Kashan Bowls and Baskets

A wonderful Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897) Korean pottery bowl with a beautiful muted glaze, color, and nicely aged patina. As this is not our area of expertise, we are listing it si...

A stunning Japanese Asian-influenced stoneware Studio Pottery Chawan tea bowl that features a beautiful dark rich glaze with wonderful shifts in pattern and texture. This particula...

Rock crystal vessels were highly demanded and valuable in Medieval times. Inventories from European royal houses and the highest aristocratic families detail the important and sophisticated collections of ewers and bowls. Rock crystal has also been used extensively in religious art. Fine European reliquaries were also made of Rock Crystal including gems, enamel and other precious materials. The work of rock crystal is very ancient. The materials has been worked and valued for its solidity and its purity: it has been believed to be water ice permanently frozen. Our superb example is a gold-mounted rock crystal bowl with enamel. The items origin is not clear and various features and characteristics may lead us to think of different origins and periods of creation. A single piece of stone mounted with gold could be a Milanese work. Although the cut could be French as similar pieces belonged to the French royalty (especially the art lover Duc de Berry, (1340-1416)). French and Italian crystal cutters have been active at the same time and it is often difficult to differentiate their works. Islamic art also influenced European artists. The famous Fatimid treasury provided examples of their sophistication and quality. The seven ewers carved for the Fatimid Imans (known as "The Magnificent Seven") display impressive quality of both rock crystal and enamelled mounts. Even though not identical to works by French silversmith Jean-Valentin Morel who was appointed goldsmith to Queen Victoria in 1852 or Reinhold Vasters (1927-1909) another renown German goldsmith who embellished older rock crystal items, there are similarities between these works. Both reduce their use of colour to black and white on pure gold mounts. Moreover the black enamel design is quite similar. Also, no gems are included and no human figure is represented. Sotherby's described our bowl as a "German Rock crystal bowl with later gold mounts, 15th century." Other items from the period from Germany or Austria are usually silver mounted and the decorations are more colourful and include gems or human figures but they have in common enamel motifs. In our case, the gold foot, handles and rim could date from the 1900s. An expert has established the foot, handles and rim are pure gold. The goldsmith responsible for the improvement of the bowl is possibly the most famous Reinhold Vasters whose work has been displayed in the greatest museums such as the V&A in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The Rock Crystal bowl we have is gold mounted. The gold shows in enamelled details that are black and white. The gold handles are also enamelled with black acanthus-like leaves. The enamelling method could be "champleve" or "painting metal". The metal that is usually preferred is copper but these techniques are also applied to gold. The bowl itself could be from the 14th century. It's cut reminds of an estimated 14th century rock crystal ball bearing the Buoncompagni family arms...

A stunning Japanese stoneware studio pottery chawan tea bowl that features a beautiful, heavy and sumptuously multi-glaze with wonderful shifts in color and texture. This bowl is wit...

An antique Korean ceramic tea bowl with celadon glaze from Goryeo dynasty, circa 12th century. The thin-walled stoneware bowl was potted delicately with...

An exquisitely decorated and wonderfully executed ceramic Mingei glazed plate/ low bowl by Japanese National Treasure and Mashiko pottery master Tatsuzo Shimaoka. This work displays his famous Jomon Zogan rope inlay design, hand-painted decoration, and has his impressed "Ta" signature on the base. Shimaoka, who started as an apprentice to famed Japanese potter Shoji Hamada in 1946 before opening his pottery studio, has exhibited worldwide including in North America, Asia, and Europe. In 1996 he was bestowed the title of Japanese Living Treasure...

Wedgwood Fairyland Lustre octagonal bowl decorated with 'Firbolgs' design on ruby lustre to exterior, 'Thumbelina' design to the interior. 'Roseberry Bead'...

A gorgeous Japanese studio pottery chawan tea bowl that features a wonderful reddish-orange glaze with various shifts in colour and texture. This particular piece encompasses the...

This is a good porcelain Sunderland pink lustre dish or deep plate from early in the 19th century, George III period, circa 1810-1820. The dish is decorated with a bat printed scene of three grazing cattle or cows in a country setting by some trees. The central scene is transfer printed in black, surrounded by border circles of pink or mauve lustre. Sunderland lustre...

A good large and well painted poole pottery bowl decorated with the Blue Rooster pattern by Truda Carter and dating from the 1960’s. The bowl stands rais...

Beautiful bowl by the very well known potter Laura Andreson. Signed in bottom.

A very stylish good quality Chinese Jun Ware pottery bowl decorated with streaked glazes on a red and pale blue glazed ground dating from the latter 19th o...