Silver Scholar's Objects

Museum Mounted 18th Century Chinese Sterling -Silver Mounted Buckle Fragment A unique and rare find—an 18th-century or older Chinese hand-painted porcelain buckle fragment depictin...

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 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...

Rare one-of-a-kind collection Japanese Connoisseurs Collection of Five (5) Fine Antique Smoking Pipes, Kiseru. You dont need to be a conn...

Hand carved of vibrant red jadeite, known as konpi, this 18th century archer's ring was likely once worn by a gentleman-scholar in northern China. Traditionally, Chinese archers wore...

Rare late 19th century Meiji period cane clad in spiraled shagreen with the Minamoto Clan Crest in sterling, which at one point was the imperial family and a shogun of Japan. Cap is ...

Hand-carved of the highest quality jade, this 19th century Archer's ring was likely worn by a gentleman-scholar in Northern China. Traditionally, Chinese archers wore these rings to ...

Conch shell recipient and container for holy water used in ceremonies. Known as “Buddha ears”, they were mounted as a sound instrument. Such shells are important ritual objects in Tibetan Buddhism...

A stunning carved and pierced Chinese jade vase, Qing Dynasty, 19th century. The vase is carved with a design of birds, flowers and trees, each rife ...