Spoils of Time Asian Ceramics and Works of Art
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All Items : Archives : Regional Art : Asian : Chinese : Pre 2000 item #1065588
Spoils of Time
sold in Vervendi auction to UK
A whimsical Yixing pottery figural group depicting a mature and a young rat in hollowed, half log with a cache of three peanuts. Marked with two impressed seals. Out of our comfort zone with this category (perhaps another's gain) and assuming it likely is a later 20th century item. About 4 1/2" (11.43cm) high, 6" (15.24cm) long, and about 3" (7.62) wide at the base. Condition is excellent.
All Items : Archives : Regional Art : Pre 1990 item #1135590
Spoils of Time
sold
A late 20th century Koransha compote. The conical bowl with gradual slope raised on tall foot. The interior decorated profusely with three polychrome enamel detailed flower garden motif panels with rooster and butterflies all enclosed by gilt enameled bands with red enamel details around the rim and around the central Shou character in the cavetto. The exterior with stylized karakusa decoration. Underglaze blue orchid mark inside the foot - a band of underglaze blue stylized fungus decoration outside the tall foot. Good condition. We picked this up at a consignment shop (since shuttered) some time ago in North West Washington DC and believe it to be Circa 1980s judging from the color of the glazed body and how some of the solid dark blue areas were applied (see detailed views.) Diameter, 11 inches (27.94 cm). Height, 4 3/4 inches (12.06 cm).
All Items : Archives : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Pre 1980 item #1144618
Spoils of Time
Sold
A kyusu teapot with attrative, unctuous rust-orange highlighted opaque off-white Shino glaze. Two character artist's signature incised to the pottery body within a reserve in the glaze. Good condition save a miniscule flea bite to the flaze on the tip of the spout. Pot diameter about 5 1/4 inches. Cover diameter about 3 1/2 inches. Length including handle about 7 3/4 inches. Height to cover handle about 4 inches. 20th century.
All Items : Archives : Pre 1980 item #1052904
Spoils of Time
Sold in Vervendi auction
Vintage spinach jade bangle bracelet. Sparse engraved decoration on untested silver colored metal joint, clasp and chain. Clasp is somewhat worn but still provides a tight, friction fit. Otherwise good condition. 20th century. Diameter, 3 1/8 in. (inside 2 5/16 in.)
All Items : Archives : Regional Art : Pre 1980 item #1199156
Spoils of Time
Sold - Switzerland
A well carved and lacquered Noh mask depicting Hannya. Painted details - particularly depicting loose strands of hair but also the gilded eyes with black wash - adding to the dramatic portrayal. Two character signature in gold lacquer inside the mask and again inside the cover of the box in black ink and with read artist's seal. Also inscribed in cursive English explaining the purpose and use of the mask and the name of the presenting company (apparently a Japanese industrial company so this must have been a good will gift perhaps to a visiting associate.) Very good condition. Probably late 20th century. Height of mask not including horns, 8 3/8 inches (21.27 cm). Width ear to ear, 6 1/2 inches (16.5 cm).
All Items : Archives : Decorative Art : Handiwork : Wood : Pre 1980 item #1013433
Spoils of Time
Sold at auction on Cyberattic
A small Bavarian sculpted wood figural group of Saint Francis of Assisi liberating the wild doves on their way to market. As the storied event goes, the young man surrendering the doves was also invited (and obliged) to become a friar in the Order. Note the original story from "The Little Flowers of St. Francis of Assisi", the Fioretti (Vicenza, 1476.) This masterful (if miniature) wooden sculpture is about 4 3/4 inches tall including the attached base (about 4 inches tall without.) The base with label attached: "holzschnitzereien, Toni Baur, Oberammergau". Unpainted and in very good condition. This wood carving does not seem to be as commonly available a subject from the Garmisch carvers and is a bit more complex and sensitively executed than most with two, interacting figures.

A fine religious theme for a holiday gift. Will ship this within the United States for free if sold at auction (priority and insurance extra).

All Items : Archives : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Pre 1980 item #1051076
Spoils of Time
Sold
A fine, 20th century Fukagawa Seiji vase. Delicately decorated with bird in branch and lightly colored blossoms all against a pale blue background. Rim crisply defined. Fuji and four character mark inside broad foot ring. Good condition. 9 1/2 inches tall (24.1 cm)
All Items : Archives : Regional Art : Asian : Indian Subcontinent : Himalayas : Pre 1970 item #1146657
Spoils of Time
sold in Vervendi auction
The rectangular copper plaque with nicely rendered and detailed repousse decoration and chased details of three Bodhisattvas atop a central zodiacal medallion flanked by Apsaras and supported by two lotus roundels - one with trigrams and the other a lotus blossom with rich, impressed sanskrit. Other decoration throughout including large stylized sanskrit, small sanskrit labeling figures and narrating devices and the whole, and various tantric symbols. The mandala depiction surrounded by a beaded edge and the top pierced for hanging. 20th century and with good patina demonstrating some age and practical use. Good condition. Height, 12 inches (30.48 cm). Width, 10 11/16 (27.15 cm). The large, central lotus roundel measures about a full 1 inch (2.54 cm) deep. We have cropped some detailed views from our front and back photographs for closer inspection. The work is more sharp than our illustrations convey.
All Items : Archives : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Pre 1950 item #1071798
Spoils of Time
Sold
Hanakago (Ikebana flower basket). Irregular plaiting technique using bamboo and rattan. The artist's signature carved into the bottom appears to be in sousho (grass writing) for Ishikawa Shoun (among the greatest modern Japanese basket makers.) Object 2006.3.48 in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco (the Lloyd Cotsen collection bequest - which we last had the pleasure of viewing in 2008) bears the very same signature in gyousho (traveling) form on a basket using the same plaiting technique with broad bands of bamboo (but no rattan.) Another basket in the same collection, object 2006.3.742, does pair the same plaited bamboo (and with some minor splitting) and rattan technique with mei (signature) in kaisho (proper) form identified as Ishikawa Shoun. Comparing the mei between the present example and the two similar baskets in the Lloyd Cotsen collection (easily done from the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco's website) provides reasonable basis for a substantiated attribution of the present basket to Ishikawa Shoun (1895-1973). There is some splitting as seen in our illustrations. Otherwise good condition though could use the care of a collector to clean and to care for the bamboo. Approximate height 12 inches (30.5cm) x width 11.75 inches (29.85cm) x depth 11 7/8" inches (30.16cm)
All Items : Archives : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Pre 1940 item #1064256
Spoils of Time
sold in Vervendi auction
Three fine 20th century Japanese lacquer trays. Each with boats and pine decoration in gold tones upon a dark brown ground. The trays gradually bowed and of square shape but with slightly curved sides and raised on four, shaped feet. 11 1/16" x 11 1/8" (about 28cm square). Reasonably good condition with some light abrading easily enough cared for by a specialist.

Together with another, 19th century tray (bottom portion of a box now missing its cover) with beautiful cranes decoration. 11 3/8" square (about 29cm square). Some distress, mostly corners and edges (we try to show in photographs.) Worthy of the care of an able restorer - additional photographs provided upon inquiry.

All Items : Archives : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Pre 1930 item #1286921
Spoils of Time
Sold
Woodblock print of Nikko Kegon-no-taki (Kegon falls in Nikko) by Kawase Hasui from the series ukiyo-e monyo shu (Collection of ukiyo-e designs). The water depicted in the falls is textured. signed Hasui, sealed Kawase, publisher's mark Bijutsusha ("Rumi") and titled in the right margin. Image area, height about 14 5/16 inches (36.35 cm) by width about 9 3/8 inches (23.81 cm). Including margins, height about 15 3/8 inches (39.1 cm) by width about 10 2/8 inches (26.04 cm) near the top to 10 3/8 inches (26.35 cm) toward the bottom. Not being a print expert, I would describe the condition as good but with toning to areas of the print that seem to follow white areas and certain colors such as the margins, the falls, and darker areas of the terrain behind the falls. This can be observed particularly from our illustration of the back. Hinged by tape to the matte (dry and losing adhesive quality.) This was acquired by us early in 2014 from a Washington DC area consignment shop.
All Items : Archives : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Pre 1930 item #1135865
Spoils of Time
Sold
A 20th century Japanese Agano pottery oil tsubo or vase of that form. The compressed spherical form with vitreous green glaze and blue pooling from the rim on high, waisted neck trending to a blue iridescence dripping where meets a thin, clear matte glazed buff body around the girth. The bottom unglazed around the flattened foot with single incised character off center - looks like it reads "Sei". Good condition - some bubbles in the glaze popped in the kiln. Diameter about 7 1/4 inches (18.4 cm). Height about 4 1/4 inches (10.8 cm).
All Items : Archives : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Pre 1920 item #1113696
Spoils of Time
Sold
A whimsical Bizen stoneware figural koro. A young man is depicted inebriated - sake barrel by his side (the hat cover and barrel form inokes the otherwise absent tanuki associated with sake and mischief.) The sake barrel holds the burning incense while a separate piece represents the boy's hat and forms the cover for the censer. The enjoyment of incense from the burner suggests the intoxicating qualities of imbibing. Late 19th to early 20th century. Good condition. About 5 1/4 inches (13.34cm) length with cover on. About 3 7/8 inches (9.84cm) high.
All Items : Archives : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Pre 1920 item #1156970
Spoils of Time
Sold
This unusual porcelain bowl has a defined rim, sides and foot detailed to appear like a woven basket and then painted in the Ao-Kutani palette with green, aubergine and yellow enamels. The inside enameled yellow and with centered green and aubergine enamel fahua decoration of a Shishi dog with ball among flames within a cloudband border. The foot enameled green over yellow and with a centered yellow reserve with incised artist's mark. The work is similar to that of the Eiraku potters. But though the first character does appear to be Ei, the second character is not Raku (perhaps a stylized San or Kawa?) Good condition. At the widest point the diameter reaches almost 9 7/8 inches.
All Items : Archives : Regional Art : Asian : Southeast Asian : Pre 1920 item #1060974
Spoils of Time
Sold
Indonesian, or more specifically West Java, stick puppet - Wayang Golek. Familiar with these from an exhibition at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco some years prior, we acquired this puppet, from a Maryland antiques market, due to its apparent character and whimsical decorative quality. Not our usual interest, we recognized the obvious hand craftsmanship and age. There is some wear to the puppet's garment (including some small holes and tears to the robe) and some distress to the face (some paint loss which can be seen in the photographs.) Otherwise, this is a good and probably large antique specimen in reasonably presentable and functional condition requiring a caring and knowledgeable home. How to measure this? Height from top of headdress to hem of the robe is 28 in. (71.12 cm). The head alone is about 8 inches (20.32 cm) from the nose tip to headdress tip.
All Items : Archives : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Pre 1920 item #1203860
Spoils of Time
sold - post Vervendi auction
A good Japanese studio porcelain vase with decoration of egrets among lotuses. The egrets in no-outline, reverse out decoration against gradient blue background. The beaks and particularly the eyes (with yellow fill) picked out nicely in fine detail with black. The loti also with no outline and contrasting nicely against the fading blue. The foot with three iron spurs spaced evenly along the unglazed ring foot and an errant iron smudge near one under the glaze inside the foot. Curiously, no mark or signature on this fine work which resembles production of the Kyoto area greats including, most notably, the Kozan workshop and a few others. Very good condition. Height, about 10 1/2 inches (26.67 cm).
All Items : Archives : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Pre 1920 item #1230346
Spoils of Time
Sold
A Japanese blue and white koro with all over cartographic decoration of the Japanese Islands, with provinces labeled, and other bodies including seas and land masses with countries labled. The name used for Korea uses the name Joseon which dynasty (established in 1392) ended by varying accounts between 1897 and 1910. The censer could be later still. The cover with Shishi lion pierced finial over the compressed spherical tripod censer with stylized handles. Four character mark centered within recessed bottom. The three feet burnt an iron color where the glaze thins to the biscuit. The Excellent condition. Height from feet to finial about 4 inches (10.16 cm). Length from end of each handle about 5 3/8 inches (13.65 cm). Diameter of girth about 4 inches.
All Items : Archives : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Pre 1920 item #1065548
Spoils of Time
sold in Vervendi auction
Three Imari covered bowls. Each bowl with a tight hairline from the rim - one of these issuing from a small chip (see enlarged views.) One cover with craze lines inside the foot - one line showing through the other side. Part of a group just out of a diplomatic estate. The bowls are between approximately 4 1/4" (10.8cm) to 4 3/8" (11.1cm) diameter and 2 5/16" (5.9cm) height. The covers are about 4" (10.2cm) diameter. Matches our listings 1065543 and 1065550 for form, size and decoration and matches 1065552 for form and decoration.