Catalog (368)

Japanese Musha Ningyo of Shoki the Demon Queller, made by Beishu. Beishu has Mukei Bunkazai status (Important Intangible Cultural Property). His Shoki shows great craftsmanship, with silk hair, glass eyes, gofun face and hands, with sumptuous silk brocade. This magnificent sculpture reaches the level of the master work of Beishu, whose work is found in museums and important collections of the Showa Period in Japan. Signed and dated 1960. 21 inches (53.25cm) high.

Japanese Musha Ningyo of Jimmu, the First Emperor of Japan, made by Beishu. Beishu has Mukei Bunkazai status (Important Intangible Cultural Property). His Shoki shows great craftsmanship, with silk hair, glass eyes, gofun face and hands, with sumptuous silk brocade. This magnificent sculpture reaches the level of the master work of Beishu, whose work is found in museums and important collections of the Showa Period in Japan. Signed and dated 1960. 20 inches (51cm) high.

A Beautiful Ode to Longevity by Watanabe Gashin, born 1944. Watanabe Gashin is a renowned calligrapher who has won many awards for his Japanese calligraphy. In this unique work, he spells out the joys of each decade, from the age of 60 to the age of 111. Frame: 36.5 x 18 inches, 93 x 46 cm; Calligraphy: 25 x 12 inches, 63.5 x 30.5 cm.

Yuasa Koufuu is an accomplished Japanese calligrapher. She is the recipient of many honors and prizes in Japan. Her style is very graceful and reminiscent of the famed Edo Period master, Rosetsu. In this delightful piece, Yuasa Koufuu describes the beautiful scenery in a mountain river. Frame: 20 x 14 inches, 51 x 35.5 cm; Artwork: 13 x 9 inches, 33 x 23 cm.

Rare Image by Japanese Woodblock Print Artist, Saito Kiyoshi (1907 - 1997). The Saito Kiyoshi Museum in Japan is devoted entirely to the work of this artist, and his work is in many other museums, including the Cincinnati Art Museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago. His work was exhibited at the Salon Printemps in 1948, and in 1951 he received first prize at the inaugural Sao Paolo Bienniale. Influenced by Piet Mondrian, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Gauguin, Odilon Rodin and Edvard Munch - among other famous artists, his unique images combine traditional Japanese elements with Modern, Cubist, Abstract and Impressionist qualities. Frame: 26.5 x 21 inches, 67.25 x 53.25 cm; Print: 22 x 16.5 inches, 56 x 42 cm. From the collection of Irwin Hersey, renowned author on Asian and primitive art, and publisher of the Primitive Art Newsletter in the 1970s. Irwin Hersey was an advisor to museums and prominent collectors, and vetted pieces for many of the international tribal art fairs and Asian art fairs.

Rare Artist's Proof by Japanese Woodblock Print Artist, Gen Yamaguchi (1896 - 1976): Poetry of Early Autumn (1948). Illustrated in Yamaguchi, pl. 61. This is the artist's proof of this image, created for the artist's approval before the set of fifty prints were created. Yamaguchi achieved an international reputation when he was awarded first prize at the International Print Biennale in Ljubljana, Yugoslavia, 1957, and a grand prix at Lugano, Switzerland in 1958. He experimented constantly, manipulating his materials and images as he sought to achieve innovative results. The Gen Yamaguchi Memorial Prize is now a top prize in Japan for woodblock print artists. Frame: 19.5h x 18w inches, 49.5 x 45.75 cm; Print: 11h x 11.25w inches, 28 x 28.5 cm. From the collection of Irwin Hersey, renowned author on Asian and primitive art, and publisher of the Primitive Art Newsletter in the 1970s. Irwin Hersey was an advisor to museums and prominent collectors, and vetted pieces for many of the international tribal art fairs and Asian art fairs.

Please see the recent Ceramic Monthly cover story on Michael Gustavson, at gustavsonstudios.com Collectors of Gustavson know that his early pieces, like this one, "Wedges" from 1986, are some of his best work, and are all the more valuable because they are hard to find. This is likely the finest example of his early work that is available today. This extraordinary raku vessel has had only a single owner from the day it was created over 20 years ago. Height: 26.5 inches (67.5 cm), Width: 22 inches (56 cm)

Kaneta Masanao's work is in major museums throughout the world. He is widely recognized as the foremost Hagi ceramic artist, and one look at this wonderful cup and saucer will tell you why. Saucer: 7 inches (18cm); Cup 3h x 4.5w inches (7.5h x 11.5w cm).