The “front side” features a goose cast in high relief flying beneath a full moon above aquatic plants cast in lower relief. On the “back side,” there is a crawling crab cast in very high relief with lower relief cast sea plants in the background. The quality of the casting is excellent. It is bold and strongly rendered, exceeding half an inch (13 mm) in depth for the crab. The top edge and upper part of the body have been crafted with deep random hollows and depressions. This reflects “intentional damage” cast specifically to add the appearance of great age and antiquity to the tetsubin. This is one of the best examples of cast intentional damage we have ever seen in a tetsubin.

Tetsubin are cast iron water kettles which were popular in Japan as everyday household utensils and for informal and semi-formal tea drinking. During the second half of the 19th century, tetsubin made especially as tea utensils came to be highly esteemed. They were often elaborately decorated with cast iron relief ornament or with inlays. Fine ornamental tetsubin of this type were preferred by the upper classes for the sencha style tea ceremony.

A common characteristic of sencha kettles was that one side more heavily decorated than the other. In the sencha tea ceremony a tetsubin, held by the host in his right hand, is looked at by the guest with the spout pointing to the right. This is the side of the tetsubin which is usually more ornately decorated in order to enable the guest to admire the kettle’s “best” side. High relief ornamental tetsubin like this one are magnificent examples of Japanese ironwork which are very much sought after by collectors today. Tea enthusiasts would also value the simplicity, unaffectedness and imperfection that exemplifies the wabi/sabi aesthetic found in this kettle.

CONDITION is excellent; there is normal interior rusting consistent with age and usage.

The Japanese potter Kakiemon Sakaida (1596-1666) is popularly credited with being one of the first potters in Japan to discover the secret of enamel decoration on porcelain in the 17th century. He developed the distinctive palette of soft red, yellow, blue and turquoise green overglaze enamels on a fine milky white body. The word “kakiemon” is sometimes used as a generic term describing wares made in the Arita factories using the characteristic Kakiemon enamels and decorative styles. However, authentic Kakiemon porcelains have been produced only by direct descendants of the family, now in its fourteenth generation.

Kakiemon decoration is always of the highest quality, delicate and with asymmetric well-balanced designs. These were sparsely applied to emphasize the fine white porcelain background body known in Japan as “nigoshide” (milky white) which was used for the finest pieces. Because manufacture of nigoshide is difficult due to hard contraction of the porcelain body during firing, its production was discontinued from the 18th century until the mid-20th century, when Kakiemon XII and his son Kakiemon XIII joined forces and finally succeeded in recreating it in 1953. The Kakiemon kiln was designated an Intangible Cultural Asset in 1971, and the fourteenth generation of the family, Kakiemon XIV, was designated a Living National Treasure in 2001. Their porcelains are highly valued by collectors, and this classic tokkuri is a most uncommon shape.

CONDITION is perfect.

Foxes have always been credited with magic powers in Japan, and there is a large body of folklore relating to them. The fox is a legendary creature believed to possess supernatural powers and shift changing abilities, and their power is believed to grow as they age. When Japanese foxes appear as seated pairs, they are the messengers of Inari, the Shinto goddess of the rice harvest. Rice is the staple of the Japanese diet, hence Inari is one of the most important Shinto deities. There are countless Inari shrines all over Japan, the entrances to which are flanked by a pair of life-size stone foxes which are the messengers and guardians of the goddess. The male fox holds a scroll in his open mouth and sits on the left side of the shrine entrance. In addition to protecting Shinto shrines, foxes are also the “kami” (spirit or divinity) of business success in Japan.

CONDITION overall is very good, with normal paint loss and some clay chips consistent with age and usage. The base of the tail has been restored. These objects are rarely found in perfect condition.

This book is a scholarly study of a virtually unknown aspect of the history of horology (timekeeping), compiled from Chinese and Japanese historical and literary records, some of which are translated and published here for the first time. This is the only full-length monograph devoted to the subject in a Western language, and as such, it has become the standard reference for collectors and researchers on this subject.

Incense timekeepers played an important role in early Chinese social and technological history, in addition to their use for time measurement. They were used in temples for religious rites, in agricultural regions for regulating water for irrigation, in palaces and government offices, and in the studies of scholars. A fascinating compendium of knowledge about a neglected aspect of Oriental culture, this book will appeal not only to historians of China and Japan, but to the growing number of collectors and museum curators who are interested in incense clocks. It is illustrated with black and white halftones of a large number of the clocks, which are renowned for their beauty of design and quality of workmanship. These illustrations are particularly valuable since they include photographs of items in private collections, including the author’s, which would otherwise be inaccessible to the student of such instruments. The book also includes a catalogue of incense clocks which have appeared in auction houses and museums.

CONDITION is fine. This is an ex-library copy which was withdrawn; library stickers and stamps are on dust jacket and inside cover.

Kutani (which means nine valleys) is a small village in Kaga Province on the northwest coast of the main island of Japan with a long history of porcelain production. Kutani’s kilns produced models of animals and other figures in addition to other standard porcelain wares. The rabbit figures are much rarer than the numerous varieties of cat figures they produced.

The rabbit, or hare (“usugi”) as he is referred to in Asian mythology, is the emblem of longevity. He is said to derive his essence from the moon, where he pounds rice cakes, and to the elixir of immortality. The rabbit also appears in art as the fourth sign of the Chinese zodiac, which consists of 12 animal signs. According to the Chinese zodiac, the Year of 2011 is the Year of the Rabbit. The rabbit symbolizes graciousness, good manners, sound counsel, kindness and sensitivity to beauty and is considered to be a lucky zodiac sign.

CONDITION is perfect.

Basket makers displayed their artistic abilities most effectively in the structure of the body, combining weaves and manipulating the tightness of wefts to produce diverse shapes. The body of this basket has been masterfully plaited in a refined twill-plaited pattern which required great skill to accommodate the increasing width differentials from the top to the bottom of the basket and especially at its broadly curvaceous lip. There are two sizes of vertical bamboo strips, one very thin and the other only slightly thicker. The twill plaiting has been worked into complex configurations by the manipulation of the intervals at which these varied bamboo strips have been woven together. In basic twill plaiting, one strip passes over two or three other sets. The intervals of these passover movements are carefully calculated to make the basket’s interesting pattern. A strip of bamboo encircles the lower section of the basket on a horizontal plane to provide contrast and stability.

Since the sixteenth century, woven baskets for flowers have been favorites for use in the tea ceremony. Designed to contain fresh-cut flowers, flower baskets were also used in shrines and in the alcoves in Japanese homes (“tokonoma”), providing an atmosphere conducive to the quiet and tranquil contemplation of nature. While bamboo baskets have served various utilitarian functions in Japanese daily life for centuries, they also have been valued for their beauty. They express a Japanese aesthetic rooted in simplicity, humble natural materials and imperfect beauty. Beginning in the Meiji period, Japanese basket makers gradually transformed traditional flower baskets from utilitarian containers into sculptural masterpieces crafted in a variety of shapes, weaves and knots. There can be no doubt that this unusual and impressive flower basket qualifies as one of those sculptural masterpieces.

CONDITION of the basket is excellent with only slight wear consistent with age and usage; no breaks or losses. There is warping which has caused a crack on the top of the wooden storage box.

Tetsubin are cast iron water kettles which were popular in Japan as everyday household utensils and for informal and semi-formal tea drinking. During the 19th century, tetsubin made especially as tea utensils came to be highly esteemed. Fine ornamental tetsubin were preferred by the upper classes for the sencha style tea ceremony, which was less formal and proscribed than the “chanoyu” tea ceremony.

This exhibition was drawn from the extensive collection of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Kramer. It featured more than 90 tetsubin from the 19th and early 20th centuries. The catalog showcases the variety in shape and surface decoration of Kyoto tetsubin while also featuring kettles of northern Japan's Nambu region, where a folk tradition, little affected by Kyoto culture, fostered a dynamic aesthetic in iron tea kettles that complemented the region's robust lifestyle.

Wispy hanging plum blossoms emanate from gnarled tree branches which are finely rendered in soft, freely drawn underglaze blue on a clear white ground. Touches of underglaze pink distinguish the distinctive five-petaled flower heads. The refined background shading moves up from a milky white and subtly changes to a lighter and then to a somewhat darker shade of blue, contrasting wonderfully with the bright white moon framed by the delicate blossoms. The plum is an artistic motif which in Japanese tradition has long been associated with the moon, a pairing that has been beautifully rendered on this plate.

A darker blue diapered border containing cloud patterns encircles the rim. The reverse is simply decorated with five blue geometric and cloud designs within encircling blue lines and the four-character Senpoen mark. The low foot rim is unglazed, showing a very pure, fine-grained and high-quality white porcelain clay.

CONDITION is excellent; just one tiny kiln burn spot.

This burled base exemplifies the wabi-sabi aesthetic of Japanese art. “Wabi” connotes a rustic simplicity or understated elegance when applied man-made objects. It can also refer to quirks and anomalies arising from the process of construction which add uniqueness and elegance to the object. “Sabi” is beauty or serenity that comes with age, when the life of the object and its impermanence are evidenced in its patina and wear, or in any visible repairs.

CONDITION is excellent with wonderful natural original patina. This piece possesses great presence and character and would make a wonderful display stand for any work of decorative art as well as ikebana or bonsai.

The coloration of the herons is soft and subtle, with the white gradually darkening into a light and then darker shade of green and ultimately fading into the background of the dish. The white herons – highlighted by deep blue eyes and beaks -- contrast beautifully with the dark green ground, and the composition creates a dramatic overall effect. The reverse is undecorated except for the underglaze blue four-character Senpoen mark. The low foot rim is unglazed, showing a very pure, fine-grained and high-quality white porcelain clay.

CONDITION is excellent. Light surface scratching consistent with age and usage; no cracks, chips or restoration.