Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian (122)

A good sized Imari porcelain bowl. Blue underglaze cobalt and Red, green, aubergine and gold overglaze enamel decoration. Good decorative impact. A "crows foot" crack inside the foot is stable and barely at all visible inside the bowl. Minor enamel losses. Diameter, 10 1/8 in. Height 3 3/4 in.

A katchushi mutsu-gata sukashi tsuba. The six lobed, thin plated armorer's tsuba with good tekkotsu and with openwork decoration was described by Skip Holbrook (ex collection) as Saotome made and depicting three birds. The Saotome were a line of armorers (katchu) turned tsuba makers. But I think a case could be made for the sukashi decoration being a wabi-sabi flower bloom or possibly paulownia leaves (rather than awkward looking "birds".) Use of the paulownia (kiri) mon could suggest Yamakichibei as those tsuba makers, from Owari, were outfitting swords for the Oda and the Toyotomi - the latter using the kiri ka-mon. Good condition. 2 7/8 (7.3 cm) inches x 2 13/16 (7.14 cm) inches

A fine Japanese blue and white porcelain soba choko with decoration of prunus blossoms on branches rising above an active with breaking waves all over a comb pattern on double blue lines above the foot. A fret band decoration appears inside the foliate shaped rim and a flower head within double blue ring adorns the bottom inside. The clear glaze pools to a lovely pale celadon tone above the prunus and sea decoration and in a glazed recess centered inside the glazed foot ring and broad unglazed band. Uniquely Japanese design elements successfully portray the ephemeral qualities of sakura blossoms against the foil of a rythmic, eroding sea. Appreciating the moment. Good condition: A couple small points of distress on the foot rim appearing to be quite stable and possibly dating to the moment of firing. Early 19th to late 18th century. Height 2 5/8 inches (6.67cm). Diameter 3 1/2 to 3 5/8 inches (8.89 to 9.2 cm)

A Japanese woven bamboo reed ikebana basket. Of small size and fine work. Having handled a good number of ikebana baskets over time, this one strikes us as quite sophisticated. Of baluster form, meticulously consistent woven pattern, defined foot and rim, sparse and well balanced decorative intertwined bamboo shoots across the face, and confidently woven handles. Excellent condition. Height, 8 inches.

A well forged, handsome mokume tsuba in mokko-gata form with katakiri-bori landscape decoration on both the omote and ura. The mokume grain is large and well controlled reminding one of ayasugi hada. In fact, this tsuba is indeed a tosho (swordsmith's) tsuba, being made by [Kai Ju] Kiyonaga and dated the third year of Bunkyo (1863) believed to be the same as KIY 298 referenced in Hawley's, Japanese Swordsmiths. Our angled, side view photographs more accurately portray patina and color as well as the mokume grain. Good condition. 3 5/8 inches (8.4 cm) X 3 3/8 inches (8.1 cm) and 7/32 inches thick (.55 cm) at the raised mimi and about 1/8 inch (.32 cm) thick at the seppa-dai. The raised mimi and no taper across the plate are atypical of traditional tosho tsuba. But the present example being 19th century, and toward the end of the Edo period, allows latitude for creativity. Ex Arnold Frenzel collection. If both sensitivity and strength are conveyed in the smith's blades as they are in this tsuba, I would be tempted to acquire one of his swords.

A good Chinese boxwood carving of Budai. Three children clamor over him. A bat appears on his right hand. Bone and horn inlays detail his eyes and teeth. Rich, mellow old patina. Nice grain figure in places. Late Qing to early Republic. Ca 1900. Very good condition with typical minor distress checks in the old hardwood surface. Remnants of old label. Height, about 4 5/8 inches high.

A Hirado blue and white porcelain censer with pierced lattice work cover and sides. Lion masks in relief on opposing sides. Decoration of aromatic flowers and wisps of burning incense. Three feet elevate the censer above surfaces. Early Showa period. Good condition. Lion mask to Lion mask nearly 4 inches in length. Height, covered, just over 3 inches.

A good, Japanese iroe imari dish of square form with garden landscape decoration in red, green, yellow, aubergine, black and gold enamel and underglaze blue. The center panel decorated with pines, plantains and maples among rockery and below stylized clouds. The rockery employing "master of the rocks" technique of consecutive contour lines - the stylized clouds echoing the technique. Good condition. 7 to 7 1/8 inches square. About 8 1/4 inches from corner to corner. 19th century. (Five like this available: one each may be acquired at the offer price, up to four [one sold].)

A Nabeshima blue and white dish with decoration of peonies issuing from rockery. Late Meiji era. Good condition. Diameter, 8 inches to 8 1/8 inches. Height, 2 3/8 inches

A simple, small but stout iron tsuba. The Myochin line of metal workers were armor makers who also produced tsuba. The simple decoration upper-right here could be a flower head or a snowflake. Udenuki-ana appear lower left. Good condition. Height 2 3/4 inches (69 cm), Width 2 9/16 inches (65 cm), and 6/32 of an inche (5 mm) thick.

An Annamese blue and white porcelain dish. Flower decoration in cavetto centered by leaves and flowers decorated bands within unglazed rim. Leaf lappet decoration above the ring foot centering unglazed bottom with typical iron wash. 15th to 16th century. Good condition, crawling original to the firing, crazing to glaze, good resonance when tapped, no hairlines and no cracks. Diameter, 9 1/2 to 9 5/8 inches (about 24.3 cm). Height, little more than 2 1/4 inches (about 5.75 cm). Acquired through a third party, along with some of the other ceramic lots we have recently listed, from the estate of a retired government employee who worked and traveled extensively throughout Asia in the 20th century.

An Ao-Kutani palette porcelain deep dish in the Yoshidaya manner. Hydrangeas decoration in polychrome enamels including white, light blue-green, and dark green, blue, blue-green and aubergine in black line, all on yellow ground, a chocolate brown enamel on the otherwise unglazed biscuit rim. The number and subtlety of hues but consistent for palette is pleasing. The back with enamels including dark green on black line decoration of clouds. Kutani mark in black under yellow glaze inside the foot ring which appears to have been glazed but with the enamel rubbed along high points to the porcelain body. A couple of kiln kisses to the cloud decoration area on the back. The so called Yoshidaya type of 19th century Ao-Kutani wares is named for a merchant who revived production of a particular palette of Ko-Kutani production (of the 17th and early 18th century) adjacent to the original kilns. The current example certainly appears to be 19th century and could possibly be from the Yoshidaya kiln. Later Ao-Kutani palette production is often ambitiously ascribed to the Yoshidaya kiln which, in fact, operated only briefly from the 1820s to the early 1830s. One 3/16 inch flake (mostly to the enamel) under the rim. Otherwise good condition considering expected scratching and rubbing of the enamel. Presents well. Diameter, 11 7/8 inches (30.16 cm)

A fine Arita blue and white four lobed bowl. Decoration of Sennin Chokaro with his gourd attribute in landscape, centered by extraordinary shironuki (drawn in white) decoration in the cavetto - each of four panels with a different auspicious figure and attributes. The outside of the shaped rim and sides also with simple shironuki decoration of a water border and a lotus blossom floating at each, dimpled corner. This accomplished work would have issued from aristocratic patronage rather than standard kiln production. Faint celadon tinge in the pooled glaze along the footrim. 18th - early 19th century. One flake inside the rim otherwise good condition. 5 7/8 to 6 inches (14.92 to 15.24 cm) across at the corners. About 1 1/2 inches (3.8 cm) high.

An Arita porcelain seashell form, scalloped dish with tall foot. Enamel decoration of Ho-o (Japanese mythological Phoenix) in the Kakiemon pallete - black, red, blue, green, yellow and gold overglaze enamel - applied over the glaze inside the dish. Slightly opaque white, large bubble suffused glaze with faint celadon pooling in recesses. Kiln grit adhering to the unglazed foot rim. An old label remains taped inside the foot proclaiming the dish to be 18th century Kakiemon ware (but probably Arita and possibly as late as the 19th century.) Very good condition. Length, 6 11/16 inches (17 cm). Width, 5 1/4 inches (13.3 cm). Height: 1 1/8 inches (3 cm).

An interesting Hizen-yaki, Arita kilns foliate rimmed bowl. Center decoration of a Chinese scholar in tropical landscape. The cavetto and exterior decorated in the Kraak manner. A spurious four character Xuande mark on the bottom, inside the unglazed high foot rim. 19th century. Good condition. Diameter, about 6 5/8 inches. Height, about 2 2/8 inches.

Japanese polychrome enamel Arita porcelain dish. Decoration in blue underglaze and green, red, black, buff, aubergine and gold enamel of cranes among the three friends of winter (pine, bamboo and prunus) and Spring flowers. Stylized character in center, karakusa on verso. Good condition. 8 5/8 inches diameter

A Hizen-yaki, Arita kilns dish in the Kakiemon style. Probably after design examples from the latter kiln. The cavetto with delicate shironuki decoration of sakura blossoms on waves of water. The center undecorated save a single chrysanthemum blossom. Brown rim induced by iron oxide. The exterior with karakusa around the unglazed ring foot centering a spurious mark suggesting the Chinese Ming dynasty. Early 19th century. Good condition. Diameter about 7 3/4 and a little more in places.

A good Hizen-yaki, Arita kilns octagonal blue and white porcelain bowl. Shonsui ‘three friends if winter, decoration in roundels among shape patterns. A single Minogame decorates the interior center. A Fuku mark appear center of the bottom, inside the unglazed ring foot. 19th century. Good condition. 5 inches at widest points. Little more than 3 inches at highest points.