Catalog (414)

Japanese Takeda Samurai doll from late Edo to early Meiji, 1800s. Takeda dolls were made to model Kabuki actors and puppet dolls from the late Edo period (1603-1868). The doll is possibly Benkei, a faithful retainer to Yoshitsune (Minamoto).

Many stories were written based on Benkei and Yoshitsune (Minamoto, Genji family). They first met on the bridge of Gojyo in Kyoto when Benkei challenged Yoshitsune. He had been challenging strangers to sword fights so that he could get their swo...

A pair of Japanese lacquered iron abumi (stirrups) decorated with gold lacquer on a roiro ground. It has butterfly family crests (mon) in the center of a scrolling leaf and flower border, the interior in red lacquer.

The butterfly design was a favorite among the aristocrats and was seen in their belongings, ox-carts and attire during the Heian period (794-1192). They were also seen in armor of the Heike (Taira family) before power was shifted to the Genji (Minamoto family) samurai. It ...

A pair of lacquered iron abumi (Japanese stirrups) decorated in fine gold and nashiji (pear skin) lacquer on a roiro urushi, black lacquer ground. Each carries a Tokugawa aoi crest (three hollyhock leaves in a circle) within scrolling leaf background, the bottom constructed with wood pieces within an iron frame which made it lighter, thus gave a better control. Edo period (17th/18th century).  9" high, 5 1/4" wide.

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...

The Zuishin dolls are a part of the Hina Ningyo doll set for Hina Matsuri, the Girl’s Day Festival in Japan. Though they are commonly called Daijin minister dolls, they are the figures of Toneri, the imperial guardsmen and escorts from the Heian period (794-1185).

It was said that the Zuishin dolls were already seen (created and added to the Imperial Hina couple) in Kyoto during the Meiwa era (1764-1772) while the musician dolls were created in Edo (current Tokyo) at the same time. J...

These are very unique Japanese zuishin dolls from the late Edo period (1603-1868). The dolls are commonly called Daijin minister dolls but they are actually figures of the Toneri, the imperial guardsmen and escorts from the Heian period (794-1185). The clothing of the dolls is rich and elaborate just like Kabuki actors on stage. At first, we thought these may be Takeda ningyo (Takeda theater dolls) from the same period (older Takeda dolls - late Edo to early Meiji) but the embroideries on t...

Daimyo hikeshi shozoku: Samurai firefighter's wool jacket with a silk velvet collar; the crest and design are couched with gold leaf thread (wrapped around silk thread), chest protector and belt. Excellent, clean condition with some holes and damages in velvet collar. Late Edo period (1603-1868), 50" wide x 39" long, Chest protector, 25 1/4" long.

There were many fires during the Edo period (1603-1868). The town of Edo was crowded with houses quickly built after the first Tokugawa Sh...

A hexagonal Chinese covered dish, decorated in overglaze enamels win the Famille Jaune pallette. The motifs seen in the shaped collar (in the form of a ryui fungus) around the lid are Buddhist precious objects. the flowers are those usually found on such porcelains and include hawthorn (prunus), lotus, orchid, peony, chrysanthemum, etc. The mask handles on the sides would originally have had wire carriers fitted. This piece dates from the 19th century

Dimensions: 11 1/4" width (tip t...

This Chinese vase comes from Canton from the end of the 19th century or perhaps the first few years of the 20th century. The shape is termed onion neck for obvious reasons and derives from Delft forms made in Holland in the 17th century. The bright overglaze enamel colors are typical of export wares of the era and the subject matter of boys with balloons containing characters meaning "prosperity" and "good luck".

I thik this is Japanese (?) candlesticks dated from the Meiji period (1863 - 1912). Some holes. The biggest one is shown in the enlargement #7. These are generally caused by too much dampness in Japan. 17 1/2" high.

Old Japanese decorative roof tile, Onigawara, depicting the legend of Jo and Uba, spirits hunting in the pine trees of Takasago. They symbolize the harmonious marriage and long life together. This tile was probably on the roof of the traditional wedding place once. Dimensions are approx. 11 1/2" high x 18 1/2" width and 5" depth, 14 pounds.

Japanese female mask in the style of a Noh mask. This face may have been considered beautyiful many years back, but now it carries a heavy-duty insult to any ladies if they were to be called Otafuku-chan or Okame-san in Japanese. Otafuku-kaze is the mumps and there are popular snack beans called Otafuku-mame, shaped exactly like this face.

Otafuku simply means “much happiness”. Also known as Okame or Uzume, this face has been the symbol of good wishes for health and happiness. Mu...

The Kanzashi hair accessory has been the main jewelry for Japanese women. This antique comb and hair pin set has a wonderful design of turtles in the bay area on one side and landscape on the other side. It is a classic design in gold makie on tortoiseshell with coral inlay. Hair Pin is 5 3/4" long, comb 3" long and 1" in width. Meiji period (1868-1912).

Interesting looking Japanese theater doll, dressed as a Chinese warrior, Kan-U (Guan Yu, Chinese), a Chinese legendary figure from the Three Kingdoms era. The story of the turbulent warring period in Chinese was written by Luo Guazhong in 14th century in his famous novel "Romance of the Three Kingdoms". It became popular among the neighboring countries. In Japan, it was played in puppet doll theaters (Joruri) and Kabuki theaters in late 17th century Edo period. I believe the book was first fu...

This is “kataginu” (shoulder cloth), only the upper part of kamishimo without a trouser. Kami-shimo simply means top and bottom in Japanese. It was a high ranking samurai’s formal attire when they attended official meetings at the Edo castle. It was worn over kosode (kimono with small sleeves) with trousers. The shoulders are arch shaped and this was the style that developed in the late Edo period (1603-1868). Longer trousers (approx. 1.5 times longer) were chosen for special occa...

Make-up plays a vital roll in a Kabuki play because it is dark in the Kabuki Theater (especially in 17th century Edo period without light bulbs). It was sometimes exaggerated, along with their costumes, to let the audience know right away who they were and also their emotional stages. You might have seen the elaborate (very beautiful), flashy Kabuki costumes. They certainly were not daily wears.

Here, the interesting design on a male figure face is actually Kabuki make-up called “Kumad...

Three Jokan Dolls are part of a Hina doll set for the Japanese Girl's Day. They are to serve the Emperor and Empress with drinks and food. The young and pretty are usually choosen for this role. Many sets have one older married woman sitting in the middle, possibly a supervising figure? Her hair is usually done in a less attractive manner and she often has her teeth blackened. It was the sign of being a married woman at the time. Here, one of the dolls has a black line across her tee...

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Antique Japanese doll, a head of a samurai festival ningyo(doll), rare find; dashi (festival float) ningyo or Kiku festival doll. The measurement of this featured head (used for Dashi float or kiku ningyo festival) is approx. 15 inches (38 cm) long from the top to the bottom (stick included), life slightly larger than life size and light in weight, inside wood is carved out. Most of the weight is within the bottom pole. The painted eyes are looking down, indicating the higher position of t...

Japanese antique hina dolls, large musician ningyo from the 1800s. The hayashi musician dolls were added to the emperor and empress dolls (Dairi-bina), sometime in the mid to late 18th century. They were first made in Edo (today’s Tokyo) while the Zuishin, Court Guards (also known as ministrator dolls) were being created in Kyoto.

There are two types of costumes for the musician dolls, Kamishimo or Suou (su-ou). The dolls that we offer here are wearing Suou, which were worn by aris...

This type of fukusa is a cover placed over a gift at the time of a gift-giving ceremony such as the "Yui-noh" which is held prior to a wedding. The evergreen pine symbolizes the strength and devotion of men; the plum blossoms represent purity, subtle beauty and the inner strength of women. Bamboo is often used to describe the personality of men and women; for example, a person being as straight (honest) as bamboo could also mean flexible (bendable) to a large extent. When pine (matsu, SHO), bam...

This is an exceptionally beautiful antique Japanese doll. The face of the doll is small but delicate. It has the look of a Noh mask with painted skinny eyes and a nose that is extra high. This indicates that the doll was intended to be a beautiful woman. The color on her lips is almost all faded leaving a green dot on her lower lip. The green lip color (mixture of red and black) that I first thought as a sign of a spooky Obake creature was actually a fashion trend during the Genroku era...

Antique Fukusa, a Japanese gift cover with a pair of cranes and pine Tree. This type of silk fukusa was used as a gift cover at the time of a gift-giving ceremony held prior to a wedding. This was one of the rare occasions that the recipients were expected to keep the fukusa as a gift since any return associated with a wedding was considered a bad omen.

The crane and pine trees are both regarded as the symbol of harmonious marriage and longevity in Japan. The design on this fukusa ...

Japanese fukusa, a silk satin gift cover depicting the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove. The development of the Japanese fukusa is closely associated with their custom of gift giving. Japan has been a farming country until recently and crops were directly affected by nature (draft, floods, etc). The rituals were held within their own communities and fresh crops were offered to god. To irrigate and lay the roads, they needed the better their work relationship. The custom of eating and drink...

Old Japanese Arita vase painted with peonies, plums and chrysanthemum flowers with leaves, tree and rocks in under-glazed blue. Mint condition, circa Meiji period (1868-1912). 9 1/4" in diameter x 12 1/4"H

Antique Japanese samurai doll, a flag-bearer sitting on a chair, 15 inches tall to the top of his head. This is a popular retainer doll paired with a general doll for the Japanese Boy’s Day. All the retainer dolls are usually not handsome; some look quite funny contrary to the handsome general dolls. You can even see a size difference for some in the set; there will be a big handsome general doll and a small retainer doll with a funny face to enhance the difference. The armor and clothes on ...

This kura (saddle) was used in the rituals which took place on the first day of rice planting. The day is called hana-taue (daue), "the flower-rice planting" and it has been practiced in the southern part of Japan. The links to today’s hana-taue is listed at the end. You can hear where the Dengaku (oldest form of Japanese music) came from in the video.

One side of the saddle is decorated with Shishi (lions) and peonies with a crest of “kiri no mon” (crest of Japanese empress ...

Takeda dolls are modeled after the characters from 17th to 19th century Japanese theater. They are known for exaggerated postures and often with a vivid facial expression of the Kabuki actors or Jyoruri puppets on stage from the period.

This doll is holding up a "takafuda" bulletin board in one hand and a brush in the other. "takafuda" was an official bulletin board for Tokugawa government (1603-1868) to announce any regulations, or changes etc.

Little was known about Takeda do...

This panel was taken from Japanese "futon" bed cover. It is decorated with a chagama and other utencils used in the tea ceremony. They are drawn in the paste resist dying technique called tsutsugaki. The green area appears to be dyed with two colors, "ai" indigo blue first then yellow dye. The fabric (cotton) is loosely woven with one repair as shown in the photos. Meiji Period(1868-1912). Dimensions: 61" x 48"

Antique Japanese inro, makie designs of phoenix (ho-o bird) on black lacquer. These large inro are sometimes referred to as sumo wrestler's inro, written "Kahei nuri". The last letter (kao like) is probably "nuri" which means painted or coated with. To roughly quote the Wrangham Index of Inro Artists – according to Soken Kisho, Kahei was a mysterious makie artist that lived in Kyoto during the 18th century. He was prominent enough to have his work called Kahei–nuri, after his name. ...

Japanese antique nobori banner, hand painted on cotton, a tiger in bamboo grove. The style of the painting is derived from ancient Korean paintings of tigers. It is a style that became popular in Japan from the 16th century and you will see many screens and scrolls of tigers painted in this manner. The popularity of these paintings in this style continued throughout the Edo period(1608-1868) and into the Meiji era. The quality of the artwork tells us that this nobori is likely to have been done ...

This is “kataginu” (shoulder cloth), only the upper vest of kamishimo without a trouser. Kami-shimo simply means top and bottom in Japanese. It was a high ranking samurai’s formal attire when they attended official meetings at the Edo castle. It was worn over kosode (kimono with small sleeves) with trousers. The shoulders are arch shaped and this was the style that developed in the late Edo period (1603-1868). Longer trousers (approx. 1.5 times longer) were chosen for special occa...

This is “kataginu” (shoulder cloth), only the upper vest of kamishimo without a trouser. Kami-shimo simply means top and bottom in Japanese. It was a high ranking samurai’s formal attire when they attended official meetings at the Edo castle. It was worn over kosode (kimono with small sleeves) with trousers. The shoulders are arch shaped and this was the style that developed in the late Edo period (1603-1868). Longer trousers (approx. 1.5 times longer) were chosen for special occa...

This is a "kataginu" (shoulder cloth), only the upper vest of kamishimo without trousers. Kami-shimo simply means top and bottom in Japanese. It was a high ranking samurai's formal attire when they attended official meetings at the Edo castle. It was worn over a kosode (kimono with small sleeves) with trousers. The shoulders are arch shaped and this was the style that developed in the late Edo period (1603-1868). Longer trousers (approx. 1.5 times longer) were chosen for special occasions. The s...

This is a Japanese fukusa, a gift cover with the design of the “Eight Views of Omi”. In the beginning of the 16th century, eight scenic spots in Omi (Shiga, Japan) were selected by closely following the Chinese “The Eight Views of the Xiao and Xiang Rivers”. The original version of the "Eight Views" is said to be painted by Song Di in the 11th century – the paintings no longer exist today.* The masterpiece that depicted beautiful landscapes around Lake Dongting in Hunan Provinc...

Beautiful art work of Tosa Mitsutoki* embroidered with a theme from the Noh play "Takasago" on an antique fukusa, a Japanese gift cover. The signature, seal and other characters are embroidered. To find a signature on a fukusa from this period (late Edo) is very rare; in fact, I have never seen one. The characters (at the bottom left side) read "e-dokoro azukari" which is the title for the head of the Imperial Painting Bureau. The characters in the next column translate to Tosa Sakin Shog...