Because of the Japanese preference for “sabi” and “shibui,” the very simplicity and unaffectedness of this piece makes it a perfect accoutrement for the tea ceremony. There is no English translation of the word “shibui.” It connotes the power of quietness and understatement -- especially in commonplace things -- to create an inner beauty. Utensils and implements with such quiet elegance were a special favorite among tea ceremony connoisseurs.

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.

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.

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.

The elegant design of the grape clusters and leaves has been executed in a free and natural manner in colorful enamels within silver and gilded brass wires, and the naturalistic shading is superb. Thin tendrils formed with gilded wires curl out from the ends of the vines. The subtle variations in the color of the leaves have been created by the careful use of red, green and yellow enamels. There is an almost three-dimensional quality to the leaves, which is a testament to the remarkable technical skills of the enameller. The way in which the designs of the two vases mirror each other when placed side by side suggests that they were intended to be displayed as a pair.

The Ando Cloisonne Company, which was founded in 1880, is the oldest and largest corporation involved in manufacturing and dealing in shippo (cloisonne) in Japan. It has continued to produce fine cloisonné enamel wares up to the present day. Their products were first introduced to the world at the Chicago Exposition in 1893. Since then, the company has received many awards and prizes in numerous international expositions both in Japan and abroad, and in 1900 it was granted appointment to the Imperial Household.

To Japanese women, hair ornaments were much more than mere accessories to feminine hair-do and attire. The comb progressed from a utilitarian object to a highly decorative one on which craftsmen and artists lavished their imagination and skill. In keeping with their inclination to beautify even ordinary items of everyday use, the Japanese turned hair ornaments into extraordinary artistic objects that mirrored the cultural and social history of the period. They reflected the life and status of their wearers, who were geisha, courtesans, ladies in the court and women in their homes. In their own small way, combs and hairpins provide a miniature glimpse of the exceptional beauty of Japanese art. (See the wonderful article “Combs and Hairpins” by Sharon Ziesnitz and Takeguchi Momoko in DARUMA 35, Summer 2002.)