Catalog (185)

A Fukagawa porcelain creamer and large sugar. Iris decoration from Chuji Fukagawa's own 19th century design book. Blue underglaze and red, yellow and gold overglaze enamel decoration. Mt. Fuji mark inside the foot ring and Mt. Fuji with Fukagawa Sei in underglaze blue inside the cover of the sugar and creamer. About 4 1/4 inches to the finial of the sugar and about 4 inches to the finial of the creamer. Late Meiji or early Taisho. Good condition. We are happy to quote a group price or entertain an offer for all available pieces we have in this pattern.

A Fukagawa tea pot. Iris decoration from Chuji Fukagawa's own 19th century design book. Blue underglaze and red, yellow and gold overglaze enamel decoration. Mt. Fuji mark inside the foot ring and Mt. Fuji with Fukagawa Sei in underglaze blue inside the cover. 4 1/8 inches to finial. 7 inches from handle to spout tip. Late Meiji or early Taisho. Good condition save smallest glaze frits on spout tip. We are happy to quote a group price or entertain an offer for all available pieces we have in this pattern.

A Fukagawa 11 7/8 inch fish service dish. Iris decoration from Chuji Fukagawa's own 19th century design book. Blue underglaze and red, yellow and gold overglaze enamel decoration including random butterflys. Mt. Fuji mark and Fukagawa Sei in underglaze blue inside the foot ring. Late Meiji or early Taisho. Good condition. We are happy to quote a group price or entertain an offer for all available pieces we have in this pattern.

A Fukagawa tea cup and 5 3/8 inch tea saucer dish. Iris decoration from Chuji Fukagawa's own 19th century design book. Blue underglaze and red, yellow and gold overglaze enamel decoration. Mt. Fuji mark in underglaze blue inside the foot rings. Late Meiji or early Taisho. Good condition. Priced for each cup and saucer, there are now three cups and saucers available. We are happy to quote a group price or entertain an offer for all available pieces we have in this pattern.

A Fukagawa five and 3/8 inch tea saucer dish. Iris decoration from Chuji Fukagawa's own 19th century design book. Blue underglaze and red, yellow and gold overglaze enamel decoration. Mt. Fuji mark in underglaze blue inside the foot ring. Late Meiji or early Taisho. Good condition. We are happy to quote a group price or entertain an offer for all available pieces we have in this pattern.

A Fukagawa five and 3/8 inch tea saucer dish. Iris decoration from Chuji Fukagawa's own 19th century design book. Blue underglaze and red, yellow and gold overglaze enamel decoration including random butterflys. Mt. Fuji mark in underglaze blue inside the foot ring. Late Meiji or early Taisho. Small rim chip (no cracks or lines.) We are happy to quote a group price or entertain an offer for all available pieces we have in this pattern.

A Fukagawa nine inch sauce boat and underplate fired on in the kiln. Iris decoration from Chuji Fukagawa's own 19th century design book. Blue underglaze and red, yellow and gold overglaze enamel decoration. Mt. Fuji mark in oxidized cobalt blue on the unglazed, flat foot of the undertray. Late Meiji or early Taisho. Good condition. We are happy to quote a group price or entertain an offer for all available pieces we have in this pattern.

A Fukagawa eight and 7/8 inch open vegetable dish. Iris decoration from Chuji Fukagawa's own 19th century design book. Blue underglaze and red, yellow and gold overglaze enamel decoration. Mt. Fuji mark in underglaze blue inside the foot ring. Late Meiji or early Taisho. Good condition. We are happy to quote a group price or entertain an offer for all available pieces we have in this pattern.

Fukagawa 4 7/8 inch diameter ice cream bowl with everted rim. Iris decoration from Chuji Fukagawa's own 19th century design book. Blue underglaze and red, yellow and gold overglaze enamel decoration. Mt. Fuji mark in underglaze blue inside the foot ring. Late Meiji or early Taisho. Good condition. Priced for each bowl. There are now five available (the traditional number for a small Japanese set.) We are happy to quote a group price or entertain an offer for all available service pieces we have in this pattern.

Fukagawa 4 1/2 inch diameter fruit or sauce plate (could be used for dessert or hors d'oeuvre.) Iris decoration from Chuji Fukagawa's own 19th century design book. Blue underglaze and red, yellow and gold overglaze enamel decoration. Mt. Fuji mark in underglaze blue inside the foot ring. This service piece is also consistent with the traditional Japanese "Mukozuke" - appetizer dish or bowl - which could range in shape and proportion from a shallow bowl to a high walled cup-like form. Late Meiji or early Taisho. Good condition. Priced for each, there are six available. We are happy to quote a group price or entertain an offer for all available pieces we have in this pattern.

A Fukagawa eight and 3/8 inch salad plate. Iris dcoration from Chuji Fukagawa's own 19th century design book. Blue underglaze and red, yellow and gold overglaze enamel decoration including random butterflys. Mt. Fuji mark in underglaze blue inside the foot ring. Late Meiji or early Taisho. A point along the edge with a couple of rim frits. We are happy to quote a group price or entertain an offer for all available pieces we have in this pattern.

A Fukagawa eight and 3/8 inch salad plate. Iris dcoration from Chuji Fukagawa's own 19th century design book. Blue underglaze and red, yellow and gold overglaze enamel decoration including random butterflys. Mt. Fuji mark in underglaze blue inside the foot ring. Late Meiji or early Taisho. Good condition. Priced for each salad plate, there were five available in good condition when listed. We are happy to quote a group price or entertain an offer for all available pieces we have in this pattern.

A Fukagawa five 7/8 inch bread plate. Iris decoration from Chuji Fukagawa's own 19th century design book. Blue underglaze and red, yellow and gold overglaze enamel decoration. Mt Fuji mark in underglaze blue inside the foot ring. Late Meiji or early Taisho. Good condition. Priced for each bread plate, there were six available when listed. We are happy to quote a group price or entertain an offer for all available pieces we have in this pattern.

An unusual and interesting polychrome enameled studio porcelain mug signed by the Japanese artist - Fukako Sei. Decoration borrows from traditional Nabeshima and Kakiemon iro-e examples with blue underglaze partial decoration filled in with red, yellow-green, turquoise and magenta enamel depicting prunus and peonies (Spring flora.) The mug with a slight taper toward the rim and a loop handle. I am, being both a coffee drinker and a ceramics collector, tempted to keep this. Perhaps it will find an even more determined owner. Good condition. Height 3 1/4 inches.

A Japanese lacquer bowed top box with portrait of a Kabuki actor - presumably named in gold lacquer and the role of Daihachi named in a lustrous iron color. All slightly raised work, the portrait is in gray, black, red, flesh tone, browns and gold. Lines including pattern and folds in the figure's attire and hair in his coiffure and sideburns cleanly defined with raised work. Metal along the facing edges of the top and bottom have no doubt contributed nicely to the preservation of the box. Actor portraits being not uncommon in woodblock prints, we have only found one example in lacquer - an important inro sold by Bonhams in May 2011. The present box is not signed and does not enjoy the colorful provenance of the Bonhams' inro. The condition of this box is fair with small losses on corners and edges (see our illustrations), light surface wear and need of a cleaning. The top has a very slight warp mostly along the length so that the facing metal edges do not rest entirely flush on one side (otherwise would not be noticed and probably not surprising with a little shrinkage over time.) There is no wrinkling, no blisters, no peeling at all to the lacquer (solid work.) This should touch up and clean up nicely in the hands of a qualified lacquer conservationist. It was difficult to capture the raised work in our photographs. Our last enlargements are taken close and under direct halogen light at angles that distort the composition and exaggerate wear but which highlight the raised work. Length, 6 inches (15.24 cm), Width 3 3/8 inches (8.57 cm), Height 1 1/2 inches (3.81 cm). Late Meiji, possibly early Taisho.

A mid to early 20th century Vietnamese chess set. Vietnam was known for accomplished mother of pearl inlay work as found in the accomplished inlay work on this black lacquer board folding to form a case. Every other square is mother of pearl with fine inlaid decoration of the same material and with incised details. The complete set of 32 French Regence style pieces of turned and carved light and dark colored horn. The French influence follows from that country's half century of occupation of the region from the "Open Door Policy" era through the mid 20th century - becoming an integral part of Vietnamese culture even until today with adopted vocabularly, culture and cuisine. Comparison with more recent exports from Vietnam will bear out the differences in quality from this era - particularly in the inlay work. Good condition with only minor wear from use and one minute point of loss to the black lacquer (easily filled with a black enamel such as nail polish.) The board, opened, is about 15 inches square. The Kings are about 2 3/4 inches high. The board cleaned up a bit after we photographed it. As we often do in auction format, we are starting this well below our fair market retail asking price and without reserve.

Two good Arita blue and white mamezara. One rare mokko-gata form with Namban decoration of a foreigner in landscape falconing and with a hunting dog in a square reserve enclosed within a band of reversed out (or negative) decoration of white cranes and clouds on a blue background, the verso with a narrow band of cloud decoration also on a blue background and with faint celadon pooling along the foot rim (fair to good condition but two small chips inside the foot rim and a small glaze abrasion just above the foot rim) about 3 15/16 inches (10 cm) square. The other Kraak style with chocolate glazed foliate rim and liberally applied cobalt blue decorated eight panels with bird and flower alternating with lotus motif surrounding a similarly decorated central roundel, the verso also with 8 flower decorated panels around the foot centering a spurious Chenghua mark (good condition with a little kiln grit inside the foot) about 4 inches (10.15 cm) diameter. Some Kakiemon production (also with chocolate brown rim and clean white body and glaze) copied the Kraak style.

Two small Japanese porcelain dishes used for small side servings or morsels - both decorated with blue underglaze and polychrome overglaze enamels. One with asymmetric floral decoration and gilt foliate rim and spurious Chenghua mark inside the foot. The other octagonal with dragon decoration in the cavetto surrounded by flowering karakusa enclosed within alternating red and blue panels and the verso with geometric patterns. Both about 4 inches (10.16 cm) in diameter and almost 1 inch (2.5 cm) in height. Good condition.