Antique Japanese Iron Stirrups with Silver Inlay Signed

A pair of tall matching candlesticks fashioned out of heavy solid brass from Korea circa 1900s (end of Joseon Dynasty). The candlestick consists of three sections: a large base tray ...

A fine Korean iron box that was traditionally used to store tobacco leaves dated to the late Joseon Dynasty circa 19th century. The box is made from iron and has a heavy weight, although the wears along the edges of the lid and base exposes a bronze metal color underneath, indicating the iron metal may contains a high level of copper. The surface was beautifully decorated with elaborate silver inlay that covers the entire surface except the base. The extraordinary workmanship depicts a pair of deer within the circled square (shape of heaven and earth) and a lined background on the long sides and a crane with spread wings on the shorter sides. Both animals were associated with longevity. Their eyes were highlighted with copper inlay, adding a lively touch to the animation. The lid is centered with a Chinese character "Xi" (Paired-Hui in Korean), which means double happiness. (In Chinese culture, it is often used in a wedding ceremony). The large symbol was set on geometrical background of tightly scrolling diamond pattern surrounded by stylized Ruyi mushroom heads, another floral longevity symbol. Archaic fret cloud band borders the entire perimeters of the lid and the container. Tobacco was introduced to Korean in the first half of the 17th century and gradually gained popularity. When the tobacco was started being smoked in shredded form instead of rolled leaves, there rose the production of the smoking accessories, with some in fine quality as luxury items for the elite. The accoutrement such as this box is a fine example made in late Joseon dynasty, using extensive silver inlay, a technique called "jjoeum-ipsa", in which the silver wires were hammered into the scorched iron surface to create the elaborate design. Similar boxes with variation of shape and motifs are in the collection of several major museums. Compare the box with item Gu 754 in the National Museum of Korea; item 22.78 in MET NYC and M.240:1, 2-1926 in V& A Museum in London. The most closely related example we found is item C232 in the collection of the Museum of East Asian Art...

A tall pair of Japanese carved wood candle holders circa early 19th century (late Edo Period). The pair is carved in the typical form with a block base in the shape of stylized chrysanthemums and long fluted stem with changes in diameter that supports a grooved holder fitted with metal pricket. These types of oversized candle holders were traditionally used in Buddhist temples or Samurai's resident where they were placed on the altar table for worshiping. What is extraordinary of these candle stickers is that they feature a wonderfully conserved surface with lacquered gold leaf. The sparkling gold on the well weathered surface is visually striking. The professional conservation was performed in 2007 and as a result, the pieces display a wonderful aged Wabi-Sabi patina. The piece retains an original invoice from Far Eastern Antiques...

A pair of tall candlesticks fashioned out of solid brass from Korea circa 1900s (end of Joseon Dynasty to Korean Empire period). The candlestick consists of three sections: a large, ...

A pair of antique Japanese samurai Abumi (horse riding stirrups) from the Edo period (1615-1868) Abumi often have a distinctive shape, curving up and backward at the front to achiev...

A rare and evocative pair of antique Japanese samurai abumi (horse-riding stirrups) dating to the Edo period (1603–1868). Expertly forged in iron, with a silver inlay decorative desi...

Pair of stamped brass stirrups decorated with Hashizuka, Ito and Manabe Mons. Japan - Edo (1615-1868), 18th century. Height: 10.24 in. (26 cm), length: 12.6 in. (32 cm), width 4.72 in. (12 cm) As in Western culture, the culture Japanese stirrups were part of traditional accessories...

Edo Period, Bronze Japanese Samurai Stirrups, Japan, 18th c. A pair of Japanese bronze abumi (samurai stirrups), featuring the characteristic deep, b...