Antique Japanese Karatsu ware chawan (tea bowl) with crackle glaze and kintsugi. Beautifully crafted with a small flattened area for the hand to grasp and a magical elegance to the touch. Evaluation done in the 1930's by TZ Shiota when the family was inheriting the collection from their great grandfather, Federic Torrey. The collection was stored in a trunk since his death in 1935.

Age: 19th century

Dimensions: 2 3/4" high x 6 1/4" wide

Provenance: From the persona...

The size of Charger: 18 1/8"Dia x 2 1/4"High. Beautiful Japanese Ko Imari Porcelain Charger. The charger has the Mountain Fuji scenery design on above window area with cranes flying over the mountains. The behind the Mountain Fuji scenery with swirling design of fine detail works of geometric design in green and red. Pretty underglaze blue with gold are among the design. The back side of charger has 12 Maru-mon design. The condition of charger is excellent, no chip, no crack and no hairline. The...

Were one to describe THE piece which epitomizes the vase aesthetic of Suwa Sozan I, it would be this epochal Red Fish design flaring celadon bottle. This is a superlative example, exquisite detail and come enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 29.5 cm (11-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Suwa Sozan I (1852-1922) was born in Kutani country, present day Ishikawa prefecture, where he initially studied before moving to Tokyo in 1875. Over the next 25 years he would...

A crow at rest upon a rock raises its head in a gruff cry by Suwa Sozan I enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Karasu Okimono. It is pierced in the back, allowing it to be an oki-koro incense burner. It is 34 cm (13-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition. A nearly identical piece was published in the 1923 book Sozan Toko, attributed to his late period.
Sozan I (1852-1922) was born in Kutani country, present day Ishikawa prefecture, where he initially studied before mo...

A very rare, noble and artful Hirado Chawan with traces of playful glaze surrounding the bowl like icing. It dates from the Meiji Period (1868-1912) and is in great antique condition with no chips, cracks or repairs.

Since such tea bowls are very rare to find, it is a wonderful addition to any serious collection of Japanese tea ceramics.

Hirado wares—alternately known as Mikawachi wares in some contexts—are known throughout Japan and also abroad for their high quality ...

A pair of vintage Chinese hand carved display or plant stands with marble inserts. Measures 9.25" high x 7" diameter. Marble insert measures 6" diameter. Well constructed and solid.

You are considering a rare and beautiful Archaic Chinese Jade Scepter or Tablet, "Gui," dating to circa 2000BC. The piece measures 7.5 inches (18.5cm) in length and is, as one would expect, carved (drilled and polished) entirely by hand. As the photos will show, the stone is predominantly a gray-green nephrite, with some areas of darker brown. There are "striations" visible on the surface, which may indicate that the piece had been wrapped in a cloth/textile, which left an imprint. A similar, al...

A Japanese large ivory netsuke with excellent color and patina depicting a foreigner with trumpet and child on his shoulder. He has a long beard and curly hair with a necklace with horn pendants in the shape of a chrysanthemum on his back next to the engraved signature Washūjin Kōsen 和州人 光仙, under two large himotoshi. Edo period 18th century Sizes: 10,6 x 3 x 2 cm. Condition report: Good condition

An exceptional Oki-goro Incense Burner in the shape of a dark glazed Catfish by Suwa Sozan I enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Namazu Koro dated the 6th month of Taisho 10 (1921). This would have been placed over a dish in which a burning incense cone would have been placed. It is 48 cm (18-1/2 inches) long, 23 cm (9 inches) tall and appears in excellent condition. A blacklight reveals a color repair at the base of the tail and at the position where the dorsal fin rises from th...

A waka poem in underglaze blue brushed by female artist/poet Tomioka Haruko decorates this porcelain Mizusashi by female potter Suwa Sozan II enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The porcelain container is 17.5 cm (7-1/2 inches) tall, 11.5 cm (4-1/2 inches) diameter and in excellent condition. On the base it bears the circular mark of Suwa Sozan II and on the side the verse is singed Haruko 80. From this we can surmise it dates from 1926 when Haruko was 80 by Japanese count.
Su...

Lovely pottery small lead glazed stove from the Eastern Han Dynasty (202 BCE – 220 CE). Minor fritting and a couple of chips on the upper corners, but overall, in very good condition for a two thousand year old piece. There are still random traces of the silver patina on the surface. I scraped off a small section the surface layer and a beautiful silver patina is revealed (see enlargement #5), up to the buyer of they want to clean the whole piece. See last enlargement for reference from...

Rare grey pottery recumbent dog, circa Han Dynasty. Traces of original white pigments- very friendly looking “doggo”. Excellent condition. L: 25cm/9.8in and W: (midpoint) 8cm/3.1in.

Huge cotton cloth with dynamic and vivid Shishi (lion), peonies, waves and tachibana (citrus) with tsutsugaki (glue resist dye). The tsutsugaki technique is excellent and lines are very smooth and powerful by a prominent craftsperson. Judging from the shape and size, it might have been used for "Shishimai" (lion dance) at the festival, held in Fukui, Toyama or Ishikawa Prefecture. In excellent condition. Meiji period (1969～1912)

Ensemble of Qing Dynasty three matched lacquered panels depicting classic Chinese scenes. May be displayed individually or as a triptych. 1# Charming Qing Dynasty lacquered wood panel depicting a mother and child (we’re assuming a son) being presented to the father. Lifelike representation of people beneath clouds and willow trees. H: 27.5cm/10.8in and W: 20cm/7.9in…. 2# Nice Qing Dynasty lacquered wood panel depicting gentleman meeting on a bridge under a pine tree and willow-sig...

Height: 14.9 cm (5.9 in)
Width: 7.5 cm (3 in)

Fine Japanese cloisonne vase; gold and silver wire construction over a black ground, depicting the finest decoration of a shaded bamboo grove with flying birds; hatched borders at the extremities; minor flake near the base; good condition; email for more pictures

Nice old Thai sticky rice “lunch box”, from the Karen ethnic group Northern Thailand. This is about 40 or 50 tears old with typical double wall construction. There are areas that have been lovingly repaired with some nylon cord. To the purist this may be seen as a distraction but I see time and an ethic where nothing was ever wasted- this was a valued very personal object. Next to it I have placed a contemporary one. Nowadays even this would be considered disposable; when you tra...

Nice old red and black lacquered Cambodian Siri (betel) box container. This has the original small feet on the bottom, very difficult to find these days. There is wear in the tray from use but otherwise The art of Cambodian lacquer production has had a minor renaissance in recent years but this mainly done for the decorative art export market, items made for local village use this has pretty much died out after Khmer Rouge Era and advent of cheap Chinese plastic boxes. D: 25.7cm/910.5i...

Small Chinese Tang Dynasty Painted Pottery Ox / Bull

This small and attractive pottery model of an ox, or bull, was made during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). It is quite "heavily-potted" and made from a reddish pottery. It has been "cold painted" in a base coat of white pigment on top of which have been applied reddish-brown and red pigments. On the surface in places are white "calcified" deposits from its long burial. Length 14.5 cm, height 13 cm. A nice example in very good condition. ...