Wow! Is what comes to mind the first time you see this daring silver glazed organic Kake Hana-ire by Okumura Hiromi. The clay folds about onto itself, forming a seed-like pod, with an opening in the top and wings extending out both sides. A wire loop is affixed to the back for wall hanging. A signed and stamped wooden plackard by the artist accompanies the piece. It is 11 x 14 x 5 inches (28 x 36 x 13 cm) and is in fine condition...

An incredible organic form, the delicate petals appearing to waft in some tide by Shingu Sayaka enclosed in the original signed wooden box. A closed bud on the side is lined with hundreds of tiny sharp needles in black. It is 6 x 5 x 4 inches (15 x 13 x 10 cm) and in excellent condition.
Shingu Sayaka was born in Osaka, the industrial and commercial heartland of central Japan, in 1979...

A massive tiger defensively nudges the female deity on this amazing 19th century silk Fukusa. Hand-painted and composed from patchwork patterns of lavish antique brocades and featuring glass eyes and metal teeth and claws sewn into the fabric of the creature. The piece is backed with red rinzu silk patterned with cranes and plum blossoms. It is 23-1/2 x 25-1/2 inches (59 x 64 cm) and is in fine condition. It comes wrapped around a pillow in a large kiri-wood box.

A great stoneware vessel of oblong shape on an elevated foot decorated with all-over tetsu-yu, mottled iron-rust glaze with irregular brush lines in black red and green. This is absolutely one of the best Buichi's piece! H. 17 x L 17 x W 11 cm. Showa Period. Very good condition. **** Kawai Buichi (1890–1989), was a nephew of Kawai Kanjiro, Japan’s most famous potter of the 20th century. He began his training as a potter under his uncle in 1928 in Kyoto...

An exquisite work of micro-calligraphy by young female artist Tamura Seito IV enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Karakusa moyo koro. It is roughly 4 inches tall and in new condition. Tamura Seito is a fourth-generation potter and chosen to inherit the tradition of Saiji micro-calligraphy for the Tamura family. She graduated Tsukuba University in 2004, then began to study under Tamura Keisei...

A beautifully carved tray of overlapping leaves interspersed with clustered grapes by Ichikawa Shudo signed on back in a circular cartouche. In one corner an odd round tail leads us to a squirrel head popping through the leaves, as if one were looking up through the vines toward the sky. It is 46 x 35 x 3 cm (roughly 18 x 14 x 1 inches) and is in overall fine condition, There is a slight warp to the bottom of the tray, but it is still bery usable and there is no damage to the carving...

This Meiji period incense burner is made of fine white porcelain with a silver globe decorated with autumn foliage. As with much of Japanese pottery from this era, it is fashioned after classic Chinese pieces from the Song Dynasty...

Japanese Jubako, traditional stacked lacquerware food boxes, represent not only culinary refinement but also an important aspect of Japanese food culture. These elegantly tiered containers, often adorned with intricate designs and vibrant colors, are integral to the presentation of special occasion meals such as New Year’s celebrations and formal picnics...

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...

A highly original work by Iga potter Nakata Atsushi. The description on the box reads “Mentori Chawan” in this case “men” meaning side, or edge, and “tori” meaning to shear off, or to remove. The name describes how various surfaces of the tea bowl have been shaved off at angles to create this compelling form...

This handled American coin silver cup was made by William K. Vanderslice in San Francisco, CA, circa 1870, consisting of a simple tapered cylindrical form with rope banding around rim and base. Vanderslice was an early California silversmith, working in the mid 19th century. He became widely acclaimed for his fine silverwork. This cup is marked with his name, San Francisco, makers mark and Pure Coin...

AMERICAN HOUSE

Vintage oil painting on canvas, with idyllically rustic scenery of somewhere in the United States, by a Japanese painter, Mizukami Keiji (1915-?), October, 1950. 53 x 45 x 2 cm (20.86 x 17.71 x 0.78in)...

AMIDA NYORAI

Japanese Edo-period's gold-painting of the statue of Amida Nyorai (Amitabha Tathagata) on paper (though mounted for a scroll as originally) arranged with frame recently...

A Minimalistic Hanging Scroll Painting by Okada Hanko Hanging scroll painting depicting a group of rocks. Ink on paper. Signed Hanko and two seals. Okada Hanko (1782-1846) a Nanga painter and Caligrapher. He was born in Osaka, the son and pupil of Okada Beisenjin. Like his father, he served for a period as a Confucian scholar to Lord Todo of Tsu; at the age of 43 he resigned and joined the circle of intellectuals in Osaka and started to study Chinese painting specialising in misty landscapes...

Wood fired Mino-ware with a deep and expressive iron glaze, this tea bowl is a delight to hold in the hand.

A native of Aichi Prefecture, the potter Kajiura Soshyu was born in 1916 and studied under Hayashi Sekko and Kimura Giichi. A multitalented artist, he is also rumored to have worked in painting and calligraphy. While little information can be found on this artist, the few works that I have seen show great competence and sensitivity to aesthetics.

In excellent cond...

During the Meiji period there were only five potters ever to be awarded the prestigious designation of Imperial Court Artist: Ito Tozan, Seifu Yohei III, Miyagawa Kozan, Itaya Hazan, and the artist whose work is featured here, Suwa Sozan. Several years prior to receiving this designation, Sozan spent a period of time in Korea where he undertook the formidable task of excavating and restoring ancient Korean kilns in an attempt to replicate traditional techniques used in centuries past. The vase f...

Over 400 years ago the first Takatori potter known as “Hachizan” was brought to Japan by the powerful Kuroda clan and was tasked with establishing a kiln in the town of Fukuoka. Since that time, the Takatori lineage has produced many fine works and gained a reputation across Japan for their skill at producing porcelains of thin construction, using many layers of glaze, and with a variety of unique colorations.

Born in 1907, the 11th generation Takatori potter (Seizan), along wit...

A truly unique work of Shino pottery developed among the company of some of Japan’s most respected and influential potters of the last century. Defying conventions of form and genre, this exceptional mizusashi looks like it could have emerged from the ground fully formed, the result of geological processes lasting millennia. The creator of this fine work is none other than Tsuboshima Dohei, a true master of the ceramic arts.

Born in 1929, at the age of 17 Tsuboshima took an appre...