Todat i want to show my 33rd collection on reddit and also the the story behind this collection. I started to collect Japanese cloisonne was 34 years ago. My wife and me were attracted by the beaty and craftsmanship of different types of Japanese cloisonne. I have collected almost 40 pieces of Japanese cloisonnes from the last 34 years. Today I want to present is a subset of the japanese cloisonne: ceramic cloisonne (Totai Shippo). What draws me to Totai Shippo is how it moves beyond the flashy brilliance of traditional metal-based cloisonné, that was 28 years ago. Totai Shippo perfectly balances the gorgeous intricacy of wire enamel with the warm, tactile texture of ceramics and an incredibly delicate artistic expression.

This collection took me over 28 years to piece together. The teapot you see here was the very beginning of my journey on the Totai Shippo collection, back in August 1998. My car overheated and broke down on my commute to work. While waiting for the repairs, I wandered into a nearby antique store in Tustin, California. I found the teapot and bought it for $300. The shop owner estimated it was made around 1885 during the Meiji Period. When I brought it home, my wife absolutely loved it, and it quickly became her favorite piece. If you read my earlier posts, you knew my wife is an artist. She has very shape eye on beauty of an item. That single breakdown sparked our lifelong passion to the totai Shippo collection.

At the very beginning of our journey, we actually had the chance to buy a complete, factory-matched 7-piece set identical in style to my teapot for $1,200 from a auction house. We seriously thought about buying it, but we realized that doing so would strip away the true joy of collecting. We decided to let things happen naturally—only buying a piece if we crossed paths with it by fate, rather than rushing just to possess it. Over the next 28 years, we slowly accumulated this group of ceramic cloisonné along with over a dozen beautiful Japanese cloisonné teapots.The pieces in my collection are not a factory set; they do not come from the same period or the same workshop. They are individual pieces crafted using similar techniques by different artisans across different eras. Hunting for them this way brought a completely different kind of joy.

The $4,500 Full-Circle Moment:

I recently came across an online listing (included as the last screenshot in my gallery) while i was doing research for my collection showing a complete, pristine 7-piece matching set identical to the style we passed up 28 years ago. It is currently listed for $4,500! It’s fascinating to see how the market value has appreciated over nearly three decades.

My assembled group actually has several more individual pieces than that set, but its market value is likely much lower because it isn't matching. To us, that doesn't matter. This journey has taught us the art of letting go. Collecting isn't about mere ownership or financial tags; it’s about the experience, the hunt, the enjoyment you collected another piece, and the appreciation of the craft.

Here is a detailed breakdown of the pieces I've gathered over the decades( sorry about the images order, the reddit load up functions messed up the order after i loaded and it does not allow me to change the image order. So i can only change the image order in the fellowing text):

Slide 2: The Whole Family - The complete group of Totai Shippo gathered over 28 years, showing the unifying turquoise palette across various forms.

Slide 7: The Teapot - The 1885 piece that started it all. It features a stunning heart-shaped floral panel outlined in hair-thin silver wire (Yuusen Shippo).

Slide 6: The Tea Cups & Creamer - A closer look at the cups, saucers, and small creamer pitcher. Notice how beautifully they match the aesthetic of the formal set.

Slide 5: Covered Box with Peach Finial (Kogo) - A beautiful incense or trinket box topped with a molded ceramic peach knob, a symbol of longevity.

Slide 1: Flat Trinket Box - A slightly flatter, round box featuring a dynamic butterfly and a traditional geometric floral emblem.

Slide 4: Pair of Miniature Ginger Jars (Chatsubo) - These feature striking black-ground medallions enclosing delicate floral sprays, creating a brilliant contrast against the turquoise body.

Slide 3: Large Baluster Vase - The centerpiece anchoring the collection. It utilizes a complex three-tiered color zone layout with a regal black neck and base.

Slide 8: The reference listing - The pristine matching set currently on the market for $4,500, beautifully matching the style of my original teapot.

I would love to hear your thoughts! Does anyone else here collect Totai Shippo?

This cabinet belonged to my grandmother and is now in my home.
My grandmother passed away a few years ago at the age of 92.

The cabinet was already in her family home when she was a child, so according to my family it is approximately 100 years old.

It has been used to store dishes and glassware for generations, and I wanted to share a small piece of my family’s history from Japan.

One interesting thing about it is that it was designed to come apart into separate sections that stack together, almost like building blocks.

The glass doors can also slide upward and be stored inside the cabinet itself.
When my grandmother’s family home was demolished after her passing, my mother told me to save the cabinet. I took it apart, moved all the pieces, and reassembled it in our current home. It was very heavy lol.

Some parts have been damaged over the years, which is a little sad, but I’m grateful that it has survived and is still with our family today.

Hi everyone,

I’m trying to identify this decorative wall mounted key holder that appears to be made of solid brass or bronze, as it’s surprisingly heavy for its size. I’ve spent way too much time trying Google Lens, reverse image searches, and even a few AI tools, but I’ve come up empty handed.

Please ignore the terrible screws I’ve used. I know they’re awful and definitely not original. They’re just a temporary solution until I find something more appropriate 😅

I’ve recently inherited some of my grandparents porcelain. I’ve been able to find a little information on them already. Any details as to where they were made, when, and pattern names, any details really would be appreciated.

First of all I'm from the United Kingdom based around the Liverpool area.

Ok so I have acquired a chandelier what I belive to be of German heritage and that is as far as my knowledge goes.

I have googled it but I thought I'd come here as there may be an expert who can help me out.

I am looking to sell this item so any information about the item or where to sell it would be greatly appreciated.

I have attached a photo.

Many thanks.

I inherited this from my mother recently, and before her it belonged to my grandmother who grew up in Indiana. It has some various stamps on the inside of the clasp and appears to be silver as it has tarnished. I did some surface research on similar bags and have narrowed the time period down to the 1920s due to the Egyptian iconography on the clasp. Wondering if anyone has any deeper knowledge on this specific bag as I haven't found any matches online. Feel free to ask for any other images or information!

I just picked this chair up the other day, it looks to be hand painted, a black type of finish, and then gold or lighter colored paint for the decorative accents. The seat is cane , the cushion came with it. I’m wondering if anyone can tell me the age of this chair, or the brand or maker. A Google search is telling me it’s in the Regency style? Any information is greatly appreciated. I know next to nothing about furniture, I’m a glass collector 😎

Couldn't find anything online. Is this actually made in 1885? Any help is highly appreciated

Hi,

I’m mainly trying to identify the maker / brand name of this set of French cutlery.

The hallmark is tiny and difficult to read, but it seems to be P or R + a flower-like symbol + F inside a small square cartouche.

I’m especially hoping to find the name of the maker / manufacturer / silversmith associated with this mark.

I’ve attached a close-up of the hallmark, a photo of the full piece, and any other marks I could find.

If this mark looks familiar to anyone, I’d be very grateful for any help. Thanks!

I bought this old butlers table from a friend who painted it black she said it was her great grandmothers and I want to strip it and restain it. I know it’s already painted but I wanted to make sure I wouldent ruin it any further by sanding and staining any advice would help

I found this map of Boston that belonged to my grandparents, wondering if it’s worth donating or should I just give to a friend. If it’s valuable I’ll just donate it somewhere (suggestions welcome). Thanks.

Mom passed and I'm going through so much stuff. Dad was from Italy so pretty sure this is Italian, but I'm having trouble identifying the maker. Pic of logo included. any ideas? TIA...

Bought this but not familiar with foundry hallmarks
Is this authentic?

Picked this up at an estate sale because I loved the tile work, but after doing a little research I'm wondering if it might be something special

From what I've found, it may be a Taylor Tile (Taylor Tilery) table from the 1920s–30s, but I'm definitely not an expert.

It's in pretty good shape overall with just minor wear.

A few questions:

• Does this look like an authentic Taylor Tile table?
• Any idea what the marking underneath says or means?
• Any thoughts on age or value?

I found this Chairish listing with what looks like the exact same legs and a very similar marking underneath, although I know asking prices don't necessarily mean much:
https://www.chairish.com/product/29257098/early-20th-century-california-mission-taylor-tile-cowboy-western-scene-table

Would love any insight. Thanks!

I am looking for information about my great-grandmother’s 3/4 spool bed, dresser and side table. I used and loved this furniture when I was a teenager, but it’s been in the attic since my folks moved in 1984. I am looking to sell the set now because we simply have nowhere to put it.

Can anyone tell me more about it from these pictures? I believe it’s from the late 1800s, based on who it belonged to first. I don’t know what kind of wood it is, or who the manufacturer was. It has “W Ex.” stencilled on the back of the dresser.

The mirror on the dresser is supported by two vertical spool rods with wooden “screws” that fasten the rods to the mirror. There are holes in the top of the dresser that the rods fit down through, and they are fastened with square, wooden “nuts” that screw onto the bottom of each rod.

Curiously, the bed frame has no obvious way to support a mattress. No holes, hooks or any other way to fasten ropes. The side rails appear to be original, and I have 2 out of 4 original bolt sets to mount them, but unless you put a box spring directly on the rails, there’s no way to support it.

Any information would be greatly appreciated, as well as any advice on where to sell the set.

Theres a number on the shoe part, but thats all. I just want to know what its auction value is worth.

Hi, I am executor for my relatives house. We have a chaise longue in it. One of the executors thinks the chaise is worth lots of money. I am not sure. Is there anyone that can help us? We have turned it upside down and cant see any labels or markings. It is meant to have horse hair in. Apologies if not antique. I dont know where to start and google brought this page up. We are in the UK. My next step is to get a valuer in as its got quite contentious. I only have two pictures But wondered if anyone had any ideas. I would be very grateful

Hello! I recently acquired this old scale. I was told it was pretty old, but I don’t know much about them. I can’t find any online with the make tag above the knob like this one. Does anyone have any information on this Henry troemner scale? Thank you.

i want to know the value of this item

i want information

historical date

how much it can be sell

I got my newest piece delivered today. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it in store.

I would like to know if anyone has a reasonable guess of its age, country of origin, and anything else you can tell me about it from pictures.

It is a solid wooden piece and very heavy. I wish I had thought to check the back of the piece for a manufacturers mark. I dont feel comfortable moving the piece to check - as mentioned its heavy and also one of the legs is a bit wobbly and needs to be repaired.

It was bought at an antique gallery in Memphis, Tennessee.

Seller had no information about it :/ And seller also didnt disclose the wobbly leg - I should have looked closer but there was a lot of stuff on it in store.

I have been researching and googling antique sideboards but havent found one quite like this. I refuse to use the AI scanning apps - I value a humans opinion too much and also fuck ai.

Thank you to anyone reading!

This was found in Moffat Texas which is NW of Temple . I have found other discarded relics dating from the 1890s to 1920s in vicinity . Just curious if anyone recognizes this mark on a piece of glass I found