Catalog: Archives: Regional Art: Asian (599)

A beautifully preserved 16th to 17th century Annan Bronze basin inscribed with the animals of the zodiac which had been used as a prayer bell at a Japanese Buddhist temple. It makes a beautiful ring when struck. It is roughly 12 inches (30 cm) diameter, 6-1/2 inches (16.5 cm) tall. An exceedingly rare find. The Japanese had extensive trade with the Kingdom of Annan (Vietnamese Annam) and in fact one of the most famous and still extant symbols of Hoi An is the Japanese bridge, built in the 1590s by the Japanese community there.

A large Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) cold-painted pot from an old Japanese scholar collection enclosed in an ancient kiri-wood storage box bearing a great many stamps inside the lid. The fine clay is covered in elaborate designs in red, white brown and orange pigment. The piece is 11 inches (28 cm) tall. There is minor damage to the rim but no repair or restoration; a fine example of Han Dynasty painted pottery in fine condition.

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.

A lacquered wooden box decorated in built up Takamaki-e with Tsuba and Kozuka by Heian Zohiko dating from the first half of the 20th century. Inside is fine even nashiji. The decorations rise quite high off the surface, almost as if genuine tsuba were lying atop the box. One tsuba is in the shape of a Mokugyo, a Buddhist prayer drum of hollowed wood culminating in two dragons. The second is one of the seven lucky gods (shichi-fukujin) Daikoku seated in front of a rice bale, smoking a pipe and petting a puppy. The Kozuka handle is decorated with a traditional entertainer dancing with an umbrella. All the edges are protected by a silver rim. The Zohiko stamp is visible on the underside of the box; an elephant in a cartouche. The box measures 11 x 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 inches (28 x 22 x 12 cm) and is in excellent condition. Zohiko is one of the oldest and most prominent lacquer studios in Kyoto. This was likely produced under the visage of Zohiko VII or VIII.

A large Korean Buncheong (Pun-Chong) pottery bottle from the Joseon period (16th-17th century) covered in a creamy white glaze decorated on the flat sides with exaggerated floral scrolls on a dark ground; carved ringlets filled with dark slip on the sides. Color built up over the centuries fills the crackled glaze. The foot ring is rough with sand and excess glaze, and occasional windows in the glaze about the foot reveal the dark clay beneath. The vase is 8-1/2 inches (21 cm) tall, and comes enclosed in a fine old Kiri-wood box. Although not a chip in the clay, there is a loss to the porcelain on the edge of the rim (see close up photo). The Japanese have long esteemed crafts from other Asian countries and over the centuries many of these items have made the journey to this land. For a brief change of pace we will be listing a few in our catalog. For similar pieces see the collection of the Koryo Museum.