A young girl reaches up to steady herself on a branch laden with plum buds, not yet ready to open, as she presses down on the ice with her bright red shoes. This is an absolutely darling image by Chishima Kayo, which came to us as a silk makuri (never having been mounted) painting, which our restorer placed in this natural field allowing the painting to show itself.
Chishima Kayo (b. 1890) was a female artist of the Meiji to early Showa periods...

Free of any loss or repair, this beautifully enameled vase on a copper base stands some 7-1/2 inches in height. Wonderfully elegant and understated.

Bamboo tray handmade of bamboo strips. It is for uchiwa fan to be put in, which is one kind of fan used in hot summer. In excellent condition except for a loose strip in the bottom of th oval part. 20th century. 28cm x 33cm x 2.5cm

Japanese Paulownia or Kiri wood small Tea, Cha Tansu, Ca. Meiji period, late 1890-1900, 24 1/2" high, 24" wide, 12" deep, 2 sliding doors on top inlaid with Mother of Pearl Plum flowers with low relief Lacquered tree branches above 3 small drawers, one large drawer above 2 drawers in lower section, black iron mounted around corners, leaf design on handles. The condition is as used condition directly imported from Japan, no restoration work was done on this small Cha Tansu.

Antique Japanese single section mizuya (kichten chest). Made of hinoki (Japanese cypress) wood frame with Sugi (cedar) sides. The upper section have two pairs of sliding panels. The top panels are all wood while the lower panels have inset frosted glass. The bottom section of the chest has two large sliding panels with decorative cut outs . There are fourteen drawers of varying size surrounding the larger compartment of the bottom piece, opened by iron pulls...

Japanese Imari Porcelain Barber Bowl, or Shaving bowl, Ca. Edo period, between late 1700's to early 1800's, 10 5/8" diameter-top rim, 2 5/8" high, typical Imari color of underglaze blue between three(3) cartouche of Japanese garden fence scene decoration around wide rim in overglaze iron red, blue urn filled with bouquet of flowers in the entire center, some of the iron red enamel is worn in the middle caused by many years of usage. Gold highlights on the leaves on the wide rim is somewhat worn...

A rare set of five tiny Gosu cups for drinking Gyokuro steaped tea from the Shidehara kiln of Sanda in Hyogo prefecture dating from mid to later 19th century (Late Edo to Meiji). Fish circle the cups as they swim among water plants. Each cup is 2 inches (5 cm) diameter and in great condition.
Shidehara was a kiln established in the Sanda district of Hyogo prefecture in the mid 18th century. They created works based on continental styles of Gosu, Sometsuke, aka-e and later celadon...

This rare Edo period (江戸時代 1603~ 1868) silk covered accordian-fold book is hand painted on rice paper. The title and artist's seal appear on the cover. It is 9 5/8" long, 7 1/4" wide and 1" thick. The opening pages (both verso and recto) from either direction are blank, gold flaked rice paper; the end pages (bother verso and recto) are plain rice paper. The book contains 12 paintings, 6 paintings on each side...

It was carved by a late Meiji period (1868~1911) artist Tozan (東山). It depicts a smiling wood cutter taking a break and tying his straw sandal lace. A sparrow is resting on his straw hat. It is 6 1/5" high, 3 7/16" wide (from the bottom) and 3" thick (from the bottom). Aside from two hair line cracks; one on his back head and one on the bottom, it is in great condition.

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892)
Itsukushima Moon
No. 21 from the series "One Hundred Aspects of the Moon"
Date: 1886
Size: Oban. Approximately 14.75 x 10.25 inches.
Signed and sealed by the artist.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Publisher: Akiyama Buemon.
Carver: Enkatsu.
Condition: Very good...

A refined set of 5 later Edo Sake cups in a hybrid E-gorai style from the Kosobe kiln of Igarashi Shinbei decorated with pale blue designs (gnarled plum trees?) under thick cream colored glaze on very thinly potted clay blended with shiseki for great effect. This is likely the work of the second or third generation Shinbei, both known for their Korai-Utsushi (Korean style) wares. Each cup is 2-1/2 inches (6.5 cm) diameter. They are in surprisingly good condition, with no cracks...

Antique Japanese kesa, Buddhist monk's traditional outer garment. Made from rich fragments of silk donated by wealthy devotees, kesa are traditionally made of square and rectangular swatches of material symbolizing the Buddha's patchwork garments. In contrast with this idea is the material itself, made of fine woven silks...

An interesting Japanese Arita saucer form dish decorated in a transitional style incorporating elements of the Kakiemon style, notably the asymmetric elements within the reserves to the outer rim of the dish, with Katamono style motifs dating to the late 17th century or early 18th century and made for the domestic market. For a more sophisticated version of this type of design in Katamono style dated 1680-1700 see Shibata Volume II no 422...

An interesting Japanese Arita saucer form dish decorated in a transitional style incorporating elements of the Kakiemon style, notably the asymmetric elements within the reserves to the outer rim of the dish, with Katamono style motifs dating to the late 17th century or early 18th century and made for the domestic market. For a more sophisticated version of this type of design in Katamono style dated 1680-1700 see Shibata Volume II no 422...

Japanese Imari Porcelain Leaf Shape dish, late Meiji or early Showa, 1940, 6 1/4" x 6 1/2" wide, 3/4" high, very simple beautifully overglaze enamel Japanese Garden, Plum trees in early spring, Irish in summer, Chrysanthemum flowers in fall and Bamboo in winter, 4 seasons design above broad leaf on the bottom. The condition is good.

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892)
Moon and Smoke (Fire)
No. 22 from the series "One Hundred Aspects of the Moon"
Date: 1886
Size: Oan...

It is a privilege to introduce this incredible sculpture by the young female ceramicist Furui Akiko enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Tsubomi (bud) dating from 2017. It is made up of hundreds of rolled sheafs of shaved clay covered in a white slip and fused together. The amount of work which goes into each sculpture is obvious, making her work great value.
Furui Akiko was born in Aichi prefecture in 1987. She graduated the Aichi University of Education in 2010, and had h...

Silk Meisen unlined kimono with geometric pattern. Double kasuri (wefts and warps) is dyed with stencil-resist-dye (Heiyo-kasuri). Mid 20th century. In excellent condition. 126cm x 148cm