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: 5” (12.7 cm) high, 4 ½” (11.5 cm) diameter.

“Object as Insight” was the accompanying publication to a landmark exhibition at the Katonah Museum of Art which was conceived and designed to introduce American audiences to both the ritual context and the artistic significance of Japanese Buddhist art. Never before in the Western world had such a comprehensive selection of Japanese Buddhist ritual objects been brought together and displayed in the contextual environment for which they were created. The exhibition was co-curated by Anne Nishimura Morse, Associate Curator of Fine Arts, Asia Department, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and Samuel Crowell Morse, Professor, Department of Fine Arts, Amherst College. It traveled to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

This fine exhibition catalog contains important essays by the curators and other scholars. The many illustrations, in both black-and-white and color, are accompanied by detailed descriptions. This catalog accompanied an important loaned exhibition of paintings, metalwork, calligraphy, statues, textiles and other ritual objects. Five years of original research culminated in this definitive exhibition of Japanese Buddhist art. Objects came from some of the most important museum and private collections in America, Europe, and Japan. This is a most important reference work on the subject of Japanese Buddhist art.

“Keko,” literally “floral basket,” refers to a flat tray-like carrier for flower petals which are scattered during Buddhist rituals. Originally a practical flower holder made of bamboo, ornate metal baskets, such as this one, later came to be used in temples. Decorative cords, tied in a trefoil knot (“agemaki”), hung from the three small rings attached to the bottom of the keko. The practice of offering flowers to the Buddha dates back to the Indian origins of the Buddhist faith, where the ground on which important figures walked was purified with scattered flower petals. Such customs were integrated into the Buddhist tradition and remain an essential part of Japanese Buddhist ritual. Most important Buddhist rituals begin with a chanted four-part liturgy which symbolically prepares the sacred space of the hall for the arrival of the deity. During the third section of this liturgy, known as the Strewing of Flowers, the monks spread flower petals around the hall and on the altar to purify it. These petals, sometimes of real flowers but more often made of paper or cloth, are held in the keko. The earliest Japanese keko date from the eighth century. (See Figure 55 in “Object as Insight: Japanese Buddhist Art & Ritual” from the Katonah Museum of Art.) It is quite rare to find early keko with any of its original silk cords, and this one has all three plus the gilded bronze fittings at the end.

The casting of this thick-walled tetsubin is very strongly rendered, and the incredibly bold cut-out and relief decoration exceeds one full inch (2.5 cm) in depth. Encircling the body of the kettle is a writhing dragon, with its body moving in and out of low relief cast waves and high relief cast stylized cloud forms. This sinewy dragon is cast in wonderful detail, illustrating the animal’s horns, whiskers, beard and claws as well as the individual scales on its body. Depending on the context, dragons are teamed with a variety of motifs in Japanese art. The most common design pairings are with stylized cloud or wave motifs, reflecting the animal’s association with both the sky and the oceans.

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. Fine ornamental tetsubin were preferred by the upper classes for the sencha style tea ceremony. Tetsubin can be classified according to their level of quality, separating those of higher technical quality and more decorative external features – the so-called “ornamental” kettles – from those of lower technical quality and less decorated ones. High relief ornamental tetsubin like this one are magnificent examples of Japanese ironwork which are very much sought after by collectors today. This is one of the finest examples of high relief ornamental tetsubin we have ever seen.

These ingenious mechanical toys take their name from the port of Kobe, where the main period of production lasted from1870 to the 1920’s. These small wooden automata were simply hand-carved and the colors subdued. Most parts are mobile, and heads, arms and sometimes mouths are actioned by an intricate system of wheels, pulleys and strings which are activated by a knob. The intricacy of the internal workings is truly amazing. There is no attempt at aesthetic effect – movement is the primary purpose – and usually these toys simply consist of one or more torsos on top of a small box in which the mechanism is concealed. All Kobe toys have some movable parts (eyes, tongues, heads, etc.), and they always portray a Negroid human figure. For the most part, these works were sold as souvenirs along the docks of the port of Kobe during the Meiji period, and the majority of purchasers were sailors and Western tourists.

In 1981 there was an exhibition held in Kobe city which displayed antique Kobe dolls as a part of the history of Kobe. At the same time, newly produced Kobe toys were sold at the exhibit as unique souvenirs of the city, just as they had been in Meiji times. These newly made Kobe toys were fashioned after their older ancestors. They still exhibit the flavor and charm of older Kobe toys and are highly collectible as well.

Beautifully laid out and photographed, THE BEST BOOK ON SATSUMA is designed to help the collector and dealer recognize the signatures of Satsuma artists, both well-known and obscure. The book is divided into an introductory section which explains the history and background of Satsuma followed by a section of more than 130 pages of color illustrations of stunning examples of Satsuma wares, including some rare and unusual pieces. Of significant value is the 80-page section which contains full color photographs of more than 300 actual signatures and an explanation on how to read them. Author Thomas S. Kiernan, who has spent the last fifty years as a dealer and collector, is a recognized expert on Japanese antiques. With this publication, he has created the perfect venue for sharing his lifetime study of reading and translating Satsuma marks. Most of the pieces illustrated in this book come from his personal collection. (For more details visit www.thebestbookonsatsuma.com.)

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.

The lotus (“hasu”) is a water flower that rises above large fan-shaped leaves, growing in still, shallow bodies of fresh water and mud. Buddhist traditions hold that the lotus is a sacred flower. In secular Chinese art, the lotus has many auspicious meanings, variously symbolizing harmony, love, sympathy and prosperity. Boxwood, the hardwood of choice for Japanese carvers, is usually carved into smaller items such as netsuke and okimono, so a boxwood carving in this size is quite unique and rare.

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, were always among the most expensive of all the Door of Hope doll characters.

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. They produced models of animals and other figures in addition to other standard porcelain wares. Given the vast range of sizes of old Kutani cats, this impressive example would be a nice addition to any collection.