Japanese Kutani "100 Poets and Poems" Sake Cup, Taisho Period, c 1920, Japan

A wonderful Japanese Kutani porcelain incense burner, koro, in the form of a treasure ship, Takarabune, Taisho Period (1912 - 1926), Japan. The censer boldly modeled as the legendary Takarabune, or Treasure Ship, a mythical ship said to carry the shichifukujin, the Seven Lucky Gods, around the heavens during the first days of the New Year, visiting lucky humans to bring blessings and prosperity. The black bodied, single mast ship sails on the water, its sail full of wind and decorated with the character "takara", meaning treasure. The pierced top of the ship serving as the cover for the censer. It is loaded with magical items and treasure, most prominently, a large coral branch...

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...