Catalog: Archives: Regional Art: Asian (643)

The mastery of expression accomplished by Suwa Sozan I is evident in this pair of porcelain children enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Gosai Doshi Okimono (Five Colored Figure of Children). This piece is published in the definitive book “Suwa Sozan Sakuhin Shu” (1971). In the book the photo title is more specific “Gosai Mimiakatori Karako Okimono” (Five Color Figure of Chinese Children Cleaning Ears) and the work is dated to 1913. The fellow doing the cleaning is absorbed in his work, an intense expression on his face, while the other fellow smiles with glee, leaning into his compatriots hands. It is 22 x 11 x 18 cm (9 x 4-1/2 x 7 inches). There are losses to the glazing, some of which are evident in the photograph in the book as well.
Sozan I (1852-1922) was born in Kutani country, present day Ishikawa prefecture, where he initially studied before moving to Tokyo in 1875. Over the next 25 years he would gravitate between Tokyo and Kanazawa, working at various kilns and research facilities. He again relocated, this time to Kyoto in 1900 to manage the Kinkozan Studio before establishing his own. His name became synonymous with celadon and refined porcelain and was one of only five potters to be named Teishitsu Gigei-in. The Teishitsu Gigei-in were members of the Imperial Art Academy, Perhaps in modern terms one might call them the predecessors to the Living National Treasures. However unlike the LNT, there were only five Pottery artists ever named Teishitsu Gigei-in, Ito Tozan, Suwa Sozan, Itaya Hazan, Miyagawa Kozan, and Seifu Yohei III. He was succeeded by his adopted daughter upon his death. He is held in the Kyoto National Museum among many others.

A large and exceedingly rare work by Kiyomizu Rokubei V (Rokuwa, 1875-1959) enclosed in the original signed wooden box. In relief are scrolling vines and flowers in white and pale blue on a soft porous pink glaze. For a nearly identical work see the collection of the Kyoto Municipal Museum of Modern Art, or the book Kiyomizu Rokuwa (1977) figure 60 (dated 1923). The vessel is 42 cm tall, 28 cm diameter and in fine condition. The box is stained quite dark with age.
The Rokebei family is one of the most important in the Kyoto ceramic tradition. Rokuwa was born Kuritaro, son of Masataro in the house of the Rokubei family in the Gojo-saka area of Kyoto in 1875. Upon his grandfathers death, at the age of eight, his father (Rokuko, 1847-1920) took over the family business becoming the fourth Rokubei. From the age of twelve he became a pupil of the important painter Kono Bairei where he would remain studying until Bairei’s death in 1895. The following year the Kyoto Ceramics Research Facility was established, and Kuritaro entered as a first year member. Married at the age of 25 (1900), the following year his first son (the sixth Rokubei) was born. In 1902 he was forced to take over the daily workings of the family business due to his father’s illness, and would becomethe 5th generation Rokubei in 1913, working in that capacity until Rokuko’s passing in 1920. Throughout the late Meiji and Taisho era he would be heavily recognized and awarded in many exhibitions both local and national and become an integral part of the ceramic-arts scene throughout Japan. A vase almost identical to this was awarded in 1916 at the Noshomusho National Exhibition. He later submitted a vase with this same rare glaze to the first Shotoku Taishi Exhibition in 1926. He would act as a leader in promoting pottery until after the Second World War.

A Karatsu style shuhai sake cup with cream glaze decorated inside and out by the Zen Priest Nakahara Nantenbo, a priest who was instrumental in reviving the Zen tradition in the beginning of the 20th century. Circling the circumference is a seven character inscription, the first six reading Kaisei Fugetsu O Kan, the last we have not been able to read. Written inside is an image of the priests infamous staff from which he derived his name, and in large characters NANTENBO, written by a 65 Year Old Man Toju (rokujugo okina Toju). Toju was his official Zen name, but his wild nature and propensity for using his long staff earned him the name Nantenbo. The central character Ten (heavens) has been playfully abbreviated to a single line pointing up like an arrow. The priests name-sake staff was cut from a 200 year old Nandina tree the priest found in a garden. After beseeching the owner he was allowed to cut down the tree and fashion it into his walking staff. The Nandina in Japanese is Nanten, and a walking stick is called a Bo, thus the name Nantenbo. It is known Nantenbo, like many priests of his time, was fond of Sake, Japanese rice wine. The piece is 1-5/8 inches (4.3 cm) tall, 2-1/2 inches (6.5 cm) diameter; slightly large for a sake cup of the time. It is in perfect condition but for a small old chip in the Mikatsuki kodai (foot). We could say this piece is very rare; in fact I have never seen nor heard of another. It was purchased in Kobe, home of Kaiseiji, the long time residence of this notorious priest. It comes enclosed in a custom kiri-wood box.

An absolutely stunning large Chinese carving of a Buddhist Rakan (Arhat or Arahat), the emaciated figure wrapped in billowing robes with a hand scroll clutched in his bony right fist. The detail in the hairs around his face is incredible. The holy figure is chiseled from Ryuganki (dragons eye wood) and comes enclosed in a box dated 1922, likely the year it came to Japan, and is signed by the then owner. The Rakan is one who has broken the chain of re-birth and overcome the three poisons of desire, hatred and ignorance. It is a popular theme in both Chinese and Japanese art. The figure stands 16 inches (41 cm) tall. There is an abrasion to the back of the head, a chip repaired in his robes at the back, and it appears the small toe on the left foot has been replaced. The Japanese have long esteemed crafts of China and Korea, and this would certainly have been a highly prized possession.

Dragons writhe across the face of this astounding free standing temple which was a long time display piece in a Butsudan Shoten, an example of the finest work available for Japanese altars. The piece is more than 60 years old, as the current owner of the store (third generation) mentions it has stood there for as long as he can remember. It is entirely hand made; each piece of wood finely shaped and lacquered, each bit of metal hand etched before assembly. It rises from a 9 stage base of red, black and gold lacquer, each stage separated by tiny carved and gilded waves, and centering on a pair of 3 dimensional dragons vying for the prized Buddhist jewel between red colonnaded bows, tumultuous waves crashing down the sides. There are almost 100 pieces of decorative brass on the base alone! Enclosed in a scrolled wall is the center section made up of 10 black lacquered pillars heavily embellished with golden trim separated by carved cornices supporting the roof, which I cannot even begin to describe in its complexity, and will have to let the pictures show the work. The temple breaks into four sections, the base, pillared center, middle and top of the roof. It stands 38-1/2 inches (98 cm) tall, 20 inches (51 cm) wide and 12 inches (31 cm) deep. As mentioned before, this was a display piece showing the best available for Butsudan interiors; Butsudan are altars enshrining ones ancestors. The three black lacquer panels in back were added some years ago, and there are a few small pieces which have broken off and gone missing over the years; however it is surprisingly intact for such a delicate item. Pictured both with and without, all of the golden balls on the roof are accounted for. In Japanese altar making, each step is performed by a separate craftsman, cutting the wood, shaping the wood, lacquering, gilding, painting and assembly. Numerous individuals have worked to show the highest quality work for this outstanding altar. Ordered new today, this would be over 20 thousand dollars.

A very rare 19th century elaborate head dress (Kanmuri or crown) of gilded parts inset with glass surmounted by a phoenix flanked by two dragons for use in the Japanese Noh Theater. A golden phoenix takes flight from the peak, surrounded by sun, moon and flaming jewel from which are suspended extravagant chains of glass and coral beads and gilded ornaments. Made of brass, paper, wood and thin wire, the entire is covered in gold with the sun and moon in enamel and burning jewels in glass. On the stand it is roughly 2 feet (58 cm) tall. Overall it is in very nice condition, enclosed in a beautiful 19th century wood box with brass hardware titled Tenkan (heavenly crown). This is the Tenkan which inspires the drama “Hagoromo” or The Feather Mantle.

A breathtaking pair of 19th century (Meiji period) sake cups decorated with hawks stored in silk pouches and enclosed in a red lacquered period wood box. In the basin two hawks, one perched in a pine accented with inlayed mother of pearl, the other soaring high overhead, are depicted in minute detail in raised gold designs. Opposite waves crash over rocks speckled with solid gold lichen. The cups are 10.5 cm (4-1/4 inches) diameter and in excellent condition.

A long bamboo incense case with dark wood lid carved exquisitely with blossoming lotus and calligraphy. The deteriorating leaves rise from the bottom, blossoms spreading their petals to the sun. Above three lines of calligraphy descend to meet like the squirreling rays of late summer light. The piece is 20-1/2 inches (51.5 cm) long and in perfect condition, enclosed in a cloth sack and kiri-wood box. It is signed (Japanese reading) Fusui(lotus water)Sanjin Koku (carved by Fusui, man of the mountain). The carving is one of the best I have seen.

An amazing pattern of gold and silver maki-e decorates this lidded Tea Cup and stand dating from the later Edo period decorated with a samurai clan crest in gold. Assembled it is 7 inches (17.5 cm) tall, 6 inches (15.5 cm) diameter and in excellent condition, enclosed in a custom- fitted Kiri-wood box.

A halo surrounds the emaciated figure of a Rakan (Arhat or Arahat) seated atop a stone draped in billowing robes clutching a nyoi scepter in his bony left fist. The holy figure is chiseled and polished with extreme care and attention to detail. The detail in the carving is striking, as bamboo is notoriously hard and difficult to work. Setting it apart from most bamboo carving is a complex pattern of extremely fine chiseled texture throughout. It comes enclosed in a wooden box signed Raizan and dated Showa 16 (1941). It is 19.5 x 6.5 cm (7-1/2 x 2-1/2 inches) and in excellent condition.
The Sago is a decorative spoon used in preparation of Steeped tea. For more see the definitive book Tea of the Sages: The Art of Sencha, by Patricia J Graham (1998).
In Buddhist lore the Rakan is one who has broken the chain of re-birth and overcome the three poisons of desire, hatred and ignorance. It is a popular theme in both Chinese and Japanese art.

An interesting comment on the circle of life, the huge cicada, with only a three day (above ground) life, is dissected and carried away by a line of tiny ants, birth and death, the mighty and the tiny, and the cycle of life continues. This image is by Ishikawa Chikuson and comes enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is performed with ink and light color on handmade paper, mounted in a field of soft-blue silk extended with beige. The scroll is 22 x 48-1/2 inches (55 x 123 cm) and is in overall fine condition. Ishikawa Chikuson (1884-1952) was born in Tokyoand was given his mothers name. At the age of 18 he apprenticed under Matsumoto Fuko and Suzuki Kason. Much lauded at the time, he moved to Nagoua after the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923 destroyed his studio, establishing a studio and a following in his new home, but was again, later in life, displaced by war and the allied bombing of Nagoya. He took refuge in rural Mie prefecture. After the signing of peace terms, he returned to the barren Nagoya where he took a job as a postal worker while rebuilding his studio.

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.

A large glass vase of emerald green reflecting the ancient glass works found in the Shosoin Imperial repository by 20th century pioneering glass artist Iwata Toshichi enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Flecks of various colors and air permeate the glass, accentuating the fact he is duplicating the ancient glass works, long before techniques had been perfected and material purified. It is quite large at 15-/2 inches (40 cm) tall and in excellent condition. As the industrial revolution climaxed in Japan in the opening years of the 20th century, along with it came a renewed interest in ancient things, things lost, and the techniques by which they were made. The Shosoin, the great repository in Nara, opened its doors to certain craftsmen who were leaders in their fields, and the items they attempted to reproduce, often using the techniques imagined available at the original time of production, were highly collectable.
Iwata Toshichi (1893-1980) is considered to be the founding father of Modern glass making in Japan. He graduated the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, metal-craft department, in 1918, then proceeded to garner a BA in Western (Oil) Painting in 1923 before moving to study glass under Imamura Shigezo at the Tachibana Glass Factory. He would exhibit his works with the Nitten National Exhibition both before and after the Second World War, serving as a judge there later in life. He received the Japan Art Academy Prize in 1951. In 1972 he established the Japan Glass Art and Crafts Association. He was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure in 1980 by the Emporer for his lifetime of devotion to the arts. Many of his works have been collected by the The National Museums of Modern Art, both Tokyo and Kyoto, and several pieces are held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art New York among many others.

Bonji Buddhist characters in five rings of silver, gold and brass damascene decorate this Incense burner by Izumi Ryoichi enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kin-do Gorin-mon Koro. We see the number five in Buddhism and Bushido, With the elements Earth, Water, Fire, Wind and Air, as well the famous treatise on fighting by Miyamoto Musashi is called the Book of Five Rings, and the stone stupa seen all over Japan called the Gorinto (Five part tower). This is 3-1/2 inches (9 cm) diameter, roughly the same height and in excellent condition, signed Ryuichi on the base.
Just to make everything really confusing, the metal artist Izumi Ryuichi goes by a plethora of names, depending upon the genre he is creating for, Izumi Ryoichi, Ryusen, Koshiro. He was born in Iwate in 1946, apprenticing under metal craftsman Fujiwara Tomohiko at the age of 20. 10 years later he would study metal carving techniques under Katsura Moriyuki, and then under Living National Treasures Sekiya Shiro and Kashima Ikkoku at the age of 36, absorbing techniques and styles all along the way. Thanks to his dedication to the craft he was chosen to take part in the restoration and reproduction of the National Treasure 8 sided Buddhist stand of Chusonji Temple in 1990, the following year the production of a mirror for Ise Shrine, the most holy site in Japan. Throughout the Heisei era he has been on the restoration team of any number of important works of art in the Imperial Household Collection, various museums in Japan as well as the pair of Nanban Screens in the collection for the Cleveland Art Museum, His work has been awarded at the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten Traditional Crafts Exhibition and Nihon Kinko Ten National Metal Art Exhibition as well as the Dento Kogei Shinsaku Ten New Traditional Crafts Exhibition among others

An unusual modern art vase in robbins-egg-blue dating circa 1970 enclosed in the original signed wooden box by Kyoto artist Kumakura Junkichi (1920-1985).. The blue metallic glaze flows down the sides leaving a distinct pattern in the smooth surface, collecting in oil drop pools around the thickened base. Notches cut in the surface are turned out at various points to allow the insertion of flowers and twigs on all surfaces. One could make a variety of very interesting arrangements with this attractive piece. Signed on the base Jun, it is a little less than 5 inches (12 cm) square. The vase is in fine condition but the box appears to have been wrapped in a red cloth which was once wet, allowing the die to seep into the box surface. Junkichi began working in ceramics in the 1940s, his works submitted to innumerable National and International Exhibitions including the Japan Art Festival, New York and the international Arts and Crafts Exhibition in Florence Italy. He also submitted to the Brussels World Exposition and helped design murals for the World Exposition Osaka. At the International Ceramics Exhibition, Prague in 1962 he took a silver prize. He was also often exhibited and is in the permanent collection of the Japanese National Museum of Modern Art as well as the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto.

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).

A pair of ancient iron tongs for working charcoal within the furo during the Japanese Tea Ceremony enclosed in an ancient wooden box titled HiBashi, Todaiji Kawara-Kugi, or charcoal tongs, Todaiji, Roof Tile Nails. One of the nails shows deterioration in the center where it rusted on the surface between the tile and the roof. The hand forged nails are just over 9 inches (23.5 cm) long, folded over on the flattened ends to form the head. The polished rusty surface, and the manner in which the heads have pitted is the essence of wabi! An excellent addition to the tea room.

A pair of ceramic Cormorants by preeminent early 20th century Master Miyanaga Tozan enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The cormorant has a special place in Japanese art. Like the hawk is a bird used in hunting, the cormorant is a bird used in fishing. A rope would be tied around the long necks of any number of the birds, them then taken out into the water with huge torches burning on the prows of the fishing boats. When the birds dive for and down a fish, they cannot swallow it, and the fisherman pulls it from its mouth. This was a very popular scene in early 20th century painting as well. These birds are roughly 8 inches (21 cm) long each and in excellent condition. Miyanaga Tozan I (1868-1941) is one of the most important names in Kyoto ceramics. He was born in Ishikawa prefecture, and graduated from the (now) Tokyo University of Art. While a government employee, he represented Japan at Arts Expositions, and studied art in Europe before returning to Japan in 1902 to devote himself to the production of ceramics, with great emphasis on celadon, one of the most difficult of all ceramic wares. He was direct teacher or mentor to a number of prominent artists including Kitaoji Rosanjin and Arakawa Toyozo. His kiln is now in the third generation, run by his grandson.