A.B. Levy's Scholar's Objects

Material: palm leaves & wood. Material: wood. Measures: 16 cm high. 49 cm wide and 6, 5 cm deep. Weight: 1.864 kgs. Gilded with 24 krt gold. Originating from Burma. 19th Cent...

Carefully carved from a cypress tree burl, this late 19th-century burlwood vessel is known as a brush pot, a container traditionally used to hold select calligraphy brushes in a scho...

A tri-pod ceramic incense burner (koro) by Japanese Imperial potter Makuzu Kozan (1842-1916) circa late Meiji to the start of Taisho period (1890-1910s). A fine example of the artist's work belonging to the late part of his underglaze paint phase (started around 1887 until his death), the surface of the koro was painted in beautiful shades of blue to depict a continuous landscape not unlike a traditional ink and watercolor hand scroll. The rise and fall mountains recede and fade into the horizon and are dotted with groves of pines. The sky is painted with a beautiful subtle shade of pink, suggesting a time of sunrise or sunset. The koro is fitted with an ensuite reticulated sterling silver hoya (incense cover), pierced with swirling cloud and marked with "pure silver' in Kanji. The base is signed in underglaze blue "Makuzu Kozan Sei" within a double ring. The piece is beautifully potted in form and the decoration was done with expertise using the novel technique developed by Kozan called Fuki-e (the blow painting), in order to achieve the striking landscape known as "Mountain and Water" with sense of dimensions and gradient, the poetic effects normally conveyed only by sumi ink staining on paper. The piece comes with an unsigned tomobako (wood storage box) of a recent age. Also known as Miyagawa Kozan (1842–1916), Makuzu Kozan was one of the most established and collected ceramist from Meiji Period. Born as Miyagawa Toranosuke, Kozan established his pottery studio in Yokohama around 1870s and later became one of the appointed artists to the Japanese Imperial household. His work was exhibited in many international fairs that the Meiji government participated at the turn of the century and won many grand prizes. Being one of the most creative ceramists, Kozan started experimenting with new chemical colors from the West in the format of his porcelain glaze around 1880s. New colors allowed him to create underglaze designs that appeared bright, smooth and glossy. He even invented his own receipt of cobalt blue to achieve a much brighter yet softer shade, as evident on this vase. To create landscape that is realistic and dimensional, more common in the western paintings, he was inspired by the native Japanese ink painting technique developed around 1900 by Yokoyama...

A lovely and luxurious Japanese silver incense burner of lobed melon form, akoda koro, marked jungin and signed Nomura, Meiji Period, circa 1900, Japan. The silver koro...

Antique Burmese Gilt Lacquered Kammavaca Manuscript, Consisting of 2 lacquered wood end covers and 16 double sided folios of lacquered cloth in red and black with gold leaf. This Kam...

A stunning all natural genuine tiger's eye sculpture depicting a dragon chasing a ball. The sculpture is made with a whole slab of natural Tiger's Eye with fantastic iridescence. Fin...

A stunning hand carved 2.2 lb tiger's eye sculpture depicting dragon chasing a pearl in the late Qing dynasty style. The four-clawed dragon under the auspicious clouds has one front ...

Vintage Burmese Kammavaca Manuscript Chest. A rectangular wooden hinged lid box painted red with gold leaf shwe zawa gold leaf decorations of foliate...

Fantastically beautiful 2-piece incense burner with lid and pedestal. This incense burner is extremely finely decorated with a patinated bronze fu-dog as the lid handle

Introduce a piece of history to your decor with this antique Chinese bronze censer incense burner. Featuring intricate detailing and a ri...

A small and elegant Chinese cloisonné vase for incense tools, Qing Dynasty, 18th/19th century, China. Made for the scholar's studio, this small refined vase, was used to hold incense tools, including a small pair of tongs or chopsticks and spoon. The tools no longer present. Of miniature baluster vase form, the vase beautify proportioned and decorated in the cloisonné enamel technique, with gilt wires forming the cloisons, or partitions. Within the cloisons, colorful enamels have been expertly laid. The small incense tool vase...

Nicely colored jade Chinese archer ring that feel oh-so-soft, heavy and cold to the touch. Jade archer rings with very soft hand polished finish that ...