An Arita model of an emaciated Rakan, 17th century.

The seated figure resting his torso on one knee, his fallen robe showing his emaciated frame. The Rakan mostly unglazed, his robe with a celadon glaze. The exposed flesh with a thin pinkish brown colouring. This figure is quite a rare object and is even more so in that it is undamaged. I’ve had two of these in my long career, both sold to the same collection, and both had damage to the extremities.

A pair of very similar fi...

A Chinese soapstone seal, unused, decorated with gilded engraved running script calligraphy. 19Th ~ 20th century.

Approximately 7.5 cm high. Nice old patina and signs of handling. Perfect condition.

Please study the photographs.

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An antique Ko Tansu (small chest), traditionally used personal secures storage. Made from Kiri (paulownia) wood and is reinforced with hand-forged iron hardware, including elaborate corner bracing, stylized lock plates, and classic warabite-style drawer pulls.
Front of the chest features a pair of hinged doors with diamond-form lock hardware that opens to reveal an interior with four smaller drawers, ideal for storing documents or valuables. Below, there are two deep drawers for addition...

do Period, 19th Century. A beautifully detailed wood netsuke with a rich and unctuous patina with an irresistible character and charm. The half-naked Shinto goddess of mirth has typically large puffed cheeks, a pronounced forehead, and neatly tied hair. She is squatting in front of a bathtub, with her left hand submerged in the water, and using a hand towel on her right hand to wash her shoulder. She is only dressed in a decorated skirt, with her supple breasts shown in the front. Chimney himoto...

Original Japanese choba tansu (merchant’s chest) crafted from sugi wood (Japanese ceder) with hand-forged iron hardware. This functional piece features a striking symmetrical layout with two sliding doors, multiple drawers of varying sizes, and a locking safe compartment (kura-dansu style) in the lower right corner—traditionally used to store currency or important documents.
Sliding doors are fitted with circular finger grips, and one drawer retains the original iron key with decorat...

This is an impressive, colorful and elegant bottle made with a 'Mille Fleur" Thousand Flowers motive. Its form, posture and gracefulness of its enamels is akin with the bottles made for the Qianlong Emperor in the last quarter of the 18th Century. New owners of these spectacular bottle should be proud to own it, at a fraction of the price of the bottles mentioned below, sold at Christies and Sotheby's for outrageous amount of money of the original bottles, as they represent a piece of history of...

A set of five finger pinched sencha tea cups engraved with poems by Artist/Nun Otagaki Rengetsu enclosed in a rare original signed wooden box titled simply Chawan (Tea Bowls). The box is custom made specifically for this set, with one side cut away so as to allow ease o access for removing the small delicate bowls. Each cup is 6 cm (2-1/2 inches) diameter, 4.5 cm (2 inches) tall and all are in excellent condition. The five poems read:
Oki tsu kaze The sea wind
yaya shizumari te...

A very fine Chinese famille rose porcelain potiche and cover dating from the nineteenth century.

The shape of the jar is rather similar to an 18th century Export sucrier, but somewhat larger and decorated in a style more reminiscent of the Qianlong court. The enamels are thickly applied and bright.

The pot has a hardwood stand, the rim of which has shrunk over the years and now the pot does not fit too well. It can be displayed safely and it wouldn't be too difficult to shave...

A Japanese Export Jug, 1680 ~ 1700. Dutch Pewter Lid.

The jug has three panels of flowering peonies separated by bands of karakusa. A pewter lid has been fitted in The Netherlands, probably in the 19th century. Made specifically for export to Holland.

A jug of this form and decoration is illustrated in “Japanese Export Porcelain” by Oliver Impey. Item 32: 1680~1700.

Approximately 22.5 cm high. Fine condition.

Noted: Where the pewter lid is fixed to the handl...

Fine & Rare Pair of Chinese Western Han Dynasty Painted Pottery Chickens with Bronze Feet

This very rare and attractive pair of painted pottery chickens was made c.150 BC during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8). They are made from a dense grey pottery that has been "cold-painted" in a base coat of a creamy-white pigment with pink on top, the details of the heads further picked-out in red, black and yellow pigments. Note especially the details of the heads and the tail feathers.

Th...

Fine & Rare Chinese Western Han Dynasty Painted Pottery Chicken with Bronze Feet

This very rare and finely-modelled painted pottery hen was made c.150 BC during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8). It is made from a dense grey pottery that has been "cold-painted" in a base coat of a creamy-white pigment with pink and black pigments on top. Note especially the details of the head and the tail feathers. The hen stands on separate bronze feet that slot into square holes on the underside of...

Golden Birds on Silk Four-Panel Japanese Embroidered Screen

This is a vintage Japanese folding screen featuring delicately embroidered doves in flight and at rest. The fine silk embroidery stands out against a soft brown fabric background. The screen is framed in black lacquer wood and folds into four panels. There are some signs of age, including small damages on the back and surface.

Size: H 170x 254cm (67 x 100 inches)
Period: Taisho (1912-1926)

Price...

Rare Tang Dynasty grey pottery vase with scalloped mouthrim and heavy splayed foot- good condition with no damage or repair. H: 24cm/9.5in and D: 16cm/6.2in

A Chinese Soft-Paste Porcelain Snuff Bottle, Kangxi Mark, 19th Century.

The egg ~ shaped bottle is decorated with a 100 boys motif. The stopper appears to be green jade. The base has a six-character Kangxi reign mark but this bottle is from the 19th century. There is a group of these soft-paste wares, smaller items mostly, ginger jars and vases, all with characteristic warm white glaze with overall craquelure and decorated with playing boys.

Approximately 8.5 cm high. Perfect...

An Unusually Large Blue and White Porcelain Sake Flask, 19th Century.

I cannot be certain of course but I have come across extra large tokkuri made for special celebrations. They were used I suspect to replenish smaller sake flasks at the gathering rather than individual cups. The bottle is of good quality and is very similar to the smaller Arita flasks. It has a slight step on the shoulder similar to some smaller examples. The vase is quite heavy so would be fine to display a single f...

A beautiful and well-preserved futon cover (futongawa or futonji) made of heavy cotton with the image of a large phoenix and stylized plants in vivid colours on the characteristic indigo ground (boro furoshiki). The pattern of the image has been made by applying a traditional stencil resist dye process known as katazome. The piece has been sewn together lengthwise by using four sections of cloth. Late Meiji-Taisho ca. 1910–1920. L 154 cm, W 130 cm. (L. 185 cm, W. 162 cm with supporting or...

A small spoon carved from a branch of coral (probably for tea ceremony) with the forked handle. Pale pink. In a fitted holster of deer hide. In an old kiri-box. Meiji - Taisho, ca. 1910–1920. L 15 cm. Condition: good but for tiny chip.

One width of cotton cloth with tsutsugaki with auspicious motifs, mum & crane and wave and turtle. The ground cloth is handspun cotton and vegetable indigo dye and colred with pigments. Colors faded, but in good condition. The second half of the 19th century. W:33.5cm, L:138cm