Japanese Silver Karabitsu Bonbonniere Box, Taisho Period, Japan

An elegant pair of Japanese cast and lacquered bronze pagoda lanterns, Taisho Period, circa 1920, Japan. The lanterns a true pair, with mirrored decorations and lantern doors opening in opposite directions. The lanterns of traditional toro form, cast in bronze, and lacquered. Each lantern comprised of three parts - the "roof", the "fire box", and the pedestal. This type of pedestal lantern is called a dai-doro, as opposed to the hanging lantern type, tsuri-doro. The hexagonal roof of the lantern, reminiscent of temples or pagodas, features a wonderful, dense cloud pattern with three heart-shaped cutouts, known as inome, or boar's eye. The roof topped by a hoju, the Buddhist flaming Jewel of Wisdom. Each of the six corners feature a fantastic shachihoko, mythical beasts with the face of a tiger and body of a fish. Bells are suspended from the shachihoko. The globular body of the lantern features four pierced panels with the three leaf hollyhock mon of the Tokugawa clan surrounded by a karakusa pattern of scrolling vines. One panel serving as a hinged door with a lock stylized as the Three Jewels...

A fine Japanese cloisonne hinged box with pheasant and autumn foliage, by Inaba Nanaho and the Inaba Cloisonne Company, Meiji period, circa 1900, ...

A very fine and intricately decorated Japanese cloisonné box and cover, Meiji period, late 19th century, Japan. The lidded trinket or jewelry...

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...

A small and delightful Japanese silver bonbonniere with an applied gold Imperial Chrysanthemum Seal, marked "jungin" and "Mitsukoshi", Showa Era, 1935, Japan. This bonbonniere is ...

An exquisite pair of Japanese mixed metal bronze hibachi with idyllic landscape scenes, Meiji period (1868-1912), late 19th or early 20th century, Japan. The hibachi of generous proportions, with a high, slightly splayed foot, a short, narrow waist, and a large and wide cylindrical body. The body decorated in the mixed metal technique. The bronze carved and set with inlays of copper and silver to create wonderful landscape scenes. A pair of animal mask handles to the sides. Each hibachi with a cast signature reading ?? (Toyomi?) to the underside. One side of each hibachi depicting an evening scene, with scholars walking about a mountain retreat, replete with a waterfall, pavilions, pagodas, and pine trees, all shimmering under a full moon. The other side of the hibachi depicting a daytime scene, with a view of similar pavilions, pagoda, and pine, though with boats also visible in the distance. Copper inlay has been used for the roofs and the trunks of the pine trees. Silver inlay has been used for the pine needles, scholars, building supports, water, boats, moon, as well as the distant mountains. Originally used as a simple and elegant space heater...

This stunning Meiji period silver censer is a work of exquisite detail. Crafted by renowned silversmith Masatoshi of Tokyo, the censer, or incense burner...

A fine and impressive antique solid Chinese Export Silver cigarette box; an addition to our diverse silver box collection This fine antique Chinese Export Silver (CES) cigarette box has a plain rectangular form with rounded corners. The surface of the body of the box is plain with an applied molded border to the rim. The subtly domed hinged cover of the box is ornamented with the contemporary engraved monograph initials ‘CBK’ in addition to a moulded border to the rim. The hallmarks struck to the underside of this impressive box include: Maker's mark: WH (Wang Hing & Company) Silver quality/purity mark: 90 (900/1000) Character mark: Untraced. Note: The majority of such boxes have a wood lining to the interior to provide strength, due to a poor gauge of silver; a sign of quality when examples are unlined and of solid silver. Condition This antique cigarette box...

A finely decorated iron & mixed metal tsuba, showing a dark-brown iron ground decorated in low relief with organic inspired motifs in gold, silver & copper.

Okitenugui kabuto Samurai helmet shaped as a head towel Saika, early Edo period, 17th century The Haruta armorers who moved to Kii province in the early 17th century, took the name from the village where they worked, Saika, near Wakayama, possibly on request of the local daimyo, Asano Yukinaga, a great armour amateur. Specialised in the construction of plate helmets, they produced mainly two typologies of kabuto: one with six plates covered with a chrysanthemum-shaped plate on top and one shaped as a “head towel”, called okitenugui. The latter type of kabuto employs very heavy plates crafted in a curved manner and was improved in order to make it resistant to firearms. This okitenugui kabuto features some distinctive decorations of the Haruta school, including the application of cut-out iron elements, including eyebrows, washers and lozenge-shaped decorations on the sides. The ring on the top, however, is a rare feature and could be used to hold a small war flag.

This finely crafted piece was made high in the mountains above Thailand, Laos and Burma (modern day Myanmar) by an indigenous hill tribe. The Yao people are skilled silversmiths who ...

This finely crafted piece was made high in the mountains of southeast China, Thailand and Burma (modern day Myanmar) by an indigenous hill tribe. The Lisu people are know for their v...