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Takeda Samurai Doll with Signed Base, Edo Period
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Pre 1837 VR item# 507587 (stock# 4-263)
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$1,295
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Fine and rare early example of a Japanese Takeda ningyo (figurine) which shows all the typical characteristics of this Japanese doll genre: the extravagant pose, the dynamism, the upturned eyes and the downturned mouth. Ca. 1800. Representing a Kabuki actor playing a warrior, the figure is posed on a tree stump, carrying a pair of swords on his waist and a jingasa over his shoulder. His garments are made of embroidered chirimen (silk crepe) and brocade. Face and the hands are beautifully modeled from carved wood covered with gofun (crushed oyster shell). His face is classic for a Takeda ningyo, with an angry expression and eyebrows rising sharply from the furrow at the bridge of his nose. A light tinge of blue at the chin indicates his unrest, with no time for proper grooming. His upturned shoes are painted blue. The doll is mounted on its original lacquered wood stand which bears a signature or inscription to the underside.
Takeda ningyo have been considered as one of the most original manifestations of the Japanese doll maker’s art. They were inspired by actors, as evidenced by their theatrical and dynamic poses and extremely expressive, sensitively modeled and painted faces. Heads, hands and feet were set at sharp and exaggerated angles to give the impression of movement. This dynamic and eccentric pose, known as a “mie,” is the most striking component of a Takeda ningyo. The original stands for these dolls were characteristically decorated in black lacquer with a cut-out decorative painted reserve called “kozama.” (A similar figure is shown for sale in the Sotheby's Japanese and Korean Works of Art auction catalogues, New York, September 21, 2000, Lot No. 50.)
In his sumptuous book entitled “Ningyo: The Art of the Japanese Doll”, noted ningyo authority Alan Pate defines Takeda ningyo in this way. “Certain physical characteristics have been used to define a Takeda-ningyo, many of which have direct links with Kabuki acting and costuming conventions. They include a standing figure mounted on a stage-like base, with a dynamic or slightly twisted pose to the upper body, and one leg placed upon a rock, tree stump or some other object appropriate to the scene. In imitation of a Kabuki costume, the overcoat sleeves are usually thrown off in a gesture originally designed to allow an actor greater freedom of movement. This exposes the under coat, which is usually of chirimen (silk crepe), with richly embroidered sleeves. Tucked into their belts are two large swords. Unique among ningyo forms, they are frequently shown with blue feet and an upturned big toe.” All these characteristics are manifested in this example. Overall condition is quite good and appropriate to its age, with some wear and tear, some fading to the chirimen, and minor damage to the top of the head where there was likely once topknot. Dimensions: 9 ½” high, 6” wide, 4” deep.
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Set of Five Studio Porcelain Dishes by Genroku
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Pre 1920 item# 506967 (stock# 2B-7912)
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203-929-7312
$495 for Set of Five
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This lovely set of five Japanese studio porcelain dishes have scalloped rims and are hand painted with underglaze blue flowers, tiny red berries and gilt highlights on a pure bright white ground. Ca. 1900. The single underglaze blue Genroku mark in the center of the base denotes that these dishes were made in the studio of Tominaga Genroku. The reverse is decorated with two elaborate tasseled cash motifs (“takarazukushi”) painted in underglaze blue above the high foot rim. 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.
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Rare Pair Ceramic Screen Holders in Rabbit Form, Meiji
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Pre 1900 item# 501150 (stock# 2B-773)
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203-929-7312
$1,195 for Pair
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These two beautifully modeled Japanese stoneware hares have special slots cut from their back sides for the sole purpose of holding each end of a Japanese folding screen (“byobu”) to keep it weighted on the floor. Meiji period, ca. 1880. A two character signature mark “Koshun” is impressed into each of the unglazed bases. Both rabbits are finished in a rich creamy off white glaze with very fine overall crackling, and there is a firing hole in the slot. Each rabbit is sitting on its haunches, resting on all four feet, with its head raised and ears lowered back. A varied Asian cultural heritage colors the legends and design motifs associated with the rabbit or hare (“usagi”). Such legends link the animal to the moon, where it is said to pound rice cakes, and to the elixir of immortality. The rabbit also appears in art as one of the twelve animals of the zodiac. These unique “feet” made to hold a Japanese floor screen were called “byobu osae” or “byobu hasami.” The manner in which these foot-weights were used was described by Edward S. Morse in his book “Japanese Homes and Their Surroundings,” originally published in 1885: “When a Japanese screen is unfolded and placed on the floor, various devices are provided to prevent the end panels being swayed by the wind. These devices may be in the shape of some metal figure which acts as a check, or a heavy weight of pottery made in the shape shown in fig. 158, the end of the screen fitting into the slot in the weight.” Foot weights for screens are more typically found in the form of metal mandarin ducks – to find a pair of antique ceramic byobu osae in the shape of rabbits is exceedingly rare. CONDITION is very good, with some nicks and chips which are consistent with age and usage on the floor. Given their rarity and value, such minor blemishes are quite insignificant. DIMENSIONS: 7” (17.8 cm) long, 4 ¾” (12 cm) wide, 5” (12.7 cm) high.
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Japanese Kutani Dish with Camellia, Signed
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Pre 1970 item# 497049 (stock# 2B-733)
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203-929-7312
$175
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This delightful porcelain plate with its brown-edged pie crust rim is boldly decorated in the traditional Kutani palette (green, iron red, turquoise, blue, aubergine, yellow and gilt) with understated elegance and a contemporary twist. Mid-late 20th century. Lush raised white camellia blossoms and leaves are beautifully hand painted with in overglaze enamels on a finely crackled white glazed ground and framed within a fluid border of gold, blue and yellow. Four blue lines and one red line encircle the unglazed foot, and a four character unidentified signature is painted in iron red enamel within the foot ring. There are several living Kutani artists who have won high praise and national honors for their ceramics, and the quality of this dish is indicative of such work. Japanese interest in the camellia (“tsubaki”), an evergreen tree that is cultivated as a shrub, dates to early historical times. It was considered to be a sacred plant, celebrated for the brilliance of its flowers and the sturdiness of its leaves. Although not used as a family crest, the camellia was a popular motif on textiles, porcelains, paintings and lacquer ware. A member of the tea family, it is also closely associated with the tea ceremony. The camellia blooms in winter in Japan’s temperate zones, and it represents November or December in traditional floral calendars. 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. Condition is very good, with only a very faint hairline on the back rim. Dimensions: 7 ¼” diameter, 1” high.
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Japanese Match-Safe with Chrysanthemums
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Pre 1920 item# 496201 (stock# 6B-397)
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203-929-7312
$295
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This unusual copper match-safe is wonderfully decorated in high relief with blossoming spider chrysanthemums. Meiji/Taisho period, early 20th century. Both sides feature two large spider mums, their gracefully arching petals beautifully rendered in superb detail. Because it was used to carry wooden stick matches, the case’s bottom has a grooved strike-a-light. Probably the most frequently represented flower in all of Japanese art, the chrysanthemum has been respected in Japan since ancient times. It symbolizes peace and nobility, and its characteristic year-round growth, plus the long life of its beautiful blossoms, gives it a further significance of long life and consistency. The art nouveau era produced wonders in match-safes as countries around the world strove to supply the smoker with every conceivable figural conception. Japan, always quick to follow the West in copying and improving on new ideas, produced match-safes in wonderful forms. Mostly made of brass, Japanese cases were made in Eastern designs with unlimited artistic themes, all done in miniature detail with the most pleasing renditions and the highest quality craftsmanship. Match-safes were made to give the owner both visual and tactile pleasure as they fit comfortably into the hand. Cases were appealing to both men and women and were easily carried in the kimono sleeve. (See “The Oriental Match-Safe” by Earle J. Stone in ARTS OF ASIA September/October 1986.) Condition is excellent, with great overall patina. Dimensions: 2 ¾” high, 1 ½” wide, 3/8” deep.
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Japanese Studio Porcelain Vase Signed Shofu Katei
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Pre 1910 item# 495065 (stock# 2B-763)
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203-929-7312
$875
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This fine porcelain vase made by distinguished studio potter Shofu Katei (1870-1928) is beautifully decorated with flowering water plants and signed “Shofu” in underglaze blue. Meiji period, ca. 1910. Emerging from the broad dark green leaves at the base of the plant is a delicate green stalk with soft yellow flowers set against a pale pink ground. The suggestion of water is strikingly portrayed with a teal blue wave which softly fades into the pink background. The subtle and difficult gradations of shading from pink to teal are simply masterful, producing an almost ethereal effect on this little masterpiece. This superb mastery of the glaze coloration was a skill for which the Japanese studio potters were renowned. Also known as Shofu Kajo, this potter was born in Seto, moving to Kyoto in 1890. Shofu excelled in hard-paste porcelains and was known for his blowout designs in multi-colored glazes. He is said to have invented several new techniques, including moriage porcelain. He was awarded the Green Ribbon in 1915. Shofu’s works are generally classified in the same league as those of studio potters Makazu Kozan and Seifu Yohei III. Examples of his porcelains are featured in “Treasures of Imperial Japan: Ceramics from the Khalili Collection” pages 42, 43 and 78. Condition is very good. There is a faint hairline crack on the back side of the neck. Dimensions: 5 ½” high, 3 ¾” diameter.
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Signed Meiji Commemorative Flower Bronze with Wood Box
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Pre 1920 item# 493419 (stock# 6B-398)
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203-929-7312
$1,250
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This striking two-piece Japanese cast bronze ikebana flower arranging vessel is made in an elegant variation of the classic “usubata” shape, a form which carries a long pedigree within the Japanese flower arrangement tradition. Meiji period (1868-1912). The base has been extensively inscribed with a commemoration and the signature of the artist, which reads either Sho Ryu or Masa Tatsu. The front of the large wooden tomobako storage box bears the inscription “Usubata liked by Raiseian,” and the artist’s signature and red seal appear on the inside of the frontispiece. The body has a slender pedestal base which arcs gracefully upward in a shape reminiscent of a wine goblet. The two handles – which are removable – were cast in the form of double gourds on a vine, and a paulownia leaf and flower design was cast in prominent relief on the front of the vessel. The removable large flat rim features an upturned edge that can be filled just to the brim. When so filled, it gives the appearance of the flower stems rising from the surface of a lake. The top portion also has three small cast feet, enabling it to be used as a stand alone flower container. Casting and finishing are extremely well done on this heavy piece, which has a wonderful original patina.
Chinese bronzes were imported to Japan during the Kamakura and Muromachi periods for use in the decoration of new styles of palace interiors. With the emergence of flower arrangement and the tea ceremony as distinctively Japanese cultural pursuits, bronze casters began to develop new and innovative forms of vessels loosely based on Chinese originals but with an unmistakable Japanese elegance. The usubata (“thin rim”) form was a purely Japanese development. Its wide, flat mouth was particularly favored as a means of enhancing the aesthetic balance between the flowering plants and their container, and this style of flower vessel remained popular until the very end of the Meiji period. (See similar examples illustrated and discussed in the sumptuous book entitled FLOWER BRONZES OF JAPAN by Joe Earle.) Japanese bronze casters in the early and middle Edo period perfected an innovative and elegant style of container in response to changing tastes in flower arrangement. This elegance was retained until the 19th century, when differing aesthetics demands gave rise to the development of new, more highly decorated, types of bronze vessels. This is one of the finest flower bronzes we have ever had the opportunity to acquire. CONDITION is excellent. DIMENSIONS: 11” (28 cm) high, 11 ½” (29 cm) top diameter; weight 11 pounds. Box is 12 ½” (32 cm) square, 13” (33 cm) high.
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Nabeshima Style Dish with Peonies, Meiji
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Pre 1920 item# 490486 (stock# 2B-771)
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203-929-7312
$525
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This fine quality Japanese Arita sometsuke (blue and white porcelain) deep dish in Nabeshima style is most likely a product of the Hirado kilns dating to the Meiji period (1868-1912). It is beautifully hand painted in various shades of underglaze blue with large peony sprays and two butterflies in flight on a pure white ground. The reverse is also painted in Nabeshima style with an underglaze blue comb-tooth pattern on the high foot (“kushikodai”) and five underglaze cobalt blue peony blossoms. The characteristic fine-grained milky white porcelain body is covered in a pure lustrous glaze. In the Meiji period the Hirado kilns made many pieces in traditional Nabeshima style, and this dish was likely made in imitation of an early 18th century original. (The original Nabeshima dish is illustrated in Plate 109 in “Kouki Nabeshima, Book II,” by Kazuyoshi Ogi. Kouki Nabeshima wares date from 1736 to 1868.)
Both Nabeshima and Hirado wares are considered to be among the finest porcelains ever made in Japan, and they are highly prized among today’s collectors. Hirado was produced at Mikawachi near Arita, and for much of its history was made under the patronage of the lords of Hirado. Aristocratic patronage ended in the 1830’s with the commercialization of the kilns; however, the quality of Hirado remained very high. Hirado ware consists of a very pure, fine-grained and high-quality white porcelain. It is characterized by highly refined white clay that would be fired to high temperatures, and the glaze was lustrous and void of any kind of granulation. The satin-smooth feel of the unglazed foot rim is one indicator that this dish is Hirado ware. Condition is very good, with only a small imperceptible hairline on the rim and some minute kiln bubbles on the front surface. It rings nicely when tapped. Dimensions: 7 7/8” (20 cm) diameter, 2 1/8” (5.5 cm) high.
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Pair of Japanese Kakiemon Imari Vases, Meiji
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Pre 1920 item# 488623 (stock# 2B-778)
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203-929-7312
$1,495 for Pair
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These classic Arita porcelain vases in desirable fluted double gourd form are painstakingly decorated in Kakiemon style with soft overglaze enamels. Meiji period (1868-1920). The base bears a red “fuku” (good fortune or happiness) mark. The front of each vase is finely hand painted in the traditional Kakiemon palette of iron red, blue, green, aubergine and gold enamels over a clear bright white glaze. The elegant brushwork decoration includes a long-tailed ho-o bird (phoenix) and other small birds amid flowering chrysanthemums and blossoming paulownia in a stylized rock garden. A delicate lappet design surrounds the gilded lip, and the narrow waist is encircled by a scrolling vine and floral design. The thick foot ring surrounding the fuku mark is unglazed, the clay pure and smooth. Kakiemon is considered to be one of the finest of Japanese porcelains. These wares were always highly refined -- the body a very pure white, the colors brilliant and clear. Unlike the highly decorated Imari porcelains, there is a great restraint in the delicate designs which seldom cover more than one-third to one-half of the surface of the object. In Japan, the phoenix came to be a symbol of imperial authority, frequently combining with other motifs, especially the paulownia, that enjoyed similar status. Tradition holds that the paulownia is the only tree on which the legendary phoenix alights. Represented with the body of a pheasant and the tail feathers of a peacock, the ho-o bird signifies uprightness, humility, honesty and sincerity. Ho-o were said to mate for life and so served as a beautiful motif for gifts given to young brides. Condition is perfect. Dimensions: 7” (18 cm) high, 3 ½” (9 cm) diameter.
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Japanese Meiji Imari Tako-Karakusa Dish
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Pre 1920 item# 488389 (stock# 2B-728)
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203-929-7312
$295
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This is an unusual Arita sometsuke (blue and white porcelain) dish with fluted rim into which polychrome overglaze enamels have been incorporated. Meiji period (1868-1912). The rim is decorated with underglaze cobalt blue designs of tako-karakusa (octopus vine) around a central medallion of shochikubai (pine, plum and bamboo). The karakusa design is one of many scrolling vine patterns used to decorate Imari. There is an apocryphal six-character mark of Yung Cheng (a Chinese emperor in the early 18th century who set very high porcelain standards) on the foot done in underglaze blue. What is so unique about this plate are the soft polychrome enamel colors in the Imari palette which fill the three cloud-like cartouches with dragons hand painted in iron red, blue, green and yellow enamels. Gilding highlights the dragons as well as the fluted rim. The reverse, which is also decorated with underglaze cobalt blue tako-karakusa, has an unglazed foot ring which is encircled by four blue lines. Arita is a town on the island of Kyushu which has been a center of Japanese porcelain production since the 17th 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. Blue and white sometsuke porcelains with a takokarakusa design are examples of wares made for the domestic Japanese market. Quite possibly the overglaze colors and gilding on this dish were added to make it more appealing for export to the west. Condition is excellent, with no chips or cracks, and just some light rubbing on the gilded rim. Dimensions: 7 ¼” diameter, 1 3/8” high.
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