Antique Japanese suzuribako. Made for holding materials for fine calligraphy writing. The cover of the box is decorated with gold maki-e wild flowers including ferns and daisies with silver details and clouds of gold flakes. The interior of the box holds an ink stone, a copper water dropper and areas for resting brushes all treated with clouds of fine gold nashiji on a black lacquer ground. The underside of the lid is decorated with a scene of a rocky riverbank covered in wild flowers. The... Click for details

Antique Japanese sewing box. Made of lacquered wood and inlaid with painted shells. Intended for export. Beautiful details of colorful pheasants and peony blossoms. There is a separate drop-in tray with many small compartments for sewing tools.

Age: Meiji Period (circa early 1900's)

Dimensions: 5 1/8" high x 15 3/8" wide x 11 1/4" deep (when closed)

Antique Japanese gray porcelain tea cup with crackle glaze. Decorated with delicate floral design in iron-rich dark brown/black glaze. Kyoto Ware.

Age: 18th century

Dimensions: 2 1/2" high x 2 5/8" wide

Provenance: From the personal collection of Frederic Cheever Torrey (1864-1935), partner of Vickery, Atkins & Torrey, interior design firm and art gallery founded in San Francisco in 1888.
The gallery, most famous for its role in helping to introduce... Click for details

Antique Japanese six panel oshiebari style screen featuring six paintings in sumi ink and colors on gold leaf (kinpaku) applied paper. Collectively depicting an autumn landscape with ducks and songbirds on and above rolling hills beside a meandering shoreline. The scene punctuated with flowering bushclover (hagi), Chinese bellflowers (kikyo) and eulalia grass (susuki, alt. obana), with poem cards - both rectilinear tanzaku and squarish shikishi, with poems in scattered grass script... Click for details

Japanese rare antique 3-panel screen painting of Raigo Zu: Amida Buddha in Raigo pose. The screen has three panels with the two outer panels half the width of the central panel so they open like shrine doors. A bronze butsudan latch keeps the doors closed. The screen opens to reveal a central panel with a large image of Amida Buddha painted in mineral colors and gold on silk and framed with silk brocade of golden clouds. The outer frame is lacquered red.

Age: Muromachi/Momoyama... Click for details

Antique Japanese 2-panel screen painting with a tranquil scene of birds near a stream. A pair of mallard ducks swim under a tree branch where black birds and finches rest and frolic. Painted in ink and light colors on paper.

Age: Meiji Period (1868-1912)

Dimensions: 51 3/4" high x 70 1/2" wide

Antique Japanese 2-panel screen painting. The right panel has a scene of a man and woman spending a leisurely day by a stream. Deep in conversation over tea, their wealth is evident by their richly patterned robes and picnic blanket. A robe thrown over knees to keep off the chill and the orange leaves of the maple tree suggest that Autumn is here. The left hand panel has another outdoor scene of a beautiful lady and a young girl out for a stroll by a small stream. Nearby are new pine bows... Click for details

Antique Japanese 2-panel screen painting of a lotus pond. Wide lotus leaves and pale pink flowers blossom on the surface of the water. A white heron comes in for a landing near a pair of Mandarin ducks. Painted in mineral pigments on silver leaf.

Age: Showa Period (early 20th century)

Dimensions: 38 1/2" high x 74 1/2" wide

An antique Japanese Zushi (portable altar) with standing Amida Buddha within. Urushi lacquer over wood. Original bronze ornamentation features a large clasp with stylized arabesque Lotus blossoms on either side and the Dharma wheel above and below. Makie lacquer crossed feathers Mon (family crest). Opening the doors of the altar reveals the Buddha in its original patina and a hand painted upper apron with lotus blossoms.

Age: Edo Period (1750-1800)

Dimensions: 26" High by 9... Click for details

Japanese antique black and gold lacquered kanban (shop sign). Decorated with unusually beautiful calligraphy advertising cosmetics with words like 艶 tsuya "luster/gloss/sheen" and 白粉 Oshiroi which literally means "white powder"; the powder foundation worn by kabuki actors and especially by geisha and their maiko apprentices. The area of the nape of the neck was covered with oshiroi white powder leaving only a swallow-tail area near the hair line bare, an erotic feature specific to... Click for details