olive-green glaze. The body, when soft, was indented with five wide vertical impressions to give it a lobed appearance. The foot remains unglazed revealing the pale grey body. There is a small kiln scar to the body.

Height 6.5 cm...