Japanese Works of Art

The arts and antiques of Japan have been collected in the West ever since the country reopened its doors to trade with foreigners in the 1853. 

Japanese art spans early wood sculpture dating back to the Momoyama period and prized early porcelain from the Nabeshima or Kakiemon kilns. However many of the collectable categories of Japanese art date from the Meiji period (1868-1912) such as miniatures like netsuke and inro, metalwares, bronze sculptures, armour, swords and sword fittings such as tsuba.


img_23-1.jpg

Back from 1910 honeymoon with a Satsuma vase

27 November 2023

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

img_43-3.jpg

Baskets bring in the bidders

06 November 2023

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

img_24-1.jpg

Product of the ancient Tokoname kiln

23 October 2023

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

img_21-2.jpg

Bottle Crash in Somerset

23 October 2023

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

img_20-4.jpg

The Edo pecking order

23 October 2023

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.

img_20-1.jpg

Dennison’s love of the Samurai

23 October 2023

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

img_62-5.jpg

Southern barbarians march into a Nanban work

23 October 2023

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

Bronze hawk

Plea to find stolen Meiji period Japanese bronze

18 October 2023

A Japanese bronze, estimated at £50,000-60,000, has been stolen from Hannam’s Auctioneers in Hampshire.

img_51-2.jpg

Japanese weapon makers turned to peaceful pursuits

09 October 2023

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.

img_20-5.jpg

Beautiful bijin lady catches the eye on the Yorkshire coast

02 October 2023

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.

img_56-1.jpg

Nabeshima dish design draws on Japanese traditions

18 September 2023

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

Nabeshima dish

Japanese 17th century dish stars in our selection of five lots to watch in the US

13 September 2023

ATG’s selection of items coming up for auction in the US includes a c.1680 Nabeshima porcelain dish from Japan.

img_33-1.jpg

Small cabinet full of decorative appeal

11 September 2023

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

img_49-1.jpg

Hiroshige hauled out of a cupboard

11 September 2023

Discovered in a cupboard in a house in the Cévennes wrapped in newspaper dated 1937 were two albums containing a series of Japanese prints by Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858), one of the most sought-after Japanese woodblock print artists.

img_37-2.jpg

5 Questions with Japanese arts specialist Malcolm Fairley

28 August 2023

Malcolm Fairley of St James’s deals in Japanese applied arts of the 19th and early 20th centuries with a focus on cloisonné enamels and metalwork.

img_21-1.jpg

5 Questions with Japanese prints specialist Jane Orde

19 August 2023

Jane Orde specialises in Japanese 19th and 20th century prints and most recently exhibited at Two C’s Burford Antiques Fair and is a regular at The International Birmingham Antique Arms & Militaria Fair (September 17).

Ivory netsuke

No fanfare as ivory netsuke sets a new record

10 July 2023

A new auction record for netsuke – over three times the previous high – has been set in France.

img_12-3.jpg

Masterful Meiji vase by Namikawa Yasuyuki offered in Sussex

03 July 2023

The June 8 sale at Toovey’s (24.5% buyer’s premium) in Washington, West Sussex included a fine example of Meiji cloisonné by Namikawa Yasuyuki (1845-1927).

Meiji cloisonne vase by Namikawa Yasuyuki

Top-selling Japanese cloisonné vase stars in our pick of five auction highlights

16 June 2023

Our weekly selection of items that caught bidders’ eyes includes a fine example of Meiji cloisonné by Namikawa Yasuyuki that made over three times estimate in West Sussex.

img_48-4.jpg

Face to face with a Noh theatre mask

05 June 2023

Galerie Mingei, based on the rue Visconti in the Saint Germain des Prés area, specialises in antique and contemporary Japanese decorative arts.

Categories

News

Tags in this section