The karakusa design is one of many scrolling vine patterns used to decorate Arita and Imari wares, and blue and white sometsuke porcelains with the takokarakusa design are examples of wares made for the domestic Japanese market. Arita is a town on the island of Kyushu which has been a center of Japanese porcelain production since the seventeenth century. With Arita blue and whites, the blue is produced from a cobalt or indigo pigment and is painted straight onto the biscuit, after which the piece is glazed and fired. Ceramics for everyday use were made at the same kilns that were producing highly ornate, purely decorative wares primarily for export. These humble storage bottles often have a greater appeal than export ware because they show a highly developed sense for matching materials, form and function with simple beauty. Overall condition is very good, considering age and usage. Minor glaze imperfections. There is an old chip on the rim and another on the foot, which is not uncommon on antique sake bottles considering their utilitarian nature. There is no other damage nor restoration. Dimensions: 12 ½” (31.8 cm) high, 7 ½” (19 cm) diameter.

Hibachi were finely crafted braziers used in old homes and shops to provide heat, warm sake and boil water for tea. This portable fireplace was also the emotional center of the home, since family and friends gathered around its welcoming warmth. Ceramic hibachi made their appearance during the Meiji period and at once gained widespread popularity. A porcelain hibachi became the status symbol of the day. In today’s homes, these old hibachi make stunning coffee tables (just cover it with a round piece of glass) or impressive jardinieres. They are prized for their craftsmanship and can be utilized in many imaginative ways very different from their original purpose. We know of several collectors who use porcelain hibachi to display their treasures such as inro, netsuke, sword furniture or lacquer combs beneath the glass top. Condition is perfect. Overall dimensions: 22” diameter, 13 ½” high. Weight: 60 lbs.

CONDITION is very good, with only an imperceptible hairline on the reverse and normal surface wear consistent with age. DIMENSIONS: 9 ½” (24.1 cm) diameter, 1 ½” (3.8 cm) high.

Tominaga Genroku was one of the principal potters of Ureshino near Arita. He was a highly skilled Japanese-style painter and potter as well as a teacher at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts. He exhibited his work only at Japanese exhibitions, and later he became head of the Protection of Cultural Properties Commission. He won a “santo shohai” (third prize) at the Fifth National Industrial Exposition in 1903. His porcelain ware, which was usually decorated in blue-and-white, underglaze copper red and overglaze enamels, was collectively called "Genroku yaki". He died in 1920, and the family business was succeeded by his first son. Genroku’s works are highly regarded and are considered to be of the caliber of those by more widely known studio potters such as Makuzu Kozan. Examples of Genroku’s work are featured in the world famous Khalili Collection entitled “Treasures of Imperial Japan.” Condition is perfect. Dimensions: 6” diameter, 1 3/8” high.

Shibata Zeshin (1807-1891), usually considered to have been one of the finest of the master Japanese lacquer artists, was noted for his originality, versatility and expert craftsmanship. Zeshin was fond of creating lacquer which simulated the texture of other materials, such as metal, leather, pottery, etc. He paid strict attention to the details of small things, and his designs were usually simple and frequently humorous. In general, his works were bold, artistic, imaginative, well planned and meticulously executed, with great emphasis on finish and realistic detail. While his subject matter was quite diverse, Zeshin is perhaps most noted for his whimsical portrayal of the small animal and insect aspects of nature, and the positioning of the two rabbits on this inro is clearly in his style. (See “Inro and Other Miniature Forms of Japanese Lacquer Art” by Melvin and Betty Jahss.) Inro are small Japanese containers made in several sections which are fitted on top of each other so perfectly that the joints are hardly noticeable. They required great skill to craft. They were carried on the right hip, suspended from the obi with a double silk cord attached to a netsuke. A small bead (ojime) held the cords together just below the obi. The earliest inro were used for containing seals; however, in later they were used as medicine boxes. Condition is excellent, with only a minor dent on the bottom. Dimensions: 2 ¾” wide, 2 ¼” high, 7/8” deep.

CONDITION is excellent, and in spite of exposure to rain and wind for so many years, the features on his face, robe and feet remain clear and distinct. There appears to be a residue of a few ink spots and possibly writing on the stone surface. DIMENSIONS: 6” (15.3 cm) high, 2” (5 cm) wide and 1 ¾” (4.5 cm) deep at the base.

DIMENSIONS: 10 ¼” (28 cm) high, 7” (17.8 cm) diameter at top, 10” (25.5 cm) diameter at widest part.