A well made and complex burl keyaki wood box of drawers and compartments. Compartments and drawers well suited to hold inkstone, colors, paper, brushes, works and accessories. Nice, handmade hinges and drawer hardware. Painted decoration of Shishi among peonies - nicely done in a charming, mingei (folk art) manner and likely by a previous owner of this kodansu. Late Edo period. There is expected wear from use, movement and checking of wood, and minor losses to the polychrome lacquer decoration. Otherwise an attractive and intriguing furnishing in serviceable condition. Length, 13 3/4 inches. Height, 10 inches. Depth, 8 inches.
Daisho Bushu school iron tsuba. Sukashi decoration of basket weave panels and parcel gilt prunus blossoms. Each signed Bushu Ju Masanaga. A nice pair of tsuba having started life together. Edo period. Good condition. Larger, 2 7/8 by 2 3/4 inches. Smaller, 2 3/4 by 2 5/8 inches.
A fabulous pair of daisho iron tsuba. Haruta school, with the character “Haru” still legible in the seppa-dai of the larger. Realistic depiction of weathered wood with a few gin-zogan (inlaid silver) woodworms in the decoration of the larger. I’ve seen similar work attributed to Hirata school, but that must have been misheard from Haruta. Excellent condition, and the two having started life together. Later Edo period, early 19th century. Larger 3 1/8 by 2 15/16 inches. Smaller, 2 13/16 by 2 5/8 inches.
Chippendale mahogany reverse serpentine (oxbow) slant front desk. Ball and claw feet. Circa 1770. Good, old surface. Relined drawers. Original back and bottom show the age and oxidation of some original, untouched secondary surfaces. Replaced drawer brasses. Some loose, smaller pulls for slant front slide supports and interior gallery drawers retained. A locksmith need be retained to loose the top drawer. Otherwise good condition. Massachusetts, probably Boston. Height, 44 1/2 inches. Width, 41 1/2 inches. Depth, 27 inches (add another 1.5 inches for convex drawer fronts and foot returns). A rare opportunity to acquire, enjoy and conserve as steward a beautiful specimen born with our country.
This desk may be inspected at The Antique Center at Historic Savage Mill, Maryland
A pair of daisho iron tsuba of yatsu-mokko-gata (eight lobed) form. Sukashi motif of fans and gingko leaves (an interesting combination of similar shapes). Some chiseled texturing of the surfaces of the gingko leaves. Edo period, circa 1700. Good, serviceable condition with a few interrupted fan ribs on the larger. It is about 3 1/8 inches diameter. The smaller is about 2 7/8 inches diameter.
Two finely carved and parcel gilt iron tsuba. Each signed Choshu Hagi Ju Sakunoshin Tomohisa. Decoration of pine cone, gingko leaf, maple leaf and oak branch with leaves and acorns. This is also a known Bushu school motif. Edo period. Good condition. One 2 15/16 inches by 2 13/16 inches. The other 3 by 2 3/4 inches. Offered as a pair as they would work perfectly for daisho with a stout wakizashi, but we will entertain interest in just one as well.
A fine pair of Chosho school maurugata form iron daisho tsuba. Sukashi work depicting blossoms on budding prunus branches. Strongly and well carved decoration. Edo period, 18th century. Good condition, with the nakago-ana filed larger at some point. Larger, 3 1/8 diameter. Smaller, 2 7/8 by 2 13/16 inches.
A matched pair of iron tsuba. Geese and ginger. Not a true daisho pair, the workmanship and subject are close enough to consider for a daisho with smaller kasane for the daito. Daigoro was a later Akasaka district artist known for this motif. Later Edo (19th century). Good condition. Larger, 3 by 2 5/8 inches. Smaller 2 5/8 inches by 2 3/8 inches. Note that the smaller one is a bit thicker (see pics).
A fine daisho pair of Akasaka school iron sukashi tsuba. The concentric rings motif reminds of kamon designs but also could be symbolic of the rings on a Buddhist monks prayer staff. Very good spatial design consistent with earlier, sophisticated yet austere samurai taste. These started life together for use on the long and short sword pair. Circa 1700. Excellent condition and consistent as a pair in all respects. Larger, 2 15/16 by 2 7/8 inches. Smaller, 2 13/16 by 2 3/4 inches.
A matched pair of iron tsuba. Wasp and antler motif. Relates to a Japanese saying (we’ll research and get back with an account). Not a true daisho pair, the workmanship and subject are more than just close enough to appropriately use well on daisho swords. Edo period Shoami work, circa 1800. I’ve also seen this motif attributed to Kanayama (the surface texture would be consistent). There could be overlap as Shoami was more a movement than a region-bound school. Good condition. Comparable dimension for each, about 3 1/4 inches high by 3 1/8 inches wide. One round and spatially larger.
Daisho ko-Shoami marugata form (round) tsuba. Gunbai-uchiwa motif (gunbai referring to a war signal fan and uchiwa referring to the form of the fan). A pair being understood as a daisho (though one tsuba being for the longer of two swords, and the other for the shorter sword, they are more often than not graduated in size). These started life together. It also being understood that a ko-Shoami tsuba would be iron - the Shoami tsuba movement issuing from armor makers and “ko” (old) relating these tsuba to earlier in that movement. Good, simple, Samurai taste of the late Muromachi era. 16th century. Good condition. Larger, between 3 1/8 and 3 3/16 inches diameter. Smaller , between 2 7/8 and 2 15/16 inches diameter. Thickness each, about an 18th inch.
A set of five Ao-Kutani palette rhombus form mukozuke. Hydrangea and butterfly decoration in blue, teal, chartreuse, aubergine and yellow enamels. The verso with chidori and waves in green outside the foot and yellow with green Fuku mark inside the foot. Uncommon to encounter an original set of five still together. Good condition with varying states of kiln residue. Probably mid 19th century (post Yoshidaya). Each length just over 7 inches. Each width just over 6 inches. Each height from foot just over 1 inch.
Federal mahogany pembroke table. Nicely proportioned with spacious, shaped top. Line inlay decoration on top, drawer, case and legs. New England (probably Massachusetts), early 19th century. Good, serviceable condition. One leg restored. Refinished, nice light tone. Later drawer pull. Height, 29 inches. Length, about 33 inches. Width, 21 1/4 inches.
An appointment would be necessary to inspect this table
A 17th century Chinese blue and white porcelain brushpot (bitong). Waisted cylindrical form raised on ring foot. Blue underglaze literati decoration of two figures on boat in landscape. Transitional between late Ming dynasty and early Kangxi period, Qing dynasty. A star crack on the bottom with old repair (see enlargement images from bottom and interior) and a small, tight hairline from the rim (also imaged). Otherwise good condition. Height, 5 7/8 inches. Rim diameter, about 4 1/16 inches.
A Hepplewhite manner server. Having the form and proportions of a sideboard but of much smaller size. Stringing, banding, fan inlay and figured drawer fronts grace the elegant, minimalist shape. Would serve nicely in a small dining space or handsomely in any space as an occasional, writing or dressing table. With mahogany and satinwood veneer over nicely oxidized striped pine (not to mention shape and proportion), we lean toward an English, late George III period attribution - early 19th century. Good, serviceable condition with minor veneer losses and later pulls. Height, 31 1/4 inches. Length, 42 1/2 inches. Depth, 15 1/2 inches.
An appointment would be necessary to inspect this server
A very finely made Satsuma alms bowl form kōro (incense burner). Clear glaze pooling to a light, warm green tea tone over the off-white earthenware body. The reticulated surface of the vessel enclosing a smaller, solid surface to hold burning incense (a technical feat demonstrating the imagination and skill of the potter). Relief key fret band around the rim and comb pattern around the base. Similar relief decoration on three shaped feet. The cover a single reticulated surface allowing essence from the incense to pass. An unglazed ring on the bottom, centered within the three feet, surrounding a smooth surface where at least two incised kanji characters are almost legible under the glaze near one of the feet. With fitted wood box, the cover inscribed ‘Satsuma [?] kiln, basket weave incense burner’ and signed ‘Gyokumeizan’ (a celebrated line of ceramists), each with seal stamps. “Satsuma” is the old name of the province and the namesake of its ceramic tradition. We are not sure if “Satsuma” on the box is reference to a municipality or a market enterprise (as the trailing kanji character could be the same for ‘city/town’ or for ‘market’). We believe this tour de force to be about Taishō era. Condition is good. The reticulated work of the top has one tiny surface loss which does not disrupt the pattern and is barely discernible. The side of the vessel has one spot of thicker glaze softening the definition of the reticulation with opacity at that point. Diameter, about 5 inches. Height (covered), about 4 inches.
Ex collection, Robert Berg (Ichiban Antiques)
Ex collection, David Callens (Meiji Bijutsu)
A Hepplewhite mahogany shield back chair. Carved wheatsheaf motif splat. The frame of the back, and the supporting stiles, are scribed inside the edges. The work of an able furniture maker of the late 18th century to earliest 19th century, made in the popular manner of Hepplewhite. We favor an American Federal attribution. Secondary wood is a darkly oxidized hardwood with hand kerfs and planing. Peeling back the under lining more wouldn’t help us with identification. Good condition with old surface and with no losses or restoration. Expected movement and minor stress of the wood. A strongly made, handsome and serviceable chair, complementary to any period interior. Back height, 36 1/4 inches. About 17 1/2 inches to the upholstered seat. Seat depth about 17 inches. Seat width about 18 1/2 inches at the front.
An appointment would be necessary to inspect this chair
A large Japanese footed dish. Ao-Kutani palette polychrome enamel Chinese style decoration of a fisherman in landscape and the crimped cavetto with karakusa pattern with three pomegranate and stem reserves. A chocolate brown glazed rim. The back with two prunus sprays and the base with blue underglaze double ring and Fuku mark. Subtle, broad chatter marks can barely be seen within the foot under the glaze. “Ao” refers to blue and complimentary colors yellow, green, aubergine and iron red enamels used on a matte white glazed biscuit porcelain. Ao-Kutani and Ko-Kutani are often confused. “Ko” refers to old Kutani (at least 17th century). Most, not all, Ko-Kutani pieces are in the Ao palette. An entrepreneur going by “Yoshidaya” revived the Ko-Kutani tradition in the 19th century and all such works are in the Ao (blue) palette. A 19th century example similar to this dish (same motif) can be seen in The Met, accession #91.1.144 (Bequest of Edward C. Moore, 1891), in their Gallery 199 as of this writing. This dish is probably a bit later and is in excellent condition. About 9 3/4 inches diameter. Stands just over 2 inches from the foot.