Japanese Works of Art

'Okashi', the Japanese term for anything strange, unusual or deliberately humorous, defines the array of pieces on display at Michael Hoppen’s first exhibition held in its new premises in Holland Park, west London.

During his travels to Europe, Winfield Robbins (1841-1910) amassed some 150,000 prints that he later left to his hometown of Arlington, Massachusetts.

The most eagerly contested lot at the Echoes Antiques & Auction Gallery (23% buyer’s premium) sale on January 23 was a Japanese cloisonné miniature teapot bearing the mark of the great Namikama Yasuyuki.

Namikawa Yasuyuki (1845-1927) is one of the most famous and highly regarded masters of the art of Japanese cloisonné.

While auction prices for works of art from Japan can scarcely compete with those achieved for pieces from China, the sale at Hargesheimer (28% buyer’s premium) in Düsseldorf on November 30 showed that there is still a healthy market for netsuke.

The Komai family of sword makers and armourers were among the many Japanese metalworkers courting a new clientele during the Meiji period (1868-1912).

This silver and enamel vase by Namikawa Yasuyuki (1845-1927), the great master of Japanese cloisonné, sold to an English collector for £11,000 at Halls (24% buyer’s premium).

Yabu Meizan (1853-1934) is considered the ‘prince’ of the so-called Satsuma medium.

Japanese Contemporary crafts currently enjoy a stronger following than more traditional works of art.

The ancient Tokoname kiln was the largest and most prolific of the so-called six ancient kilns of Japan.

Shozo Shimamoto (1928-2013) was a founding member of the Gutai movement that looked for new ways to apply paint to a canvas.

The Woolley & Wallis Japanese sale includes some good examples of the Edo period porcelains that wowed the European courts of the 17th and early 18th centuries.

The art of the Samurai comes to Essex firm Sworders on November 2.

Nanban, meaning ‘southern barbarians’, was the Japanese term for Europeans.

An unusual, late 19th century figure of a hawk took top honours at Zacke’s (30% buyer’s premium) sale of Asian works of art on September 7-8.

This Japanese Imari bijin was made at the Imari kilns around 1690-1700. She wears a long kimono decorated with apple blossom and leafy branches.

Nabeshima porcelain takes its name from the clan that controlled the Saga domain in the Edo period.

A highly decorative example of Japanese lacquer provided one of the highlights of Tennants’ (24/20% buyer’s premium) July 15 summer sale.