A triptych in lacquered wood inlaid with mother-of-pearl. Japan, late 19th century. A three-panel wooden screen covered in the finest quality black Urushi lacquer (roiro), deep, thick, and durable. The inlays are in the style of the Shibayama family. The design depicts a peacock perched on a centuries-old plum tree still in bloom. The tree emerges from a bed of everlasting peonies. The inlays are made of mother-of-pearl, bone, and precious woods. The frame is rosewood...

This stunning Chawan by Sakai Kobu seems to glow red like the burning embers of the kiln, the surface molten with crystalline formations dripping from the bottom. It comes enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Nezumi Shino Chawan. It is 11.5 cm (4-1/2 inches) diameter, 10.5 cm (just over 4 inches) tall and in perfect condition.
Sakai Kobu (b. 1936) has dedicated himself to the reproduction of Momoyama Shino, thoroughly researching traditional Mino materials and techniques...

A deep bowl if textured clay covered in black glaze with an abstract of dribbled silver in the center by Shigemori Yoko enclosed in a signed wooden box titled Hai (Sake cup). It is 8.2 cm (3-1/4 inches) diameter and in excellent condition, enclosed in a wooden box annotated by her nephew.
Shigemori Yoko (1953-2021) was born in Kagoshima...

A fox dressed in the robes of a priest walking under the moonlight by Otani Kubutsu enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Ink and light color on silk in a fine slik border, the scroll is 48.5 x 192 cm (19-1/2 x 75-1/2 inches) and is in excellent condition.
Otani Kubutsu (1875〜1943 ) was a monk of the Jodo Shinsyu sect, and served as the 23rd head monk of Higashi Honganji temple He was born as the second son of Ōtani Kōei...

Deep within an abstract forest misted with gold fog, an exquisite Mizusashi water jar for use in the Japanese Maccha Tea Ceremony by pioneering glass artist Ishii Koji enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Tefuki Garassu Mizusashi. With incised signature on the base, it retains the original black lacquered wooden lid...

This beautiful and very modern hand hammered vase of almost globular shape is decorated with golden strokes on a deep red ground. Made by Gyokusendo workshop, most probably under the skilful eyes of Masai Tamagawa, the 6th generation head artist of the workshop. It has the old Gyokusendo mark engraved on the bottom and an engraved name (?) . H. 25 x 22cm circa. Showa Period, around 1960/70s...

A contemplation stone in dramatic ink work accompanied by a jagged poem by Kikuchi Keigetsu dated 1922 enclosed in a period wooden box. Ink on paper in a silk mounting featuring solid ivory rollers. It is 43 x 217 cm ’17 x 85-1/2 inches) and in overall fine condition, with toning to the paper consistent with age and exposure.
Kikuchi Keigetsu (1879-1955) was born in Nagano, and studied Nanga under Kodama Katei before apprenticing to Kikuchi Hobun in Kyoto...

Although I love Bizen pottery for myself, I rarely offer it on the website as the colors are so subtle and designs often so very Japanese. This stunning vase by the rare (certainly for her era) female potter Konishi Toko II in the shape of two overlapping lotus leaves is a striking exception. Two lotus leaves complete with stems overlap forming the basin upon which crawls a large crab toward the opening. It stands out in a room of Bizen as if ringing a bell...

A fabulous early work by Wada Morihiro enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Saido Sugimon Utsuwa. This was originally sold at the preeminent Takashimaya Nihonbashi Art Gallery in 1984. It is 23.5 cm (11-1/4 inches) tall, 18 cm (7-1/2 inches) diameter and in excellent condition, retaining the original wrapping cloth, and Takashimaya exhibition papers.
Wada Morihiro (1944-2008) is one of the most important artists to come from the Kasama tradition...

A large Oil Spot tea bowl ranging from shiny metallic black to rust red to perfectly offset the whipped green Maccha Tea by master of the genre Kimura Morikazu enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Tenmoku-yu Chawan. It is 12 cm (5 inches) diameter, 9.5 cm (just less than 4 inches) tall and in excellent condition...

Intricately woven bamboo basket used in tea ceremony to hold the charcoal used to heat the tea water. Meiji Period. Excellent condition. Ask for shipping quote from California. Height: 12cm x Width: 23cm x Depth 23cm With original box.

Ota Shumin (1884-1950, Japanese)
View of Mt. Fuji (given title).
Date: 1930s.
Size: Oban. 11.25 x 4.75 inches.
Signed "Shumin" by the artist.
Medium: Japanese watercolor.
Condition: Matte line in image.

A very unusual design of white rabbits, ears erect among the horse-tail grass against an autumn dusk color background from the Ando Shippo Cloisonne Studio of Nagoya. It is performed in silver wire cloisonne, with a silver rim and base ring, signed on bottom with the Ando seal. The vase is 15 cm (6 inches) diameter, 30.5 cm (12 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
The Ando Cloisonne Company originated in Nagoya as the Murata-ya pipe shop before turning to cloisonné in 1880, initiall...

A beautiful bright yellow porcelain vase decorated with blue tinged florals by Living National Treasure Inoue Manji enclose in the originals signed wooden box. It is 17 cm (6-3/4 inches) diameter, 25 cm (10 inches) tall and in perfect condition.
Inoue Manji was born in Saga Prefecture on the southern Island of Kyushu, home of Arita and the port of Imari, the first porcelain production center in Japan. He learned from the age of 16 under the 13th Sakaida Kakiemon and Okugawa Chuuemon, and...

Flying off the handle here with the young perfectionist Usami Kensuke and this darling tea pot in pure blue-green celadon enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kyusu. It is 10.5 x 9 x 12 cm (4 x 3-1/2 x 5 inches) and is in perfect condition, directly from the artist.
Usami Kensuke was born in Saitama prefecture in 1995, and graduated the elite Kyoto University Faculty of Comprehensive Human Studies in 2020, before making the life-altering choice to march down the path of a pot...

"Chikusei" (竹清) is the artist name of Watanabe Chikusei (born 1932), a highly distinguished Japanese bamboo basket maker and was based in Beppu, Oita Prefecture, a city renowned for its bamboo craftsmanship tradition. He is the second son of a traditional bamboo crafting family and succeeded his father as Chikusei II in 1966. Artistic Name: His artist name, Chikusei, means "bamboo purity". Mastery of Technique: He is particularly known as a "master of ajiro-ami," a complex and precise ...

28 PAPER MASKS

Deadstock set of 28 vintage paper masks, Japan, Shōwa period (20th century). Approx. folded size: 21 × 12 cm (8.3 × 4.7 in). Each mask was individually hand-folded and assembled, originally made as a children’s toy and designed to be worn. Traces of elastic remain on the reverse; however, due to age-related deterioration, the elastic has fully degraded and may crumble into powder when the masks are opened. The photographed worn example is f...

The body of the cups is done with his characteristic technique of grooving the surface with a needle and then rubbing iron into the grooves and splashed with thicker white glaze; top part and the inside of the cup in white crackled glaze technique, masterly done, creating large cracked pattern. It is pleasantly smooth to the lips when drinking from it. Signed on the bottom. Measurements: H 7 x 9,5 cm ca. Perfect condition. Tanoue Shinya (b. 1976). After his study of Theology, he dedicate ...