Catalog: Archives: Regional Art: Asian (643)

A set of shishi guardian carvings from high up on the front of a Buddhist temple, each cut from a single block of wood with fore-paws extended in a leaping motion and vicious snarls. Each is roughly 30 x 30 x 24 cm (12 x 12 x 9-1/2 cm tall and in overall excellent condition. These date from the Edo period.
Shishi guardians, also known as Komainu or "lion dogs," have a long history in Japanese art and culture; iconic figures often depicted in pairs and placed at the entrances of shrines, temples, and other important structures to ward off evil spirits and protect against negative energies. The origins of the Shishi can be found in ancient Chinese culture, specifically the mythical creature known as the "shi" or "foo dog" in English. These creatures were believed to have protective qualities and were commonly depicted in Chinese art and architecture. As Buddhism spread to Japan from China in the 6th century, so too did the imagery of the lion guardians. The artistic representation of Shishi lion guardians in Japan evolved into a unique style. The sculptures typically depict a pair of lion-like creatures with fierce expressions, large manes, and muscular bodies. One lion has an open mouth to represent the sound "ah," which is believed to expel negative energy, while the other has a closed mouth to represent the sound "um," which is believed to retain positive energy. This duality symbolizes the balance between yin and yang, and the harmony between opposing forces.

A beautifully crafted image of a cormorant seeking fish by Ishida Rainosuke enclosed in the original signed wooden box dating from the early 20th century. The bird is 38 cm (15 inches) long and both bird and fish are in excellent condition. A very interesting treatment of the position of the back foot shows the bird kicking, as if speeding up, eye on the prize.
Ishida Rainosuke was born in Kyoto in the 36th year of Meiji (1903) and graduated from the Department of Sculpture at the (mod) Kyoto University of Arts where he had studied under Numata Ichiga (Kazumasa). His work was selected and awarded at Teiten, Bunten and Nitten,National exhibitions as well as various public and private venues.

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.

Exquisite repairs in overlapping gold wave designs on colored lacquer drape upon the rim of this 17th century chawan tea bowl. The white clay is covered with millet colored glaze upon which have been scrawled simple designs like the character for person (hito). The bowl is 10.5 x 10 x 6 cm (4-1/4 x 4 x 2-1/2 inches) and is in excellent condition, in a modern kiri-wood collectors’ box.

Namiamidabutsu sho (Praise to the name of Amiddha Buddha) is scrawled in faint verse down the upper right, while on the left is a warning, kono tori, minasama goyojin goyojin (all those on this path, be wary be wary…) The two scripts are separated by a grave marker at the base of which lies a skull and scattered bones among the unkempt dried grasses. A very unusual seal in the shape of a Buddhist ewer hugs the right edge. Early to mid Edo period in the style of Hakuin Eikaku (1686-1768). Ink on paper, it has been fully restored with a thin black border in a field of dark brown and retains the original bone rollers. The scroll is 42.5 x 165 cm and in excellent condition

A horrifying image of a ghostly apparition accompanied by a Buddhist verse engraved into this long bamboo incense container by Ishii Matetsu. It is expertly crafted. The verse reads:
Katsu!
Dokusei Dokushi Dokko Dokurai
The literal translation sounds quite cold, but in Buddhist teaching it means: We enter the world alone; we depart it alone. Do not depend upon others for your happiness, rely upon yourself and live your life in your way to the fullest. It is 48 cm (19 inches) long and in excellent condition.

A radical image by the outlandish Doi Goga featuring a black devil and its child. The child reaches up to the monster, while the monster seems to be giving him a raspberry, his toungue flailing in the air. Ink on paper, it has been completely restored in beige cloth border with bone rollers reflecting the original mounting. The scroll is 42 x 181 cm (16-1/2 x 71-1/4 inches) ad is in excellent condition. Doi Goga (1818-1880) was a Confucian scholar of the late Edo to Meiji periods. He was born the son of a doctor serving the lords of Ise (modern Mie prefecture), home of the gods and Ise Shrine. A child prodigy, he studied under Ishikawa Chikugai and Saito Setsudo. The early death of his father saw him succeed the family head at the age of 12. He would serve later as a teacher in the official government school. He held strong opinions and was very critical of the hypocrisy and corruption he saw in military government and in Confucianism itself. His works began to see the light of day in the early Meiji period, however due to their inflammatory nature, much was left unpublished until after his death. Known for paintings of bamboo and landscapes, his Dojin figures are rare and highly sought.

A one of a kind Edo period Buddhist censer of wood carved in the shape of a Baku, a mythical creature with the ability to eat nightmares, a brass basin inserted into the back. It is 23 x 16.5 x 27 cm (9 x 6-1/2 x 10-1/2 inches) and in fine condition. There is a strip of wood embedded in the form filling a crack in the wood.
The traditional Japanese nightmare-devouring baku originates in Chinese folklore and was familiar in Japan as early as the Muromachi period (14th–15th century). An early 17th-century Japanese manuscript, the Sankai Ibutsu, describes the baku as a shy, mythical chimera with the trunk and tusks of an elephant, the ears of a rhinoceros, the tail of a cow, the body of a bear and the paws of a tiger, which protected against pestilence and evil. Writing in the Meiji period, Lafcadio Hearn (1902) described a baku with very similar attributes that was also able to devour nightmares.

A haunting Gohon Chawan repaired with a spiderweb of silver and gold enclosed in a box titled Gohon chawan annotated by the later Edo period tea master Kawakami Ihaku II (1789-1857). It is 14 x 12.5 x 8 cm (5-1/2 x 5 x 3-1/2 inches).

A pair of spectacular Mino Yaki Porcelain vases from the studio of famed artisan Kato Gosuke decorated with clusters of grapes under drying late summer leaves. It is 32.5 cm tall, 21 cm diameter and both are in excellent condition, enclosed in a wooden collectors box titled Mino Yaki Kabin Ittsui, Kato Gosuke Saku (Pair of Mino Yaki Vases by Kato Gosuke). Each bears a signature in overglaze on the base, along with two impressed seals. The square seal reads Kato Gosuke.
Kato Gosuke (1837－1915) was a master craftsman of Mino ware who was active in the Meiji period, fired elaborate and precise dyed porcelain, and his works were sold not only in Japan but also overseas, contributing to the improvement of the quality of Mino ware. Born in Tajimi into a traditional potting family, at a time when Mino ware was being produced on a large scale with low standards, and was considered a pottery for daily use. Gosuke was selected by Nishiura Enji III to manage production of his high quality porcelains, a task to which Gosuke excelled. Eventually, Gosuke became independent. His submission to the Philadelphia World Exposition is now housed in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and in 1878 a vase depicting Mt.Fuji was awarded bronze at the Paris World Exposition solidifying his reputation.

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.

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”.

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.

A catfish in bronze by Kome Jiichi enclosed in the original signed wooden box dating from the mid Showa era. The slippery creature is 30.5 cm (12 inches) long and in excellent condition, signed with an incised signature beneath. Kome Jiichi (1896-1985) He was born in Toyama prefecture, on of the traditional homes of bronze work in Japan. He graduated from Tokyo School of Fine Arts studied under Takamura Kouun. Exhibiting with the Bunten National exhibition, he was awarded there in 1942. He received The Order of the Rising Sun, one of hte highest honors for a civilian in Japan, in 1971 for his life work.

A modernist sculpture in bronze on a wooden base by pioneering female artist Katsura Yuki (also Yukiko 1913-1991). The humorous figure is reminiscent of the works of Okamoto Taro and Akutagawa Saori, another pioneering female artist from Japan who lived in New York around the same time as Yuki. The image is 10 inches (26 cm) tall and in excellent condition. Katsura Yuki (1913-1991) was a Japanese artist whose career spanned from the prewar to the postwar eras. She was enrolled in a girl’s school in 1926, during which time she studied traditional Japanese painting (Nihonga) under Ikegami Shuho. However, after graduation she moved into oil painting. Still, dissatisfied with academic modes of painterly study, she began to attend the Avant-garde Western Painting Research Institute led by Seiji Togo and Tsuguharu Foujita from 1933. She held her first solo exhibition in the Ginza district of Tokyo in 1935, with a focus on collage and abstraction and characterization. This was an extreme rarity for a female artist at the time. She fell in with the Nikakai in 1938, where she would interact with post-war giants Takeo Yamaguchi and Yoshihara Jiro. Post-war, She worked as an illustrator while continuing along the narrative path her art had taken. After sojourns in Europe and Africa, she moved to New York in 1958. In 1966 after returning to Japan, Katsura received the Highest Award at the “7th Contemporary Japanese Art Exhibition. During her six-decade career, Katsura did not conform to one particular artistic genre or style, instead employing a variety of approaches including painting, mixed media collage, and caricature to depict a range of subjects using folkloric allegory, religious iconography, realism, and experiments into abstraction. Constantly paving the path towards a new means of expression through employing techniques of collage. Katsura engaged with subjects that responded to critical socio-political events in mid-century Japan, such as societal expectations for Japanese women, the militarization of Japan, the post-war occupation, the rise of nuclear power, and gender equality. Her diverse approaches, engagement with critical issues, and adherence to personal autonomy gained her critical acclaim; she has been called a "pioneer among women artists,"and is considered influential to the genesis of the Japanese avant-garde before and after the Asia Pacific War. Work by her is held in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura, The Ohara Museum of Art, The Itabashi Art Museum, The Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo and the Yokohama Museum of Art among others.

A Te-bako lacquered box decorated with pigeons in colored lacquer on pale white with mother of pearl inlay by one of the most important 20th century lacquer artists Banura Shogo enclosed in the original signed wooden box dating circa 1935. Sharp corners, the cream-colored box raised on a dark colored foot, the rim edged with two beads of solid silver, all typical of the design aesthetic of the 1930s. It is 30.5 x 21.5 x 12 cm (12 x 8-1/2 x 5 inches) and is in excellent condition. For a free-standing screen making use of these same themes, colors and techniques dated 1936 see the book Banura Shogo (Kyoto Museum, 1985) figure 5.
Banura Shogo (1901-1982) was born in Nanao, Ishikawa prefecture, and studied lacquer in the Wajima tradtion. In 1925 he moved to Kyoto. It was a time of great interest in ancient things, forgotten styles, and revival of lost techniques. Together with Okumura Kyuka he established a research group dedicated to the study and revival of lacquer techniques. He exhibited with the Bunten (Teiten/Nitten) National Art Exhibition and was first awarded there in 1930 for a cabinet, and in 1936 for a screen at the same venue. The following year would see his work garner a prize at the Great Paris Exhibition. Post war he would establish the group Sojinsha which would evolve into Shugenkai in the 1950s. In 1963 e would be granted the Zosho prize from the Japan Art Academy. Ever promoting the field of lacquer, he served as chairman of the Kyoto Shitsugeika Kyokai (Kyoto Association of Lacquer Artists) and was named an Artist of Merit by Kyoto city for his contribution to the arts and crafts in 1972, nad by Kyoto prefecture in 1974. In 1981 this cumlminated wit hteh Order of the Rising Sun , one of the highest national honors for an artist in Japan. He died the following year. Works by him are held in the collections of: The Kyoto National Museum of Modern Art, The Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art, The Tokyo Museum of Modern Art, The Kyoto Shinkin Bank Musuem, Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine as well as numerous private collections.

A spectacular orb hearkening to the Sputnick era created by Hasegawa Isamu and exhibited at the 11th Nitten in 1955, enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The circular form is cleft with two equal but opposite dimples, offering both a futuristic and archaic dimension. It is 38 cm (15 inches) Diameter and in excellent condition.
Due to size the cost of shipping will be accrued separately.
Hasegawa Isamu was born in 1925 in Kyoto, son of famed porcelain artist Hasegawa Hakuho. He studied under both his father and Kusube Yaichi from whom he may have received his propensity for form. He was first accepted into the Nitten in 1953, and exhibited there consistently garnering several awards. He received the Kyoto Shinbun Prize among others at the Kofukai Ten, and works were purchased by the Ministry of Foreign affairs as gifts to foreign dignitaries.

A true part of Kyoto modern ceramic history, this robust vase reminiscent of Okinawan Kaki-otoshi ware was created at the Kyoto 2nd Industrial School circa 1925. It comes in the original wooden box titled Black Glazed Vase with Flower Motif, and signed inside Kyoto Shiritsu Dai Ni Kogyo Gakko followed by a large red seal. It is 27 cm tall, 23 cm diameter and in excellent condition. The roots of the mingei movement, ravaging the Japanese ceramic world at the time, are clearly evident.
The governmental Industrial schools were the proving grounds from a great many young potters before the second world war. The Kyoto 2nd industrial school in Fushimi was split away from the first industrial school in 1920, and remained active until 1963, when it was re-named the Fushimi Industrail High School (Fushimi Kogyo Koko). It is scheduled to close permanently after a century of activity in 2024.

A fabulous 17th century Koro (Momoyama to early Edo period) covered in black lacquer inlayed with minute mother of pearl shippo designs around circular windows featuring floral motifs. The lid is solid silver, pierced with overlapping floral designs. The windows feature grape, plum, bamboo and other seasonal imagery important in Asian cultures. It is 11 cm diameter and in overall excellent condition considering the age.

Golden threads are woven into a home for the large three-dimensional spider crawling over the scrolling edge of this caramel-colored dish dating from the Meiji era. It comes enclosed in an age darkened wooden box titled Akahada Kashibachi (Akahada Sweets dish). It is roughly 16 x 18 cm (6 x 7 inches) and in excellent condition. The clay is consistent with the sandy texture of Akahada, however the color is quite unusual.
Akahada Pottery began in the Momoyama period (1573-1603). It is said that the younger brother of the lord of Koriyama Castle excavated clay suitable for pottery, high-quality red clay with lots of iron. He discovered it in Mt. Gojo (Akahada-yama), and opened a kiln there. It was one of favored kilns of the tea master Kobori Enshu (1579-1647). The kiln lost influence and declined in the mid 18th century. In 1785 the feudal lord in Koriyama castle in Nara requesked two potters named Inosuke and Jihei to revitalize the kilns. They established three noborigama climbing kilns in the environs of Koriyama with a central, eastern, and western kiln. The central kiln was run by Okuda Mokuhaku. The western kiln was run by the two potters Sobei and Shijiro. The kilns remained in production throughout the Edo period, but only the central kiln survived the Meiji period in operation, and it remains active today

A large exquisite vessel by Miura Chikusen III enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Hakuji Chokoku Unryu-e Kabin (White Porcelain Vase Carved with Clouds and Dragons), the box signed by both Chikusen and the woodworker (Sashimono-shi) Hosai. It retains the original rosewood stand, presumably made by Hosai. The vase is 37 cm (14-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition. It dates from between 1921 and 1931.
Miura Chikusen I (1854-1915) was apprenticed from a young age under legendary Takahashi Dohachi. Leaving the masters studio in 1883 he made a name for himself as a strict adherent to and supplier of Sencha tea wares in Kyoto; one of the most important artists in the country for that genre. He was a feature in the literati community of Kyoto and was well known also as a painter, poet and calligraphist. His porcelains were considered of the highest grade throughout the Meiji era, and are still highly collectable today. The Eldest son (1882-1920) took over after his father assuming the family name as Chikusen II in 1915, but died just 39 years old in 1920 leaving a young child as heir, whereupon his younger brother (1900-1990) temporarily assumed the head of the family as Chikusen, III. He held the reins from 1921 to 1931, however when Chikusen IIs eldest son was old enough, III relinquished the helm, appointing his nephew Chikusen IV and assumed the name Chikuken (Chikken). The Chikusen kiln continues, currently under the management of the fifth generation.

A very rare pair of porcelain vases decorated with Plum Pine and Bamboo by Miyagawa (Makuzu) Kozan I enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Makuzu Gama Seika Shochikubai no Shuku-ga Kabin (Makuzu Kiln Plum Pine and Bamboo Celebratory Image Vases). Bamboo rise up majestically, the blossoming plum branches wrapping opposite each other, with baby pines growing on the back. All traditional symbols of celebration. The vases are roughly 25 cm (10 inches) tall each and in excellent condition, retaining their original rosewood stands. An inscription inside the lid states they were received from Hanzan (Kozan II) as a gift commemorating the wedding of Arishima Takeo in 1910 and held in the Arishima family collection.
The name Kozan was granted by Prince Yasui-no-Miya in 1851 in honor of the tea ware produced during the later Edo for the imperial Court by the tenth generation head of the Kyoto pottery family Miyagawa Chozo. The Kozan (Makuzu) kiln as we know it today was established in Yokohama in 1871 by the 11th generation head of the family where he reinvented the family business. He immediately set out on a journey which would propel the Kozan name to International Celebrity status, and send his wares throughout the globe. Pieces produced there were marked Kozan, or Makuzu, the official kiln name, or both. Although he had been running the daily operation since the late 19th century, the first son, Hanzan, succeeded as head of the kiln, in 1912, with the father officially retiring to spend more time on his own research and art. Kozan I dies in 1916. The kiln was run by Hanzan through the early Showa era, he officially taking the name Kozan II in 1917, after one year mourning for his fathers passing. Under Hanzan the kiln was commissioned for works to be presented to the Prince of Wales, the 25th wedding anniversary gift for the Taisho emperor and the Showa Emperors coronation gift. The kiln was completely destroyed in the bombing of Yokohama in 1945. For more on this illustrious family see Bridging East and West, Japanese Ceramics from the Kozan Studio by Kathleen Emerson-Dell.

A vibrant bowl in the shape of an aubergine decorated with soaring cranes and clouds by Heian Isso enclosed in the original artist signed wooden box, the inside of which is decorated with a wispy poem by friend and compatriot Otagaki Rengetsu. The bowl is large at 26 x 29.5 x 7 cm (10 x 11-1/2 x 3 inches) and is in excellent condition. This is a very interesting piece, clearly made by Isso, but the box decorated by Rengetsu, showing the depth of their friendship and artist relationship.
Hinazuru no A young crane
yukusue tooki his timeless voice heard from afar—
koe kike ba an imperial reign
miyo wo chitose to for a thousand generations
utau nari keri to celebrate in song.
According to the book Black Robe White Mist one of Rengetsu’s best known ceramic collaborators was Isso (dates unknown). A number of pieces bear his stamp, indicating that h produced the hand formed vessels while Rengetsu decorated them.
Otagaki Rengetsu 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.

An elephant with pagoda on its back forms this three-piece koro incense burner from the Kairakuen Feudal kiln of the Tokugawa family stamped on the belly with the Kairakuen seal. It is magnificently sculpted, standing 31 cm (12 inches) tall and in excellent condition. It comes in a wooden collector’s box. Inside the lid is a long verse detailing the origins of Kairakuen pottery written and attested to by important Meiji to Taisho period pottery legend Miyagawa (Makuzu) Kozan I.
The Kairakuen kiln was the "garden kiln" sponsored by the Kii branch of the Tokugawa house, in modern day Wakayama founded in 1819. It operated irregularly, drawing upon the services of potters from various Kyoto workshops including the 9th and 10th Omotesenkei Heads Ryoryosai (1775-1825) and Kyukosai (1818-1860), 10th Raku Master Raku Tanyu (1795-1854), and Eiraku Zengoro XI (Nishimura Hozen, 1795–1854) among others . Kairakuen products reflect a marked revival of interest in Chinese ceramics in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. This vase, with its restrained shape and overall turquoise enamel glaze, follows Qing [Ch'ing] dynasty ceramic models. The design of the four-character mark, "Made at Kairakuen," imitates enamel four-character seals appearing on Qing [Ch'ing] imperial wares.

A fabulous mid Edo period bronze brazier with satin luster made up of a basin supported by four small rabbits with two small gourd shaped handles suspended from a belt of archaic designs. The top is a large dome pierced with geometric designs known as incense clock patterns and featuring a large hinged circular opening in front. It is 22 cm diameter, 34.5 cm tall (8-1/2 x 13-1/2 inches) and in excellent condition. It comes enclosed in a wooden box titled: Moku-o Fu-kun I-ai Natsume-Gata Ko-Do Shuro (Tea-Caddy-Shaped Old Bronze Brazier Loved by Moku-o). According to the box it was a beloved possession of Doi Moku-o, the Go or alternate name of Doi Seihei (1660～1726), a Confucian scholar and follower of Sakai Shosai of the mid-Edo period specializing in Shushigaku (Cheng-Zhu) Confucianism.

A set of five small porcelain tea cups made by Takahashi Dohachi with decoration design by famous literati artist Tomioka Tessai. Each cup is 5.5 cm diameter, 4 cm tall and all are in excellent condition. They come in an age darkened wooden box titled Dohachi Saku Sometsuke Sencha Chawan.
Tomioka Tessai (1837-1924) was a scholar artist trained from age seven in the traditional Confucian manner. After the death of his father he was apprenticed to a Shinto shrine, and later was forced to escape the capitol to Kyushu to avoid arrest for anti-governmental actions he had taken on part of the Imperial cause. Here he began serious study of Literati painting and furthered his scholarly research. Upon returning to Kyoto he was befriended by and moved to work under Otagaki Rengetsu, from whom he was heavily influenced. He helped to establish the Nihon Nanga-In and held a number of important positions, culminating in being appointed the official painter of the Emperor and a member of the Imperial Art Academy; the highest honor in Japanese Art circles. He is represented in innumerable important collections. Information on this important person is readily available, for more see Scholar Painters of Japan by Cahill (1972), Roberts Dictionary, or a quick internet search will find plenty of reading. He is held in the Tokyo National Museum, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Kyoto, V&A etc…
The Dohachi Kiln was established in Awataguchi by a retainer of Kameyama fief, Takahashi Dohachi I around 1760, and the name Dohachi was brought to the forefront of porcelain and ceramic production by the second generation head of the family who attained an imperial following, and grew to be one of the most famous potters of the Later Edo period to come from Kyoto. Ninnami Dohachi (1783-1855) was born the second son of Takahashi Dohachi I. Following the early death of his older brother he succeeded the family name, opening a kiln in the Gojo-zaka area of Kyoto (at the foot of Kiyomizu temple) in 1814. Well known for research into and perfection of ancient Chinese and Korean forms long held in high esteem in Japan, and at the same time working to expand the family reputation within tea circles. Along with contemporaries Aoki Mokubei and Eiraku Hozen became well known as a master of porcelain as well as Kenzan and Ninsei ware. Over the following decades he would be called to Takamatsu, Satsuma, Kishu and other areas to consult and establish kilns for the Daimyo and Tokugawa families as well as Nishi-Honganji Temple. An exhibition was held at the Suntory Museum in 2014 centering on this artist, and he is also held in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Kyoto National Museum among many, many others. The third generation (1811-1879) was known as Kachutei Dohachi and continued the work of his father, producing an abundance of Sencha tea ware and other porcelain forms, maintaining the highest of standards and ensuring the family place in the anals of Kyoto ceramics. The fifth generation took head of the family in 1897 and was one of the top rated potters of his time, heavily influencing following generation including one of his top students, Ito Tozan. The importance of the Dohachi workshop may be determined by the pair of vases held by the V&A (London) purchased in the 1870s under the orders: that they should 'make an historical collection of porcelain and pottery from the earliest period until the present time, to be formed in such a way as to give fully the history of the art.

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.

An accordion album featuring calligraphy and paintings by various well known Zen priests of the first half of the 20th century. Including the opening there are 30 pages. The book is 22 x 31 cm and in overall fine condition. The opening pages are by Kutsu Deiryu (Izawa Kanshu 1895-1954, head priest of Kaiseiji), the famous protégé of Nakahara Nantenbo. It is followed by;
1. Daruma by Goto Zuigan, 1878-1965, Myoshinji, Daitokuji
2. Mineo Daikyu, 1860-1954, (head priest of Myoshinji)
3. Chawan, Takeda Eisen 1878-1945 (head priest of Kenninji)
4. Rozan Eko 1865-1944 (head priest of Myoshinji)
5 Takagi Dokuho, no dates, (head priest of Eigenji)
6. Obaku Hoshino Jikio (sp?) 1867-1937 head priest of Manpukuji
7. Seki Seisetsu 1877-1945 (head priest of Tenryuji)
8. Miura Shoten (Hekiun) 1870-1957 (head priest of Myoshinji)
10. Seigo Hogaku 1875-1942
11. Hamamura Seido 1869-1935
12. Yamazaki Taiko 1876-1966 (Head priest of Sokokuji)
13. Ozeki Honko (Horin) 1873-1944 (head priest of Tofukuji)
14. Hoshino Daigen (Saishoken)
15. Tokai Totatsu 1870-1945 (head priest of Myoshinji)
16. Ito Keishu (Seiko) 1881-1935 (Kinkakuji)
17. Maruyama Yoso (Denne) 1870-1940 (Daitokuji)
18. Takibuchi Kenko ?
19. Yokoi Gyokusen
20. Mamiya Eishu, 1871-1945 (Hokoji Temple)
21. Sugimoto Zenki, 1890-1949 (Myoshinji)
22. Hayashi Kaishu (Keikyo) 1890-1979 (Tofukuji)
23. Ota Josei, (Daikai) 1875-1946 (Daitokuji)
24. Konaka Hosu (Zuishoken), (Tokugenji)
25. Akai Giyu (Nanzenji)
27. Yamazaki Ekishu 1882-1961 (Buttsuji)
28. Kozuki Tesshu 1883～1941 (Empukuji)
For more on many of these famous figures see Zenmi, a Taste of Zen (2011, Veljko Dujin) or The Art of 20th Century Zen (Shambhala, 1998).

Pine Tray with Kintsugi gold and silver lacquer repairs featuring an intricate depiction of a butterfly in silver and gold maki-e flying around a pool formed of the natural dark and light wood grain. Splits on both ends are perfectly joined with inset wood “Butterflies”. Cracks have been filled with gold and silver creating streaks of light on the aged wood surface. It is 34 x 24 x 2.5 cm (roughly 14 x 10 x 2 inches) and comes in a period wood box titled Jidai Matsu ki-ji (Old Pine Wood) Koban-gata Kobon (Coin Shaped Incense Tray). I must confess my heart skipped a beat the moment I saw this piece. It is so perfectly representative of the Japanese scholar aesthetic with its reverence of the natural world and sublime sense of beauty combined with the pathos of the intransient rooted in the ideas of wabi-sabi.

A stunning delicate cup made from a hollowed egg-shell. Inside is matte-black with patches of gold gilding, while outside the silhouettes of pines and a soaring Hototogisu (cuckoo) are deftly brushed with shiny black lacquer. The imagery instantly calls to mind Japanese poetry, which extols the song of the cuckoo, a harbinger of Spring and warmer weather. There is also something melancholy about the cuckoo call, as they are always deep in the forest, out of sight and alone. This is simply a phenomenal piece, and comes in an old custom-made wooden box dating from the Meiji period. It is It is 4.5 cm (just under 2 inches) tall and in perfect condition.

A rare large piece of Edo period Fushina Yaki pottery in the form of a parallelogram shaped box decorated on all sides with landscapes, including what is likely a view of Matsue castle, home of the Matsudaira clan. On hte lid cranes soar between garden rock formations. Inside a SEa Turtle, said to live 1000 years, occupies the center. Called a Jikiro, these types of large containers were used for serving and storing prepared foods. More commonly associated with tea, large works like this from Fushina are quite rare. It is 27 x 37 cm (10-3/4 x 15 inches) from point to point. There are two old hairline cracks visible in the glaze, to be expected from the soft, low fired clay. The old age-darkened wooden box is titled outside: Fushina Jikiro (Fushina Food Receptacle). Inside is the character Ga which means celebration followed by the Kao or stylized signature of Matsudaira Fumai (Harusato) placing the piece in the heyday of Fushina production and formerly officially in the possession of the Daimyo feudal lords of Matsue.
Fushina-yaki was the Goyogama clan kiln of the Matsudaira of Matsue Han in modern day Izumo, established around 1764. It fell strongly under the aesthetic taste of Matsudaira Harusato (1751-1818) Daimyo of the province and one of the most influential Tea Masters of the later Edo period. His style of ceremony continues to this day as the Fumai-ryu style of tea.
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.

This is the pinnacle of production for imperial artist Seifu Yohei III, a large Taihakuji porcelain vase with carved designs enclosed in the original signed wood box. Museum quality would be an understatement. Seifu III was known to have made few large works, so this is a very important piece, and Taihakuji was his most appreciated style. Here we see two pheasants in a blossoming tree overlooking a large crag, with clouds brimming about the rim, all in carved relief. It is signed on the base Dai-Nippon Seifu Zo and measures 39 cm (15-1/2 inches) tall, 28.5 cm (11-1/2 inches) diameter. The vase retains the original rosewood stand kept in a separate compartment in the box and all is in excellent condition.
Seifu Yohei III (1851-1914) was the adopted son of Yohei II. Sent at the age of twelve to study painting under then the top Nanga artist Tanomura Chokunyu, he returned in 1865 due to illness. The next year he entered as an apprentice the Seifu studio, then under the control of the second generation. As so often happens in these situations, in 1872 he married the daughter, becoming a “Yoji” or adopted son of Yohei and taking the family name, established himself as an individual artist. Within the year his genius was discovered, and works by him were sent to the Vienna World Exposition. Seifu II retires of illness in 1878, and III succeeds the family kiln. Once again he is honored as the new head of the kiln to produce the dinnerware for the former president of the US Ulysses Grant. His work was highly acclaimed, both domestically and abroad, drawing honors and prizes at the Naikoku Hakurankai (National Exhibition), Chicago and Paris World expositions and being named one of the first members of the Imperial Art Academy specializing in ceramics in 1893 (Tei shitsu Gigei In). Works by this rare artist are held in Museums and collections throughout the world. He was succeeded by the fourth generation Seifu (1871-1951) in 1914.

Cranes rest in the boughs of a massive blue pine overlaying the white clouds billowing on the pink tinged body of this large vase by Seifu Yohei III enclosed in a signed wooden box annotated by Seifu IV. An identical vase held in the collection of the Ashmolean is visible on page 19 in the book Sandai Seifu Yohei (Seki Kazuo, 2012). Seifu III was known to have made few large works, so this is a very important piece. It is signed on the base Dai-Nippon Seifu Zo. It is 46 cm (18 inches) tall, 26 cm (10-1/2 inches) diameter, and retains the original rosewood stand kept in a separate compartment in the box. The box is titled Seikaji Pine-Crane Vase, Made by the Honorable Previous Yohei; Attested to by the 4th generation Seifu. He has employed the Teishitsu Gigei-in seal of the third generation top left of the inscription.
Seifu Yohei III (1851-1914) was the adopted son of Yohei II. Sent at the age of twelve to study painting under then the top Nanga artist Tanomura Chokunyu, he returned in 1865 due to illness. The next year he entered as an apprentice the Seifu studio, then under the control of the second generation. As so often happens in these situations, in 1872 he married the daughter, becoming a “Yoji” or adopted son of Yohei and taking the family name, established himself as an individual artist. Within the year his genius was discovered, and works by him were sent to the Vienna World Exposition. Seifu II retires of illness in 1878, and III succeeds the family kiln. Once again he is honored as the new head of the kiln to produce the dinnerware for the former president of the US Ulysses Grant. His work was highly acclaimed, both domestically and abroad, drawing honors and prizes at the Naikoku Hakurankai (National Exhibition), Chicago and Paris World expositions and being named one of the first members of the Imperial Art Academy specializing in ceramics in 1893 (Tei shitsu Gigei In). Works by this rare artist are held in Museums and collections throughout the world. He was succeeded by the fourth generation Seifu (1871-1951) in 1914.

Two Sometsuke tea containers decorated with scholarly scenes and lengthy calligraphic prose by Seifu Yohei I enclosed in a double wood box (ni-ju-bako) annotated by the fourth generation Seifu. They are 6.5 cm square, 13 cm tall. One has a some damage to the inner rim, a chip in the lid and a nick in the glaze of the bottom corner. Repairs can be performed at cost if desired
Seifu Yohei I (1803-1861) founded the Seifu dynasty in Kyoto. He was born in powerful Kaga-kuni, modern day Kanazawa prefecture. After apprenticing with the second generation Dohachi, he established his own kiln in the Gojo-zaka pottery district of Kyoto. Seifu Yohei II (1844-1878) took over that world upon his father’s death and continued to elevate the family name. His work was presented at the Philadelphia Worlds Fair in 1876, that piece was purchased at the time by the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. He held the reigns for only a short time, and died at the very young age of 34, leaving the kiln to brother in law, who would hurl the name of Seifu onto the annals of history recording the highest qualities of world porcelain artistry. For more on this illustrious lineage see the book Seifu Yohei by Seki Kazuo (2012). Seifu Yohei I (1803-1861) founded the Seifu dynasty in Kyoto. He was born in powerful Kaga-kuni, modern day Kanazawa prefecture. After apprenticing with the second generation Dohachi, he established his own kiln in the Gojo-zaka pottery district of Kyoto. Seifu Yohei II (1844-1878) took over that world upon his father’s death and continued to elevate the family name. His work was presented at the Philadelphia Worlds Fair in 1876, that piece was purchased at the time by the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. He held the reigns for only a short time, and died at the very young age of 34, leaving the kiln to brother in law, who would hurl the name of Seifu onto the annals of history recording the highest qualities of world porcelain artistry. For more on this illustrious lineage see the book Seifu Yohei by Seki Kazuo (2012).

An unusually large vase by Seifu Yohei III with carved cloud designs covered in mottled red flambe glaze. The box is titled Dawn-cloud-glazed Vase, Made by the former Seizan (alternate name used by Seifu III) dated Late in the Year of the Earth-Horse in the Taisho era (1918), attested to by the 4th generation Seifu. He has employed the Teishitsu Gigei-in seal of the third generation on the lid. There is a large, broad repair to the foot in colored lacquer, so it is likely the vase was never offered for sale, but perhaps given to someone or held in the family collection. The expanse of the repair to the base indicates the running glaze likely adhered to the kiln floor or tiles and broke when being removed. Seifu III was known to have made few large works, so this is a very important piece. It is signed on the base Dai-Nippon Seifu Zo. It is 29 cm (11-1/2 inches) diameter, 41 cm (16 inches) tall.
Seifu Yohei III (1851-1914) was the adopted son of Yohei II. Sent at the age of twelve to study painting under then the top Nanga artist Tanomura Chokunyu, he returned in 1865 due to illness. The next year he entered as an apprentice the Seifu studio, then under the control of the second generation. As so often happens in these situations, in 1872 he married the daughter, becoming a “Yoji” or adopted son of Yohei II and taking the family name, established himself as an individual artist. Within the year his genius was discovered, and works by him were sent to the Vienna World Exposition. Seifu II retires of illness in 1878, and III succeeds the family kiln. Once again he is honored as the new head of the kiln to produce the dinnerware for the former president of the US Ulysses Grant. His work was highly acclaimed, both domestically and abroad, drawing honors and prizes at the Naikoku Hakurankai (National Exhibition), Chicago and Paris World expositions and being named one of the first members of the Imperial Art Academy specializing in ceramics in 1893 (Tei shitsu Gigei In). Works by this rare artist are held in Museums and collections throughout the world. He was succeeded by the fourth generation Seifu (1871-1951) in 1914.

A young girl, her hair loosely bound, drifts off into a fond memory with a smile as she brushes a letter, the reem of paper draped from her left hand, the bamboo brush idle in her right. Incredible detail from the Kinkozan Kiln in Kyoto stamped on the pale clay of the base. It is 18 cm (7 inches) long, roughly the same height and in excellent condition. Better known for Kyo-satsuma style pottery works, this is a rarity.