Wicker Paintings

In this listing you will find an intimate and quietly introspective mid-20th century figurative composition, depicting a seated female nude rendered with remarkable restraint and sensitivity. Attributed to an unknown Yugoslav artist, the work reflects the poetic realism and subdued modernism characteristic of the region’s post-war painting. The figure is shown in a contemplative pose, seated on a simple wooden stool, her body slightly turned and her gaze lowered. The composition is deliberately minimal, with a stark division of background tones—warm, light plaster on one side and a deeper, shadowed field on the other—creating a subtle tension that frames the subject. A muted blue form at the edge introduces a quiet chromatic contrast. Executed in a restrained palette of earthy ochres, soft browns, and desaturated flesh tones, the painting emphasizes structure and volume over detail. The brushwork is dry and tactile, with visible strokes that lend the surface a palpable texture, enhancing the sense of immediacy and intimacy. The modeling of the body is simplified yet expressive, suggesting an artist influenced by early modernist figuration and possibly the School of Belgrade or broader Central European traditions. The work carries a faint signature in the upper right, though it remains indistinct and currently unattributed. Its aesthetic language aligns with mid-century academic-modern practices in Yugoslavia, where classical figuration was often reinterpreted through a modern, introspective lens. Presented in a richly ornamented gilt frame, which contrasts beautifully with the austerity of the composition, the piece offers both decorative presence and quiet emotional depth. A compelling example of mid-century Yugoslav...

Mughal print after a 16th century Indian hand painting in wood gilt frame. Indian Mughal School, illuminated India Rajasthan Indian Mughal School, illumi...

We are delighted to offer for sale this lovely pair of circa 1880-1900 Persian hand painted silk wall hangings depicting oriental scenes. A very...

Anonymous. Korean, 17th century. Joseon period. Hanging scroll. Ink on paper. Seal: Shinso Dimensions: Scroll: H. 200 cm x W. 31 cm (79” x 12”) Image: H. 122 cm x W. 29.5 cm (48” x 11.5”) The grapevine came to China and then Korea from western Asia via the silk road trade routes. By the mid-Joseon period, it was one of the most popular subjects for Korean literati painters. Grapevines were painted as a singular subject or, less commonly, in combination with squirrels, which are associated with children due to their playful nature. Together, grapevines and squirrels embody wishes for abundant offspring and wealth. For the Korean literati artist the twisting vines, curling tendrils and round, plump grapes provided ample opportunity for expressive "brush play”. In this painting the artist has abstracted the scene and is seemingly unconcerned with discontinuities and proportion. Vines spring up from nowhere, grapes hang in random clusters and the squirrel’s head appears as if twisted backwards. For the vines and leaves we can feel a sense of speed in the brushstrokes, imparting a dynamic feel which is at once intense and animated. This contrasts dramatically with the countless tiny strokes of ink which realistically capture the texture of the squirrel’s fur...

Unknown Flemish Artist, Belgium 18th century, in the right part of the painting the artist represented a man sitting in front of a tavern. He is surrounded by Delft baroque earthenware pitchers and plates. The right side of the painting shows different types of birds, among them chicken, a swan, ducks and a peacock. The painter was here definitely inspired by the 17th century painter Melchior de...

Unknown Scandinavian artist. Oil on canvas. Abstract composition. 1960s. The canvas measures: 80 x 60 cm. The frame measures: 6 cm. In excellen...

A mid-20th century 'Kamasan' cotton textile painting from Bali, Indonesia. The hand-painted image has great detail and depicts Balinese Hindu mythology. Key features of this image ar...

Three Friends of Winter Nakajima Raisho (1796-1871) Late Edo period, circa 1850 Ink and gold leaf on paper. This is a double-sided Japanese Furosaki or tea-ceremony screen from the mid 19th century; bamboo and plum on the front, young pines the back. It by Nakajima Raisho, a master painter of the Maruyama school in the late Edo and early Meiji periods. In this work Raisho combines exquisite ink brushwork with large open spaces of brilliant gold-leaf to inspire the viewers imagination. Rather than naturalism, he is searching for the phycological impression of the motifs, resulting in abstraction and stylization. His simplification of the motifs the result of looking to capture the inner nature of the objects. This art motif is known as Sho Chiku Bai, or the Three Friends of Winter. Evergreen pine connotes steadfastness, bamboo suggests both strength and flexibility, while plum blossoms unfurling on snow-laden branches imply hardiness. Combined, this trio is emblematic of Japanese new year. Chinese literati were the first to group the three plants together due to their noble characteristics. Like these resilient plants flowering so beautifully in winter, it was expected of the scholar-gentleman to cultivate a strong character with which he would be able to show the same degree of perseverance and steadfastness even during times of adverse conditions. The screen would have been placed near the hearth of a room used for the Japanese tea ceremony, shielding the fire from draughts and also forming a stimulating and decorative backdrop behind the tea utensils. It would have been used in the Hatsugama, or first tea-ceremony of the new year. Nakajima Raisho (1796-1871) originally studied under Watanabe Nangaku before entering the school of Maruyama Ozui. He was the highest ranking Maruyama school painter at the end of the Edo period and was known as one of the ‘Four Heian Families’ along with Kishi...

Nakamura Daizaburo Turtledoves in a Peach Tree Taisho period, circa 1920 Framed painting. Mineral pigments, ink and gofun on silk Signed: Daizaburo Dimensions (framed)...

Iwase Hirotaka (1808-1877) Koi and Water Plants Hanging scroll, ink, color, gold wash and gold flecks on silk Inscription: Hirotaka Seal: Ille...

Birds & Flowers of the Seasons Pheasants & Plum in Snow Unframed painting. Ink, pigment and gofun on silk Kano Chikanobu 1819-1888 Signature...

Presenting an enigmatic oil on canvas painting created by an unknown Danish artist made in 1956. This captivating artwork showcases a woman bathing her feet in a bathroom, and it is ...