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S panning enigmatic clay figures of ancient burial mounds, Tang dynasty ceramics, imperial Ming and Qing porcelains, and the refined arts of Edo-period Japan, Masterpieces of Asian Art from the Okada Museum of Art II offers a rare opportunity to encounter the rich legacy of artistic dialogue between China and Japan.
The collection of the Okada Museum of Art was assembled over three decades under the guidance of Kochukyo Co., Ltd – the venerated art dealership founded by Hirota Matsushige in 1924, later known as Fukosai. The extraordinary curation represents many of the highest achievements in East Asian art, and reflects the societal and religious values, rooted in a common intellectual foundation, and the political forces that influenced the course of its history.
Whether shaped from clay, carved through dark slip, fired in the great kilns of Jingdezhen and Hizen, or brushed in shimmering gold and silver, each masterpiece reflects an unwavering pursuit of beauty and craftsmanship.
Explore 20 exceptional highlights from this remarkable collection going under the hammer on 4 September at Sotheby’s Hong Kong,
The Ge Jue, an inscribed archaic bronze ritual wine vessel, Late Shang dynasty
A single pictogram of Ge (戈, dagger-axe) cast beneath the handle identifies this jue (爵) vessel as belonging to the distinguished Ge clan, one of few lineages traced to the Yu of the Xia dynasty. Renowned for its military power and bronze production, the clan flourished through the Xia, Shang, and Western Zhou dynasties, serving as warriors, ritual patrons, and master bronze casters. Recorded in early historical texts and oracle-bone inscriptions, the Ge clan ranks among China's earliest documented noble houses. Of the surviving bronzes bearing the clan emblem, around 250 are vessels — including the ge weapon that gave the clan its name. These vessels are now largely preserved in major museums, underscoring the clan's enduring prestige and remarkable historical legacy.
A rare amber-glazed figure of a dog, Tang dynasty
For more than a millennia, dogs have held an important place in Chinese society, appearing in burials as early as the Shang dynasty and continuing as ceramic tomb figures during the Tang dynasty. Unlike the more common horses and camels that reflected Tang China's cosmopolitan Silk Road culture, dog figures are comparatively rare. This elegant example represents a Central Asian sighthound, possibly a Saluki, a prized hunting breed distinguished by its slender form and long, pendulous ears. Dogs of this type are also depicted in Tang dynasty paintings. Few comparable figures survive, most are now kept in major museum collections, making this present lot especially significant for its exceptional modelling, natural movement, and lively sense of animation.
A finely carved Yaozhou celadon 'peony' ewer, Five Dynasties – Northern Song dynasty
Dating from the Five Dynasties to Northern Song period, this finely carved Yaozhou celadon ewer belongs to a rare group of northern celadons inspired by the elegant forms of Tang dynasty metalwork. Produced at the celebrated Yaozhou kilns in Shaanxi, it exemplifies the refined potting, pale green glaze, and bold floral carving that established the reputation of the Yaozhou kilns as China's foremost producers of high-quality celadon in the Northern Song dynasty. Unlike the more commonly made bowls and dishes, elaborately modelled vessels such as this present ewer were produced in limited numbers, making them exceptionally rare. Closely related examples are preserved in the Yaozhou Ware Museum and leading international collections, underscoring the significance of this piece.
A rare Cizhou sgraffiato 'peony' jar, Northern Song dynasty
Deeply carved and finely incised to create a striking sense of depth and movement, this rare Cizhou sgraffiato jar is distinguished by its bold peony scroll. Executed in the characteristic Cizhou technique of cutting through a dark slip to reveal the contrasting white body beneath, the design demonstrates the vitality and technical sophistication of wares produced at the Guantai kilns in Hebei province, where related fragments have been excavated. While similar peony decoration is better known on larger jars and meiping vases, examples of this smaller form are extraordinarily rare, placing the present lot among the finest surviving works of Northern Song Cizhou pottery.
A rare white-glazed anhua-decorated 'lotus bouquet' charger, Mark and period of Xuande
This exceptionally rare white-glazed anhua 'lotus bouquet' charger, bearing a Xuande reign mark, is a remarkable example of early Ming imperial porcelain. While the celebrated lotus bouquet design is well known in underglaze blue, monochrome white versions with delicately incised anhua decoration are extraordinarily scarce, and marked Xuande examples are virtually unknown. Continuing the refined white porcelain tradition established under the Yongle Emperor, whose prized tianbai (“sweet white”) wares were closely associated with Buddhist patronage, the charger combines a jade-like glaze with an exquisitely understated design. Its technical perfection, subtle elegance, and exceptional rarity place it among the finest achievements of the Xuande imperial kilns.
A rare wucai 'dragon' lobed basin, Mark and period of Wanli
This rare wucai octafoil basin, bearing a Wanli reign mark, is distinguished by its elegant lobed form, vibrant overglaze enamels, and striking depiction of a single five-clawed dragon at its centre. Exceptionally well preserved, it belongs to a small group of imperial basins, the majority of which are now held in museum collections. The harmonious combination of crisp potting, brilliant enamel decoration, and auspicious dragon imagery exemplifies the technical and artistic achievements of the Wanli imperial kilns. Comparable examples are preserved in major collections, including Tokyo’s Idemitsu Museum of Arts, Tokyo, the Chang Foundation, and the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, highlighting the rarity and importance of the present lot.
A fine pair of yellow-ground green-enamelled ‘boys’ bowls, Marks and period of Yongzheng
Yellow-ground bowls decorated in green enamel with children at play are represented in major museum and private collections worldwide, including the Hong Kong Museum of Art, the Idemitsu Collection, the Meiyintang Collection, the S.C. Ko Tianminlou Collection, and Stockholm's Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, with numerous comparable examples also sold at auction. Yongzheng mark-and-period bowls of this type, also known from the Kangxi period, were inspired by Ming dynasty prototypes. Their revival is recorded in Tang Ying’s 1729 court inventory of porcelains supplied to the imperial court. Closely related Jiajing-period examples survive in the Palace Museum, Taipei, and the Musée Guimet, Paris, underscoring the design’s enduring popularity across successive dynasties.
A fine doucai and famille-rose 'floral' bowl, Mark and period of Yongzheng
This elegant Yongzheng bowl exemplifies the refinement of imperial porcelain through its delicately painted floral scroll, executed in a harmonious combination of doucai and famille-rose enamels. By combining the traditional underglaze-blue outlines of the Chenghua-inspired doucai technique with the soft, opaque tones of the newly developed famille-rose palette, Jingdezhen's imperial potters created wares of remarkable subtlety and brilliance that perfectly reflected the Yongzheng Emperor's refined aesthetic. Closely comparable bowls have appeared in major auctions, including examples sold at Sotheby's (2020) and Christie's Hong Kong (2017), while related designs from the Mountstuart William Elphinstone collection and the Okada Museum of Art further attest to the rarity and enduring appeal of this distinctive decorative style.
A fine and rare Ge-type hu-form vase, Seal mark and period of Qianlong
This fine and rare ge-type hu-form vase, bearing a Qianlong seal mark, exemplifies the Qianlong Emperor's passion for reviving the celebrated ceramics and bronzes of antiquity. Inspired by ge wares of the Song and Yuan dynasties and archaic bronze ritual vessels, the vase combines an elegant form with finely modelled tassel handles and a richly crackled glaze, while the footring imitates the “iron foot” of its stoneware prototypes. Produced under the supervision of Tang Ying, the vase reflects the extraordinary technical innovation and historical scholarship fostered during the Qianlong reign. Rarely seen on the market, the present lot stands as a refined expression of the Qing court's mastery of archaistic porcelain.
A rare white-glazed 'chilong' candle holder, Early Tang dynasty
This rare white-glazed chilong candle holder, dating to the Early Tang dynasty, reflects the elegance and refinement of ceramics produced for China's aristocratic elite. While oil lamps remained common, contemporary records also describe the use of beeswax candles, which would likely have been mounted on stands such as the present lot. Its restrained form, luminous white glaze, and finely modelled chilong embody the sophisticated aesthetic of the early Tang period, when ceramic innovation flourished alongside the empire's growing wealth and cosmopolitan culture. Comparable examples are exceptionally rare, with one preserved in the Palace Museum, Beijing, underscoring the significance of this finely crafted piece.
A carved Yaozhou celadon 'peony' bottle vase, Jin dynasty
Pear-shaped vases are exceptionally rare among the predominantly bowl- and dish-focused production of the Yaozhou kilns. This elegant form, carved with floral decoration beneath the characteristic olive-green glaze, is represented by only a handful of closely related examples, including excavated pieces from the Yaozhou kiln sites at Huangpu in the Shaanxi province, and Huachi county, in the Gansu province. Another comparable vase has been exhibited internationally and was later sold at Sotheby's London in 2011, while an undecorated pear-shaped example from the Muwen Tang Collection appeared twice at Sotheby's London. These surviving examples highlight the rarity and significance of Yaozhou vases within the Song ceramic tradition.
A Haniwa earthenware figure of a woman, Late Kofun period, 5th – 6th century
Dating to Japan's Kofun period, this haniwa – literally “clay ring” – is one of the distinctive figures placed around elite burial mounds. The present figure dating to the Late Kofun period portrays a woman balancing a sake jar on her head and is thought to represent a miko (shrine attendant or female shaman). Her neck is adorned with a necklace of magatama, the curved jewels long associated with spiritual protection and ritual power. Traces of red pigment remain on her face, clothing, and vessel, preserving rare evidence of the figure's original appearance. Celebrated for their remarkable realism, haniwa provide invaluable insight into the dress, jewellery, and ceremonial life of ancient Japan, while this example, excavated at Takasai-mura, Tsukuba-gun (present-day Takasai, Shimotsuma City), Ibaraki prefecture, also carries a distinguished modern history, having been depicted in Yamaguchi Hoshun's 1960 painting Utage (Feast).
Attributed to the Hasegawa school, A Boat Cast Adrift (Ukifune), Momoyama - Edo period, early 17th century
Attributed to the Hasegawa school and dated to the early 17th century, this evocative six-panel folding screen illustrates Chapter 51, ‘A Boat Cast Adrift’ (the Ukifune chapter), from the so-called ‘Ten Uji Chapters’ of The Tale of Genji (Genji monogatari). Prince Niou and Ukifune are shown crossing the Uji River in a solitary boat, their quiet intimacy heightened by snow-dusted rocks, wild reeds, and shimmering silver waves that foreshadow Ukifune's tragic fate. Art historian Yamane Yūzō attributed the work to Hasegawa Tōshū, citing its refined use of gold sunago mist and restrained use of gofun, dating it to circa 1605–06. The screen is also significant as one of the earliest large-scale Genji narrative paintings associated with the Hasegawa school, marking an important moment in the development of literary subjects in Momoyama-period screen painting.
Suzuki Kiitsu (1796-1858), Seven Grasses of Autumn (Aki no nanakusa), Edo period, early 19th century
Depicting the Seven Grasses of Autumn (Aki no nanakusa), this elegant hanging scroll – formerly in the collection of the Manno Art Museum, Osaka – celebrates one of the most enduring themes in Japanese poetry and painting. White bush clover, kudzu vine, thoroughwort, morning glories, pink dianthus, yellow patrinia, and Japanese pampas grass are rendered with exquisite refinement, their seasonal beauty enhanced by brilliant ultramarine pigment and delicate tarashikomi (“dripped-in”) effects. The subject derives from two celebrated poems by Yamanoue no Okura (circa 660-733) in the Man'yōshū, which established the canonical seven autumn flowers. Painted around 1844 by Suzuki Kiitsu (1796–1858), the foremost pupil of Sakai Hōitsu, the work exemplifies the Rinpa school's harmonious balance of naturalistic observation and decorative elegance and is accompanied by a box bearing the artist’s own inscription.
Anonymous, Whose Sleeves? (Tagasode), Edo period, early 17th century
This elegant pair of six-panel folding screens, painted in the early Edo period, explores one of Japan's most poetic pictorial themes: the unseen identity of a figure revealed only through their garments and possessions. This genre painting subject, known as Tagasode (“another’s sleeves”), begs the question of who is the wearer of the garments. Displayed on kimono stands, sumptuous robes, books, incense utensils, a sugoroku board, and rare birdcages evoke the refined tastes of an elite samurai household without depicting a single person. Rooted in Heian-period court poetry, where scented sleeves symbolised an absent lover, the subject invites viewers to imagine the wearers through their clothing alone. Richly decorated with embroidery, gold and silver surihaku, seasonal motifs, and family crests, the screens offer a vivid record of early Edo costume, aesthetic ideals, and domestic life.
Anonymous, Moon over Musashi Moor, Edo period, early 17th century
This atmospheric pair of six-panel folding screens dating to the early Edo period evokes one of Japan's most celebrated poetic landscapes, where autumn grasses stretch beneath a luminous harvest moon. Set against a rich malachite-green ground, plumes of miscanthus, bush clover, bellflowers, dianthus, and mugwort are heightened with gold clouds and scattered silver leaf, while a silver moon emerges subtly through the foliage, dissolving the boundary between earth and sky. The subject depicts Musashino, one of Japan's classical meisho (famous places), renowned in poetry since the Man'yōshū and immortalised in The Tale of Ise as a landscape of longing and romance. Balancing decorative splendour with lyrical restraint, the screens are a masterful expression of early Edo aesthetics and the enduring literary tradition of the autumn moon.
Sakuma Soen (d. 1828), Bird’s-Eye View of Famous Places (Meisho chokan-zu), Edo period, 18th century
This panoramic pair of six-panel screens by Edo period painter Sakuma Soen (d. 1828) presents an ambitious bird's-eye view of Japan's celebrated meisho (famous places) within a single sweeping composition. The right screen traces the landscape from Lake Biwa to Mount Fuji, encompassing renowned sites of Omi such as Ishiyama-dera, the bridge at Seta, and the pine of Karasaki, before finally settling on the “wedded rocks” of Futamigaura in Ise. The left screen surveys the Osaka region, from Osaka castle to Akashi castle, enlivened by seasonal festivities such as the Tenjin Festival river procession of portable shrines (mikoshi), and the rice-planting ceremony (o-taue) at the Sumiyoshi Taisha. Trained in both the classical Yamato-e and Shijō traditions, Soen combines topographical precision with lyrical narrative, creating a richly detailed visual celebration of early modern Japan. Few works by the artist survive, making this signed example particularly significant.
Attributed to Hon’ami Koetsu (1558-1637) (calligraphy) and Tawaraya Sotatsu (1570-1643) (underpaintings), Bush clover (hagi), Momoyama – Edo period, early 17th century
With calligraphy attributed to Hon'ami Kōetsu (1558–1637) and underpainting to Tawaraya Sōtatsu (1570–1643), this exquisite shikishi (poem card), later mounted as a hanging scroll, demonstrates one of the most celebrated artistic collaborations of early 17th-century Japan. Originally part of a set of 36 decorated poem papers, it pairs Kōetsu's boldly expressive calligraphy of a winter poem from the Shin Kokin Wakashū with Sōtatsu's elegant underpainting of bush clover (hagi) in gold and silver. Created during the cultural revival of Kyoto in the Momoyama–early Edo period, the work embodies the refined aesthetic that emerged under the patronage of wealthy townspeople, seamlessly uniting poetry, calligraphy, and painting into a masterpiece of the Rinpa tradition.
A porcelain dish, Nabeshima ware, Hizen, Edo period, late 17th – early 18th century
This refined Nabeshima porcelain dish, produced in Hizen during the late 17th to early 18th century, characterises the restrained elegance and technical precision of wares made for the Nabeshima lords. Painted in underglaze blue with iron-red, green, and yellow enamels, the composition depicts two crackle-glazed jars set within a rattan flower basket beside flowering camellia and narcissus, balancing delicate naturalism with decorative harmony. The broad rim is framed by a continuous band of ruyi-head clouds, while the underside is ornamented with tasselled coin motifs above a comb-tooth foot ring. Closely comparable examples are preserved in the Tokyo National Museum and the Suntory Museum of Art, attesting to the rarity and enduring appeal of this classic Nabeshima design.
Attributed to Hon’ami Koetsu (1558–1637) (calligraphy) and Tawaraya Sotatsu (1570–1643)(underpaintings), Willow and waves, Momoyama – Edo period, early 17th century
Attributed to Hon'ami Koetsu (1558–1637) and Tawaraya Sotatsu (1570–1643), this early 17th-century shikishi (poem card) exemplifies the celebrated collaboration between calligrapher and painter that defined the Rinpa aesthetic. Sotatsu's underpainting of trailing willow branches above gold-highlighted waves on a blue ground is complemented by Koetsu's elegant calligraphy of a waka poem by the Retired Emperor Shirakawa included in the Shin kokin wakashū [New Collection of Poems Ancient and Modern], Book Three, Summer Section. The poem, expressing longing and unfulfilled anticipation through the cry of the cuckoo, harmonises with the lyrical landscape, creating a refined synthesis of poetry, painting, and calligraphy.
