Japanese Root Wood and Burl Vessel for Ikebana, Taisho Period

A simple and elegant Japanese lacquer hibachi stand with imperial chrysanthemum mon and copper liner, now modified as an usubata, late Meiji Period, ci...

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 sublime Japanese parcel gilt copper hand warmer, hibachi, with chrysanthemum design, Edo Period, 18th century, Japan. The hand warmer, called a...

A very finely cast Japanese bronze water coupe in the form of the courtesan Eguchi riding an elephant, signed Kazutada, Edo to Meiji Period, mid 19th century, Japan. The small and elegant bronze water coupe is exquisitely cast to depict a figure of a seated lady reading poetry upon the back of a large recumbent elephant. This image depicts the Courtesan of Eguchi as Fugen Bosatsu...

A vintage Japanese ikebana made from lacquered bamboo basketry circa first half of the 20th century. This piece of bamboo art displays an very light and delicate classic tapered squa...

An elegantly woven bamboo basket with handle as an ikenana container by Suzuki Gengensai (1891-1950) circa 1923-50. Suzuki Gengensai was from Kansai region and active in Osaka. He studied bamboo art under Yamashita Kochikusai (1876-1947) and became an independent artist in 1913. He received his artist name Gengensai in 1914 and in 1923 he changed the characters to Gen, a slight written variation of the character. This basket was signed in this later variation, which helps to date the piece to post 1923. The basket is woven entirely in a free style irregular plating on the body and with a twisted bundled handle. The surface is lacquered in a deep reddish color. The seemingly less rigid technique renders the piece a more rustic and natural aesthetic that is more suitable for certain occasions. It is singed on the base with artist's signature in the variation post 1923. A very similar basket of the irregular weaving but without the handle is illustrated in plate 72 in "Baskets Masterpieces of Japanese Bamboo Art...

This early 20th century iron vessel is a Meiji-era vase designed especially for ikebana, the Japanese art of floral arrangement. The two-piece vase was cast in the classical usubata (thin rim) form, with a broad, flat top with an upturned lip. Usubata vessels are typically cast of bronze and have been used in ikebana arrangements since the 16th century. The broad rim of this usubata vase...

A woven bamboo flower Ikebana basket by Tanabe Chikuunsai II (1921-2000) from Showa era (1926-1989), circa 1950-1960s. The ikebana basket takes a vertical square form, the body was e...