Japanese Enameled Silver Chrysanthemum Box

A small brass canister once used to store a smoker's personal supply of opium paste. A keepsake from a bygone era, the small box dates to the 19th century and is decorated with etchi...

This slender metal container is a 19th-century white brass incense burner, used for storing and burning incense sticks. The small box has a rectangular form and a removable sliding t...

Decorated with stylized chrysanthemum blossoms, symbols of longevity and rejuvenation, this Japanese teapot was used to boil water for traditional tea ceremonies. Known as tetsubin, ...

Filled with burning coals, this petite 19th-century brass brazier once warmed the hands of a well-to-do person on a cold winter's night in northern China. The brazier is crafted of white brass in a rectangular form, complete with a hinged handle and an intricately pierced lid with a chrysanthemum pattern. The exterior is etched with a pattern of golden coins...

A rare Japanese bark tree large cloisonné box on metal from the Meiji period. Usually bark tree cloisonné was on porcelain (totai Shippo) A very attracti...

An exceptional, fine and impressive antique Chinese export silver box with lock; an addition to our oriental silver collection. This exceptional antique Chinese Export Silver (CES) locking box has a rectangular form. The surface of this antique box with lock is embellished with a chased decorated matte texture with a variety of embossed and chased decorated stemmed floral and foliate designs to the sides, including cherry blossom and iris arrangements. The upper surface of the cover is ornamented with an embossed and chased decorated scene depicting a grassy terrain surrounding a tree with fan shaped leaves by the side of a winding stream, with a traditional Chinese crane...

A fine antique 20th century Japanese Amita Damascene Steel Box. Made of damascened steel inlaid with gold & silver. The lid of the box has gilt depictions of bamboo plants, while the sides of the boxes have similar depictions of river plants and birds. The interior of the box is fully gilt, and the lid’s interior is decorated with an embossed depiction of a Japanese doll of a girl in kimono amongst branches, leaves, and flowers. Marked to the bottom of the box for ‘W.E. Knox’ and with a Shimazu Mon...

A fine Korean iron box that was traditionally used to store tobacco leaves dated to the late Joseon Dynasty circa 19th century. The box is made from iron and has a heavy weight, although the wears along the edges of the lid and base exposes a bronze metal color underneath, indicating the iron metal may contains a high level of copper. The surface was beautifully decorated with elaborate silver inlay that covers the entire surface except the base. The extraordinary workmanship depicts a pair of deer within the circled square (shape of heaven and earth) and a lined background on the long sides and a crane with spread wings on the shorter sides. Both animals were associated with longevity. Their eyes were highlighted with copper inlay, adding a lively touch to the animation. The lid is centered with a Chinese character "Xi" (Paired-Hui in Korean), which means double happiness. (In Chinese culture, it is often used in a wedding ceremony). The large symbol was set on geometrical background of tightly scrolling diamond pattern surrounded by stylized Ruyi mushroom heads, another floral longevity symbol. Archaic fret cloud band borders the entire perimeters of the lid and the container. Tobacco was introduced to Korean in the first half of the 17th century and gradually gained popularity. When the tobacco was started being smoked in shredded form instead of rolled leaves, there rose the production of the smoking accessories, with some in fine quality as luxury items for the elite. The accoutrement such as this box is a fine example made in late Joseon dynasty, using extensive silver inlay, a technique called "jjoeum-ipsa", in which the silver wires were hammered into the scorched iron surface to create the elaborate design. Similar boxes with variation of shape and motifs are in the collection of several major museums. Compare the box with item Gu 754 in the National Museum of Korea; item 22.78 in MET NYC and M.240:1, 2-1926 in V& A Museum in London. The most closely related example we found is item C232 in the collection of the Museum of East Asian Art...