A SUPERB BRONZE OKIMONO OF A SHOJO, A COLLABORATION BETWEEN THREE METALWORKERSBy Kondo Shoshin, Kato Tatsuo and Hoshino Mitsuyoshi, signed Shoshin saku, Tatsuo, and Mitsuyoshi and kakihanJapan, c. 1928Separately cast in three parts and each part signed by its maker. The drunken Shojo, superbly cast and polished, is depicted with a separately cast minogame crawling over its shoulder and looking into a sake saucer (sakazuki) made from suaka (refined copper) incised with a flying crane in kebori and katakiribori. The minogame signed TATSUO (Kato Tatsuo), the sake saucer signed Mitsuyoshi and kakihan (Hoshino Mitsuyoshi) and the Shojo singed underneath SHOSHIN (Kondo Shoshin) and further with an inscription 贈呈 水道部員一同 昭和三年九月一日Zotei suidobuin ichido, Showa san'nen kugatsu tsuitachi [Presented by all the members of the Waterworks Department, 1 September 1928].HEIGHT 16.5 cmWEIGHT 2,876 gCondition: Very good condition with minor wear and some light surface scratches. One of the pegs of the minogame lost.The present okimono is a rare collaboration between three talented artists. Both Kondo Shoshin and Kato Tatsuo were pupils of Oshima Joun (1858-1940) and Hoshino Mitsuyoshi was a pupil of the sword fittings maker Toyokawa Mitsunaga II (1850-1923). A Shojo is a Japanese sea spirit with similarities to a ghost but differing from the latter in the fact that Shojo are tangible. It enjoys drinking alcohol, especially sake. Legend has it that workers at breweries in Japan have seen Shojo lurking about after indulging in their products. Both the minogame and cranes are symbols for longevity, furthermore sake is revered by immortals for its immortality-granting powers.Auction comparison:For a related bronze okimono depicting minogame, by Kato Tatsuo, see Bonhams, Fine Japanese Art, 10 November 2011, London, lot 386 (sold for GBP 5,250).
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A VERY RARE BRONZE JIZAI (ARTICULATED) OKIMONO OF A SPIDERJapan, late 19th century, Meiji period (1868-1912)Well cast and carved as a spider, the fully articulated legs each of three segments, the abdomen movable as well, the animal well detailed with pedipalps as well as neatly incised round eyes, the bronze of a warm copper-brown tone. LENGTH 15 cmWEIGHT 526 gCondition: Very good condition, minor wear, few tiny nicks, occasional light scratches. Provenance: From an old private collection in southern Germany, partly inherited in the 1950s and further supplemented between the 1960s and 1980s. The art of creating lifelike figures of animals in metal, known as jizai okimono, developed during the Edo period and is a fine example of outstanding Japanese craftsmanship. Meticulously constructed, these articulated figures were greatly sought after for decorative use. They were placed in alcoves alongside pieces of porcelain, pottery and hanging scrolls, and were the object of entertainment and discussion. Most early examples are made of iron, but copper, bronze, wood, and silver became popular in later designs.Popular subjects for jizai okimono included insects, fish, crustaceans, and even dragons. The present model is an extremely rare example of an arachnid.Auction comparison: Compare a related articulated bronze incense burner in the form of a grasshopper, 14 cm long, signed Watanabe and dated to the Meiji period, late 19th century, at Bonhams, Fine Japanese Works of Art, 17 September 2013, New York, lot 3295 (sold for 6,250 USD).
A VERY RARE AND SUPERB INLAID LACQUER BOX AND COVER DEPICTING LUNAR HARESJapan, 19th centuryOf rounded rectangular form, the kinji ground finely decorated in gold, silver, and copper takamaki-e, hiramaki-e, and togidashi with kirigane as well as inlays of aogai (mother-of-pearl) to depict two hares amid leafy chrysanthemums, lilies, other flowers, and clovers as well as craggy rocks, the cover further with three silver-lacquered kana characters in cursive script (ashide) reading 'Tsuki no yo' ('The moon at night'). The hares' eyes are inlaid with coral and amber. The base and interior of nashiji, the interior with gold fundame edges, the rims of silver.SIZE 7 x 15.3 x 11.6 cmCondition: Excellent condition with minor wear.Provenance: The Strong National Museum of Play, accession number 75.1892 (lacquered to the base). Old collector's label '#16' to base. Margaret Woodbury Strong (1897-1969) grew up in a prosperous family of collectors. Her interests ranged so widely that by 1960 she had amassed more than 27,000 collectible items and works of art. The vast majority of her collections related in some way to play and as her collection grew, Margaret planned a museum to house it. It eventually opened to the public in 1982 and grew dramatically over the following decades, expanding its collections, facilities, and resources, now spanning over 285,000 square feet. Today, the Strong National Museum of Play (known as just The Strong Museum or simply The Strong) is the only collections-based museum in the world devoted solely to the study of play.The inscription on the present box, coupled with the two hares, is an allusion to the lunar hare, a mythical figure who lives on the moon in Far Eastern folklore, based on pareidolia interpretations that identify the dark markings on the near side of the moon as a rabbit or hare. This popular motif originates in China, where the rabbit is often portrayed as a companion of the moon goddess Chang'e, constantly pounding the elixir of life for her. In the Japanese variation, the lunar hare is often seen pounding mochi.
A RARE CEDAR BROWN-GLAZED POTTERY CHAIRE WITH SHIFUKUJapan, Momoyama (1573-1603) to early Edo period (1615-1868)The ovoid form rising from a slightly concave foot to a gently everted rim flanked by two scrolling handles at the shoulder, covered overall in a lustrous dark brown glaze with a slight russet tinge, stopping irregularly above the unglazed base revealing the buff ware. The pottery chaire (tea caddy) with a lid and accompanied by the original silk brocade shifuku.HEIGHT 8.3 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor wear and manufacturing irregularities. Provenance: Gijs Bosch Reitz (1860-1938), acquired by him in Japan in 1900, sold at Sotheby's Amsterdam, 12 May 1982. From the collection of Felix Tikotin (1893-1986), acquired from the above and thence by descent within the family. Sigisbert Chretien Bosch Reitz, known as Gijs, was a Dutch painter in the Impressionist and Symbolist styles. He was also associated with the Laren School. Felix Tikotin was an architect, art collector, and founder of the first Museum of Japanese Art in the Middle East. Born in Glogau, Germany, to a Jewish family, his ancestors had returned with Napoleon from Russia from a town named Tykocin. He grew up in Dresden and after World War I, he traveled to Japan and immediately fell in love with the culture. In April 1927, he opened his first own gallery in Berlin. The entire family survived the Holocaust, and in the 1950s Tikotin slowly resumed his activities as a dealer in Japanese art. He became, once again, very successful and prominent, holding exhibitions all over Europe and the United States. When he first visited Israel in 1956, he decided that the major part of his collection belonged in that country. In 1960, the Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art was opened in Haifa. A special feature of this collection was that all the chaire still had their original bags (shifuku) and wooden boxes. The expert at the time when these were sold at Sotheby's, J. van Daalen, wrote the fine catalogue entries, including a mention of the boxes and distinguishing between the enclosed wrapping cloths (lapje) and bags (shifuku [zakje]). Since the shifuku were sewn from precious old brocades (meibutsugire), van Daalen also gave a short description of them. He acknowledged the importance of these paraphernalia for tea ceramics in his brief article (1982) Lids, Boxes and Bags, Some Notes of a Collection of Tea-Ceramics, in: Andon, Jg. 2, pp. 18-22, no. 5.With a wood tomobako storage box with labels 'kokusai karamono chaire' and a collection number '196'. The interior with two labels inscribed, '1100- karamono Itokiri' and 'Toshiro yaki karamono no Itokiri.'
A RARE PAIR OF RAKU CHAIRE (TEA CADDIES)Japan, early Edo period (1615-1868)The first raku-ware, katatsuki form with itokiri, finely potted and glazed in a dark brown and black glossy glaze stopping a centimeter above the flat base, which is unglazed, with a finely carved, concave ichimonji-buta lid with a raised finial, and accompanied by a well-worn shifuku and cushion. The second raku-ware and of compressed-globular form, the small chaire covered in a white-crackled, semi-transparent glaze with a slightly flared mouth and a bamboo leaf stopper.HEIGHT 6.9 & 8.7 cmCondition: Each in good condition with some wear, firing irregularities including pitting, glaze recesses. One chaire with a minor repair to the rim and minor chipping to the lid.Provenance: Gijs Bosch Reitz (1860-1938), acquired by him in Japan in 1900, sold at Sotheby's Amsterdam, 12 May 1982. From the collection of Felix Tikotin (1893-1986), acquired from the above and thence by descent within the family. Sigisbert Chretien Bosch Reitz, known as Gijs, was a Dutch painter in the Impressionist and Symbolist styles. He was also associated with the Laren School. Felix Tikotin was an architect, art collector, and founder of the first Museum of Japanese Art in the Middle East. Born in Glogau, Germany, to a Jewish family, his ancestors had returned with Napoleon from Russia from a town named Tykocin. He grew up in Dresden and after World War I, he traveled to Japan and immediately fell in love with the culture. In April 1927, he opened his first own gallery in Berlin. The entire family survived the Holocaust, and in the 1950s Tikotin slowly resumed his activities as a dealer in Japanese art. He became, once again, very successful and prominent, holding exhibitions all over Europe and the United States. When he first visited Israel in 1956, he decided that the major part of his collection belonged in that country. In 1960, the Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art was opened in Haifa. A special feature of this collection was that all the chaire still had their original bags (shifuku) and wooden boxes. The expert at the time when these were sold at Sotheby's, J. van Daalen, wrote the fine catalogue entries, including a mention of the boxes and distinguishing between the enclosed wrapping cloths (lapje) and bags (shifuku [zakje]). Since the shifuku were sewn from precious old brocades (meibutsugire), van Daalen also gave a short description of them. He acknowledged the importance of these paraphernalia for tea ceramics in his brief article (1982) Lids, Boxes and Bags, Some Notes of a Collection of Tea-Ceramics, in: Andon, Jg. 2, pp. 18-22, no. 5.With a tomobako storage box with applied labels and inscriptions.
A RARE IMARI 'BLACK SHIP' VASEJapan, late 17th-18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Well potted, the globular body supported on a short foot and rising to a slender neck with a rolled lip. Finely decorated in iron-red, gilt, turquoise, yellow, blue, and black enamels to one side with two large ships, one with four masts and the other with three, over crashing waves, and to the other with two Dutchmen with characteristic curled hair and wide hats, one holding a cane in one hand, the other with conjoined rings, the neck decorated with brocade patterns. HEIGHT 31.5 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor wear to enamel painting and with few typical firing irregularities.Provenance: The Robert G. Vater Collection. Robert G. Vater was a German collector of European and Asian ceramics. He was the owner and director of a chain of leather clothing stores, who later began to deal in ceramics as well. The collection was put together in the 20th century and part of it (focusing on European ceramics, silver, and gold boxes) was dispersed at Christie's London in December 2021.Auction comparison:Compare a related Imari bottle vase decorated with Dutchmen and a four-masted ship, 45 cm high, dated to the 19th century, at Christie's, 12 October 2005, Amsterdam, lot 45 (sold for 28,200 EUR).
A VERY RARE KO-KUTANI STYLE PORCELAIN SUZURIBAKO (WRITING BOX)Japan, 18th -19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)The rectangular suzuribako painted in bright polychrome enamels of mainly green, yellow and purple, with some red, all against a fine crackled ground, the lid beautifully decorated with an image of three birds within a dense floral composition set on a rock by the water, the image framed by two borders featuring geometric designs and rinzu. The interior cover and box are decorated with Chinese landscapes and with a literati and attendant. The board (ita) is made up of two removable sections. With a suzuri (inkstone) and a suiteki (water-dropper) showing a view of Mount Fuji. The sides are painted with elaborate karakusa designs.SIZE 3.7 x 18.3 x 24.5 cmCondition: Some tiny chips and scattered minuscule losses. Some old repairs, particularly along the edges. Presents very well.Provenance: Ancient collection Dutuit, France. Eugene Dutuit (1807-1886) was a French politician and art collector who formed an outstanding and wide-ranging collection with his brother Auguste, which was bequeathed to the City of Paris in 1902. It is now housed in the Petit Palais.
A RARE FIGURAL LACQUER INCENSE HOLDER OF A DRUNKEN SHOJOJapan, 19th centuryFinely formed and decorated in iro-e maki-e in the shape of a Shojo sitting atop a large raku-ware sake jar. The Shojo wearing a large kimono decorated in gold hiramaki-e with medallions and foliate designs, the billowing robes decorated with bamboo leaves, holding a vase decorated with lotus. The figure's face bearing an inebriated expression and with long red hair, falling in strands down the back and sides. The vase and top of the shojo's head have apertures for holding incense sticks.HEIGHT 18.3 cmCondition: Good condition with minor wear, small nicks, light scratches, a single dent to the Shojo's head, and some tiny chips to edges.
ITASAKA KASON: A VERY RARE IVORY OKIMONO DEPICTING A RECUMBENT SEA LIONBy Itasaka Kason, signed Itasaka Kason kokuJapan, Meiji period (1868-1912)Naturalistically carved, the large sea lion leaning to one side as if waddling or rolling over with its eyes gazing into the distance. Its fur finely detailed, its long front flippers carved with naturalistic folds, and its back flippers with three small claws between a small tail. The face finely carved with long whiskers, large eyes, and small ears. The ivory partly stained along the head and flippers. Signed to the base ITASAKA KASON koku [carved by Itasaka Kason].LENGTH 17.6 cmCondition: Good condition with minor wear, expected age cracks, natural flaws with two natural faults one of which has been plugged, old repair to one flipper, and chips to the back flippers.Provenance: From a private collection in Belgium, published in the commissioned private catalogue 'The Nibajama collection' no. 12. Trade Certificate: The trade certificate for the sale of this lot within the EU has been granted (permit number 2022/BE04282/CE). This item contains ivory, rhinoceros horn, tortoise shell, and/or some types of tropical wood and is subject to CITES when exporting outside the EU. It is typically not possible to export such items outside of the EU, including to the UK. Therefore, after this item has the necessary trade certificate, it can only be shipped within the EU or picked up in our gallery in person.
SEISHI: A FINE AND RARE IVORY OKIMONO OF A WOODBLOCK PRINT MAKER WITH HIS SONBy Seishi, signed SeishiJapan, Meiji period (1868-1912)Finely carved, the two figures seated atop a four-legged pedestal on an etched and stained carpet, the printmaker leaning over his woodblock, pressing a sheet of paper firmly down with his baren. A large stack of blank paper sits next to a stack of completed prints depicting an ukiyo-e with a man fighting a boar; the artist surrounded by his tools and accoutrements. A young boy holding out a bowl of miso with a spoon, pointing insistently that the man might stop and eat. The base signed on a red lacquer tablet SEISHI.LENGTH 12.2 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor wear and expected age cracks, some traces of glue residue.Provenance: From a private collection in Belgium, published in the commissioned private catalogue 'The Nibajama collection' no. 61.The trade certificate for the sale of this lot within the EU has been granted (permit number 2023/BE00304/CE). This item contains ivory, rhinoceros horn, tortoise shell, and/or some types of tropical wood and is subject to CITES when exporting outside the EU. It is typically not possible to export such items outside of the EU, including to the UK. Therefore, after this item has the necessary trade certificate, it can only be shipped within the EU or picked up in our gallery in person.
CHOGETSU: A FINE AND RARE INLAID WALRUS TUSK OKIMONO OF A SMOKERBy Shunkosai Chogetsu, signed Shunkosai Chogetsu Japan, Edo (Tokyo), c. 1850, Edo period (1615-1868)Finely carved and stained, the seated man taking a smoke break. Dressed in an indigo-blue stained robe with the horn-inlaid obi secured at the back, the cross-legged figure holding a tobacco pouch in one hand and an inlaid kiseru (pipe) in the other. The man's face carved in a cheerful smile, the full cheeks under wrinkled eyes framing his almost toothless grin, the insides of the mouth blackened over the course of his habitual smoke breaks. Signed to the back SHUNKOSAI CHOGETSU – the artist was renowned for his carvings, okimono and netsuke, made from walrus tusk.HEIGHT 7 cmCondition: Old repair to the edge of one foot, some losses to staining, few expected age cracks. Generally in good condition and presenting well.This item contains ivory, rhinoceros horn, tortoise shell, and/or some types of tropical wood and is subject to CITES when exporting outside the EU. It is typically not possible to export such items outside of the EU, including to the UK. Therefore, after this item has the necessary trade certificate, it can only be shipped within the EU or picked up in our gallery in person.
A RARE WOOD NETSUKE DEPICTING A KARAKO BOY DURING SHICHI-GO-SANUnsignedJapan, late 18th to early 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Finely carved, the cheerful boy holding the sides of his hifu (sleeveless jacket) in a jubilant posture. The young boy turning his head to the right, his face bearing an expression of confident gravitas. The hifu carved with stylistic designs. Good, functional himotoshi to the back. The wood covered in a fine, lustrous patina.HEIGHT 5.9 cmCondition: Good condition with minor expected wear, the edges of the feet with old, smoothened chips. Shichi-Go-San (七五三) is a traditional Japanese rite of passage and festival day for three- and seven-year-old girls and five-year-old boys (literally translating 'three, five, seven'). On this day, the children dress in traditional hifu garments and undergo three ceremonies. The tradition dates back to the Heian period as a means of celebrating a child's survival during a time when child mortality rates were extremely high.
A RARE IVORY NETSUKE OF AN ONI HIDING IN A BOX DURING SETSUBUNUnsignedJapan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Crammed into a large box, the oni peeking out a small hole with a panic-stricken expression as soybeans pelt his hindquarters. Very good himotoshi, generously excavated to the side and base. The ivory bearing a superb, yellowish patina.LENGTH 3.9 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor wear and expected age cracks.Provenance: Zacke, Netsuke von Meistern, Ausstellung 1989, no. 35. From the collection of Dr. Ferdinand and Dr. Gudrun Thaler-Szulyovsky, acquired from the above, and thence by descent in the same family. The couple, who had both been practicing law, met in 1967 through their mutual passion for art. Together they built a substantial and diverse art collection over many decades.This motif is commonly seen carved from wood and should be considered exceedingly rare carved from ivory. The Setsubun festival is celebrated during the first day of spring and includes the rite of oni-yarai or mame-maki, where roasted beans are thrown at oni to rid the coming year of any demons and disease-bringing spirits.This item contains ivory, rhinoceros horn, tortoise shell, and/or some types of tropical wood and is subject to CITES when exporting outside the EU. It is typically not possible to export such items outside of the EU, including to the UK. Therefore, after this item has the necessary trade certificate, it can only be shipped within the EU or picked up in our gallery in person.
A LARGE AND FINELY PAINTED FUKUGAWA KORANSHA BLUE AND WHITE PALACE VASEBy the Fukugawa Koransha company, signed with a rare variant of the Fukugawa Fuji markJapan, early 20th centuryFinely formed and thickly potted, painted in a deep cobalt-blue glaze standing on circular base with rounded sides rising to a slender neck and everted rim. Finely painted with naturalistic bamboo and oval, circular, and fan-shaped panels depicting birds and flowers. The large oval frames painted with tall pine trees near the shoreline with crashing waves and a towering Mount Fuji in the background with cranes flying and diving overhead. The base sealed with a rare variant of the Fukugawa Fuji mark in the form of a rising sun.HEIGHT 125 cm (excl. stand), 143 cm (incl. stand)Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and a few firing flaws including a few losses to the glaze, some dark spots, and minor glaze cracks, Provenance: From a private collection in Germany.With an old wood stand carved in openwork with foliate designs.
MURATA SEIMIN: A RARE BRONZE HANDWARMERBy Murata Seimin I (1761-1837), sealed Seimin chuJapan, Edo (Tokyo), 18th-19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Finely cast, the large bronze vessel covered with a lid cast in openwork depicting a sinuous, three-clawed dragon amid wispy clouds. A separately cast handle is mounted to its side, and the rim is cast with a band of rinzu above a beaded band and a band of pendulous tassels decorating the side with reishi heads. The base sealed Seimin chu [cast by Seimin].DIAMETER 25 cmWEIGHT 5,703 gCondition: Very good condition with minor wear and signs of use and some typical casting irregularities.Murata Seimin I (1761-1837) was the first of a long line of bronze craftsmen who specialized in bronze sculpting using the lost-wax method. Much of his work was of Buddhist subjects, such as the casting of 500 arhats for the Kenchoji Temple in Kamakura. His other work included vases and ornaments, and he was famed for his studies of tortoises. He took Kimura Toun as his adopted heir and made him the second-generation Seimin. Many of his works appear in the Walters Art Museum, National Tokyo Museum, and the British Museum among others.
A RARE LACQUERED PAULOWNIA WOOD KOTO WITH PEACOCKSJapan, late 19th century, Meiji period (1868-1912)Superbly decorated in gold and iro-e takamaki-e and aogai inlay against a wood grain ground with a dense and colorful composition of two peacocks above a gushing stream amid rocks and flowering peony below two fluttering butterflies, the ends with brocade as well as gold takamaki-e prunus blossoms with bone-inlaid centers, one end further lacquered in gold hiramaki-e with waterwheels.LENGTH 122 cmCondition: Overall good condition, minor wear, traces of use, small chips and nicks, light scratches, few small losses and holes due to worm or insect activity, flaking and minor losses to lacquer, one foot and some bridges (ji) lost, the underside with few minor old repairs. Provenance: From an old French private collection. The koto is a Japanese plucked half-tube zither instrument, and the national instrument of Japan. It is derived from the Chinese zheng and se, and similar to the Mongolian yatga, the Korean gayageum and ajaeng, the Vietnamese dan tranh, the Sundanese kacapi and the Kazakhstan jetigen. Koto are made from Paulownia wood (Paulownia tomentosa, known as kiri). Museum comparison: Compare a closely related koto, dated c. 1891, from the Wakamura workshop, similarly decorated in takamaki-e with roosters and flowers, in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 69.271.3.Auction comparison:Compare a closely related koto, similarly lacquered with roosters, chrysanthemum, and butterflies, 105 cm long, at Galerie Zacke, Fine Japanese Art, 3 December 2021, Vienna, lot 178 (sold for 10,112 EUR).
A RARE SOTEN SCHOOL SOROIMONO (SET OF SWORD FITTINGS) DEPICTING SCENES FROM THE GENPEI WARSThe tsuba signed Soheishi Nyudo Soten seiJapan, Soten school, late 18th to early 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)The set consists of a tsuba, a fuchi and kashira, a kozuka, and a pair of menuki, depicting samurai warriors in different attitudes. The shakudo tsuba of marugata shape with a kozuka and kogai hitsu-ana, the nakago-ana with some sekigane, finely worked in hikone-bori to depict Minamoto no Yoritomo and his men escaping a hollowed pine after having been discovered by the Taira clan.The fuchi and kashira of nanako ground, finely decorated with iro-e takazogan and hirazogan, depicting Kajiwara Kagetoki on horseback making his way to the battlescene; the kozuka similarly decorated. The pair of menuki superbly cast with minute incision work to depict a pair of fighting samurai.Tsuba SIZE 7.8 x 7.3 cm, Kashira LENGTH 3.7 cm, Kozuka HEIGHT 9.4 cm, Menuki LENGTH 3.5 cmCondition: All in very good condition with minor typical surface wear and minor areas of discoloration.Auction comparison:Compare a closely related set of sword fittings by the Soten school at Zacke, Fine Japanese Art, 16 June 2023, Vienna, lot 202 (sold for EUR 1,725).
A RARE VOTIVE BRONZE OF AN AMIDA TRIAD, MAEDACHI HONZON, ZENKOJI STYLEJapan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Finely cast as a zushi (travelling shrine) and patinated to a silverish tone, superbly carved in relief with an Amida Triad with Kannon and Seishi, each standing on lotus pedestals and framed by images of seated Buddhas amidst foliate designs and clouds, and with two worshippers below presenting offerings. The reverse with a superb, naturally grown patina.HEIGHT 9.9 cmWEIGHT 150.7 gCondition: Very good condition with minimal wear and few casting irregularities. Provenance: From an Irish private collection. The present bronze zushi is superbly cast in the style of the 18th century, being more or less an exact copy, save for the addition of the two worshippers below, of the Amida Triad, Maedachi Honzon, in the Zenkoji temple. The Maedachi Honzon is a duplicate of the 6th century central image of the Zenkoji temple, which are the first images of Buddha brought to Japan from the Korean Kingdom of Kudara.
A RARE PAIR OF CARVED WOOD 'BAKU' ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTSJapan, Edo period (1615-1868)The architectural supports, sometimes also called corbels, are finely carved as the heads of two baku with their mouths wide open to reveal tongue and teeth. Both with prominent tusks and ears, showing a fierce expression marked by slanted eyes with thick brows.LENGTH 26.5 cmCondition: Good condition with minor wear, natural age cracks, expected splits, and a few holes from insect activity. Minor chips, a small loss to one baku's tusk, and remnants of pigment to the interior of the mouth.Provenance: From a private collection in Nice, France.Baku are Japanese supernatural beings that are said to devour nightmares. According to legend, they were made from the spare pieces that were left after the gods had finished creating all other animals. Baku heads are commonly placed under the eaves of Japanese Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines to ward off bad spirits. They are protectors against evil, devour nightmares, but cannot be summoned without caution, because - as legend tells - when baku is not satisfied after consuming the nightmares, he may devour one's hopes and dreams too. The open-mouthed baku scares off demons and the closed-mouthed shelters and keeps in good spirits.Auction comparison:Compare a closely related pair of Baku architectural elements, dated to the Kamakura period, at Zacke, Asian Art Discoveries, 27 January 2022, Vienna, lot 356 (sold for EUR 4,298).
A RARE EGGSHELL LACQUER MINIATURE TEA HOUSEJapan, Meiji period (1868-1912)The charming miniature house is elaborately made of sixteen fitted components: two large dishes, five miniature trays, six boxes with covers, the tea house, its foundation, and the roof pinnacle. Finely formed, the exterior is covered in eggshell lacquer with black and gold lacquer trim and is decorated with sparrows and cranes amid bamboo and pine; four boxes are similarly decorated. The two dishes forming the two-tiered roof are covered in black lacquer along the interior and decorated with a long-tailed rooster (onagadori) beneath pine trees with hens and chicks. The largest boxes with covers, fitted within the foundation of the tea house, are covered in vibrant tsugaru lacquer.HEIGHT 23.3 cmCondition: Good condition with wear, some flaking, small scratches, light nicks, and losses to lacquer along the edges. Overall presenting very well.With an associated wood tomobako box.Museum comparison:Compare a near-identical eggshell lacquer miniature tea house, dated to the Meiji period, in the Museum fuer Lackkunst.
A RARE GOLD LACQUER FOUR-CASE INRO DEPICTING ASAHINA SABURO AND AN ONI ENGAGED IN KUBIHIKI (NECK WRESTLING)UnsignedJapan, 17th-18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Of upright rectangular form and oval section, the four-case inro bearing a fine gold kinji ground and lacquered in iro-e hiramaki-e of, as well as kirigane, to depict the legendary warrior, Asahina Saburo, known for his prowess and superhuman strength, engaged in kubihiki (neck wrestling) with a horned oni. Each pressing one foot against the others in an attempt to pull against the knotted rope around their necks, Asahina appearing confident as the oni strains. The interior compartments of nashiji with gold fundame edges. With an amber glass bead ojime.HEIGHT 6.3 cm, LENGTH 4.9 cmCondition: Good condition with wear consistent with age. Typical dents and losses to edges and cord runner, light surface scratches, and some losses to kirigane.Provenance: Compagnie de la Chine et des Indes, Paris, September-October 1942. Collection of Robert and Isabelle de Strycker, acquired from the above. Two collector's labels to the interior, 'L,524' and 'X.' Robert de Strycker (1903-1968) was a French engineer who specialized in metallurgy. He was a Stanford graduate, a professor at the University of Leuven, a director of the Institute of Metallurgy at the Universite Catholique de Louvain, and one of the most influential members of the faculty of applied sciences. After World War II, he made large contributions to France's post-war recovery. Robert and his wife Isabelle (1915-2010) first encountered Chinese art at the British Museum during a stay in London in the 1930s. Enamored with the style and beauty, they both decided to study and collect Japanese and Chinese works of art. In 1938 they eventually began to build their collection, buying from Belgian, Parisian, and English dealers. They kept close contact with the famous English collector Sir Harry Garner (1891-1977) and noted Czech collector and expert Fritz Low-Beer (1906-1976). In 1964, the couple lent 174 objects from their collection to the Belgian city of Leuven's museum for an exhibition titled Oude kunst in Leuvens Privebezit ('Old Art in Private Collections in Leuven'), and in 1967 they lent around thirty Japanese objects to the Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels for their exhibition Kunst van Japan im belgischen Privatverzameingen ('Japanese Art in Belgian Private Collections').
A BRILLIANT FOUR-CASE BLACK LACQUER INRO WITH KIKU AND KOTOBUKIUnsignedJapan, 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)The four-case inro of rounded upright form and oval sectional, lacquered in yamimaki-e (black on black lacquer) with Kotobuki kanji characters 壽 (Ju), which mean felicity and long-life, interspersed with leafy kiku flowers. The interior compartments of nashiji with gold fundame edges.HEIGHT 8.7 cm, LENGTH 5.6 cmCondition: A few chips along the edges of the top case. Otherwise in good condition and presenting well.Provenance: Duval Gallery, Brussels, February 2, 1949. Collection of Robert and Isabelle de Strycker, acquired from the above. An old collector's label to the interior, 'L,652'.Robert de Strycker (1903-1968) was a French engineer who specialized in metallurgy. He was a Stanford graduate, a professor at the University of Leuven, a director of the Institute of Metallurgy at the Universite Catholique de Louvain, and one of the most influential members of the faculty of applied sciences. After World War II, he made large contributions to France's post-war recovery. Robert and his wife Isabelle (1915-2010) first encountered Chinese art at the British Museum during a stay in London in the 1930s. Enamored with the style and beauty, they both decided to study and collect Chinese works of art. In 1938 they eventually began to build their collection, buying from Belgian, Parisian, and English dealers. They kept close contact with the famous English collector Sir Harry Garner (1891-1977) and noted Czech collector and expert Fritz Low-Beer (1906-1976). In 1964, the couple lent 174 objects from their collection to the Belgian city of Leuven's museum for an exhibition titled Oude kunst in Leuvens Privebezit ('Old Art in Private Collections in Leuven'), and in 1967 they lent around thirty Japanese objects to the Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels for their exhibition Kunst van Japan im belgischen Privatverzameingen ('Japanese Art in Belgian Private Collections').The black relief on a black background, 'black on black' as Raymond Bushell calls it in his book 'The Inro Handbook', is a very rare technique. On the one hand difficult to execute, on the other hand not so popular, because the exquisite skills of the artist are not revealed at first sight.Auction comparison:Compare a closely related three-case lacquer inro depicting insects on fern, signed Koma Kansai, with similarly rendered yamimaki-e, at Lempertz, Netsuke, Inro and Sagemono from a Rhenish Collection, 7 December 2018, Cologne, lot 550 (sold for EUR 13,125).
A RARE MINIATURE IVORY SAGEMONO SET DEPICTING SHISHI AMONG PEONY, WITH EN SUITE NETSUKE AND OJIMEThe netsuke signed KoichiJapan, 19th centuryThe three case miniature inro of upright rectangular form with rounded edges and oval section, finely carved in relief with three shishi among blossoming peonies and scrolling clouds. With a matching bone or antler ojime carved in the form of a seated shishi cub and the similarly carved ivory netsuke in the form of a recumbent shishi with a long flowing mane and scrolling tail, signed at the base KOICHI.HEIGHT 4.1 cm, LENGTH 2.8 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor wear and light staining.Provenance: Old German private collection, collected in the 1970s and 1980s.Trade Certificate: The trade certificate for the sale of this lot within the EU has been granted (permit number DE-K-221108-381). This item contains ivory, rhinoceros horn, tortoise shell, and/or some types of tropical wood and is subject to CITES when exporting outside the EU. It is typically not possible to export such items outside of the EU, including to the UK. Therefore, after this item has the necessary trade certificate, it can only be shipped within the EU or picked up in our gallery in person.
A RARE TABAKO-IRE SET DEPICTING SHISHI AND PEONY AND DAIKOKU'S RATJapan, 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)The sagemono smoking set consisting of a tonkotsu (tobacco box) decorated on one side with a proud shishi, its visible eye inlaid in gilt, seated next to a large peony in bloom, the verso decorated with an anthropomorphic rat (the companion of Daikoku) carrying a basket of fruit and fish. The two lucky gods Daikoku and Ebisu are carved in relief to the underside of the cover. The wood ojime is carved in the shape of Daikoku's hammer. The kiseruzutsu (pipecase) of senryuzutsu type finely carved with further peony and with a bamboo and silver kiseru (pipe).LENGTH (kiseruzutsu) 19 cm, HEIGHT (tonkotsu) 7.7 cm, HEIGHT (ojime) 3 cmCondition: Very good condition with only very minor wear.
SEIKO: A RARE WOOD 'BAMBOO' BOKUTO (DOCTOR'S SWORD)By Seiko, signed SeikoJapan, 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)The wakizashi finely carved from wood as a section of bamboo, the tsuka (hilt) delineated by a very gently tapered section, the kojiri and koiguchi cleverly incorporated as nodes, and the kurikata 'naturalistically' carved as a small frog. Signed SEIKO.LENGTH 51 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor wear.During the Edo period, with the end of the civil rivalry between the Shogun and his enemies, carrying arms became obsolete in Japan. The wearing of small dummy swords by the Samurai was imitated by doctors, artists, and other professionals as a symbol of social and professional status. During the 18th and 19th centuries the bokuto lost its sword-like appearance and size and took on a more abstract and decorative form, continuing into the Meiji period.
A RARE LACQUERED WOOD BOKUTO (DOCTOR'S SWORD)Japan, 18th to 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Finely carved as a wakizashi, the saya (scabbard) delineated finely lacquered in red and black with a needle design, the kurikata in the form of an arch and the carved kozuka decorated with scroll motifs. The samegawa of perforated ground with carved menuki in the form of rabbits to either side collared by a fuchi with foliate design. LENGTH 47.6 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor wear to the menuki.During the Edo period, with the end of the civil rivalry between the Shogun and his enemies, carrying arms became obsolete in Japan. The wearing of small dummy swords by the Samurai was imitated by doctors, artists, and other professionals as a symbol of social and professional status. During the 18th and 19th centuries the bokuto lost its sword-like appearance and size and took on a more abstract and decorative form, continuing into the Meiji period.
A RARE LACQUER HAKO NETSUKE OF AN EGGPLANT (NASUBI)UnsignedJapan, 19th centuryThe two-part hako (box) netsuke finely modeled as an eggplant (nasubi) with an elegantly trimmed stem, the flesh of lustrous roiro lacquer applied with a crawling insect inlaid in mother-of-pearl, the interior lacquered in red, the lid with a metal cord attachment looped through the back.HEIGHT 4.9 cmCondition: Good condition with wear and traces of use. Minimal losses to lacquer at the edges.Provenance: Duval Gallery, Brussels, February 2, 1949. Collection of Robert and Isabelle de Strycker, acquired from the above. An old collector's label, 'N 259.' Robert de Strycker (1903-1968) was a French engineer who specialized in metallurgy. He was a Stanford graduate, a professor at the University of Leuven, a director of the Institute of Metallurgy at the Universite Catholique de Louvain, and one of the most influential members of the faculty of applied sciences. After World War II, he made large contributions to France's post-war recovery. Robert and his wife Isabelle (1915-2010) first encountered Chinese art at the British Museum during a stay in London in the 1930s. Enamored with the style and beauty, they both decided to study and collect Japanese and Chinese works of art. In 1938 they eventually began to build their collection, buying from Belgian, Parisian, and English dealers. They kept close contact with the famous English collector Sir Harry Garner (1891-1977) and noted Czech collector and expert Fritz Low-Beer (1906-1976). In 1964, the couple lent 174 objects from their collection to the Belgian city of Leuven's museum for an exhibition titled Oude kunst in Leuvens Privebezit ('Old Art in Private Collections in Leuven'), and in 1967 they lent around thirty Japanese objects to the Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels for their exhibition Kunst van Japan im belgischen Privatverzameingen ('Japanese Art in Belgian Private Collections').
YOSHIHISA: A VERY RARE WOOD MASK NETSUKE OF A HORNED KAPPABy Yoshihisa, signed Yoshihisa at 74 years of ageJapan, Edo (Tokyo), 18th-19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)The unusual face set with a comically distraught expression, its eyes looking woefully upwards beneath furrowed brows, the two-horned head with finely incised sparse hair. Himotoshi bar to the reverse and signed YOSHIHISA at 74 years of age. From the style and material this carver belonged to the Deme family of mask carvers.HEIGHT 4.1 cmCondition: Good condition with minor wear and traces of use. A chip to the right brow.
A FINE AND RARE LACQUERED AND INLAID PAULOWNIA WOOD MINIATURE KOTOJapan, 19th centuryFinely decorated on the sides in iro-e hiramaki-e and takamaki-e on dark wood fittings which frame the light kiri (paulownia) wood body of the instrument. Each side depicts an idyllic ocean view, one with several boats coming into the harbor and the other with a bridge from a palatial structure extending over a peninsula. Each end decorated with tortoise shell inlays within elaborately patterned enamel and bone-inlaid frames with an exterior band of gilt foliate decorations. The thirteen strings extend over the arched body across a bridge on either side.LENGTH 33 cmCondition: Good condition with minor wear, three trim feet lost.Provenance: From an old French private collection.The koto is a Japanese plucked half-tube zither instrument, and the national instrument of Japan. It is derived from the Chinese zheng and se, and similar to the Mongolian yatga, the Korean gayageum and ajaeng, the Vietnamese dan tranh, the Sundanese kacapi and the Kazakhstan jetigen. Koto are made from Paulownia wood (Paulownia tomentosa, known as kiri). The most common type uses 13 strings strung over movable bridges used for tuning, different pieces possibly requiring different tuning.Museum comparison:Compare a related miniature koto, 49.5 cm long, dated to the mid to late 19th century, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 89.4.112.
A RARE AND EXPRESSIVE POLYCHROME WOOD FIGURE OF A GUARDIAN, LATE KAMAKURA TO MUROMACHIJapan, 14th-16th century, late Kamakura period (1185-1333) to Muromachi period (1338-1573)Finely carved and painted with polychrome pigments, attractively worn, depicting a ferocious guardian turning his head, holding his left hand out in a dramatic pose with his long sleeves draping down. Wearing a collar, a temple hat, and voluminous robes tied at the waist beneath his rotund stomach. The guardian's face bearing a fierce expression with furrowed brows, a scraggly beard made of horsehair, and bloodshot eyes with dark pupils, gold and brown pupils, and covered by clear rock crystal painted red on the corners. HEIGHT 49.5 cmCondition: Good condition with wear commensurate with age. Wear, cracks, chips, small losses, flaking, old repairs, and the right hand restored.Provenance: From a Dutch private collection.The sturdy vigilance of this sculpture reflects the Kamakura-period feeling for lifelike movement and expression.Museum comparison:Compare a closely related polychrome wood figure, bearing similar expression and dynamism, described as a Gushojin and dated to the Kamakura period, in The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The MET), New York, accession no. 1975.268.700a–c.
A RARE TSUISHU LACQUER ASHTRAY NETSUKE DEPICTING THE THREE FRIENDS OF WINTER (SHOCHIKUBAI)UnsignedJapan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)The netsuke in the shape of a bowl decorated in tsuishu (carved red lacquer) with the Three Friends of Winter – pine, bamboo, and plum—carved with symmetrical panels separated by sections of hanabishi, asanoha, and geometric designs, the interior lined in metal so that the netsuke could be used as an ashtray. Himotoshi through the center.DIAMETER 3.5 cmCondition: Wear and losses to lacquer, the disc housing the cord attachment lost. Overall presenting well.Provenance: Tamenne Gallery, Brussels, December 26, 1967. Collection of Robert and Isabelle de Strycker, acquired from the above. Robert de Strycker (1903-1968) was a French engineer who specialized in metallurgy. He was a Stanford graduate, a professor at the University of Leuven, a director of the Institute of Metallurgy at the Universite Catholique de Louvain, and one of the most influential members of the faculty of applied sciences. After World War II, he made large contributions to France's post-war recovery. Robert and his wife Isabelle (1915-2010) first encountered Chinese art at the British Museum during a stay in London in the 1930s. Enamored with the style and beauty, they both decided to study and collect Japanese and Chinese works of art. In 1938 they eventually began to build their collection, buying from Belgian, Parisian, and English dealers. They kept close contact with the famous English collector Sir Harry Garner (1891-1977) and noted Czech collector and expert Fritz Low-Beer (1906-1976). In 1964, the couple lent 174 objects from their collection to the Belgian city of Leuven's museum for an exhibition titled Oude kunst in Leuvens Privebezit ('Old Art in Private Collections in Leuven'), and in 1967 they lent around thirty Japanese objects to the Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels for their exhibition Kunst van Japan im belgischen Privatverzameingen ('Japanese Art in Belgian Private Collections').
A RARE GOLD LACQUER KOGO AND COVER WITH FISHING NETS AND PLOVERS (CHIDORI)Japan, late 16th-17th century, Momoyama (1573-1615) to early Edo period (1615-1868)Of circular form, bearing a rich nashiji ground, the overhanging cover finely decorated in gold and black takamaki-e with black kirikane and gold hiramaki-e to depict fishing nets raised along the rocky shore with plovers flying above, a few birds also painted to the sides of the box, the base and interior of nashiji with gold fundame edges. DIAMETER 8.7 cmCondition: Good condition with minor wear, two small chips with old repairs to the rim, few tiny dents, nicks, and light scratches mostly to the interior and base.Provenance: Galerie Souquet, Paris, France, 15 March 1952. Collection of Robert and Isabelle de Strycker, acquired from the above. Old labels to base and interior. Robert de Strycker (1903-1968) was a French engineer who specialized in metallurgy. He was a Stanford graduate, a professor at the University of Leuven, a director of the Institute of Metallurgy at the Universite Catholique de Louvain, and one of the most influential members of the faculty of applied sciences. After World War II, he made large contributions to France's post-war recovery. Robert and his wife Isabelle (1915-2010) first encountered Chinese art at the British Museum during a stay in London in the 1930s. Enamored with the style and beauty, they both decided to study and collect Chinese works of art. In 1938 they eventually began to build their collection, buying from Belgian, Parisian, and English dealers. They kept close contact with the famous English collector Sir Harry Garner (1891-1977) and noted Czech collector and expert Fritz Low-Beer (1906-1976). In 1964, the couple lent 174 objects from their collection to the Belgian city of Leuven's museum for an exhibition titled Oude kunst in Leuvens Privebezit ('Old Art in Private Collections in Leuven'), and in 1967 they lent around thirty Japanese objects to the Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels for their exhibition Kunst van Japan im belgischen Privatverzameingen ('Japanese Art in Belgian Private Collections').Chidori, literally “a thousand birds,” are sandy, grayish brown birds with white underparts, long legs and relatively short bills found throughout most of the world. In Japanese poetry, the focus is on their songs, or voices—in this case, soft, high-pitched vocalizations. In art, the plover might appear on a woman's garment or a lacquer inro against a background of fishing nets or paired with jakago.
A VERY RARE AND LARGE GILT BRONZE FIGURE OF AMIDA NYORAI, EDOJapan, 18th to 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Finely cast in multiple sections, Amida standing on a lotus dais supported by a round pedestal with hands raised in raigo-in (vitarka mudra). He is wearing heavy monastic robes falling in elegant, voluminous folds and opening at the chest. His face bearing a serene expression with heavy-lidded eyes, sinuous brows and a raised byakugo (urna), his hair arranged in tight curls over the domed ushnisha, flanked by beautiful kohai (nimbus) exuding rays.HEIGHT 35.4 cm (figure), 65.6 cm (incl. stand)WEIGHT 7,848 gCondition: Good condition with minor wear, light nicks, small scratches, some rubbing, and repairs to the neck and hands. The bronze is covered in a rich, dark patina. Provenance: Ex-collection of Anton Exner, Vienna, Austria. Each section painted in red 'EX5.' Anton Exner (1882-1952) was the most important dealer, collector, and assessor of East Asian art in Vienna during the interwar period. His collection included all branches of Asian art, from all epochs, and particularly Chinese and Japanese works. During a long sojourn through Canada and the USA from 1908 to 1910, he made first contacts with Chinese dealers and subsequently acquired numerous antiques at various Asian ports, which formed the basis for his future business activities. From then on, he went almost every year on buying trips to the Far East. The Austrian auction house Dorotheum appointed him as a sworn assessor of Asian art, a position he held for c. 25 years. From the early 1920s onwards, he lent objects to most major exhibitions of Asian art held in Austria, and eventually gifted a large part of his personal collection, numbering several thousand objects, to the Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna, where it is on permanent exhibition to this day.The sculpture represents Amitabha, known in Japanese as Amida Nyorai, or the Buddha of Limitless Light. Amitabha reigns over the Western Pure Land, a paradise to which anyone is welcomed if they faithfully and sincerely incant his name. This place of salvation became central to the Jodo [lit. Pure Land] sect of Buddhism. Propounded in 1175 by the monk Honen, the accessibility of such tenets of redemption allowed this form of Buddhism to proliferate across the nation and feudal classes of Japan. Often depicted with an elaborate mandala, the boat-shaped halo is said to remind his followers that he serves as a guide for them to cross the ocean of suffering which contaminates the living.Japanese gilt bronzes depicting Amida are to be considered extremely rare. Museum comparison:Compare a related earlier gilt bronze figure of Amida, dated 14th-15th century, in The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The MET), accession no. 1975.268.168a, b.
A RARE BLACK AND GOLD LACQUERED BOX AND COVER WITH TAKARAMONOJapan, late 16th-17th century, Momoyama (1573-1615) to early Edo period (1615-1868)Of square form with rounded corners, the lustrous black ground finely decorated in gold hiramaki-e and e-nashiji, the top of the cover with a central design of nyoi (reishi), surrounded by stylized flowerheads and clouds as well as treasures including tama jewels, a mallet, a fan, a tassel, and scroll-form tables, all above crashing waves and a band of stylized clouds encircling the base. The interior and base with rich nashiji, the interior further with gold fundame edges. SIZE 3.8 x 6.5 x 6.5 cmCondition: Good condition with expected surface wear, minor rubbing, the interior with few minuscule chips and tiny flakes to edges, the base with few small nicks, light scratches, and remnants of adhesive.Provenance: Spink & Son, London, United Kingdom, 1 April 1968. Collection of Robert and Isabelle de Strycker, acquired from the above. Old label to base. Robert de Strycker (1903-1968) was a French engineer who specialized in metallurgy. He was a Stanford graduate, a professor at the University of Leuven, a director of the Institute of Metallurgy at the Universite Catholique de Louvain, and one of the most influential members of the faculty of applied sciences. After World War II, he made large contributions to France's post-war recovery. Robert and his wife Isabelle (1915-2010) first encountered Chinese art at the British Museum during a stay in London in the 1930s. Enamored with the style and beauty, they both decided to study and collect Japanese and Chinese works of art. In 1938 they eventually began to build their collection, buying from Belgian, Parisian, and English dealers. They kept close contact with the famous English collector Sir Harry Garner (1891-1977) and noted Czech collector and expert Fritz Low-Beer (1906-1976). In 1964, the couple lent 174 objects from their collection to the Belgian city of Leuven's museum for an exhibition titled Oude kunst in Leuvens Privebezit ('Old Art in Private Collections in Leuven'), and in 1967 they lent around thirty Japanese objects to the Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels for their exhibition Kunst van Japan im belgischen Privatverzameingen ('Japanese Art in Belgian Private Collections').Auction comparison:Compare a related lacquer kogo with a similar design, dated to the Momoyama period, at Christie's, Japanese Art & Design, 16 June 1999, London, lot 163 (sold for GBP 2,185).
A FINE AND RARE BLACK LACQUER KATANA-KAKE (SWORD STAND)Japan, 19th century Comprising a lower storage section with three drawers and a removable door, each mounted with a movable gilt-copper pull, supporting a rack for three swords. Entirely covered in black roiro lacquer and finely decorated in iro-e takamaki-e, subtle textures, and fine inlay of glass, ceramic, shell, horn, and hardstone with treasures including a Tang-style foliate-rimmed bronze mirror with ho-o (phoenix) decoration tied with a red-lacquered tasseled rope as well as rings, jewels, and shells. SIZE 43 x 44 x 22 cmCondition: Very good condition, minor wear, few minuscule nicks, occasional light scratches, few tiny flakes.
A SUPERB GOLD LACQUER FAN-SHAPED BOX AND COVER WITH INTERIOR TRAY AND STANDJapan, 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)The fan-shaped lacquer box bearing a beautifully lustrous gold kinji ground and decorated in gold takamaki-e with kirigane highlights on the cover with an idyllic landscape scene featuring a view of a temple behind craggy rocks, below clouds and towering pine trees, the blades of the fan inlaid in silver. The interior tray is similarly decorated with a family of quails beneath a flowering cherry tree, the rim of nashiji and embellished with formal hiramaki-e designs. The sides of the box feature Imperial crests of Ho-o (phoenix) and kiri (paulownia), as well as diapered manji and hanabishi designs. The gold-lacquered stand decorated with kiku (chrysanthemum) roundels in colored hiramaki-e and sublime togidashi-e. The interior and underside of the box, as well as the underside of the stand and tray, of dense nashiji.SIZE 10 x 14.2 x 24.5 cmCondition: Very good condition with only very minor wear, some slight rubbing, some microscopic nicks and losses particularly along the edges. The combination of the imperial symbols of Ho-o, paulownia, and chrysanthemum, along with the quality of this sublime lacquer box, likely indicates an imperial commission. Furthermore, it is very rare to find these types of boxes with their original stands and with the interior tray. Auction comparison:Compare a closely related fan-shaped lacquer box at Zacke, Fine Japanese Art, 28 October 2020, Vienna, lot 131 (sold for EUR 13,904).
A VERY RARE KAKURE KIRISHITAN (HIDDEN CHRISTIANITY) SILVER KOZUKA DEPICTING DARUMA With inscription Hinputei ka Hokko HitsuJapan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Engraved in kebori with the Zen-patriarch Daruma seated in meditation, looking up at the inscription inlaid in gold above a hazy ground. The reverse with a hossu (ceremonial Buddhist whisk) decorated with hirazogan in suaka (copper) and gold beneath a diagonal straited katakiribori ground hiding a gold inlaid cross. Inscribed on the obverse in gold hirazogan with a circle seal, Hinputei ka Hokko hitsu 貧富亭下、北公筆.HEIGHT 9.8 cmWEIGHT 32.3 gCondition: Excellent condition, minor wear.This is the only appearance of this artist's name. The etymology of his name, literally translating 'Pavilion for the rich and poor,' creates a further mystery in light of the Zen, Buddhist, and Christian emblems which decorate this kozuka. Given the restricted approach to religious freedom within feudalism of the Edo period, the combination of motifs and the unusual etymology behind the artist's name is extremely rare. The maker and owner of this kozuka likely belonged to a small community of Kakure Kirishitan. Kakure Kirishitan ('Hidden Christians') are descendants of the first Japanese converts to Christianity who were driven underground in mid-17th century. During a time when Catholicism was illegal to practice, small communities met in secret, creating unrecognizable Christian icons by concealing them as Buddhist figures; icons, like the Virgin Mary, were molded to look like Kannon or Guanyin. This depiction of Daruma, with his monk robes, possibly represents a Kakure Kirishitan icon of Jesus or possibly John the Baptist, given the shared ascetic lifestyles shared between Daruma and the prophet.
The Great Escape (1963) International One Sheet film poster, artwork by Frank McCarthy of Steve McQueen, probably 1970's release, folded, 27 x 39 inches. Extremely rare version of the Great Escape posters, and regular fetches significant amount when it sells in the USA. Condition Report: Some small tears and grubby marks. Displays well. Dated and stamped 1963 on reverse.
A RARE CHINESE BLUE GLAZED AND GILT DECORATED PORCELAIN VASE, 18TH CENTURY. Pear shaped bottle on splayed foot with an open crescent shaped mouth, with gilt floral decoration. Probably Kangxi period (1662-1722), made for the Islamic market. 30cm tall. Two similar vessels with spouts as ewers but similar shaped and decorated, are in The Victoria and Albert Museum, London, Accession Numbers 775-1888 and 1674-1876, and are published by Kerr and Mengoni, Chinese Export Ceramics, V&A Publishing, London, 2011, p. 111, pl. 158. Good overall condition with no signs of damage or repair. Wear and rubbing to the gilt decoration which has almost disappeared but traces are left.
ABERFELDY AGED 25 YEARS SINGLE HIGHLAND MALT SCOTCH WHISKY 40%Vol. 70cl e, Released as a strictly limited edition of only 150 bottles to commemorate the opening of Dewar's World of Whisky at Aberfeldy Distillery on the 17th April 2000. This rare bottling of Aberfeldy 25 year old is bottle number 102 of 150 and comes in a wood presentation box. Condition Report:Available upon request
A LADIES OMEGA WRISTWATCH both the case and the strap are in 9ct gold, inscribed and dated 1955, Birmingham hallmarks for 1953. Diameter of the case 1.9cm, weight without mechanism 10.2gms in original box with guarantee Condition Report:Winds and is ticking, rare original box lovely condition!
Chad Valley No. M160 Super Motorway Not checked for exact completeness, some items do look absent (Petrol Station). Set was compatible with Matchbox, Corgi and other makers with this example being issued with two Impy models (excellent boxes). Outer box is generally very good with lovely vibrant artwork to front as shown! Rare set.
Multiple Toy Makers (USA) (for Gerry Anderson) Steve Zodiac's Fireball XL5 Space City Set comprising multiple plastic vehicles, figures and accessories as shown. Believed to be complete and appears to have had little or no use. Contained in generally excellent original box. A rare opportunity.
Blaurandbecher Grünliches, längsoptisch geblasenes Glas mit angesetztem, blauem Rand. Gewellt gekniffener, ausgestellter Fußrand, mittig hochgestochener Boden, zylindrischer Korpus, ausschwingender Lippenrand. Etikett der Slg. Reidel mit Nr. 8667. H. 9,5 cm; D. 10,3 cm. A rare German greenish glass beaker with blue rim and optical pattern. Label of the collection Reidel.Deutsch. 17./18. Jh.
Äußerst seltene Kristallglaskaraffe von Peter-Karl Fabergé mit Silbermontierung. Trompetenförmiger, profilierter und von kurzen Godronen umzogener Stand, übergehend in ovoiden Korpus aus geschliffenem, farblosem Kristallglas. Die Wandung verziert mit umlaufend reliefplastischem, weich geformtem, vertikal und horizontal angeordnetem Fischblasendekor. Korrespondierend gestalteter, taillierter, silbermontierter und -gefasster Hals, umzogen von gegeneinandergestellten Fischblasen. Kurzer Konsolausguss mit Ausgussabdeckung. Scharnierter, haubenartig aufgewölbter Deckel bekrönt von hohem, zapfenförmigem Balusterknauf. Hoch angesetzter, konischer Ohrenhenkel. Henkel, Deckel und Knauf ebenfalls verziert mit teilw. in sich gedrehten godronierten Zügen. Montierung innen vergoldet. Gest. 84, Beschauzeichen, Dat., Herstellerzeichen in Kyrillisch mit Hoflieferantenzeichen. Gest. 84 sowie eingeritzte Inv.-Nr. "6652". H. 30 cm.Vgl. Postnikova-Losseva, 1995, Nr. 2022, 2125, 2604, 2607; Kat. Kunsthalle der Hypo-Kulturstiftung, Fabergé, Dr. Géza von Habsburg, München, S. 333.An extremly rare silver mounted Russian cut glass decanter by Peter-Karl Fabergé. Gilt inside. Assay mark and maker´s mark with imperial warrant. Dated. Scratched inventory number "6652".Russland. Moskau. Peter-Karl Fabergé. 1895.
Seltene Tabatiere im Louis XV-Stil Silber, vergoldet mit Einlage aus Holz, lackiert sog. Vernis Martin. Rechteckige Form mit gering eingezogener Wandung. Allseitig flächendeckend fein wellenförmig guillochiert. Die Kanten reliefplastisch umzogen von Floraldekor. Auf dem Deckel Holzeinlage mit rot-braun und gold lackierter Berglandschaft an einem Fluss. Die Ufer bewachsen mit japanischen Kirschbäumen und Kiefern. Minim. best.; Gest., Beschauzeichen, Garantiemarke von 1838, undeutl. Meisterzeichen "DL" (?). Gew. ca. 65 g. H. 1,3 cm. 6,6 cm x 4 cm.Vgl. Rosenberg, Bd. IV, Nr. 5893, 6579, 6593.A rare French Louis XV style gilt-silver mounted japanese lacquer snuff box. Minor dented. Assay and guarantee mark from 1838. Indistinct master´s mark.Frankreich. Paris. 1838.
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