A blue and white bowl, Qing dynasty (1644-1912) with Wanli's six character mark.

Aquired in 1952 in Tokyo, at Mayuyama & Co, Fine Art dealer, Japan.
Mayuyama Matsutarou (1882-1935) who established the Mayuyama Co, went to Beijing alone in April 1905, and started business of the antique art. He was 22 years old. In that period, Beijing was flourished center of oriental art and antiquities market on the popular trend of oriental arts in Europe and America.

The treasure which flowed out at the disturbance period when Qing dynasty was falling and ancient artifacts excavated in railroad construction work were carried into the market continiously. Many collectors and dealers were active.

Then Japanese antique markets are occupied by marchants of antique tea ceremony utencils, who were called 'DOGU-SHO' or 'KOTTO-SHO'. Matsutaro brought the business learnt in Beijing market leading the world into Japan. He handled art and antiquities which are not useful for tea ceremony, and became a leading art and antique dealer with occidental style.

Building in Kyobashi Ward Suzukicho in 1920
He returned to Japan in 1916, and opened a gallery in Ginza, Tokyo. In 1920, he has moved to Kyobashi(present address) , and established his gallery. In 1923,when the Imperial Hotel opened, he has a shop in the hotel which Frank Lloyd Wright designed.

In 1935, Mayuyama Matsutaro passed. Eldest son Junkichi (1913- 1999) succeeded. Mayuyama Junkichi was dealing oriental arts, especially Chinese ceramics, succeeding his father Matsutaro. He introduced many Japanese masterpieces to USA, after business with USA restarted at the end of WWII.
Name of MAYUYAMA has come in the world, offering many masterpieces to museums as Metropolitan Museum, Seattle Museum, and Cleveland Museum of Arts, and to collectors as Mr. Rockefeller Third.