Cast bronze censer gilded with mercury. Decor of Greek friezes and incised precious objects. The gilding is largely worn, we still see some in the places most protected from wear and tear. It is thick and of good quality, it is a hot-pasted mercury gilding technique. The handles are attached to the body they were cast with it, they are not added, riveted or welded, they represent dragon heads. On the base foot we can see a vertical dark trace of solding that is probably an old restauration. Diff...

Kawase Hasui
Mt. Fuji Seen From Oshino (Oshino no Fuji)
Size: Oban. Approximately 15.625 x 10.5 inches.
Date: 1942. First edition.
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo.
Publisher's "G seal" in right margin (used 1942-45).
Signed and sealed by the artist.
Reference: Hotei #465.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent.

What an amazing statue: early 18th century four-armed Avalokiteshvara purple bronze Buddha, the Bodhisattva of infinite compassion.

The statue is made of high class purple bronze, with rests of gilt and color, very impressing with 51 cm (20'') height and a weight of approx. 10kg.

Spontaneous as a poet’s imagination, or the flow of the waters of a rivulet descending down a mountain peak, there seems to flow in the fluidity of the lines and contours of the statue the com...

Chinese antique tea bowl with crackle celadon glaze. Old cracks and repairs, residue from use. Evaluation TZ Shiota from 1930's (#27).

Age: Song Dynasty AD960-1279

Dimensions: 1 3/4" high x 4 5/8" wide

Provenance: From the personal collection of Frederic Cheever Torrey (1864-1935), partner of Vickery, Atkins & Torrey, interior design firm and art gallery founded in San Francisco in 1888.
The gallery, most famous for its role in helping to introduce California...

Also known as "The Buddha of Immeasurable Light and Life,” here in this pre-Edo Buddhist painting we see Amida and his two assistant bodhisattvas, Seishi on the left (associated with wisdom and strength), and Kannon on the right (associated with compassion and mercy), descending from the Western Pure Land to welcome newly deceased believers into the realm of paradise. In this practice known as raigō, the faithful are transported via the small lotus pedestal the Kannon holds in his...

An antique 11th century Mon Buddha, mounted to a custom made wooden base.

The figure is is stood samabhanga and is remarkable for its realistic yet delicate delineation of the limbs and the robe which seems to cling to the body.

The garment (sanghati) covers both shoulders. The right hand is held out in the vitarka mudra of teaching. The lowered left hand grants boons in the varada mudra.

A very naturalistic succession of wavy folds on the surface of his body ...

A beautiful tall 3 section Mikuni Kimono Tansu made of Keyaki (Zelkova) and Kiri (Paulownia) woods. All original hand forged iron hardware with Hikute handles and natural Urushi lacquer finish. Upper section has 2 sliding doors with 3 side by side drawers below. The center section has 3 full width drawers and the bottom section has 1 full width drawer, a partial width drawer and a hinged security door protecting 2 small drawers. An unusual feature is the very elaborate backplates behind each...

Mini suzuribako (writing set) in black and gold hiramaki-e lacquer with water plantain (Alisma plantago-acquatica) decoration and non-identified kanji. Interior in nashi-ji lacquer, with a rectangular water cup and a retractable brush.

Japan – Meiji era (1868-1912)
Height: 1.06 in. (2.7 cm) – width: 2.44 in. (6.2 cm) – depth: 3.94 in. (10 cm)

Antique Japanese single section Mizuya Tansu (kitchen chest). Made with Hinoki (Cypress) and Sugi (Cryptomeria) woods. Restored to reveal the beauty of the natural wood grain. Pair of matched sliding panels open to a spacious storage area. Addition of an optional simple, strong, Japanese inspired shelf if you so choose for us to construct it.

Age: Meiji Period (1868 - 1912)

Dimensions: 74" L x 28" H x 14" D

Nabeshima hard porcelain dish. Okawachi kilns. Decoration in underglaze cobalt blue and overglaze enamels. Although the model already exists at the beginning of the 18th century, we do not believe that the dish presented here is authentic. The enamels are perfect, one can distinguish with a magnifying glass discreet wear of use and the enamels show age cracks, but the cobalt blue on the reverse is too pale. It is not a modern copy, as it has been in the Sakura collection for about forty years. I...

Writing box in lacquer imitating an ink stone. Fun and very rare item. The box in the shape of a gourd with its stem, its leaves and its flower, it is in green, brown and golden brown lacquered wood. The interior has a small receptacle representing a red gourd. The details are of high quality as can be admired on the perfect execution of the leaves. It is a very rare object of which we do not know of any other specimen. Chinese work probably from the 18th century. No mark. Length: 144mm; Height:...

A black bird sporting a tufted beak shelters among the thick foliage of fresh bamboo by the easily identifiable and quite rare artist Sakakibara Shiho performed with pigment on silk in the original signed double wood box titled Mosochiku Hakkacho (Crested Myna Bird in Moso Bamboo), a favorite motif by the artist dating from the Taisho period. It is bordered in fine pattered silk threaded with gold and is appointed with solid ivory rollers (these will be changed if exporting). A major work, the...

Superb museum quality carved Chinese wood brise fan with deeply worked guard sticks and finely done inner sticks carved equally to both sides of lovely scenes. Larger than most brise fans, it also still has its original hand carved presentation box fitted in silk. Made in Canton, China for the export market, the fan and box dates circa 1870-1880. Condition is wonderful to both and a must have for the collector. Fan length 9.5" x fully opened 16.5" with case being 12.5" long x 2.5" x 2.5"

Antique Chinese jade carving of a recumbent horse. Seated on it's haunches, it's hooves curved underneath it's body, the horse looks back over it's shoulder. Details of face, main and tail accent the pleasing arch of the horse's neck. Carved of yellow and brown mottled jade.

Age: 19th century

Dimensions: 3 3/4" high x 4" long x 1 5/8" wide

Container in 2 parts. Rare form. Perhaps an incense burner or a container to keep a liquid warm? A small undecorated white porcelain bucket fits into a porcelain container decorated with enamel birds. Below mark of Tong-Zhi, one of the last Chinese Emperor. The porcelains of this reign are usually of very low quality, our porcelain is an exception, indeed the birds are well drawn, precision and elegance. Technically, the cooking is perfect, no flaws, no splits or lacks, well-cooked enamels. Unus...

An antique Japanese 2 section Kamidana (Shinto shrine) Tansu made of Keyaki (Zelkova) and Hinoki (Cypress) woods. In 2 sections, The upper section has 4 sliding doors with Shoji style slats and Hoju (religious flaming jewel) that features a mountainous landscape naturally designed by Akita Sugi wood grain. Below this are two sliding doors with Andon (lantern) style slats.

The lower section features four side by side drawers above with six drawers below, a hinged door hiding a storage ...

An antique Khmer stone sculpture of Mahā Paramasangata Pada (Jayavarman VII), added to our family collection in 1930 from a private Japanese collection. It was made in mid 19th century.

Lacking any royal or divine attributes, this King Jayavarman VII statue represents Buddha as a simple, spiritual man.

His facial expression is accentuated by semi-closed eyes, a slight smile, large forehead, lips that are neither thin nor thick, and long ear lobes. All of these traits r...

An awe-inspiring masterpiece, this tea bowl by Kakurezaki showcases his unparalleled skill and artistic vision. Crafted with meticulous precision, the bowl seamlessly blends traditional Japanese ceramic techniques with a contemporary touch. The angled sides of the bowl's form invites the hand to explore it, while its carefully crafted texture offers a tactile experience that connects the user with the raw beauty of the clay. The ash glaze, expertly applied, flows gracefully along the...