Shell-matching (“kai-awase”) was a popular amusement of the Edo period, and its equipment was often included in the suite of lacquer furniture that was part of the bridal trousseau of a daimyo lady. Each half of a shell was decorated with an identical miniature painting based on a scene derived from Japanese classical literature. The “Tale of Genji” and other romances were the most common sources of imagery. A complete set comprised 360 shells. The game was basically a test of memory: one set of shell halves was placed face down on the floor, and as shells from the second set were removed face up from an octagonal shaped lacquer container (“kaioke” or “shell bucket”), competitors took turns inverting shells to see if images matched. (See “Edo: Art in Japan 1615-1868” by Robert T. Singer.) Since each side of the bivalve shells will match properly with only its original mate, the game came to be associated with marital fidelity.

The Bridegroom is dressed in a long plum colored silk Mandarin robe with deep side seam slits. A “mandarin square” is embroidered in the front and center back. The robe opens down the center front through the square. He wears silk leggings underneath that are tucked into black cloth boots. He wears a black silk “pill box” shaped hat with a red tassel on top.

Door of Hope dolls have become highly collectible treasures, in part, because of their fascinating history. In 1900, five missionary ladies started the Door of Hope Mission in Shanghai. They opened schools for destitute young girls so they could learn to support themselves. As a means to learn sewing skills, the girls dressed dolls. These beautifully created and utterly different dolls are magnificent in their carvings and costuming. Heads and hands were carved from Chinese “Niponga wood” or pear wood, a light colored hardwood that is tough and difficult to carve. In its natural color it resembles the ivory of the Chinese skin. Touches of paint were then added for the lips, eyes and hair. The dolls were supplied by craftsmen skilled in wood carving and then meticulously dressed in Chinese clothing with amazing detail by the young girls. Frog closures, tiny undergarments and minute embroideries all accented these wonderful garments. Each girl could dress only about one doll a month, and the relatively low volume of production of these dolls has increased their scarcity.

Production of Door of Hope dolls continued until the Japanese invasion of Shanghai in 1937, at which time most of the estimated total production of 20,000 Door of Hope dolls had already been made. There were approximately 26 standard characters representing differing Chinese social classes. The Bride and Bridegroom, which were at the top of the hierarchy, have always been the most expensive of all the Door of Hope doll characters. This is a unique opportunity to acquire a very rare pair considering their pristine condition.

First used in China in the 12th century, chatter-marking first appeared in Okinawa and Kyushu folk kilns in the 18th century. It was done by applying a springy metal tool to the surface of a slipped pot. As the pot revolved on the wheel, the blade was applied to the slipped surface. The tool bounced and created a rhythmic pattern of nicks in the slip, exposing the contrasting clay underneath. A great deal of skill and experience was required for potters to utilize this technique successfully.

Onda pottery is often seen as the epitome of what the Japanese philosopher Soetsu Yanagi envisioned when he first developed the theory of "mingei" -- the folk craft movement in Japan -- in the late 1920’s. In his search for “unknown craftsmen” and their works, Yanagi discovered the tiny village of Onda Sarayama in Oita Prefecture on the island of Kyushu. Onda Sarayama was founded as a potting community in 1705 when kilns were opened by three potters. Little has changed about the process and aesthetics of ceramic production since that time. Today there are only ten kilns in Sarayama, and the current ten potters are all direct descendants of the original three men who founded the kilns. Because of the limited space in the mountain hamlet as well as the scarcity of natural materials, only one son per potting household is allowed to carry on the tradition, and no potters are allowed to move in from anywhere else. The clay is dug from nearby sources, a water-powered clay pounder still operates twenty-four hours a day, glazes are made from local raw materials, and all pieces are still fired in a “noborigama” (climbing kiln). The small size and isolation of the village have enabled the elder potters to control the course of production for decades, and they have made very few concessions to modernization. The small number of kilns also keeps Onda-yaki output limited relative to other ceramic production centers in Japan. (See the illustrated catalog entitled “The Ceramic Art of Onda” by Andrew L. Maske, produced for the 2007 exhibition “Onda Yaki: Japanese Folk Ceramics” at the Pucker Gallery in Boston, MA.)

Yanagi first became aware of Onda-yaki in 1931 when he visited the village for the first time, and he had high praise for these ceramics. They were made by well trained, highly skilled potters working in their traditional mode, using materials found nearby, and utilizing techniques that had been passed down from father to son for generations. In the early 1950’s he returned to Sarayama with renowned potter Hamada Shoji, and the Onda potters’ reputation became established among folk art connoisseurs throughout Japan. Further helping to foster the burgeoning interest in folk craft, the Japanese media gave considerable coverage to the famous English potter Bernard Leach when he visited Sarayama in 1954 and spent twenty days there learning the special techniques of chatter-marking and brush decoration from the Onda potters. As a result of this heightened visibility, Onda pottery was designated an “Intangible Cultural Asset” in 1970.

This lidded jar was acquired by a U. S. serviceman while stationed in Japan during the Allied Occupation immediately following the end of World War II. It was given to him as a token of friendship by a Japanese potter, and he was told it had been in the potter’s family for many years.

The white blossoms of the plum tree, with their delicate fragrance, have been likened to a beautiful woman and her feminine charms, whereas an ancient, twisted blossoming tree branch is emblematic of strength, endurance and the vitality of old age. Plum blossoms are often seen in combination with pine and bamboo (“shochikubai”), and this combination signifies lasting happiness and longevity.

In ginbari, a copper or brass body is generally covered with a thin sheet of silver foil which frequently has a stippled or other repetitive design embossed upon it. The foil is then covered with transparent or translucent enamel, so that the reflective quality of the foil enhances the color and gives the piece a shimmering effect. The background portion of the piece has some similarity to basse-taille in that light traverses the transparent enamel layer to shine from the hollows and ridges of the design. The foreground in gin-bari is like standard cloisonné in that it is made of wired cells filled with colored enamels, either transparent, semi-transparent or opaque. Akasuke is a type of ginbari in which a brilliantly-polished copper body is punched, often in an overall stippled design, and a transparent red enamel (hence the name “pigeon blood”) is applied over the entire object. The combination of the transparent red enamel and bright copper base gives rise to a deep reflective look which is quite pleasing, resulting in a creation of the utmost delicacy and subtlety with a three-dimensional effect.

CONDITION is excellent; no damage. DIMENSIONS: 3 ¾” high (9.5 cm) high, 3 ½” (8.9 cm) diameter.

Known as “benki,” these attractive blue and white ceramic antique toilets had originally been set into the floors of Japanese inns, elaborate restaurants or wealthy homes. Since the standard Japanese bathroom fixture has always been unadorned, some suggest that these elaborately decorated pieces indicate European influence. Hand-painted ones are generally older than the stenciled designs. As a decorative item, they work best as planters or in the bathroom itself as a magazine holder. (See examples on page 150 in “Japanese Accents in Western Interiors” by Rao and Mahoney.)

Yasokichi III is famed for his mastery of Kutani glazes, and the astonishing depth and color he has achieved with this vase are an excellent example of that skill. His works are mostly done in simple forms which do not compete with the spectacular colors and graduated glazes which so thoroughly dominate his ceramic art. Pieces made by this highly sought Japanese artist are consistently displayed at national and international exhibitions, and they are well represented in many museum and private collections as well.

Born Tokuda Masahiko in Komatsu, Japan, he started potting at the age of 18. He studied Kutani glazing with his grandfather, the first Yasokichi (1873-1957) and modern pottery with his father, Yasokichi II (1907-1997). Tokuda graduated from Kanazawa College of Art and won the NHK Chairman's Prize with his first entry in the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition in 1971. He won the highest award at the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition: the Japan Crafts Association's Chairman's Prize in 1977, the Hokkoku Shimbun Cultural Award in 1985, and the Japan Pottery Association Prize in 1986, when he was also designated an Intangible Cultural Asset of Ishikawa's kutani-yaki pottery. In 1988, he took the potter’s name Yasokichi. He won the Chichibunomiya Cup, the most prestigious prize at the Japan Pottery Exhibition in 1991. He was designated Important Intangible Cultural Asset (Living National Treasure) in 1997.

This particular carving technique which created long curling shavings was said to have been used during the construction of Sasano Kannon temple in 807 or learned from the Ainu tribe who were still living in this area long ago. In the late 18th century, the feudal lord of Yonezawa encouraged the production of folk toys to supplement the income of the farmers during the long harsh winters. These toys were sold at temple festivals to be presented to the gods or taken home as lucky charms and souvenirs.

These original sculptures are a striking example of what can be done with a single cylindrical piece of wood, colors sparingly applied, and a heavy hatchet-like knife. The first figurines were mostly of hawks, but today all kinds of animals and exotic birds are made. At Sasano, the village which gave its name to this type of carving, there is still an annual festival at the Temple of Sasano Kannon on January 17th, where birds and animals of many different shapes and sizes are sold as symbols of good luck. (See Sasano-Bori on Page 32 of “Japanese Folk Toys: The Playful Arts” by Lea Baten.)

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. In 1904, Yaguchi Iwakichi (1870-1952) began the Eiju kiln, which produced high quality porcelain wares. His son, Yaguchi Eiju II continued the kiln, and it is still in operation today.