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 finely carved Suzhou school agate snuff bottle. Decoration of figures, picked out from natural colors of the stone, in landscape of hilly bluffs with overhanging pine and whispy cloud. Based on the gourd in the sash of the larger figure - possibly depicting the immortal, Le Tieguai. Nicely defined foot rim. The top rim with broad, just slightly concave surface. Very well hollowed. Height of bottle without cap, 2 5/8 inches. Height with cap, 3 1/8 inches. Excellent condition of the bottle.

The top is also in good condition but the bone spoon is a bit short and wrapped tape keeps a snug fit to the bottle. The top may be a replacement.

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 substantial, Ayutthaya period (15th-16th century) Sawankhalok kilns alms bowl with stout, carved foot. Compare with the gift of Osborne and Gratia Hauge, and Victor and Takako Hauge to the Freer and Sackler Galleries of Asian art, Washington DC, object number S2005.280. A discovery from a Baltimore antiques center in the 90's - the present example is a bit more rustic than the museum example. The stoneware body of our smaller bowl (with somewhat less rounded sides) is burnt to an iron-orange color and the "white" glaze has a light blue-green robin's egg tinge (in contrast with the museum object's light bluish-grey tinged glaze with kiln fault.) Both exhibit the oxidized inclusions in the glaze and craze lines from the unglazed rim. Width about 5 3/4 inches (14.61cm), rim Diameter about 5 5/8 inches (14.29cm) and Height 4 1/8 inches (10.48cm)

A mother of pearl inlaid hardwood table screen. Flowers, birds and butterflies garden motif. Southern Chinese or Vietnamese, late 19th century. Good, serviceable condition with only minor mother of pearl loss. Wood tenons on either side of the panel hold it fast within grooves routed the length of the two posts on the base. One tenon missing on one side (an easy project) but not compromising stability. Height assembled, 26 1/2 inches.

A fine, small ginbari cloisonne vase with pale blue, silver background and peonies decoration; one panel with pale purple background and bird, bamboo and flowers decoration; and another panel with blue background and flowers decoration. Impressed artist's mark on the metal base. Meiji period (1868 - 1912). Good condition with tiny, oxidized pinholes in the enamel surface from the firing (not detracting from condition or presentation). Height, 3 1/2 inches (8.9 cm)

An armorer's iron tsuba, possibly for a wakizashi as it is somewhat diminuitive in size. Or perhaps more in keeping with its apparent age, an early example of a proportionately small tsuba used with an uchigatana as was first the fashion. Sukashi decoration of a conch (horagai) traditionally used for ritual practices and for signaling on the battlefield. The rare uchikaeshi-hineri rim (mimi) is significantly raised and defined almost as if to suggest a separate piece of iron around the rim (though it is one with the plate.) Though the small sukashi might suggest tosho (swordsmith), the distinct and high rim clearly indicates ko-katchushi (old armorers) work. Good condition with tekkotsu, dark patina and some inert, brown surface rust for which we are lightly applying oil when dry (we prefer not to overclean or dry out a tsuba so will not take some of the more invasive measures against only light rust.) This tsuba has an early feel - perhaps early Muromachi. 2 3/4" (7 cm) marugata. The thickness of the plate is about 1/8" (.32 cm). The thickness at the rim is about 1/4" (.63 cm)

A small gem of a vase: Hayashi manner silver wire cloisonné. Butterflies decoration in polychrome enamels over a muted green enamel background. Maker’s mark impressed inside the foot rim. Meiji period. Very good condition, with some coarse enamel texture over the intricate cloisons detailing the butterflies. Height, 4 3/4 inches

A teal colored cloisonne enamel vase with peony and vine decoration within fine silver wire and with subtle blue on yellow hues accenting the petals and leaves. Two character signature on the silver footrim and in the box (and with printed material) accompanied when acquired. Excellent condition. Height, 8 1/2 inches

An attractive, simple Shino low-fired pottery dish with oatmeal colored glaze, flat, Oribe manner scraped foot, also with a glaze swipe and impressed two character mark within cartouche. The rim and a boat decoration accented with brushed iron oxide. Good condition. Edo period. Diameter, about 8 1/2 inches

A rare late Koryo dynasty Punch’ong bottle vase. Olive toned green ware glaze simply but finely decorated with off-white skip within carved pattern. Height, about 3 5/8 inches. Excellent condition and conveying with Japanese collector’s box. 14th century

A well made 19th century Japanese porcelain haisen (sake up rinser on stem foot). Rare Shunga decoration depicting a bondage scene within the bowl. The manner of the painted decoration in comic fashion similar to that found on some shunga makimono. Shunga paintings and prints are rare enough but encountered. Edo period porcelains with shunga decoration are exceedingly rare. Good condition. Height, 4 1/2 inches. Diameter, 6 3/4 inches.

This is one of the more intriguing lacquer objects we have owned. Adorned with maki-e Aoe (hollyhock) Ka-mon on nashiji ground (also known as the Kamo Aoi as it was sacred to the Kamo shrine), family crest for prominent daimyo families including the Tokugawa and the Matsudaira during the Momoyama and Edo periods. Even the drawer pull is fashioned as an open worked shibuichi Aoe Ka-mon with the surprise of a textured, kinko (soft metal) raised backing only if you look for it. More interesting yet is the unusual form of this object - perhaps an only opportunity to acquire an example. Resembling a food tray on stand, it nonetheless has a drawer (not common to the form.) And a tall cover comes with a screen (silk?) as if to permit viewing whilst keeping something either in or out. We have not found another example of the form and so are not certain if it might be a covered dining tray (though the drawer) if intended to keep bugs out. Or perhaps it is in fact an insect terrarium (someone suggested it might be a large "cricket cage" or for praying mantis - maybe even to observe mantis combat) keeping the bugs in as it were. We can only speculate at the moment and heartily welcome suggestions or insight - maybe something not yet considered. The covered stand is in rather good condition for a mid Edo lacquer object. Good condition with expected testimony of age and use. There are the usual small lacquer losses mostly to edging (not at all detracting.) There is some fading - varying to the extent exposed to light (see our enlargement comparing surfaces of exterior, screened interior, drawer interior.) There is one minutely small handle stop stud missing from the screened cover. 18th to early 19th century. 13 inches (33.02 cm) high, 9 5/8 (24.45 cm) inches wide, 12 inches (30.48 cm) long.

Since listing this item, someone has suggested its holding fireflies (hotaru) as a possible use.

Small Chinese Bi-form white jade ornament in the Mughal manner with cupped chrysanthemum petals in three, concentric, graduated circles surrounding a cross-hatched, pierced center. The flat verso cupped slightly toward the face along the rim, with small drilling (exhibiting hand craftsmanship) either side of the central aperture and with the surface exhibiting natural texture of the hand worked surface. Qing dynasty. Good condition. Diameter 2 1/8 inches.

A pair of cups and saucers with Dragons In Compartments (also known as Bengal Tiger) pattern decoration. Probably late 18th century, Barr period Worcester.

One cup is in good condition with some rubbing to the gilding. The other cup has less rubbing but a small flake just inside the rim (the rim edge and exterior outside the flake look and feel substantially good). One saucer with only mild rubbing has an old flake inside the rim (the rim edge and exterior outside the flake look and feel reasonably good). The other saucer is somewhat rubbed but the body and supporting glaze in good condition. (See the second enlargement for the two pieces with a rim flake each).

Saucer diameters, roughly 5 1/8 to 5 1/4 inches. Cups, height about 2 1/4 inches high and about 3 inches diameter.

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.

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 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.