TISHU Asian Art and Furniture

An antique Korean Bandaji from Jeju Do (Jeju Island) circa 19th century. Made from hardwood planks (possibly pine or pearwood) and stained in a dark color...

A carved wood buddha with lacquered surface in the style of Erku (1632–1695), a monk from Edo period who was famous for hand-carving Buddha statues in a primitive style. From a single wood block of what appears to be cedar, the standing buddha was carved in an unpolished manner with exposed knife strokes that effectively depicted a subtly smiling face and the folding of the cascading robes. The rustic style is full of Mingei charm being a great example of Japanese Buddhism...

A large garment robe display rack from Northern China, circa late 19th century toward the end of Qing Dynasty Made of elm wood and finished in a deep...

An antique lacquered small box that was likely used to contain incense powder (it is called Kobako in Japanese), circa early to mid-19th century of the Edo...

A bespoken Japanese ceramic glazed tea bowl with fabric insert, pouch and original padded wood tomobako box. The chawan has a slightly irregular wall supported by a high notched foot...

Displayed on a black custom carved wood stand, this solid malachite rock specimen with intense green and black colors functions as a Chinese scholar stone. The gemstone showcases the...

A striking and well preserved Japanese Meisen kimono hand-sewn from woven Ikat Silk circa 1920-40s (Taisho to Showa period). The kosode style kimono (sma...

Chapan is the iconic fornt-open flowing robe traditionally worn by the nomadic people in Central Asia. In countries like Uzbekistan, it was almost the old national costume. This Uzbe...

A Japanese lacquer box with lid and an inner tray decorated with Maki-e on a dense nashiji background. The fine box was likely made circa 1920-30s...

An Indonesia textile panel professionally presented on a linen canvas. It can be taken off from the canvas for easy and economical shipping upon req...

A six-panel painted folding floor screen from Korea circa early 20th century. This type of screen is called Chaekgeori (books and things) which is quite unique to Korea. It became popular at the end of 18th century favored and encouraged by King Jeongjo (1752-1800) as a political tool to promote social conservatism such as the traditional Confucianism value, especially considered important in a time when waves of new ideology influx came to Korea. Initially commissioned for the royal court, they became increasingly popular with the scholars of noble and affluent households and were used widely in their halls and studies. Early screens were painted with trompe-l’oeil bookcases displaying books and arrays of collectibles. Later, the bookcases were eliminated to focus on the assemblage of neatly stacked books and objects of scholarly pursue. On this screen, the six panels were neatly presented and framed in woven brocade borders. Among the stacked volumes, one can find many fine porcelain vases with flowers, potted orchids, pen holders with brush pens and scroll paintings, incense burner, ink stone, teapot, fan with ink painting, vessels of fruits, exotic plants such as lotus, plumeria and even a pair of glasses. It feels like a pleasant visual measure hunting for the viewers. Several words in Chinese found their way into the picture as well, including filial (xiao), longevity (shou) and luck (fu). The painting was done in a meticulous way with no details overlooked and also with a rather western still-life dimensional perspective. In a rather unusual maximal but also minimalistic way, the screen exudes a historical charm with a folky flair but appears modern at the same time. Each panel is 17.5"w by 70.2"h. For general information on the subject see reference: Chaekgeori the Power and Pleasure of Possessions in Korean Painted Screens...

A Japanese Ikebana basket woven by bamboo artist Abe Motoshi (Japanese, b. 1942). In an organic vase form with elegant, curved wall with reinfo...

A bronze bowl shape vessel with fitted lid from Korean dated to 15-16th century (early Joseon Dynasty). In an elegant minimalistic form with thin wall and supported by a high foot ri...

A striking blue and white vase from the studio of Japanese Potter Makuzu Kozan, also known as Miyagawa Kozan (1842–1916), one of the most established and collected ceramist from Meiji Period. Born as Miyagawa Toranosuke, Kozan established his pottery studio in Yokohama circa 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. Of a relatively large size, this vase is decorated with underglaze cobalt blue using the novel technique developed by Kozan called Fuki-e (the blow painting). As a result, the bamboos appear took on a three-dimensional quality as if appearing in a mist. Known as one of the most creative ceramists, circa 1887, Kozan started experimenting with new chemical colors from the West in the format of his porcelain glaze. New colors allowed him to create underglaze design 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 Taikan...