A 19th century Meiji period Japanese okimono. The Japanese made many fascinating miniature figures and this one is quite unique among its kind, mainly due to its construction and mechanical elements; the articulation of the turtle's hands and feet allow it to move in a very lifelike fashion when exposed to any kind of vibration. It is a very finely manufactured piece that has withstood many earthquakes in its lifetime. Purchased in Japan, this okimono was considered by some collectors to have been either an earthquake detector or a compass, but we believe it was created purely out of aesthetic pleasure and playfulness - much like the young boy entranced by the fluid movement of his pet turtle in a wooden bucket of water.
TANG DYNASTY TERRACOTTA POLO PLAYER
This is a rare piece of terracotta pottery from the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907 AD). Statues such as this one are the earliest depictions of polo players in any art form. Such statues are rare primarily because polo was the sport of choice of the affluent few - much like it still is today. These figures were often buried in the tombs of the wealthy as they believed that the figures would come to life to serve the deceased in the afterlife. The higher the social status of the person buried, the more such figures would be in their tomb. A single burial of a member of the imperial family could contain hundreds of such items. Sadly, this type of pottery all but disappeared around 755 AD when the Lushan Rebellion affected production in the two areas with the majority of the kilns: Henan and Hebei.
1904 Japanese Photo Album
This Japanese lacquered photo album from 1904 contains 48 hand-coloured pictures of various aspects of daily life in Japan. At the time, photo cameras were not a commonly owned item, so taking pictures was left in the hands of professional photographers. If visitors in Japan wanted to recall their journey, they would purchase photo albums such as this one as a souvenir.
Kinkarakawa
Japanese late Edo period Kinkarakawa purse with Kabuto metal detail. Kinkarakawa is a type of leather prepared according to a method first developed by the Medici family in Italy. This technique was later learned by the Japanese from the Dutch in the 17th century. Essentially, the cow hide is impressed with floral patterns and a thin gold sheet. By 1668, such items had become so popular in Japan that the emperor placed a ban on further imports, which lasted until the Meiji period. Soseki Natsumi, one of Japan's most celebrated writers, often described his characters as carrying a Kinkarakawa tobacco or pipe pouch such as the one in these pictures. Nowadays, these items can rarely be found in such excellent condition as the one presented here.
Chinese Hat Buttons
At the beginning of the Qing period, the chao guan (a Chinese official's hat) was worn on semi-formal occasions without its usual ornate spike. The Yongzheng Emperor appears to have felt that this was unsatisfactory. In 1727 he introduced a new type of hat insignia which could be worn in place of the ornate spike with less formal court attire, and also with ordinary dress when dealing with official business. The new insignia was a large round bead of material of the appropriate colour mounted on a gilt base. The highest ranking officials wore plain opaque red buttons, while the lowest wore silver. Opaque blue was the fourth rank, while transparent and opaque white indicated the fifth and sixth ranks respectively.
