A Chinese imari teapot and cover dating from the K'ang Hsi period of the Qing Dynasty ( Middle Period, 1662-1722). The piece is of
rounded form with a dome shaped cover, the body is ribbed and
decorated with peonies and chrysanthemums. Height: 4 3/8" inches, diameter of the body is 3 5/8" and the width including the handle and spout is 5 1/2". Condition is excellent with no restorations, nicks or chips.
Japanese Imari porcelain was first produced in the Genroku
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Another in the wonderful series of Japanese Tea Bowls (chawan) done by the modern sosaku-hanga print artist, Haku Maki. This one is unusual in that the bowl portrayed has a brown pottery glaze and the calligraphy is different from the normal Kanji. The print measures 8 3/8" x 7 1/4" and is from an edition of 77 - it is entitled "Z-178" - mint condition. Haku Maki
(b. 1924) specialized in mixed media. Blakemore in "Who's Who
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Fascinating Zitan Brush Holder for the Scholars Desk - used to prop up his brushes while doing calligraphy. This superb example is intricately carved dragons interwoven into mountainous peaks - deeply carved and with exquisite detailing. Zitan is that one of the rarest of woods, purple sandlewood -
and highly prized for its density, weight and adaptability to very
detailed carving. The piece is in excellent condition - dates
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An extraordinary Chinese carving in the rarest of rare woods - Zitan Wood (purple sandlewood). It depicts a man paddling a boat with a palm frond. In front of him is a young boy holding a palm leaf with a beetle on it. 8" long X 4" wide X 7" tall - incredibly fine detailed carving - a heavy piece, it weighs 1 1/4 pounds. Mint condition - NO chips or nicks. This is easily the finest Zitan wood figural carving we have ever had in the collection. I believe this one to date from th ...click for details
Louis Lawrence, in his book "Hirado, Prince of Porcelain", accurately summed up why this Japanese porcelain is widely regarded as the finest to ever come out of Japan -it is a true world class ceramic made of the finest clay from Amakusa Island. Hirado is characterized by the extreme smoothness of the clay and its ability to adapt to very unusual shapes because of its malleability and resisistance to running in the firing process. This extraordinary two piece vase is a particularly fi ...click for details
An extraordinary scholar's late Ming to early Qing brush pot. This style of high relief carving on zitan generally ended in the mid 14th century. The portrayal of the characters is typical of the Yuan dynasty, dating back to 11th century. The lip of the brush pot is uneven, indicating it was made entirely by hand. In the 16th century, small mechanical wooden tools were introduced that allowed the carving of perfectly round and even edges. The fact that this lip is not entirely smooth is a s ...click for details
This pair of superb reticulated zitan censers measure 4 1/2" high x 3 3/4" diameter. These would most likely have been carved as table items for a scholars desk. The top is one piece and the bottom half and the base are carved as a unitary piece. As you will see from the photos, they are carved all over with great archaic dragons intertwined. Both are in excellent condition - there is one very tiny hairline crack in one of the intertwined vines - but it is extremely hard to find. When ...click for details
A very fine scholars brush pot made from the rarest of Chinese woods, Zitan, also known as purple sandalwood or red rosewood. It is so dense that is sinks in water and very hard to carve. This one is particularly unusual as it is carved in the form of a flowering lotus with the leaves sticking up from the water and the lotus flowers in early budding. One of the very few zitan brush pots we have ever seen with such carving. We believe this one dates from the 19th century - somewhere between 185 ...click for details
Another wonderful 1960 woodblock print "Recollection" by Kiyoshi Saito (1907-1992). Print 18 of 100 - an arresting image of a woman, rich in color and texture - nicely composed. Saito did a short series of prints in 1960 while studying and visiting in Paris - this is one of the series - probably a portrait of a shop girl. The picture has a yin/yang quality to it the way the portrait is divided into two halves - light and dark - the right side has the same dark brown/black/maroon col ...click for details
Excellent enamel on copper snuff bottle featuring decoration of children playing under a pine tree
on one side and around a table on the reverse. Early 20th century - measures 2 1/2" h x 1 1/4"
dia. Excellent condition.
