The private collection of the late Dr. Ronald J. DiCenzo, the former Professor of History and East Asian Studies at Oberlin College in Ohio – whose enthusiasm for Japanese culture (and Asian culture overall) are brilliantly displayed through his superb collection of fine decorations and furniture – will be auctioned on Wednesday, September 12, 2018, by Gray’s Auctioneers & Appraisers.

The auction will be held online and in Gray’s showroom, at 10717 Detroit Avenue in Cleveland, OH, starting at 10 AM ET. For those unable to attend in person, online bidding will be available through the Gray’s website, and at LiveAuctioneers.com and invaluable.com. Telephone and absentee bids will also be accepted.

“Dr. DiCenzo’s collection was perhaps one of the most extensive in Ohio,” said Serena Harragin, CEO of Gray’s Auctioneers & Appraisers. “While most of the lots are Chinese in origin, there is also a wide variety of Japanese artifacts, such as the set of 12 woodblock prints or the authentic Katana with Saya. Any enthusiast of East Asian culture, craftsmanship and décor will be sure to appreciate this auction.”

Lot 307 features a beautiful watercolor and ink scroll by early 20th century Chinese calligraphy artist Pu Jian (1893-1966), also often referred to as Pu Jin. A member of the Manchu Imperial family and a cousin of the last emperor of China, Pu Jian was part of an elite Beijing painting circle known as the Songfeng huahui, or the Pine Breeze Painting Society. Most of its members were relatives of the Imperial family.  

Pu Jian lived through a tumultuous period in modern Chinese history. His surviving works demonstrate a devotion to traditional Chinese painting and crafts. The scroll, titled Scholar in a Landscape, depicts a Confucian scholar and his attendant traversing a bridge by a waterfall, surrounded by dense foliage depicted vividly in the traditional style practiced by Pu and his contemporaries in the Songfeng huahui.

A large Japanese burled elm wood Tansu chest with brass mounts from the 20th century makes up lot 398. A longtime fixture of Japanese homes, large size cabinets such as the one up for auction are designed to be disassembled into smaller pieces for easy relocation. The word Tansu is derived from two Japanese characters – tan and su – which refer to the storage of food and the carrying of firewood, respectively.  

Lot 15 is a pair of Chinese “Foo Dog” roof tile finials. While erroneously known as “Foo Dogs” in the West, the mythical creatures depicted in these finials and many other pieces of traditional Chinese art and sculpture are actually lions. These guardian figures have long been a fixture of Imperial Chinese heraldry, ceramics and architecture dating back at least as far as the Han Dynasty in the 6th century AD.   

Leading off the auction this month is a wonderful collection of Chinese blanc de chine ceramic figures. Known to the Chinese as Dehua porcelain, blanc de chine porcelain production dates back to the Ming Dynasty and is produced in the town of Dehua, in the Fujian province. First exported to Europe in the early 18th century, these ceramics became internationally renowned for their uniquely pure ivory tone. 

Blanc de chine figures of Guanyin, the sacred bodhisvattas of Chinese religion and folklore, make up lots 1-8. Lot 9 is a large singular male Foo Dog, while lot 10 comprises two smaller male Foo Dogs with a Guanyin. Subsequent lots include a matched pair of male and female Foo Dogs, a collection of six smaller blanc de chine decorative items, including Guanyin, Budai (or “Laughing Buddha”), Gautama Buddha, a small lidded bowl, and a 9-inch blanc de chine vase depicting mythical creatures in relief.

Additional lots include a Chinese blue and white porcelain basin, two palace-size blue and white porcelain vases, a large Chinese archaic style storage vessel, and two large porcelain vases depicting birds resting on flowered branches. All are fine porcelain. Famille jaune, noire, rose and verte are French terms that classify Chinese porcelain by the dominant element in its color palette. 

As well as a lovely famille jaune porcelain vase, two famille rose porcelain vases, a pair of famille jaune fishbowls, a famille verte vase, and a pair of eye-popping high relief vases. A number of Japanese ceramic objects are also up for auction, including a Japanese Imari porcelain lidded jar, and a fine pair of blue and white Japanese porcelain vases.

Over 30 lots of cloisonné will be offered. Highlights include a large temple size censer, two large pedestals, two incense burners, two smaller wood and cloisonné pedestals, a pair of large vases and a pair of double gourd vases. Cloisonné is a time-honored technique for affixing gemstones, colored glass or vitreous enamel to metalwork objects.

Finely detailed carved wood and stone items are also up for auction, including a carved hard stone landscape depicting figures huddled around a cliff side temple beneath a tree. The detail work and color of this object are exquisite. Lot 238 features a pair of carved elm architectural brackets, depicting the fearsome visages of a dragon clutching an embroidered ball, an example of magnificent craftsmanship.  

Further highlights include a large carved hardwood drum depicting another dragon, a set of six brilliantly carved hard stone figurines, a carved and gilt lacquered plaque depicting birds resting among a dense thicket of floral plants, and a similar gilt and lacquered wooden plaque, depicting an aquatic scene of fish and squid surrounding a waterside shrine.

In all, more than 500 lots will come up for bid, and bidders can view the catalog now, in its entirety, at GraysAuctioneers.com. Gray’s will open for in-person previews from September 6-12; Monday-Friday, from 10 AM to 5 PM, and Saturday from 12 PM to 4 PM; or by appointment. All times Eastern.

Dr. DiCenzo received his Ph.D. in Japanese history from Princeton University in 1978. As part of his studies, he spent several years in Japan during the 1960s, where he first began collecting the wide variety of beautiful antiques now up for auction. As part of the Oberlin faculty, he galvanized student interest in Japan on campus as it was rising as an economic and cultural superpower in the mid-1970s.  

Dr. DiCenzo went on to help Oberlin College affiliate with the newly-formed Associated Kyoto Program consortium of colleges in the U.S., through which he sent scores of students for study abroad in Japan. He passed away on November 4, 2017.

Gray’s Auctioneers & Appraisers is always accepting quality consignments for future auctions. To inquire about selling a single piece, an estate or a collection, call (216) 226-3300 or email their appraisals department at appraisals@graysauctioneers.com. 

To learn more about Gray’s Auctioneers & Appraisers and the live and internet auction planned for Wednesday, September 12, visit www.graysauctioneers.com. Updates are posted often.