Catalog (321)

Rare and Outstanding early 19th Century Korean Porcelain Jar with Dynamic Underglaze Painting of Copper Red and Iron Brown and an Incredible Thick Dripping Blue Glaze. Unquestionably one of the best and most creative Korean porcelains you will ever see. There really is no other like it, from the design to the copper-red and iron-brown brushwork, from the potting to the glaze, it is truly one-of-a-kind. It has all of the best characteristics of Korean ceramics, whimsical yet technically accomplished, with unaffected sincerity, earthy soulfulness, absence of artifice, and effortless reverence for and affinity with nature. The dripping blue glaze on the surface, and the peach tones that come through the white porcelain glaze, make it all the more special. It will always reward repeated viewing and touching. 10 inches tall x 10 inches wide, 25.5 x 25.5 cm.

South China/North Vietnam Yao Shaman Ka Dong Deity Ritual Mask. This fine old mask would have been used in the same family for several generations to perform rituals such as those for a newborn baby and maturation. The wood for this important mask would have been taken from dep in the forest where spirits were believed to live. 14.5 inches, 37 cm.

Unique Burmese Gilded Bronze Buddha with Human Face and an Inscription that winds around the circumference. 10 inches, 25.5 cm.

Burmese Bronze Buddha with Movable Left Hand. 16.5 inches, 42 cm.

Rare Small Wood Document Box. This is a fine and elegant example. 17 x 8.5 x 2.25 inches, 43 x 21.5 x 5.75 cm.

Korean Antique Compartmented Inkstone Box and Old Brush. This box has a warm beauty that comes from its lovely form and beautiful patina that shows many years of devoted use by a Joseon Dynasty Korean scholar. 10 x 7 x 1.25 inches, 25.5 x 17.75 x 3 cm.

Very Rare 19th Century Korean Woven Bamboo and Willow Gori Basket and Lid with a beautiful dark patina and very creative use of the bamboo and willow, on both the exterior and interior of the basket. For a similar Korean Bamboo and Willow Gori Basket, please see page 106 of Korean Cultural Heritage 2, published in 2002. 12 x 3 inches, 30.5 x 7.5 cm.

Rare Antique Korean Doll Couple with exact details in the costumes of that era (late 19th Century). These were used in rituals. This is an exceptional example, with very personal features, such as the woman's swollen cheek bones and pursed lips, and the man's introspective eyes, that go well with their bent postures from many years of living a full life. It is rare to find dolls from this era that are so artistically and beautifully rendered with so much heart-warming emotion. It is equally rare to find a man with an original walking stick. 8.5 inches, 21.5 cm.

19th Century Korean Sword with missing scabbard. Condition is good but slightly shaky. Overall length is 35 inches (89cm), blade is 26 inches (66cm).

Korean Sword with Insignia on the Blade. 26 inches (66cm) overall. Cracks in the scabbard but in otherwise good condition.

Set of Three Brass Bowls, (right to left) one Goryeo Dynasty, one Joseon Dynasty, and one Early 20th Century. A fantastic set that spans a thousand years of Korean history. All three are beautiful examples of each time period, with wonderful forms and great patinas. Width and height, starting from the oldest (right to left): 6 x 4 inches (15.25 x 10 cm), 7 x 4 inches (17.75 x 10 cm), 5.5 x 4.5 inches (14 x 11.5 cm).

Beautifully Carved Indonesian Antique Inkline Carpenter's Tool for marking straight lines with ink. From the Irwin Hersey Collection of Indonesian Art. Irwin Hersey was the author of Indonesian Primitive Art. Catalog #ID288 from the Hersey Collection. 6 x 3.75 x 2.5 inches, 15.25 x 9.5 x 6.25 cm.

Old Greenland Inuit Figure. The second photo shows the superb face rendered on the attachment. From the collection of Irwin Hersey, renowned author on 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. 7 inches, 18 cm.

19th Century Chinese Personal Dining Table with Beautiful Grain and Color, and a Rare and Elegant Form. The original natural oil finish has been buffed to a clear beautiful shine over many decades of buffing and cleaning, and is so much more attractive than the waxy chemical finishes on today's furniture. 22 x 14 x 5 inches, 56 x 35.5 x 12.5 cm.

Dhyangro drums are usually separated from their phurba (ritual dagger) handles, and the handles are sold by themselves. This is a common occurrence with Nepali dealers. This is because the handles are easier to transport and sell. So it isn't very often that you see a completely intact, old Tibetan ritual drum. The drum is made of wood and animal hide, and has shaking balls inside for accenting the rhythms created by the shaman dancer. The handle is a wonderfully carved wood phurba (ritual dagger) with multiple faces. An old and beautiful piece that displays nicely. From the collection of Sam Hilu, prominent collector and author on Asian and African art. 26 x 15 x 5 inches, 66 x 38 x 13 cm.

A fine example of a Joseon Dynasty Korean tiger hunting painting, that makes use of the best quality pigments and finest silk, and is rendered with the highest level of artistry and skill, likely by a painter from the royal court. A similar painting recently sold at auction in Korea for $5500. Unique to Korea, almost all Korean hunting paintings depict hunters in Mongolian costume. In spite of the Mongols' brutal occupation of Korea in the 13th Century, Koreans maintained great admiration for Mongolian hunting and equestrian skills. This painting is one of a pair. The other painting is on this website (Stock #1186). Scroll: 50 x 17 inches (127 x 43 cm); Painting: 27 x 13 inches (68.5 x 33 cm).

Fine and Beautifully Embroidered 19th Century Korean Ironing Board. This truly deluxe Korean ironing board is the finest example we have seen of an embroidered ironing board, and is filled with imaginatively rendered symbolism. Geese mate for life, so they are an ancient symbol of fidelity, and the lotus is a symbol of purity and rebirth, because the lotus rises above the muck of the pond to show its face to the Sun. 22.5 x 6.5 inches (57 x 16.5 cm).

The classic yongmok samcheung-jang (Korean zelkova root chest with three levels) is probably the most-widely imitated type of Korean antique chest among the reproductions that are all over the internet. This exquisite and genuine 19th Century Joseon Dynasty yongmok samcheung-jang will surely be the showcase piece in any collection. Yongmok is zelkova root, and literally translates to dragon burlwood, which describes the shapes of dragons that can be seen in the very fancy grain of the zelkova root. This chest is a particularly rare and fine example in exceptionally good condition. If you ever do see an old and fine Korean chest of zelkova, it is always just the panels that are of zelkova, while the frame is pine. This rare chest actually uses zelkova for both the panels and the frame, so that the entire front is zelkova. The effect is quite stunning. The other sides are constructed of a fine wide-grained paulownia wood. The stand is carved in the shape of a bat, an ancient Korean symbol of good fortune, because bat and good fortune share the same pronunciation. Other than the cheaply-made reproductions of these that you see all over the internet (most of which are dishonestly described as antiques and are not even made in Korea), it is unlikely that you will see another genuine Joseon Dynasty Dragon Burlwood Three-Level Chest for sale, other than in Korea, where it will sell for multiples of this price. We receive emails almost weekly from factories in China that sell the reproductions very cheaply. Unlike some other dealers, we have never accepted these offers. There's nothing like the look of rare and exotic zelkova root that has aged for over 100 years. Unlike the reproductions, this genuine article will last for generations and the beauty of the old wood will only deepen and increase with age, making it a fine heirloom for a proud family. 64h x 43w x 20.75d inches, 162.5h x 109w x 52.75d cm.