Catalog (176)

A pair of very cool Tokkuri sake flasks with looping handles decorated in barber-pole fashion with a striking design of spiraling red on pale cream glaze. Each is signed on the base Seizan, and they come enclosed in a period wooden box titled Seizan-yaki Sake Tsubo. Each is roughly 5;.5 cm (2 inches) diameter, 12 cm (5 inches ) tall and both are in excellent condition.

A small waniguchi bronze bell used for awakening the gods suspended in a naturally hollowed wood ring. The outer wood frame is 32 x 9 x 27.5 cm (13 x 11 x 3-1/2 inches) and all is in excellent condition. The bell itself is suspended with deer leather and is 11.5 x 4 x 11 cm (4-1/2 inches diameter) and all is in excellent condition. Waniguchi are most commonly seen outside of Shrines, rung with a knot tied in a rope suspended from above. Striking the bell awakens the gods so that they may listen oy your request.

Shiny glaze the color of burnt caramel covers this tactile pinch-formed small portable tea bowl (Tabi-chawan) from the 19th century Ohii Kilns of Kanazawa in the Kaga domain. Ohi ceramics are primarily made for use in the tea ceremony and they are all personally made by members of the Ohi family. The potters do not use a wheel, but shape the clay with their hands and special spatula-like tools that are handed down from generation to generation. The ceramics are made from soft clay and fired at unusually low temperatures. This bowl is no exception to these rules, it is pinch formed with a beautiful sculpted foot ring, on side which is the Ohii stamp impressed clearly into the clay. It is 9 cm (3-1/2 inches) diameter, 8 cm (just over 3 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
When the founder of the Urasenke style of tea ceremony, Sen-so Soshitsu was invited to Kanazawa as the lord of the tea ceremony for the Kaga Clan in 1666, the first Chozaemon came with him and established Ohi in Kanazawa. Chōzaemon was the top disciple of Raku Ichinyū of Kyoto (4th generation master of the Raku family) and thoroughly understood the principles and techniques of Raku ware. The family has made tea ware for 10 generations, and the 11th generation is working at the family kiln even now.

A celadon koro of unusual six sided lozenge-shaped casket with a black lacquered wooden lid covered in applied gold much worn enclosed in a period wooden box titled (Tenryuji Jidai Gi Koro). It is 9.5 x 13.5 x 15.5 cm (roughly 4 x 5-1/2 x 6 inches). There are chips to the rim, and a firing crack inside the basin which would have been filled with ash. Most likely Chinese in origin, the Japanese government of the Muromachi period contracted mass import of celadon ware from Seikosho in China. These wares collectively came to be known as Tenryu-seiji.

A tall wooden vase-like container made from old water wheel paddles by Sashimono-shi Kikusai decorated with an inscription by Tomioka Tessai which has been carved into the wood enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Tessai Sensei sho-koku Kabin. It is 17.5 cm (7 inches) square, 45.5 cm (18 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
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 gold work on this antique bucket shaped pot is absolutely incredible, with eight gold staples holding together the cracks which have all been filled with lacquer and powdered gold. The original ceramic work is from the Ohii kilns in Kanazawa, stamped on the base with what appears to be the seal of the 5th generation head of the Ohii family Ohii Kanbei (1781-1856). There is a custom made black lacquered wooden lid. It comes enclosed in a wooden collector’s box titled Ohii Te-oke Mizusashi, O-ware. It is 17 cm (7 inches) diameter, 24.5 cm (10 inches) tall. There are minor chips to the lacquer edges of the lid.
When the founder of the Urasenke style of tea ceremony, Sen-so Soshitsu was invited to Kanazawa as the lord of the tea ceremony for the Kaga Clan in 1666, the first Chozaemon came with him and established Ohi in Kanazawa. Chōzaemon was the top disciple of Raku Ichinyū of Kyoto (4th generation master of the Raku family) and thoroughly understood the principles and techniques of Raku ware. The family has made tea ware for 10 generations, and the 11th generation is working at the family kiln even now.

A striking original Bamboo art work by Koide Bunsei enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Hanakago Sazanami. It is 22 cm (9 inches) diameter, 34 cm (13-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Koide Bunsei was born in Nagano city in 1960, and trained in the art of basketry under Iwao Shotaro in Oita prefecture. He has been exhibited and awarded at the Nihon Dento Kogeiten (National Traditional Crafts Exhibition as well as the Nihon Dento Kogei Shinsaku Ten (National Traditional New Crafts Exhibition). He has risen to be a pivotal figure in bamboo art in Nagano.

A fine bamboo basket by the first generation Tanabe Chikuunsai enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Hanamori. It is 24.5 cm (roughly 10 inches) diameter, 40 cm (16 inches) to the top of the looping handle and retains the original bamboo otoshi (insert). Tanabe Chikuunsai I (1877–1937) was a pioneering Japanese bamboo basket artist renowned for elevating techniques in his youth and later merged them with influences from Chinese and Japanese aesthetics. Chikuunsai specialized in creating intricate, functional baskets for the tea ceremony, blending practicality with artistic sophistication. His work often reflected natural themes, showcasing refined forms and precise craftsmanship. Chikuunsai’s legacy established the Tanabe lineage of bamboo artists, with successive generations continuing to innovate within the tradition he founded.

A lid pierced with blossoms covers this brass container about which has been woven a bamboo basket, creating a most unique incense burner. It is 22 cm (8-1/2 inches) diameter, roughly the same height, and in overall fine condition, enclosed in an age darkened wooden box.

An openwork basket of split and woven bamboo by Tanabe Chikuunsai II enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 31 x 27.5 x 13 cm (12-1/2 x 11 x 5 inches) and is in excellent condition.
Tanabe Chikuunsai II (Toshio, 1910-2000) was born the son of Tanabe Chikuunsai I in Osaka known for his Chinese-style (Karamono) baskets. He began working with bamboo craft from a young age under his father, and in 1915, when he turned 5 years of age, he gave demonstrations of the craft with his cousin Kōunsai at his father’s private exhibition at Mitsukoshi Department in Osaka, impressing everyone with his skilled weaving in hexagonal pattern. In 1919, when he was 9, his father made him study calligraphy under the Sinologist Tsuchida Kōnan to make him a man of letters. The drawings he made in his late years were the results of the Nanga painting and calligraphy he learnt during his childhood. He held his first private exhibition when he turned 15 in 1925 and was given the title Shōchiku’unsai by his father. At the age of 20 became a member of the Naniwa Ranyukai group and was accepted into the Teiten national art exhibition for the first time in 1931 where he would later receive numerous awards. Following the death of Chikuunsai I, he assumed the name of Chikuunsai II however, moved away from the tense karamono baskets of his predecessor developing his own style of more open and relaxed weaves and plating techniques. He was awarded the Order of Cultural Merit by the Japanese government in 1981. He transferred the family name to his eldest son in 1991, taking the new name Ichikusai however remained active to the end of his life. Work by him is held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the Crafts Gallery of the National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo and Museum of Fine Arts in Boston among others.

A flaring bamboo basket with looping handle by Yamamoto Chikuryusai enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled simply Hanakago. It is 22.5 cm (9 inches) diameter, 40 cm (16 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Yamamoto Chikuryusai I (1868-1945) was a bamboo artist of the early modern era in Osaka. Born in year one of the Meiji era to the Yanagi clan, his former Samurai family hailed from Yodo, a castle town between Osaka and Kyoto. He later was adopted by his Sister in Law to the Yamamoto family, changing his name to Yamamoto at the time, however it was with his older brother, Yanagi Takesada that he learned basketry in their shop in Osaka. Takesada moved to Korea; for the Japanese at the time it was the New West, but Chikuryusai remained in Japan. Unlike others, Chikuryusai did not attempt to insert himself into his baskets, but, allowed his baskets a traditional elegance. He was renowned for his calligraphy, sencha aesthetic, and his elegant and reserved artistic vision. His baskets received awards at several important international expositions, and, with his two sons, Chikuryusai II and Chikken, participated in the annual Teiten/Bunten National Art Exhibitions. He served as mentor to not only his two sons but also Hamano Chikkosai, Ikeda Seiryusai, and Suemura Shobun. In 1929, he gave the artist “Go” (name) to his son but continued working under the name Shoen until his death in 1945. Work by him is held in the Asian Art Museum San Francisco, The Minneapolis Institute of Art and The Met New York among many other public and private collections.

A basin pierced and covered in green lacquer with a feather like design in the center in charred red and mustard wrapped in bamboo basketry dating from the early 20th century, art-deco era enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kajutsu Moriki. The basket weave is a six-pointed star pattern and the outer bamboo in natural dried bamboo brown while the inside of the bamboo, visible through the pierced body of the basin, has been dyed red. It is 40 x 26 x 14 cm (16 x 10-1/4 x 5-1/2 inches) and is in overall excellent condition.

A beautiful Te-tsuki handled basket hollowed out of a burl of wood dating from the early 20th century with a silken polished finish. It is 43 x 30 x 27 cm (roughly 17 x 12 x 11 inches) and is in excellent original condition.

A beautiful Te-tsuki handled baxket hollowed out of a burl of wood dating from the early 20th century with a silken polished finish. It is 30 x 24 x 28 cm (roughly 12 x 10 x 11 inches) and is in excellent original condition.

A boxed set of Binshi offering vases decorated with regal fowl enclosed in a period wooden box by Kiyomizu Rokubei. Each is roughly 12 cm 4-3/4 inches) tall and in perfect condition. Very difficult to tell with this signature, but I believe it is the work of the 4th Rokubei, possibly a very early work by the 5th.
Kiyomizu Rokubei IV (1848-1920) was born the first son of Rokubei III and headed the family kiln from 1883-1913.He studied painting in the Shijo manner under Shiiokawa Bunrin and had a brotherly relationship with his fellow student Kono Bairei (under whom his own son would study painting). He sought to revitalize the pottery tradition of Kyoto, bringing in new techniques and styles and together with artists like Asai Chu and Nakazawa Iwata took part in the Entoen group and with Kamisaka Sekka the Keitobi-kai. He also held a strong relationship with literati artists such as Tomioka Tessai and together with these artists produced many joint works. He fell ill in 1902, finally handing the reins over to the 5th generation in 1913.
Kiyomizu Rokubei V (Shimizu Kuritaro, 1875-1959) initially studied painting and decorating technique under Kono Bairei, one of the foremost painters in Japan in the Meiji era. After graduating the Kyoto Municipal Special School of Painting, he took a position under his father at the family kiln however. That same year he exhibited his first work at the National Industrial Exposition. He was a co-founder of Yutoen with his father and Asai Chu, and worked ceaselessly to promote the pottery of Kyoto. He helped to establish the Kyoto Ceramics Research Facility (Kyoto Tojiki Shikensho) at the turn of the century which would be the proving ground for many young artist of the era. Doctor Maekawa Shinya has noted that Teishitsu-Gigei-in (Imperial Art Academy Member) Seifu Yohei III also fired his acclaimed works in the Rokubei kiln in the Taisho era. Due to his father’s poor health Rokubei V took the reins unofficially in 1902, commanding the helm until assuming the name Rokubei V in 1913. It was in 1928 that Rokubei changed the reading of the family name from Shimizu to Kiyomizu and applied it retroactively to previous generations. He exhibited constantly, and garnered a great many awards. He worked to get crafts added to the National Art Exhibition (Bunten/Teiten) and served as a judge in 1927, the first year crafts were allowed. In 1937 he was designated a member of the Imperial Art Council (Teishitsu Bijutsu Inkai). Despite changes in the world around him Rokubei persevered, working in all manner of materials and styles. He retired in 1945, perhaps as exhausted as Japan was with the end of the war, or perhaps seeing that capitulation would signal a new era in need of new leaders and a new aesthetic. He passed the name Rokubei to his son and took the retirement name Rokuwa. Uncontainable he continued to create pottery under that name until his death in 1959. His influence is so pervasive he was voted one of the most important potters of the modern era by Honoho magazine, the preeminent quarterly devoted to Japanese pottery. A multitude of works by him are held in the The National Museums of Modern Art, both in Tokyo and Kyoto, the Kyoto Kyocera Museum, The Kyoto Hakubutsukan Museum and the Philadelphia Art Museum among others.

A buccoloic mountain scene of forested hills dotted with pavilions decorates this baluster form vase by Miyagawa Kozan enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Sometsuke Tsubo Sanro-zu (Blue and White Vase, Mountain Path). It is 16 cm (6-1/4 inches) diameter, 18.5 cm (7-1/4 inches) tall and in excellent condition, retaining the original rosewood stand.
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 spectacular squat Seto-guro bowl dating from the early Edo period enclosed in an ancient heavy kiri wood box annotated within by soe long lost collector. This is a perfect example of the Momoyama aesthetic. It is 12 cm (5 inches) diameter, 8 cm (3-1/4 inches) tall and in excellent condition.

An incredible set of 3 sake cups and a small table dripping with gold on the red and black surfaces enclosed in a period wooden storage box which is in turn enclosed in a red lacquered nijubako storage case. The table is absolutely WOW, cranes soaring over rolling waves on a rocky canyon through which water flows under boughs of pine covered in sheets of kiri-gane gold, plum branches glistening with silver blossoms and golden bamboo. The three cups, held in a drawer inside the storage box, are masterpieces of Maki-e, the festive cinnabar covered in built up designs of a golden landscape with silver blossoming plums and soaring cranes mimicking the design of the stand. The stand itself is a 19 cm (7-1/2 inch) cube, while the cups vary concentrically from 10.5 to 13. Cm diameter (just over 34 to just over 5 inches diameter). All is in perfect condition.