Catalog: Archives: Regional Art: Asian (640)

Sculptured black pines rise from the misty forest floor, yellow sky fading beyond; a brilliant modernist rendition of this traditional theme by Yamauchi Issei (b. 1929). The entire scene is performed with colored paper, applied directly or wetted and applied as pulp. Fantastical shapes seem to dance across the two panel canvas. Gold strips applied in the upper branches are sunlight’s last rays reflecting off the needles, the yellow sky implicating late summer dusk. Saved from the harshness of day, the forest floor is cool, and gray waves seem to lap at the shore beyond. The screen features a rare shunkei-nuri red lacquer wooden frame, and is backed with handmade paper. It is 61 by 61 inches open (155 x 155 cm), and in fine condition. The paper artist Issei works from his studio in Aichi prefecture, his works have been presented at any number of exhibitions, both domestically and nationally, including the Nitten.

A large and elegant Wa-gumi basket by Yufu Shohaku signed on the base made up of alternating strips of finely braided bamboo rope and bands of raw bamboo. This is a dramatic work measuring 22 x 20 x 14 inches (56 x 50 x 35 cm).
Yufu Shohaku (b. 1941) is a second-generation bamboo artist from Beppu, the son of Yufu Chikuryu, putting him in the lineage of Sato Chikuyusai. Shohaku began making bamboo baskets in elementary school and achieved mastery by middle school. With his father, he created many styles of flower baskets that made Beppu famous. Today he is known for traditional Beppu rough-plaited baskets that blend plant roots and bamboo chunks. An independent artist, he is the leader of the local bamboo art association and the recipient of numerous prizes including Chairman’s Prize at All Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition in 1985 and has been named a holder of intangible cultural skill (Dento Kogeishi). His works have been exhibited many times in the United States and England and he is held in the permanent collection of the San Francisco Asian Art Museum and Beppu City Traditional Bamboo Museum.

An anonymous basket of both red and white soot-stained bamboo (susu-dake) with a root-wood handle, the various textures and colors gleaming with sheer elegance. It is 18 inches (45 cm) tall and in excellent condition, containing a black lacquered bamboo otoshi container lined with copper.

A gorgeous female Bunraku doll with mobile head and hands in the original wooden box. She is 30 inches long from hemline to hair ornament. She has a very adult looking face and extremely ornate hair dress. The kimono is of silk with a shibori obi. This doll likely dates to the 1960s or early 1970s. A rare find for the collector of Bunraku items and Japanese dolls.

The character Kotobuki followed by a playful verse crying Watashiya kyujukyu made (Longevity, I live to 99). Ink on paper enclosed in a subtle cloth border befitting Zen art. It is stamped Taishitsu (his art name) and enclosed in the original signed wooden box with the same inscription on the lid. The scroll measures 10 by 73 inches (26.5 x 185 cm). There is some cupping in the scroll, otherwise in fine condition. Mumon (1900-1988) studied law in his youth, but was converted to the life of Buddhism by a statement of Confucian theory which says, rather than become a lawyer, create a world where there is no need for courts. After taking the tonsure, he initially studied under Kawaguchi Ekai, the first Japanese Zen priest to visit Tibet. However after several years in isolation battling tuberculosis, he emerged to receive his certificate of enlightenment from Seisetsu Genjo, and went on to head a number of prominent Zen temples. Later in life Mumon traveled the world, working hard to spread to light of Rinzai Zen.

A furosaki tea room screen made of a very large hanga woodblock print in the fashion of Inui Tai mounted within a simple wooden frame and stamped in the lower left corner. An intriguing work, village roofs are visible over a sea of rice containing all manner of small country scenes. A cat glares at two frogs, boys pluck small fish from irrigation ditches, uniformed students ride on their way to school, a farmer carefully cares for his plants… The screen is entirely black and white, accentuating its primitive charm. Each panel is 16 by 35 inches (41.5 x 88.5 cm). The screen is backed in red patterned paper, with one scratch in the back, the front in perfect condition but for a shadow in the white paper reflecting the cloth from long exposure (see pictures).

The character “Hiraku” Open (or to Open) in bold scratchy strokes by the infamous nun Murase Myodo. Open you mind, open the path to enlightenment, the path is open to all, but like this calligraphy work is not easy, it is dry and thorny and the gate must be passed. Ink on paper in a silk border with wood rollers. It is 24-1/2 x 48-1/2 inches (62 x 123.5 cm) and is in excellent condition.
Born in 1924 in Aichi, one of 9 children, a chance encounter with a nun in her village led her from the age of six pleading to join the sisterhood. Her parents finally relented, allowing her to enter Kogenji Temple in Kyoto at the age of 9. An adept student and writer, Myodo lost her arm and use of her right leg in a traffic accident in 1963. This is written with her left hand (she was right handed). She served as the head of Gesshinji Temple in Otsu, and is as famous for her fiery yet virtuous nature as she is for her Shojin-ryori Zen Kitchen, and her life served as a model for an Asahi morning Television series. She is without a doubt one of the most vivacious and wry characters I have ever personally met. Well known within Japan, her works are so rare they are almost impossible to find. The world will know her loss as she passed away in 2014.

Silver designs are inlayed into the surface of this mid-century bronze by Honbo Keisen enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 29 cm (11-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition. It is signed in a silver cartouche on the base. Honbo Keisen (1910-1987) was born in Takaoka City, one of the main production centers of Bronze in Japan. Work by him is held in the Takaoka Municiap Museum.

A pair of large mixed metal birds on a custom black lacquered table by Iwase Seifu enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled So-Hato Okimono. Excellent detail, the birds are life sized, the strutting male figure signed on the posterior is roughly 9 inches long, 8 inches tall. Both are in good condition, with some wear to the silvering.

A Fine bronze by the modern master of the Japanese bronze tradition, world renowned Hasuda Shugoro, enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The modern form is belted in geometric patterns with a mottled olive and red patination, signed on the base Shu. It is 6 x 7 x 9-1/2 inches (17 x 15.5 x 23.5 cm) and weighs approximately 5.5 kg (12 lbs) in excellent condition.
Hasuda Shugoro was born in Kanazawa City in 1915. After graduating the Ishikawa Prefectural Industrial School he moved to the Tokyo School of Art. Much lauded his first award was at the 5th Nitten in 1949 and he received the Hokuto-sho there in 1953 among many further prizes. He participated in the founding of the Creative Crafts Association in 1961 and founded the Japan Metal Sculpture Institute in 1976. Decorated with the Order of Cultural Merit in 1991, Hasuda Shugoro stands as one of the leading modernist artists working in bronze during the Post-War Period. A vase by the artist sold at Christies in 2012 for 2,500 pounds (roughly 4,000 dollars). For more on this artist see Hasuda Shugoro Kinzoku Zokei (1981).

Majestic Black-tailed cranes soar over the crisp white-caps of Japans Northern waters on this expansive screen painted by 20th century artist Okada Renseki (1904-1995). The artist has given the mysterious creatures a dramatic sense of movement, rising ever upward across the expanse of shimmering sea. Very rarely seen, the magnificent birds have long held a special place of reverence in the hearts of the Japanese people, reflected in many centuries of art. The scene is bordered in gold brocade and features a red lacquered wooden frame, retaining the original green cloth backing. The screen is 5 feet (152 cm) tall, 149 inches (353 cm) long and is in overall fine condition, dating circa 1980. Renseki was born in Shinagawa prefecture and was raised during that unique period in Japanese art spanning from the later Meiji to early Showa collectively called Taisho Art. Throughout his long career he chose to stay true to the Nihonga ideal, choosing natural pigment paints and Japanese style mountings throughout. He studied under the prominent artist Tsutaya Ryuko of Aomori and was a longstanding member of the Shinko Bijutsu-in, eventually becoming the head of the group before his death. He received the Prime Ministers Prize, among many others.

A representative large Yuteki tsubo vase by Tenmoku specialist Kimura Morikazu (b. 1922) enclosed in the original signed and stamped wooden box. The vase is 9-1/4 inches (23.5 cm) diameter, the same height and in perfect condition. Born to the house of a Kyo-yaki potter, he established his first kiln in the Gojo Zaka area of Kyoto in 1947, moving to Fukui in 1976. He was awarded the Japan Society Award in 1967, as well as being awarded at the Japan National Traditional Craft Exhibition, and is held in the collection of both the Kyoto National Museum of Modern Art and the Imperial Household Agency. Included in this sale is an exhibition catalog by the artist from 1973.

A serene image of the Goddess of Mercy Kannon found in a natural black stone from the Seta River inset into a hand carved hard-wood base and enclosed in a kiri-wood collectors box titled simply Setagawa-ishi (Seta River Stone). 19.5 cm (7-3/4 inches) tall and in excellent condition.

A published set of 10 Zen Scrolls by Jikihara Gyokusei and Shibayama Zenkei showing the 10 stages of enlightenment through the parable of the bull and the ox-herd. Ink on paper in blue silk border with wood rollers. Each scroll measures 44 x 188.5 cm and all are in fine condition but for a few tiny holes in the top of one border (see close-up). The scrolls were photographed in the order taken from the box, and are not necessarily in the correct order in the composite photos. This set of scrolls is the subject of the 1974 book Zen Oxherding Pictures by Zenkei and Gyokusei, and each is published in the text followed by a discussion of the imagery, in both English and Japanese.
The Ten Ox Herding Pictures are inspired from the Chinese Zen Master Kuan Shiyuan in the 12th century to illustrate the stages of enlightenment in Mahayana Buddhism as illustrated in the original Avatamsaka Sutra. The pictures tell the story of an Ox herder (an ordinary person) who must go in search of his lost charge (the true self, the Buddha Nature). Wandering through the wilderness he searches until finally finding its tracks, he follows, captures, then must tame the beast through discipline. Following is realization and the two become one and return home. Then transcend their own self-imposed boundaries and perceptions. All is overcome and the practitioner reaches enlightenment and can return to society where his image inspires others.
A similar pair by Gyokusei reside in the Zen Mountain Monastery of New York. Zenkei and Gyokusei also co-authored a book on the Zen Oxherding pictures in 1967. Another thing special about these is they show the friendship between Zenkei and Gyokusei, and it is through the chance meeting of Zenkei and Michael Hoffman, the prominent American ink painter, at the Zen center in Los Angeles, that Zenkei introduced him to Gyokusei, who would become Michaels life-long Mentor.
Shibayama Zenkei (1894¡ª1974), a former Abbot of Nanzenji and was a Rinzai master well-known for his commentary on the Mumonkan. One of his better-known students is Fukushima Keido former abbot of Tofukuji. Shibayama also taught at Otani University and was the head abbot of the entire Nanzenji Organization, overseeing the administration of over five hundred temples. Due to a number of lecture tours he undertook to the United States in the 1960s, and the translation of several of his books into English, Shibayama was a significant contributor to the establishment of Zen in America
Jikihara Gyokusei (1904-2005) was born in Okayama prefecture, and graduated the Osaka Municipal School of Art where he had studied under Yano Kyoson. He was accepted into the Nanga-In TenNational Nanga Exhibition in 1930. Subsequently his fame as an artist grew, exhibiting at the Teiten and subsequent Nitten National Exhibitions as well, however his yearning for something more grew as well.¡¹In 1956 he entered Nanzenji to study under Shibayama and a lifelong friendship was born. As an artist he received many awards throughout his career and was honored with the Hyogo Prefectural Cultural Citation. He also became the head of his own Zen Temple and helped to further the teaching of Zen in Japan and in America.

A silver inlayed bronze incense burner by Inami Keishu enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 5-1/2 inches (14 cm) tall and in fine condition. Inami Keishu worked in metal for more than 60 years. He has been often exhibited and prized with the Nihon Kogei Kai (National Crafts Association) among many other National Events.

A male peacock struts proudly before a gorgeous plume of color on this mid 20th century hand painted screen signed and stamped Yushin. The colors are slightly muted, in a typical Japanese way, the background awash in mottled silver-gray, presenting the brilliant greens and blues of the birds fabulous attraction. It is bordered in a wooden frame covered in Negoro lacquer, unusual green over red, matching the painting perfectly. Each panel measures 32 inches by five feet (82 x 152.5 cm) and is in excellent condition, even retaining the original backing cloth.

A bronze vase dating from the mid Showa period by Ono Tsuneo of Takaoka enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 26 cm (10 inches) tall and in perfect condition.

This is a superb Bunraku puppet of the historical figure Minamoto Yoshitsune, one of the lead characters from the Tale of the Heikei and legendary fighter in Japan. The doll is incredibly mobile. Head moving up and down, his eyes open and close and move left to right. His eyebrows can be raised and lowered, and mouth opened or closed, all from toggles inside his kimono on the extended neck piece. The puppet is in perfect condition and stands 43 inches to the top of his topknot, complete with a bamboo display stand as pictured. Called Ushiwakamaru as a youth, Yoshitsune was the orphaned son of an enemy of the victorious Taira. He was raised on Kurama Mountain by monks, where he learned swordsmanship from the Tengu (crow-demons). His status as a fighter was sealed when he defeated the great warrior Benkei on the Gojo Bridge as a young man without drawing his weapon. The puppet dates circa 1970, at the height of resurgence in interest in traditional Japanese Theater. It comes with a wooden tablet upon which is written the characters name, the back signed by the artisan who created this fine doll.

An oil on canvas painting by famed artist Waki Shiro depicting the Moss Temple (Koke-dera) in Matsuo, Arashiyama. It is performed with unreasonably thick pigments and textures, rising 1/2 an inch (1 cm) of the canvas surface. This use of extreme texture was his signature style, and makes his work easily identifiable. The canvas is F4, 24.5 x 34 cm (9-1/2 x 13-1/2 inches) and it comes with the orginal frame.
Wake Shiro (also Wake Ciro, 1925-1988) was born in the last year of the Taisho period in Tochigi Prefecture, North of Tokyo. After graduating once from the Utsunomiya Shihan Gakko, the artistic branch of the Prefectural University, he then enrolled in the Tokyo University of Art, graduating their oil painting department in 1952 and taking up in the atelier of Yasui Sotaro. He was first exhibited at the Dokuritsu Bijutsu Kyokai Ten (Independent Artists Society Exhibition) in 1955 with his painting “Onna” (Woman), and was awarded there the following year for his set of paintings “Yoru no Yuwaku” (Temptation of Night) and “Yoru no Taiwa” (Night Dialogue). In 1957 his paintings “Bunretsu” (Division) and “Teiko” (Resistance) received the Dokuritsu Prize, Top prize for the venue and a very important offering to such a young artist. 1958 found him honored there again for his two submissions, and he became a member of the Dokuritsu Bijutsu Kyokai in 1959, exhibiting there consistently. Around this tme he also moved to Kansai, and was awarded at the 1958 Regional exhibition with the Asahi New Artist Award. Much of his work focuses on the contrast between light and shadow, and later in life he would be heavily taken with that theme in Noh theater depictions. Texture, shadow and intimation would be a defining character of his paintings throughout his career and the space between perception and existence. His life work can be summed up in his expression at one interview “Things that are heartfelt but lack entities are my reality”.

There is incredible detail in all aspects of this huge bronze sculpture of a jacketed monkey and his elder handler resting on a bronze base signed Shojun (also read Katsunori), dating from the mid 20th century (1935-1965). Taking a break between performances, the aged man pulls out his pipe and tobacco pouch, his wizened countenance seeming as if speaking some soothing words to the creature, perhaps otsukare-sama. A chain runs from his wrist to a collar around the animals neck. It is signed on the back of the elder figure in a silver tablet. The massive display weighs 29 pounds (13.5 kg) and stands 14 inches (34 cm) tall, 15 inches (39 cm) across the base. Monkey handlers have been popular entertainers for centuries in Japan, and in fact I saw a pair performing in a park in Yamaguchi prefecture just two years ago. A superb piece of bronze! The cost of shipping to Western Europe, Australasia or North America is included in the item price.

An oil on canvas by Ono Sue titled “Inaka no Kyokai, Paris” or Rustic Church in Paris set into a double wood frame. The canvas is 15-1/2 x 18 inches (40 x 45 cm), the frame 24 x 27 inches (61 x 69 cm) and all is in excellent condition.
Ono Sue (1910-1985) was born in Niigata prefecture, and after serving as a school teacher for one year, moved to Kyoto in 1934 to pursue a career in oil painting under Yasui Sotaro. He began exhibiting with the Issuikai in 1938, garnering a number of awards there over the next 15 years starting with the Issui-kai Prize in 1943. In 1955 he would go on the first of his travels, returning in 1958, and in 1959 he would help to found the Kokusai Gushoha Kyokai. The next year would find him abroad again for an extended journey. He travelled extensively, documenting his travels in oil and canvas, Egypt, Mexico, Europe, South East Asia, all of these would become subjects for his method. In 1963 he returned to Japan. He was purchased by the Imperial Household Agency that same year. He would be honored with several exhibitions in major Japanese museums, including the Tokyo Central Museum, Umeda Museum of Modern Art, and his home of Niigata with the Niigata Art Museum. In 1982 he would receive the Geijutsu Sensho Award for the arts from the Minister of Cultural Affairs. Work by him is held in the Museum of Modern Art in Niigata, Museum of Modern Art in Toyama, Okawa Museum, Sakuma Municipal Museum of Modern Art and Kita-Kyushu Municipal Museum of Art among others.

Pastel rooftops march among the green foliage on this iconic mid-century painting by Miwa Chosei in the original frame bearing the artists “Tomo Seal” on back and in a box from Takashimaya Department Store dating from the 1950s titled Ieshima no Ienami (Rows of houses on Ieshima). A similar work was exhibited at the 11th Nitten. Pigment on silk it is in fine condition. The painting is 22 x 23 inches (56 x 58.5 cm). The frame is 30 x 28 x 2 inches (76 x 71 x 5 cm). The label of Takashimauya remains on both the frame and the box. Miwa Chosei (1901-1983) was born in Niigata prefecture, the son of a Western Style (oil) painter. He was sent to Kyoto to study at the age of fourteen, where he would graduate the Kyoto Municipal School of Arts (Mod Kyoto University of Fine Art). He entered the tutelage of Domoto Insho, a progressive and very talented young artist at that time. His work was first accepted into the Teiten (mod Nitten) in 1927, and he would subsequently be awarded there for the first time in 1934. He became the lead student at Insho’s school from its establishment. He was an important member of the progressive movement in the post war years.

A Gyokusendo hand formed copper vase decorated with dragonflies enclosed in the original signed wooden box dating from the 1950s. It is 8 inches (20 cm) tall, 9 inches (22 cm) diameter and in excellent condition.

A fine ivory colored celadon by the first generation Kato Keizan enclosed in the original signed wooden box and containing the original exhibition pamphlet in which the vase is featured from the 1956 Takashimaya Department Store Exhibition marking his 50th year of working with clay. This vase was chosen by the artist for his exhibition pamphlet, making it, at least in the eyes of the artist, one of the more important pieces he had made at that time. The large vase is 12 inches (31 cm) tall, 7 inches (17 cm) diameter.
Kato Keizan (1886-1963) was born in Tajimi city, Gifu, a pottery center in its own right, however came to Kyoto to apprentice under Kiyomizu Rokubei IV. He established himself in the same neighborhood in Kyoto, where he became well known for celadon and Chinese based porcelain forms. Works by this artist are held in the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto among others.

Scratches of ink form a precipitous landscape of jagged mountains on the paper surface of this scroll performed by Fujii Tatsukichi enclosed in a wooden box titled: Painted by the elder Tatsu, One Scroll, Mountain, Annotated by Eichi. It is framed in a silk border terminating in black lacquered rollers. It is 13-1/2 x 59 inches (34 x 149 cm) and is in excellent condition.
Kato Eichi (1899-1987) was a potter from Seto who trained under Tatsukichi. Several pieces by him formerly in the collection of Tatsukichi are now held in the Aichi Prefectural Museum.
Fujii Tatsukichi (1881-1964) could be considered the father of the Arts and Crafts Movement and the modern concept of design as an art form in Japan, and most certainly an artist not to be defined by one medium. He was born in Hekinan city, Aichi prefecture near Nagoya. He was, along with Kishida Ryusei, Saito Yori and Takamura Kotaro, a founding member of Hyuzan-kai in 1912, the first organization in Japan dedicated to Expressionism in all forms through all mediums. He was one of the most important reformers of the traditional arts in Japan and a pioneer of the modern craft world. His creativity touched nearly every area: embroidery, dyeing, weaving, lacquer, pottery, papermaking, metalwork, woodwork, Painting, calligraphy, woodblock carving and printing. In the 1920s he wrote articles on home crafts for Fujin no Tomo, one of the most widely read women’s magazines of the day. He also held the first professorship of design at the Imperial Art School (mod. Musashino Art University), and his influence was enormous. The museum of contemporary art in Tatsukichi’s birth place, Hekinan, is named after him. In 1932 he established a studio in Obara, where he headed the movement to reinvent the Japanese craft paper industry. That studio (Mufuan) has been moved and is now used as a tea house by Seto City. A major retrospective on his life work travelled japan in 1996 spearheaded by the Tokyo National Museum, “Fuji Tatsukichi, Pioneer of Modern Crafts”.

An image of the sleeping Shojo (sake Sprite) by the 12th generation Sakaida Kakiemon enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Taihaku Shojo Bori Okimono. The ordinarily playful figure is performed in pure white, a serene look upon his sleeping face creating an almost holy feeling, the ladle fallen at his knee, leaning against a barrel of sake, the empty jar the only color. The image is 31 x 21 x 16 cm (12 x 8 x 6 inches) and is in excellent condition. Sakaida Kakiemon (1878-1963) was born the first son of the 11th generation head of the Sakaida family, and learned from his father, succeeding the family name in 1917. Rediscovering the Nigoshide technique was his life’s research, and together with his son grasped the essentials in 1947, presenting the first piece for public viewing in 1953. The Nigoshide technique was subsequently named an important cultural property, and the Kakiemon family designated the carriers of the tradition. Held in the collection of The Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art, Seattle Art Museum among others.

Dusk puddles and drips among the thick textures of this mid-century oil by Yamada Eiji titled on back “Mori” (Forest). Oil on canvas, it is 18 x 24 inches (46 x 61 cm) and is in excellent condition, wrapped in a simple raw wood storage frame.
Yamada Eiji (1912-1985) was born in Fukuoka on the Southern main island of Kyushu and was accepted into the Nikkakai Ten exhibition in 1933 for the first time. The following year he was also accepted into the Dokuritsu Tenrankai for unaffiliated artists. He was awarded the Dokuritsu Sho Prize there in 1938. From 1953 to 1957 he lived and studied in Paris. Upon returning to Japan his entry into the Dokuritsu-ten won Special acclaim, and he began exhibiting more widely. In 1973 he once again went to France, where he also began holding exhibitions which would continue to his death in ’85. In 1986 a posthumous exhibition of his life work was held at the Fukuoka Municipal Museum.

Ink on paper in a fine brocade border with ivory rollers and enclosed in the original signed double wood box (nijubako). It is 26 x 56 inches (66 x 143 cm) and is in overall fine condition. The rollers will be changed in event it is being shipped overseas.
Born in Yamanashi Prefecture, Kondo Koichiro (1884-1962) studied at the Tokyo school of Fine Arts and started his career as a Western-style painter. After graduation, he took a position as a cartoonist at the Yomiuri Newspaper for a living. Gradually moving his work towards Japanese-style painting, his works started entering the exhibitions of the Japan Art Institute (Inten) from 1919 until 1936. After he traveled to Europe and China in 1922, he became increasingly aware of being Japanese, which affected his works thereafter. The artist's works are in the collection of the Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Art and the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo among others.

An Art-Deco Revival vase by Nakajima Yasumi II enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Jundo Homan Kabin dated 1959. It is 8-1/2 inches (22 cm) tall and in fine condition.
The name of Nakajima first came to notice in 1908, when the first generation Yasumi (1877-1951) was awarded at the Senkatsu Kinen Exhibition. He was a consistent exhibitor with the Teiten-Nitten national exhibitions and was also quite active abroad, being prized at the 1931 Belgian Exposition and serving as juror for the Japanese submissions to the Paris Exposition in 1925 where he was subsequently prized. His work is held in the collection of the Imperial Household Agency and he served as mentor to a generation of young bronze artists. His son, Nakajima Yasumi II (1905-1986) created this piece in 1959.

A very tall footed chawan by Kawai Kanjiro enclosed in a fine Kiri-wood box endorsed by his daughter Koha, head of the Kawai Kanjiro Museum. The piece is very much in this potters unique style. The pale rough clay is covered in ash colored glaze with a wide band of soft green, within which are two floral scribbles in red and blue. The bowl is 6 inches (15 cm) diameter, 3-3/4 inches (9 cm) tall and is in perfect condition. Kanjiro was a true artist by nature, and together with Hamada Shoji, set a pattern of study for modern potters. After graduating the Tokyo School of Industrial Design, he came to study in Kyoto, eventually establishing his own kiln on the Gojo-no-Saka (It remains standing today and is a must see for anyone visiting Kyoto). Together with compatriots Hamada Shoji and Bernard Leach (with whom he traveled throughout Asia) established the modern Mingei movement in ceramics, the most influential ceramics movement in the 20th century. His research on glazes (of which he developed thousands over a lifetime of work) remains influential as well. Refusing to be limited to ceramics, Kanjiro also worked in bronze, wood and paint. An interesting final note on this unusual artist, when offered the title of Living National Treasure, an honor bestowed on very few, he declined.

A Nandina (Jap.Nanten) grows up in brilliant red hues over a dark garden stone on thie black panels of this unique painting by Ono Tosaburo. Heavy pigment on paper mounted as a two panel screen with light cloth border and hardwood frame. This was exhibited at the 12th Nitten in 1956, and is visible in the catalog for that year. It is 85 x 74 inches (188 x 216 cm) open. Ono Tosaburo was born in Osaka in 1917 and studied under Konoshima Keika, The war interrupted his career, and he was first accepted into the Nitten in 1947. He is fondly remembered for paintings of fish in his unique Nihonga style. For more see the book Ono Tosaburo Gashu (1988).

A blossoming plum rises majestically on the simulated matt-metal finish of this cloisonné vase by the Ando studio marked on the base. The interior is a rich dark blue, the exterior flat orange peel textured metal gray with the flower laden branches rising up in moriage. It is 30.5 cm (12 inches) tall, 18.5 cm (7 inches) diameter and in fine condition, enclosed in a wooden box.

Feminine figures dive upwards, forming the handles on this large art-deco vase by Nakajima Yasumi II enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Jundo Eikan Kabin. The vase is 13 inches (32.5 cm) tall and in excellent condition. Inside the box lid is an inscription stating it was given to commemorate the first run of a three year old thoroughbred Arabian Stallion at the Amagasaki Race course in 1958.
The name of Nakajima first came to notice in 1908, when the first generation Yasumi (1877-1951) was awarded at the Senkatsu Kinen Exhibition. He was a consistent exhibitor with the Teiten-Nitten national exhibitions and was also quite active abroad, being prized at the 1931 Belgian Exposition and serving as juror for the Japanese submissions to the Paris Exposition in 1925 where he was subsequently prized. His work is held in the collection of the Imperial Household Agency and he served as mentor to a generation of young bronze artists. His son, Nakajima Yasumi II (1905-1986) created this piece in 1958, and it was given as a memento for a horse race winning Arabian Stallion.

This is a genuine theater puppet kashira representing the character Osome. It is not a souvenir. As you can see it is quite clean, however there are three faint vertical cracks in the gofun covering, beside the nose and up the right cheek. The gofun is stable. She wears her hair in an immaculate coiffure held with one unpretentious comb and a ribbon of chirimen silk. Two silver ornaments accent the very simple and attractive figure. The head comes with the bamboo stand shown, as well as the wooden tablet upon which is written Osome. There is a toggle on the neck for raising and lowering her chin. On the stand as pictured, the presentation is 18 inches (46 cm) high. The actual head is about 8 inches (22 cm) tall. Bunraku, or Japanese puppet theater, is probably the most highly developed form of puppetry in the world.

Fabulous carved florals rise in vibrant color off the surface of this yellow glazed vase by Kato Keizan II enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 31 cm (12-1/2 inches) tall, 24 cm (9-1/2 inches) diameter and in excellent condition.
Kato Keizan I (1886-1963) was born in Tajimi city, Gifu, a pottery center in its own right, however came to Kyoto to apprentice under Kiyomizu Rokubei IV. He established himself in the same neighborhood in Kyoto, where he became well known for celadon and Chinese based porcelain forms. Works by this artist are held in the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto among others. Kato Keizan II (1913-1995) Born the eldest son of Kato Keizan, he learned basic techniques for glazing and modeling at industrial school and later at the Kyoto National Ceramics Research Institute. In 1931, he began assisting his father at his ceramics workshop and in the same year became a member of the Shinko Kogei Association, which was presided over by Rokubei (5th Generation), from whom he sought guidance. Right from the beginning, he was repeatedly selected to exhibit his works at exhibitions such as the Imperial Exhibition, Kyoto Prefectural Exhibitions, and others, received praise from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry as a preserver of technology in 1940. After the war, he became a founding member of the Kyoto Ceramics Association in 1955, which demonstrated the sway he held in the Kyoto ceramics sphere. With the death of his father in 1963, he took over as 2nd generation Kato Keizan and moved the kiln to Oyamazaki. Pursuing a revival of Song dynasty-style celadon and Tenryuji celadon, he developed beautiful glazes such as tobiseiji celadon, kiba-hakuji porcelain, and purple celadon.

Hand formed copper vase with waves in annealed silver signed on the side and enclosed in the original signed wooden box dating from the 1950s. It is 20 x 15 x 21 cm (8 x 6 x 8 inches) and in excellent condition.