Early 20th Century Scholar s Objects

Exquisitely hand carved early Republic period Chinese pair of Scholar's screens. Beautiful variety of finely carved plaques displaying blossoming fruit set against a mottled backgrou...

Chinese brush washer in the form of a peach, which represents wisdom. The peach is hand carved from rose quartz, a semi precious stone, and the st...

A well carved Chinese soapstone brush pot of jar shape believed to date from the latter Qing dynasty and probably around 1900. The brush wa...

A mixture of finely powdered tobacco, herbs, and spices, snuff was introduced to China in the 17th century by Western diplomats. Initially reserved for ranking members of Qing-dynast...

Discover this rare and exquisite shimmering goldstone snuff bottle from the Republic of China period (1910-1940), a representation of the era's refined craftsmanship. Made from the distinctive goldstone, the bottle captivates with its natural sparkle, resembling a night sky strewn with stars. Each side features a pair of gracefully carved cranes...

South East Asian document/storage box, Thailand or Burma, circa 1940s, decorated with figures and animals, done in an embossed style in black and brown...

Look at this magnificent Tibetan Antique Bronze Buddha Statuary. It was hand made from Tibetan Bronze bronze and shows the Buddha seat on a lotus seat with very detailed hand carving...

This early 20th-century Republic of China Plique-à-Jour covered box is an exceptional example of Chinese artisanship. Plique-à-Jour, a technique akin to cloisonné but without a backi...

A beautifully depicted bronze head of Siddhartha Gautama, dating from the early 20th century. This piece features a worn gilt patina that lends it a...

A large antique Chinese hand carved red jasper snuff bottle, in the form of a sitting frog, life like in size and details, eyes painted black, with a pearl stopper to its mouth attac...

A Chinese Hardwood Carved Jewelry Box with Stone Inlay, Early 20th Century Provenance: Private Victoria Collection. Dimensions: Height: 16cm. Width: ...

Antique Chinese hand carved lapis lazuli snuff bottle, relief carved with a boy figure to one side, and a flying bat to the other side, havin...

A remarkable straits Chinese (also known as Peranakan or Nyonya) carved hardwood and bamboo inlaid and embellished table-form stand, originally for dis...

Along with paper, ink, and inkstone, the brush was part of the four treasures found in a scholar’s studio. Arguably the most important tool, the brush served as a direct link to the ...

An antique Okimono (Japanese means artsy display ornament object) displayed on a small custom wood stand from Meiji Period circa early 2oth century. T...

An exquisite Ilan Ha-Gadol of the type historically attributed to the great 17th-century Kabbalist Rabbi Meir Poppers. The Ilan Ha-Gadol - the Great Ilan ('tree')– is a long parchme...

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 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...

Delicately carved of dense hardwood, these 19th-century scroll cases were an essential accessory for the esteemed Qing-dynasty scholar. The perfect size for a rolled-up scroll, the cases were once used to store and protect works of traditional calligraphy and landscape painting. The matching cases are hand-carved in low relief with all-over scrollwork and borders of geometric meanders. Each case is carved with repeated Shou characters, symbols of longevity and a blessing for a long and complete life. Amid the scrollwork flourishes are ribbon-clad objects known as the Eight Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism, including the eternal knot...

Exceptional vintage early 20th century champleve brass vase. Features a vibrant enamel design throughout the vase.

A Korean ceramic water dropper in the form of fog circa early 20th century likely from Japanese colonial time post 1910s. The animal form features under...

A set of five carved wood print blocks from Korea circa 1900s (late Joseon to early Korean Empire period). Constructed and hand-chiseled from hardwood, the printing blocks were finel...

A collection of four carved wood print blocks from Japan circa late 19th century (Meiji Period). Constructed and hand-chiseled from hardwood, the printing blocks were finely carved o...

A black carved Chinese inkstone with an conforming oval cover circa early 20th century (late Qing to Republic period). The inkstone appears to be slate stone and was likely a She type (SheYan), one of the four famous inkstones in China that comes from She County (Anhui Province) and Wuyuan County (Jiangxi Province). It features a slight scalloping edge with elaborate surface carving that depicts the Sanxings (three beloved gods): Fu, God of Fortune (top right), Lu, God of Prosperity (top center holding a Ruyi staff) and Shou, God of Longevity (center on the lid who is holding a magical peach and a staff with a gourd with a deer at the back) . A towering evergreen pine was placed on the left with scrolling clouds and bats (the sound of bat in Chinese is Fu, the fortune). A famous Chinese couplet...

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...

Set alongside the four treasures of the study - the calligraphy brush, ink, paper, and inkstone - a brush pot was a fixture of every traditional scholars' desk. This wooden brush pot...

A very fine Taisho Period bronze censer of bellied oval form, richly decorated overall with hand enamelled and 'shibuichi' 'shakudo' motifs, depicting geometric designs, pine t...