Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Japanese (179)

A splendid set of five Chataku Tea Cup Saucers of turned wood decorated in ridiculously thick lacquer floral decoration by Ikkokusai enclosed in a fine wooden box signed by the artist and dated Meiji 39 (1906). Accompanying is a note stating the set was received as a gift upon visiting the Naganuma Ryokan during a trip to Hiroshima in the fifth month of Meiji 43, accompanied by the name Kayanomiyasama. Kaya-no-miya were a collateral branch of the Japanese Imperial family. There is a photograph in the collection of the Hiroshima Peace Museum commemorating an Imperial visit (meeting school children) dated the fifth month of Meiji 43 taken in front of the Naganuma Ryokan. Each Chataku is 13.5 x 11 cm (5-1/4 x 4-1/4 inches) and all are in excellent condition, each uniquely signed on the base.
Ikkokusai I (1777-1852) was born in Ise, Mie prefecture, and was trained in the lacquer arts in Osaka. His talent was recognized and in 1811 he was taken as an official artist of the Tokugawa Clan, relatives of the Shogun and Feudal lords of Owari near present day Nagoya. All three of his sons would take the name Ikkokusai, His first son, (true name Nakamura Yoshiyuki), would settle in Osaka, and works he made were presented at the first National Industrial Art Exhibition (Naikoku Sangyo Hakurankai) in the early Meiji period. The third son (Sawagi Tsunesuke, 1822-1875) would remain and work in Nagoya until his death. The second son (Nakamura Issaku) would leave the Owari province to further his studies, traveling throughout Japan and developing the Takamorie technique of built up layers of lacquer creating nearly 3-dimensional works. He would become the carrier of the name, and after a sojourn in Hagi (Choshu), moved to Hiroshima in 1843 where he would pass on his techniques and experience to Kinoshita Kentaro (1829-1915). It was Kentaro who would officially become the third head of the family and who brought the name to the fore with his dedication to Takamorie lacquering. Kinjo Ikkokusai IV (1876-1961) continued to develop the method with new materials and designs. The family is currently under the 7th generation (b. 1965) who was named an important cultural property of Hiroshima Prefecture in 2011.

No two faces are the same on this incredible Toyoraku ceramic stacking box covered in gold and silver Maki-e lacquer dating from the 19th century. Inside is typical Oribe style green over crackled cream colored glaze with floral designs in iron. Outside lightning strikes in silver separate the multitude of intense lattice designs in fine gold lines on black lacquer. Stacked they are 15 x 13 x 17 cm, each vessel 15 x 13 x 4.5cm tall, and in excellent condition.
The Toyoraku tradition began in the mid 1700s, however it was the fourth generation head of the household (Toyosuke IV 1813~1858) who moved the kiln to Kamimaezu in Nagoya and began applying lacquer and Maki-e to the works. He was succeeded by his son, Toyosuke V (d. 1885) who passed the kiln to his own son Toyosuke VI, (d. 1917), who was highly lauded in his lifetime and made pottery on order of the Meiji emperor, his pieces being selected for international exhibition. The family lineage ended in the Taisho period.

A Taisho period Lacquer writing box of superb quality decorated with a design of a stone lantern under broad leaves enclosed in an age darkened kiri-wood box. The scene is performed with Thick slices of shell and lead inlay on black Ro-iro ground with Taka-maki-e and Hira-maki-e designs. Inside is finished in Kin-gin (gold and silver) Nashiji. It contains two ink stones, a solid silver water dropper and Silver lidded box, as well as the original brushes, hole punch and paper knife all in matching Nashiji finish. The box is 38.5 x 15 x 5.5 cm (15 x x 2 inches) and is in excellent condition.
The Rimpa revival of the early 20th century emphasized visual splendor, decorative patterns, and harmonious compositions reflecting nostalgia for the past. However, it was not a strict replication of the past. Artists involved in this movement integrated modern techniques and materials into their work, allowing for a fusion of traditional aesthetics with contemporary artistic practices. This approach enabled artists to create innovative interpretations of the Rimpa style that resonated with the changing times.

Gold dragons prance about the vermillion surface of this exquisite vessel by important Meiji potter Eiraku Zengoro XIV (Tokuzen) enclosed in the original signed wooden box which is in turn enclosed in an outer box also annotated by a later generation Eiraku. Remembered specifically for his mastery of Aka-e Kinsai ware, this is a museum worthy example of this important potters work. It is 43 cm (17 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Eiraku Tokuzen (Eiraku Zengoro XIV, 1853-1909) was born the first son of the 12th generation Eiraku Wazen He was named the 14th Zengoro at the age of 18 in 1871. This was only a couple years after the Fall of the Shogunate and restoration of the Meiji emperor, a hard time for potters specializing in Tea ware, which was experiencing a backlash as did many things associated with what had been traditional societal ranking and privilege. However Tokuzen worked hard to both maintain ties with the tea world, while making efforts to embrace a global audience. In 1873 Eiraku wares were exhibited at the Vienna World Exposition, and in 1876, Philadelphia, then Paris in 1878. At the same time new approaches to pottery pioneered by Eiraku were exhibited at the 1875 Kyoto Hakurankai in the cultural heartland of Japan. In 1882 he opened in a new Kiln in the Eastern hills called the Kikutani Kiln (Valley of Chrysanthemum) specializing in high end tea ware for both Maccha and Sencha teas, while expanding into daily wares for the growing middle class.

A beautifully sculpted incense burner in the shape of a nesting crane dating from the 19th to opening of the 20th century, Late Edo to Meiji period). It comes enclosed in an age darkened kiri-wood collectors box. It is 12.5 x 24 x 16 cm (5 x 9-1/2 x 6 inches). Although not altogether clear there appears to be a possible old repair to the back of the head.

Gold gleams on the dragon shaped prow of this boat shaped object in the style of Kyoto’s Ninsei ware. The house on top is meant to be filled with ash and serves as an incense burner. Removed it reveals a glazed compartment in which flowers can be placed, allowing the versatile object to be not only a display on its own, but also to act as a vase and or incense burner. It is 41 x 16 x 25 cm (16-1/2 x 6 x 10 inches) and is in excellent condition, enclosed in an ancient wooden storage box dating from the 19th to opening years of the 20th century.

A beautiful 2 Stage lacquered container covered in black lacquer decorated with flowering vines. The domed lid opens to reveal a circular tray removable to open a deep container. It is 8.5 cm (3-1/4 inches) diameter, 11 cm (4-1/4 inches) tall and in excellent condition.

A small carved Zushi in the form of a cave housing a red stone in the shape of the Daruma, progenitor of Zen Buddhism in Japan. It is 6 x 4.2 x 8.3 cm (2-1/2 x 1-3/4 x 3-1/4 inches) and is in overall excellent condition, dating from the This would have been made as a talisman to ward off evil spirits. later Edo period.

A radical Bizen Mizusashi with two lacquered wooden lids enclosed in a black lacquered wooden box with gold lacquer writing titled Samidare which is in turn enclosed in a kiri-wood storage box by the same title compartmentalized to allow the lids to be stored safely. Samidare is a poetic reading for Rain of the Fifth Month (June in the traditional calendar). It has a seal of overlapping rings impressed into the earth of the base, and dates from the Edo period. The lids are for differing events, one black lacquered, the other covered with gorgeous gold and silver maki-e clouds with a soaring nightingale in gold, inside the ghost of a crescent moon. The Vessel itself is crusted with ash and dribbles of ocher with kutsuki on the side where something adhered to it in the firing. Inside the trials of the artist fingers are clearly visible. The receptacle is 23 x 20 x 15 cm (9 x 8 x 6 inches) ad is in overall excellent original condition. A very impressive presentation. Inside the Kiri box is written that the piece was viewed by The honorable Mr. Inoue upon his visit in Meiji 45 (1912). Inside the black lacquered lid is a paper tablet which reads Matsue-jo Nushi Fumaiko Hakogaki (Box written by Fumaiko of Matsue Castle).
Among the successive lords of the Matsue domain was the 7th lord of the Matsudaira family, famous tea master and Zen acolyte Harusato Matsudaira (1751-1818). He is known by many people simply as Fumai, the name he took after shaving his head in retirement in 1806. At the age of 17 he became the lord of the fief; the domain was in dire financial trouble. Harusato appointed Goho Asahi Tanba as chief retainer and promoted a fiscal reconstruction plan. While making great efforts to reduce expenditures, such as reducing debts within the domain and reviewing the domain's personnel structure, they also sought to increase income through industrial promotion measures such as the cultivation of medicinal ginseng and wax. He succeeded in restoring the domain's prosperity. After rebuilding the domain's finances, he focused his efforts on collecting tea utensils that had been scattered one after another from feudal lords of the time. The collected items were later called ``Unshu specialties,'' and are highly valued by lovers of tea ceremony and art. Harusato's great achievement in the history of the tea ceremony was his 18-volume book, in which he further classified famous tea utensils. He also promoted arts and crafts within the Matsue domain, supporting many craftsmen in the worlds of pottery, lacquer, and woodwork.

A crane rises elegantly from a truncated tree, the legs intricately crafted and the body flowing in a liquid grace. This is Bizen Saikumono, a body of Bizen popular throughout the Edo, Meiji and early 20th centuries. Craftsman carved wild animals, mythical beasts, human figures and many other figures out of the smooth Bizen clay, relying on perfection of form, allowing the firing to add color without overt decoration. This figure is 34 cm (13-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition. It comes in a period wooden box dated the 8th month of Koka 3 (1846). As one might expect from something nearly two hundred years old, there is a well done invisible repair in the neck, otherwise is in excellent condition.
The Bizen pottery tradition in Japan dates back over a thousand years, tracing its roots to the Heian period (794-1185). Located in the Okayama Prefecture, the Bizen region has been renowned for its unique style of pottery, characterized by rustic simplicity, earthy textures, and natural aesthetics. The beauty of Bizen pottery lies in its adherence to wood-fired kilns. The firing process is crucial, as it allows for the spontaneous creation of unpredictable patterns and colors on the pottery's surface. These effects result from the interaction of flames, ash, and minerals present in the clay during the high-temperature firing, reaching up to 1300 degrees Celsius. Bizen ware typically features unglazed surfaces, showcasing the natural qualities of the clay itself. The pottery's reddish-brown coloration, derived from the iron-rich clay native to the Bizen region, is emblematic of its organic appeal. Saiku-mono or figurative pottery works have their roots much further back, but were very popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Simplicity of form, often inspired by nature and everyday objects, enhances the pottery's charm. Its rustic elegance and understated sophistication resonate with collectors and enthusiasts worldwide.

A Bairin Yaki Suiteki water dropper in the shape of an eggplant and bowl covered in that quintessential Bairin purple and green glaze flowing into the water bowl. It is 10.5 x 6 x 4.5 cm (4 x 2-1/4 x 2 inches and is in overall nice condition, with miniscule chips repaired on the rim. Suiteki are used to provide water for grinding ink on an ink stone.
Bairin Yaki was a resurrection of the ancient Omi style of ceramic called Zeze favored by Kobori Enshu and Honami Koetsu. Zeze Yaki died out in the mid 1600s, but was reestablished by Odawara Ihe-e sometime during the Tenmei Era (1781-1789), with brighter colors. It was, however not long lived, and appears to have died out again sometime in the 1840s. It was again revitalized in the Late Edo and Meiji eras under the name Seta-yaki, and again the lineage died in the Taisho period. An unusual opportunity for the collector of Japanese ceramics.

A Fushina (Fujina) yaki image of the three monkeys made to support the Kettle lid in the Japanese Tea Ceremony dating from the Edo period. A warning to all, the little creatures hear nothing, see nothing and speak nothing. What happens in the tea room, stays in the tea room! The figure is 4.5 cm (roughly 2 inches) diameter the same height and in excellent condition. Impressed into the base is the Rakuzan seal. It comes in an antique woven thread pouch.
Rakuzan pottery falls under the umbrella of Fushina or Fujina Yaki, the Goyogama clan kiln of the Matsudaira of Matsue in modern day Izumo, sometimes simply called Izumo-yaki. The origin of Rakuzan ware lies in the early Edo period, when the second generation Matsudaira Tsunataka requested a Hagi ware potter from the neighboring Mori clan, which was eventually granted to the third generation Izumo leader Matsudaira Tsunachika around 1677. The founders of the kiln were Kurasaki Gonbei and Kada Hanroku. Although under continuous production, the kiln had its ups and downs until it was strongly revived by the 8th Lord of Matsue, Matsudaira Harusato (Fumaiko 1751-1818) Daimyo of the province. From then it fell strongly under his aesthetic taste. Flagging in the late 19th century, artists such as the great scholar and Nanga artist Tanomura Chokunyu sought to revitalize it, and came to Shimane to decorate the works or to teach decoration and painting techniques. It became an important influence on the Mingei movement and was visited by Bernard Leach, Hamada Shoji and Kawai Kanjiro in the early 20th century.

Rich green glaze covers this elongated delicate undulating bottle from the Kosugi-yaki tradition of the Kaga region near modern day Kanazawa city. This bottle is roughly 20 cm (8 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Kosugi ware is a type of pottery that was produced in Kosugi Town over four generations for about 80 years, from around the early Bunka era (1810-1820) to the Meiji 20s (around 1890). In the hilly area south of Imizu City that connects Ikeda, Hirano, Ueno, and Hashimotojo, pottery was made in the Kofun period, Nara period, and Heian period, even before Kosugi ware began. This is probably because this area was rich in high-quality clay, which was the raw material for pottery, and red pine trees, which were used as fuel. From the first Yoemon to the fourth generation, pottery production was actively carried out in the former Kosugi Town (hereinafter referred to as Kosugi Town). The first generation Yoemon (given name Yoichiro) traveled throughout the land and mastered the technique of Soma ware (Fukushima prefecture), before returning to his hometown at the age of 30 to open a kiln. Kosugi ware rapidly spread its fame, and in the Tenpo era, it received a pottery license from the Kaga domain, and with the support of the county magistrate, reached its peak. The first Yoemon passed away in August 1838. The second generation Yoemon (young name Yojuro) took over at the age of 30. Many of the first-generation sake bottles were somewhat small, with a wonderful sculptural sense, and the green glaze had a beautiful color and luster that was slightly bright.

A set of seven nesting cups in pale glaze, each piece bearing the seal of Aoki Mokubei. The largest cup is 7 cm (2-1/2 inches) diameter, 6 cm (5-1/4 inches) tall and all are in excellent condition. They come wrapped in a silk pouch enclosed in ag darkened kiri-wood box bound by deer leather and later titled and annotated by Kiyomizu Rokubei, dated the third month of the year 2600 (1940).
Kiyomizu Rokubei V (Shimizu Kuritaro, 1875-1959) initially studied painting and decorating technique under Kono Bairei, one of the foremost painters in Japan in the Meiji era. After graduating the Kyoto Municipal Special School of Painting, he took a position under his father at the family kiln however. That same year he exhibited his first work at the National Industrial Exposition. He was a co-founder of Yutoen with his father and Asai Chu, and worked ceaselessly to promote the pottery of Kyoto. He helped to establish the Kyoto Ceramics Research Facility (Kyoto Tojiki Shikensho) at the turn of the century which would be the proving ground for many young artist of the era. Doctor Maezaki Shinya has noted that Teishitsu-Gigei-in (Imperial Art Academy Member) Seifu Yohei III also fired his acclaimed works in the Rokubei kiln in the Taisho era. Due to his father’s poor health Rokubei V took the reins unofficially in 1902, commanding the helm until assuming the name Rokubei V in 1913. It was in 1928 that Rokubei changed the reading of the family name from Shimizu to Kiyomizu and applied it retroactively to previous generations. He exhibited constantly, and garnered a great many awards. He worked to get crafts added to the National Art Exhibition (Bunten/Teiten) and served as a judge in 1927, the first year crafts were allowed. In 1937 he was designated a member of the Imperial Art Council (Teishitsu Bijutsu Inkai). Despite changes in the world around him Rokubei persevered, working in all manner of materials and styles. He retired in 1945, perhaps as exhausted as Japan was with the end of the war, or perhaps seeing that capitulation would signal a new era in need of new leaders and a new aesthetic. He passed the name Rokubei to his son and took the retirement name Rokuwa. Uncontainable he continued to create pottery under that name until his death in 1959. His influence is so pervasive he was voted one of the most important potters of the modern era by Honoho magazine, the preeminent quarterly devoted to Japanese pottery. A multitude of works by him are held in the National Museums of Modern Art, both in Tokyo and Kyoto, the Kyoto Kyocera Museum, The Kyoto Hakubutsukan Museum and the Philadelphia Art Museum among others.
Aoki Mokubei (Sahei ,1767-1833) was born in central Kyoto. He reportedly studied calligraphy during his youth; however, chose pottery as his profession and opened a studio in Awataguchi when he was 30. In 1805 he was ordered to serve at Awata Palace. The next year, he was invited to create pottery by the Maeda Family of the Kaga Domain in Kanazawa. After a brief sojourn in Kyoto he returned to Kanazawa in 1807, where he established the Kasuga-yama kiln. Later he returned permanently to Kyoto where he continued his pottery development and research. He researched many different styles of ceramic art such as European, Cochin ware, Chinese, Korean, blue and white pottery, aka-e (enamel decoration on porcelain), Dehua pottery, and Mishima ware. He is credited mainly with tea utensils, focusing mainly on kettles, and those creations became the foundation for modern Japanese tea utensils, referred to today as “Mokubei style”. In addition to pottery, he excelled in painting and Chinese Studies, and moved in intellectual.

Crabs clamber through the tangled bamboo leaves decorating the rim of this crushed fluted pottery bowl from the kiln of Wake Kitei (also read Waki) dating from the 19th century. This piece shows a great influence from the southern Island of Kyushu and Korean ware, not only in the literati style depiction of crabs, but in the glaze itself which is very much in the vein of Karatsu and or Gohon ware, as well as in the swirling whirlpool inside the footring. The bowl is 28 x 18 x 12 cm (11 x 7 x 5 inches) and is in overall excellent condition, enclosed in an age darkened and somewhat dilapidated wooden box.
Kitei Yaki was begun in the mid 18th century in the environs of Kyoto by Kameya Kitei, a 3rd generation craftsman specializing in Dobin and Earthenware Braziers (Kama). He adopted the name Kitei. The second (some say 3rd) generation Kitei went to Kyushu to study Imari wares, developing the family line to include sencha and maccha tea ware as well as regular dishware. This is likely from the 4th generation (1826-1902), a potter representing Kyoto ware in the Meiji period. The 4th generation Kitei was born in Kyoto as the eldest son of the 3rd generation Kameya Heikichiro. In 1862, he inherited the family estate and called himself Kameya Heikichi. In the first year of the Meiji era, he took Wake as his surname. In 1873, he became a purveyor to the Kyoto Prefectural Government's industrial sector. After that, he participated in domestic expositions and exhibitions, where he was awarded including the Philadelphia World's Fair in 1876, the Paris World's Fair in 1878, and the Sydney World's Fair in 1879. Work by him is held in the British Museum

A Tea Pot by Otagaki Rengetsu with a handle like bamboo root inscribed with a poem which reads: Ko no kimi wa
medetaki fushi wo
kasane tsutsu
sue no yo nagaki
tameshi nari keri.
This translates as:
Our young bamboo
piling up happy knots
year upon year—
its tips reaching high
a paragon to us.
It is roughly 10 cm (4 inches) diameter. And comes enclosed in a wooden box annotated by Koen of Jinkoin temple, where Rengetsu lived. On the side of the box is written what appears to be Kae-ichinen san-gatsu (3rd month of 1848), Otagaki Rengetsu Ni Waka iri Dobin (Pot engraved with Poem by Nun Otagaki Rengetsu). It appears the handle has been broken and repaired twice, and there is a tiny chip in the rim of the lid (see pictures).
Otagaki Rengetsu (1791-1875) was born into a samurai family, she was adopted into the Otagaki family soon after birth, and served as a lady in waiting in Kameoka Castle in her formative years, where she received an education worthy of a Lady of means. Reputed to be incredibly beautiful, she was married and bore three children; however, her husband and all children died before she was twenty. Remarried she bore another daughter, however that child too perished and her husband died while she was just 32. Inconsolable, she cut off her hair to join the nunnery at Chion-in Temple, where she renounced the world and received the name Rengetsu (Lotus Moon). However, this was not the end, but only the beginning of a career as artist and poet which would propel her to the top of the 19th century Japan literati art world.

A light raku chawan displaying a mitsuba-aoi family crest pressed into the side which has been shattered and repaired with black lacquer mellowed slightly brown, then broken again and repaired with gold. An amazing amount of work to save the fragments. The bowl is 12.5 cm (5 inches) diameter6.5 cm (2-1/2 inches) tall and comes enclosed in an old Kiri-wood collectors’ box.
Kintsugi is a traditional Japanese art form of repairing broken pottery or ceramics using lacquer and powdered precious metals. Instead of hiding the cracks and flaws, kintsugi embraces them and turns them into a beautiful and unique feature of the object. This practice holds several significant cultural and philosophical meanings in Japanese culture, particularly in relation to tea ceremonies: Kintsugi embodies the spirit of wabi-sabi, a Japanese aesthetic worldview centered around imperfection, transience, and the beauty of the natural cycle of growth and decay. Embracing the flawed and broken aspects of an object through kintsugi is a way to appreciate the passage of time and the history of the object, recognizing that it gains value and character through its journey. Kintsugi aligns with traditional Japanese values of frugality and resourcefulness. Instead of discarding broken items, kintsugi repairs them, extending their lifespan and reducing waste. This approach reflects a profound respect for resources and a desire to cherish and honor the objects used in daily life. This is also a way to avoid offending the spirit of the object, as all items are embodied with a soul of some sort. The act of repairing broken pottery with gold-laced lacquer carries a symbolic message of resilience and overcoming adversity. The restored object becomes a metaphor for the human experience, highlighting that even after suffering damage or hardship, one can find beauty and strength through healing and renewal. In the context of the Japanese tea ceremony kintsugi plays a vital role in enhancing the overall aesthetic experience, especially during the tenth month. The practice of kintsugi encourages contemplation and introspection during the tea ceremony. Guests may be reminded of the impermanence of all things and the beauty that can arise from embracing life's scars and vulnerabilities. Overall, kintsugi holds a deep cultural and philosophical significance in Japanese culture, symbolizing beauty in imperfection, respect for resources, and the resilience of both objects and individuals. In the context of the tea ceremony, it enriches the aesthetics and fosters a sense of mindfulness and appreciation for the present moment.

A sagar or kiln shelf support covered in running green and iron glaze from the Edo period kilns of Tamba. The super-heated clay has sloughed off on one side, where it is likely the kiln shelf may have collapsed allowing it to cool in this unusual way. It stands on three legs of soft clay which are affixed to the bottom to keep it from sticking to the shelf below. The owners kiln mark is in the side, and it is very possible this was from an Edo period communal kiln firing, where each potter would have needed to identify their own tools and products. The vessel stands 28.5 cm (11-1/4 inches) tall and is an excellent example of the Japanese aesthetic of valuing the flaws and making good out of misfortune. In this case, a collapsed shelf would have meant loss of much work, however from the ashes one recovers something which speaks in effervescent tones of the ephemeral nature of our lives. A perfect compliment for the tea room.