|
|
Signed Black and Gold Lacquer Comb, Meiji
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Regional Art:
Asian:
Japanese:
Lacquer:
Pre 1910 item# 167312 (stock# SB-26)
|
click for details
|
B & C ANTIQUES
203-929-7312
$350
|
This lovely Japanese tortoise shell comb (“kushi”) is painstakingly decorated on both sides with gold takamakie (raised lacquer) on a black lacquer ground. Signed “Gyoku Kou.” Meiji period (1868-1912). The fine repeating design of rolling gold waves is juxtaposed against two floral medallions on this simple yet elegant comb. There is even an iridescent sprinkling of inlaid agaoi (abalone shell) representing dew drops on the leaves of the flowers. 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, reflecting the life and status of their wearers. In their own small way, these hair combs provide a miniature glimpse of the exceptional beauty of Japanese art. (See wonderful article “Combs and Hairpins” by Sharon Ziesnitz and Takeguchi Momoko in “Daruma,” Summer 2002.) Condition is perfect. Dimensions: 3 ¼” long, 1 ¼” high.
|
|
Japanese Arita Mount Fuji Shaped Dish
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Regional Art:
Asian:
Japanese:
Porcelain:
Pre 1920 item# 604925 (stock# 2B-643)
|
click for details
|
B & C ANTIQUES
203-929-7312
$595
|
This stunning Imari sometsuke ozara (blue and white porcelain dish) has been molded in the form of Mount Fuji and decorated with a design of Miho-no-Matsubara (pine groves in Miho). Late 19th/early 20th century. Beneath the snowcapped peak of Mt. Fuji is a lake and landscape scene with mountains and pine trees hand painted in underglaze cobalt blue in extremely fine detail. The lower edges of the dish are decorated with swirling blue clouds. A nearly identical example is illustrated in Plate 111 in the rare limited edition book “Sometsuke Imari Ozara” (“Imari Ware: Blue and White Large Dishes”) by Masahiko Kawahara, Tokyo,1974.
Oversized dishes (“ozara”) first became popular among the wealthy urban elite in the 16th century, and paintings since the Edo period often depicted ozara as an important part of the décor for formal gatherings. In the19th century, when ordinary townspeople had become affluent and restaurants multiplied, the popularity of large blue and white dishes became even more widespread. In response to this new affluence, large dishes were produced in some quantity and sold throughout Japan. With the penetration of urban culture to rural districts due to improved land and sea transportation, Arita porcelain became widely distributed, and many of these oversized dishes were used at large dinner parties held by leading families in rural districts.
CONDITION is excellent, with only a few kiln burns and some minor glaze pinholes. This bold and uniquely-shaped dish is wonderfully decorative. DIMENSIONS: 11 ¼” (28.6 cm) long, 8 ½” (21.4 cm) wide, ¾” (2 cm) high.
|
|
Japanese Bamboo Flower Basket
Catalogue:
Vintage Arts:
Regional Art:
Asian:
Japanese:
Baskets:
Pre 1940 item# 143929 (stock# 11C-035)
|
click for details
|
B & C ANTIQUES
203-929-7312
$225
|
This lovely Japanese split bamboo ikebana basket or “hanakago” was crafted in round form and dates to the early Showa period. Strips of different widths and different shades of brown bamboo are inserted diagonally into the body structure to produce a powerful appeal. The handle is made from twisted bamboo cordage entwined around two strips of bamboo. 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 basketmakers gradually transformed traditional flower baskets from utilitarian containers into sculptural masterpieces crafted in a variety of shapes, weaves and knots. Japanese baskets make aesthetically pleasing flower containers, since they bring the garden indoors and lend themselves well to natural arrangements. Condition is excellent and completely intact. Overall dimensions: 12” high, 7” diameter.
|
|
Gold Takamakie Lacquer Kogo, Meiji
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Regional Art:
Asian:
Japanese:
Lacquer:
Pre 1920 item# 125429 (stock# SB-12)
|
click for details
|
B & C ANTIQUES
203-929-7312
$245
|
This fine round Japanese gold makie lacquer kogo (incense container) dates to the Meiji period (1868-1912). The cover is decorated in takamakie (raised lacquer) designs of auspicious treasures, including a flaming jewel (tama), the symbol of Buddhist wisdom, and a treasure sack, usually carried by the gods Daikoku or Hotei. Delicately painted stylized cranes and feathers surround these treasures. Inlaid gold kirigane, a decorative technique employing tiny pieces of gold leaf cut in various shapes to form a kind of mosaic, completes the decoration on the cover. The plain gold lacquer interior is undecorated. Incense (“ko”) was introduced into Japan along with Buddhism around the sixth century, and it has remained a part of religious ceremonies ever since. The Heian period’s fascination with aromatics led also to secular uses. Incense also played an important role in the tea ceremony. After cleaning the rooms before the guests arrive, incense was used to purify the space spiritually and help separate it from secular space. The incense was kept in small containers such as this one and conveyed with chopsticks into the fire in the brazier. Overall condition is good; yet unfortunately, there are three cracks on the lid which have been caused by dryness. This has been reflected in the price of this fine piece of lacquer ware. Dimensions: 3 1/8” diameter, 1 ½” high.
|
|
Mashiko Pottery Dish, Kaki Glaze
Catalogue:
Vintage Arts:
Regional Art:
Asian:
Japanese:
Stoneware:
Pre 1970 item# 161081 (stock# 2B-612)
|
click for details
|
B & C ANTIQUES
203-929-7312
SOLD
|
This heavily-potted Hamada style Japanese ceramic plate is skillfully decorated with a transparent wax resist design against a brown, black and traditional kaki glazed background. Mid-20th century. The kaki glaze drips over the edge of the lip onto the transparent glaze covering the back in places. The high foot ring is unglazed. Mashiko has been a major folk pottery center since the 1850’s producing primarily utilitarian table wares. Kaki (persimmon red) is one of the most popular Mashiko glazes used on the standard kitchen wares. In the early 1900’s, Shoji Hamada established his kiln there and became internationally famous. The traditional pottery concept was to not pursue artistry apart from everyday life but to create practical beauty as a part of the crafted items to be used in daily living. Folk-craft products or “mingei,” of which this plate is representative, are objects used by common people. These commonplace, functional artifacts are endowed with a beauty directly connected with their utility – a beauty that is simple, humble and unassuming. This is a very nice example of vintage Mashiko kaki glazed ceramic ware. CONDITION: There are three rim chips -- two with gold lacquer repairs and one that has been restored. These have been reflected in the price. DIMENSIONS: 10 7/8” diameter, 2” high.
|
|
Japanese Imari Kraak Style Porcelain Dish 18th Century
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Regional Art:
Asian:
Japanese:
Porcelain:
Pre 1800 item# 671795 (stock# 2-820)
|
click for details
|
B & C ANTIQUES
203-929-7312
$195 each
|
This circular Japanese Arita somestuke (blue and white porcelain) plate with a fluted brown rim has been decorated in Kraak style and dates to the Edo period, ca. 1800. The back is marked with a distinctive underglaze blue two character archaic style mark which appeared on Arita porcelains ca. 1790 to 1810. (See “Shibata Collection, Part IV, The Kyushu Ceramic Museum” page 274.) The design follows a classic Kraak pattern of the early seventeenth century. The interior is hand painted in bright underglaze-blue with a central reserve depicting a flowering branch emerging from a rocky outcropping. The reserve is surrounded by panels of auspicious symbols and flower sprays divided by narrow geometric panels. A similar but sparser design surrounds the foot rim on the back. The blue is of the old impure native cobalt used prior to the introduction of a more refined imported mineral, and there is the characteristic slightly greenish tint to the white body from the glaze. The flat rim edge has a brown iron oxide (“beni”) finish, typical of the period.
“Kraak” porcelain was the name given to Chinese export blue and white ware first produced during the Ming Dynasty. It is characterized by its busy central decoration surrounded by radiating panels. The Japanese began to produce Kraak-style porcelain in the seventeenth century.
CONDITION is excellent. DIMENSIONS: 7 5/8” (19.4 cm) diameter, 1” (2.5 cm) high. Please note that we have three more of these Kraak style dishes and can sell them singly or in multiples.
|
|
Large Antique Chinese Engraved Brass Handwarmer, Qing
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Regional Art:
Asian:
Chinese:
Metalwork:
Pre 1900 item# 790227 (stock# 3A-143)
|
click for details
|
B & C ANTIQUES
203-929-7312
$450
|
This wonderfully large mid-19th century round brass handwarmer features a deeply engraved and punched ribbed body and a lovely pierced openwork cover. Eight of the ten scalloped segments are decorated with engraved floral and figural motifs on a ground of punched circles. The two side panels on which the engraved handle mounts are fastened have a contrasting geometric design, and the double swing handle is attached to the mounts with copper rivets. The lovely perforated lid bears central medallion with an auspicious fruit and flower design. There is an apocryphal Ming mark engraved on the base within an unusual and elaborately engraved medallion.
In the winter months in China, handwarmers would be filled with glowing coals and carried to warm the holder’s icy fingers and toes. A New Year’s tradition had villagers taking coals from the main village fire back to their own homes in handwarmers such as this one to ensure good fortune in the coming year. The intricate and refined beauty of these utilitarian objects also made handwarmers an important accoutrement in the scholar’s study.
CONDITION is excellent. DIMENSIONS: 8" (20.4 cm) diameter; 5 1/4" (13.4 cm) high, not including handle.
|
|
Japanese Black Lacquer Inro
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Regional Art:
Asian:
Japanese:
Netsuke and Related:
Pre 1920 item# 149870 (stock# SB-18)
|
click for details
|
B & C ANTIQUES
203-929-7312
$395
|
This simple four case black lacquer inro has a leathery sharkskin-like texture which is decorated with etched designs of scrolling vines (karakusa). Meiji period (1868-1912). Plain black lacquer interior. The ojime consists of a simple mottled turquoise glass bead. 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 just a couple areas of minor roughage on the edge of the top. Dimensions: 3” x 1 3/4” x ¾” deep.
|
|
Very Rare Lacquer Incense Clock in Dragon Boat Shape
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Regional Art:
Asian:
Chinese:
Lacquer:
Pre 1837 VR item# 45366 (stock# 11B-096)
|
click for details
|
B & C ANTIQUES
203-929-7312
$720
|
This intriguing Chinese lacquered wood incense "alarm" clock is crafted in “dragon boat” form with rich gold pavilion and landscape designs on a black ground. 18th/19th century. The prow and stern are snail-shaped instead of the more traditional dragon figurehead and tail (from which the name “dragon boat clock” was derived). The inside held a pewter liner, pierced at intervals with nine openings along its length, into which were inserted U-shaped wires which held an incense stick with graduated hours. The dragon boat was set on two pedestals approximately 6” high and placed over a metal pan having high resonance. The “alarm” consisted of a pair of small bronze bells tied to the ends of a silk thread that was draped over the incense stick and the sides of the boat at the point the sleeper wished to be awakened. When the burning of the incense stick reached that point, the silk thread burned and parted, dropping the bells into the pan, making sufficient noise to rouse the sleeper. This type of clock was developed in the Ming era (or earlier) and lasted through the 19th century. Dragon boat clocks are classified as rarities as few have survived, and collectors can take comfort in the fact that no copies of them are being made. This is a museum piece. For a history of these ingenious timepieces, see “The Trail of Time” by Silvio Bedini. Condition of the lacquer is very good. The pewter liner is missing; the wires are replacements. Dimensions: 21¼” long, 2½” wide, 1 3/8” high.
|
|
Hirado Porcelain Netsuke in Chestnut Form
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Regional Art:
Asian:
Japanese:
Netsuke and Related:
Pre 1900 item# 384326 (stock# K-26)
|
click for details
|
B & C ANTIQUES
203-929-7312
$425
|
This iron brown glazed porcelain netsuke, molded in the form of a chestnut surmounted by a wasp in high relief, is very likely a product of the Hirado kilns. Meiji period (1868-1912) The brown glazed wasp rests atop of the chestnut with its wings and legs extended. The top section of the chestnut is glazed all around, and the bottom section was left unglazed and molded to resemble the stem base of a real chestnut. There are two holes (himetoshi) on the back side for the connecting cord. A similar Hirado example dating to the early 19th century is illustrated in Figure 74 in “Hirado-Yaki Saikumono” (“Small Hirado Porcelain Netsuke and Ornament of the Edo Period”) by Toshio Noda. Hirado wares were 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. Hirado ware consists of a pure, fine-grained and high-quality white porcelain that would be fired to high temperatures. The production of netsuke was widely exploited for commercial reasons by the Hirado potters in the latter years of the 19th century, when large quantities were produced. Condition is excellent with only normal surface wear and scratches, and the patina is very appealing. What looks like a mark on the back is a firing flaw. Dimensions: 2 5/8” x 2” x 1 1/8” deep.
|
|
|
|
|
