Dragons writhe across the face of this astounding free standing temple which was a long time display piece in a Butsudan Shoten, an example of the finest work available for Japanese altars. The piece is more than 60 years old, as the current owner of the store (third generation) mentions it has stood there for as long as he can remember. It is entirely hand made; each piece of wood finely shaped and lacquered, each bit of metal hand etched before assembly. It rises from a 9 stage base of red,...

A young woman in rare western dress gazes across this early to mid 20th century Bijinga scroll signed Ikko (Furutani Fujio, b. 1891) enclosed in a period wooden box. Her bright western dress and short hair must have made quite an impression in conservative Japan. The silk painting is bordered in green brocade embellished with flowering vines, extended with beige and features bone rollers. The scroll measures 21-1/2 x 52-1/2 inches (54.5 x 133 cm), and is in fine condition. Fujio was born in ...

Description: In simple and plain shape, this celadon jar was kept with original lid. Fine glaze are all over the surface, it is an ideal holder for aged Oolong tea. Date : Ming Dynasty(AD15th-16th Century) Width:12.3cm Height:13.2cm

Fahr-Becker, Gabriele (ed.), The Art of East Asia, English edition, Koenemann Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, Cologne, 1999, 2 vols., 406pp and 407pp. 12 ½ x 10 ¾ in. (32 x 27.8 cm). Hardcover with dust jacket, in slipcase.
In these volumes the arts and cultures are discussed, richly illustrated in color, of China, Indonesia and the Champa Kingdoms (vol. I) and of the Kingdom of the Khmer, Thailand, Laos, Burma, Vietnam, Japan and Korea (vol. II). The focus of this book is clearly on China and Ja...

One of the most interesting vases I have seen by this potter, quite striking in appearance, with brick colored dashes struck briskly through the dark molasses of the vase. Under the glaze we can see the artists signature Jomon rope impressions pressed into the clay. The Jomon pattern (the Jomon were ancient peoples of Japan whose pottery was typified by rope impressions) is what Tatsuzo is most famous for. The vase stands 10-3/4 inches (27.3 cm) tall, and is 4-1/4 inches (11 cm) across the sh...

Very small scroll painting for in the back of a house shrine. Sumie. Daruma standing on a reed stalk crossing the river Yangtse. In the upper part a commentary or a poem. Black ink on silk. Red seal to the left. To the right the typical jar shaped seal in red.
Painted area: 7 5/8 x 3 13/16 in.
Size of whole scroll: 7 x 17 ¾ in.
Back of scroll needs fixing, scroll ends missing, painting slightly yellowed and soiled, crease at the top, some tears in lower area, due to rolling, gene...

Kanban with identical inscription on both sides: goko (five scents), a general, government licensed medication against all kinds of ailments. Middle brown wood with carved inscription, painted brown, gold and red. Forged iron handle on top.
Height with handle 22 5/8 in. (58.2 cm), without handle 21 in. (53.9 cm), width 7 in. (18 cm).
Some of the colors chipped out of the grooves, partly repainted and chipping again, some minor, short cracks and chips around the handle. Generally very...

Kanban with the inscription Inari taiji goyo (great Inari shrine, your order). The sign may refer to a shop at the shrine grounds, selling things to be offered at the shrine or souvenirs, or to a shop that specifically make devotional objects to the order of this particular Inari shrine. Attached to a black patinated wooden board are a bell and rope and two small objects, covered in gold brocade. Forged iron handle at top.
Measurements: height at left 38 ½ in., height at right 38 ¼ in.; wi...

Tall zushi with wooden sculpture of Yakushi Nyorai standing on a high, double lotus base. In his left hand he holds a medicine jar, while his right hand is raised in mudra. Very simple, country style carving. Lotus base very well carved in wood, covered with gold lacquer. Figure is plain wood covered with soot patina. Names of the donors written in ink on the bottom of the case. Date unreadable. Edo period, mid 17th century, possibly earlier. Height of case 25 3/4 in. (65.8 cm). Figure in good c...

Very rare. Simple wooden zushi with a figure of Fudo Myoo sitting on a high rock before a flaming halo. In his right hand he holds a sword, in his left a rope.
On lower levels of the rock formation sits Seitaka doji, holding his scarf in his left hand and a (now missing) club in his right, and stands Kongara doji, holding a lotus flower in his hands.

Light brown CLAY, hand modeled (not molded!), fired at low temperature, painted dark brown. Back of halo engraved with name of temple an...

Here is a fine squat jar form vase, the deep red clay covered in fish-eyed tenmoku glaze by Living National Treasure (Ningen Kokuho) Shimizu Uichi (1926-2004), enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Iron red shows through with startling effect like meteorites in a dark night sky of blue and brown. It measures 6-1/2 inches (16.5 cm) tall, the same diameter. Shimizu is known for the soft persimmon red temmoku (iron oxide) glaze, as well as crackled white and celadon glazes. This is an exc...

Miniature shrine with inside the sitting figure of Dainichi Nyorai. He sits on a lotus base, in front of an open-worked halo. Written on top, probably in red lacquer, underneath a thick layer of soot: Dainichi. Height 2 ¾ in. (6.8 cm). Japan, Edo period, 19th century. Outside: some tiny lacquer chips at edges of one door. Inside: some of the outer lotus petals missing, otherwise very good condition. Very finely carved.

A black-tailed white crane braves tempestuous seas before the massive orb of a blood red rising sun in this sensational late Edo period Kano style scroll. From the right a sinewy tree loaded with exaggerated fruits hangs precariously from the green face of a sheer cliff, its wild branches running helter-skelter through the dark sphere. Mist retreats beyond the horizon, regrouping for another night. A very unorthodox scene, each wave scratched out with soft gray, foam flying from the bird and ...

Japanese antique hina dolls (ningyo), the muscician dolls from the late Edo period (1603-1868). All five dolls have dimples on their cheeks; one doll in the center is carrying an inro (medicine case) and another has a pouch on her back of the belt area -- shown in the last photo.

Dimensions: Three dolls are 8 3/4 to 9 inches high, two dolls on 1/ 5/8 inches stool (new) are 10 inches high x 12 inches width x 9 1/2 inches deep; they can be as tall as 15 1/2 inches high depending on what...

A beautiful hand painted Uchikake kimono with pine trees and rocks in sumi-e black ink (dye) style, a symbol of winter, New Year and the longevity. The fabric is Shioze silk (thicker than regular silk), not shiney as satin silk. Very well preserved; no stains. It is evenly discolored to a creamy color and still wearable. Circa, late Meiji to early Showa, 1900 to 1940.

Dimensions: 51 inches (sleeve to sleeve) x 71 inches long

An extraordinary scene unravels in this raucous tumbling Literati scroll by Kyotos Shirakura Niho (b. 1896) enclosed in the original signed wooden box. An inscription in the box lid names the scene The Hermitage West of Kamo (River) called Taka-Ike-Kyo. A solitary man looks up from his reading toward open ground, his thatched hovel lost in a jumble of bamboo flanking the steep falls rushing white through the foliage. The vibrant work harkens to the radical Taisho period, when Nanga and Japane...

An unusual modern art vase in robbins-egg-blue dating circa 1970 enclosed in the original signed wooden box by Kyoto artist Kumakura Junkichi (1920-1985).. The blue metallic glaze flows down the sides leaving a distinct pattern in the smooth surface, collecting in oil drop pools around the thickened base. Notches cut in the surface are turned out at various points to allow the insertion of flowers and twigs on all surfaces. One could make a variety of very interesting arrangements with this a...

Here is a rare and fabulous Muromachi to Momoyama period (16th century) 42 plate koshozan kabuto signed by Haruta Tokisada, a famous armor craftsman of Nara active during the later Muromachi. The shape is exquisite, slightly bulbous in back, with a relaxed center just lower than the front. Three clusters of silver clouds are incised in damascene in the Mabizashi (visor), above which are 12 large hoshi rivets fastening a decorative iron plate to the front of the hachi. The fukigaeshi bear a fo...