Posted 8 years ago
ProfessorH…
(7 items)
I got these at a boot sale, asked expert to say if they were chinese or Japanese, and was told they were Japanese, Yamaguchi. Apparently very common to find japanese carvings with chinese subject matter and vise versa. Not sure what else the marks/signs mean. I am told they are pre 1940, possibly 1900 or turn of century. Does anyone know what the material it is. I can tell they are not ivory, but cant tell if celluloid or bone.
![[GN1-04-4-12] Japanese Sword: Papered Kanemoto Katana in Shirasaya w Gold Mei](https://i.ebayimg.com/thumbs/images/g/a4AAAOSwBg1mIA1H/s-l225.jpg)
Your very well done Star Gods are lost wax molded resin or composition, likely made in Italy. I have been collecting this molded Asian art since 1970, and some of it dates to around 1920, but not the work with so much color, which is only lately showing up. I would date this to last quarter 20th century or later. Below you can see an emperor/empress pair done by the same maker as yours.
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/195239-chinese-emperor-empress-figures?in=user
Ah Brilliant. Lol the expert then clearly wasnt very good! Thanks Wexwal. I thought they were recent, because the only way they could be pre 1940 was if they were celluloid.
Do you think they are painted in Japan or China? or do you know who the marker is? The ones you sent me in the link at fantastic! Look like the same artist or company.
Your Star Gods were definitely made in the same shop as my figures with no work being done in China or Japan. The few pieces that I have been able to attribute to Asian manufacture have nowhere near the quality of the Italian work. There are several Italian distributors that use paper labels on art with Asian style incised marks. The following link may help.
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/195420-asian-art-with-italian-origins?in=user