Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian (241)

A Japanese pipe case (kizeruzutsu) decorated on a deep red lacquer and lacquered *agiro ground with Chinese bell flowers (kikyo) on one side and a waterlily on the other side. It is attached to a stylish leather pouch with a clasp of mixed metal beans. Some damages on lacquer. Late Edo/Meiji period. *Ajiro is a woven wickerwork made out of strips of bamboo skin, cypress bark or Japanese reed.

A set of 10 lidded Hirado Japanese porcelain bowls decorated in underglaze blue with mountain landscape on one half and prunus on the other. The interior has a central floral roundel and wave design on the rim. Each marked Hirado, Kasho. The tomobako (original box), inscribed "Hizen Hirado yaki", Kodai (ancient), Prunus, Sansui ga (oriental style painting of mountains and water). Late Meiji/Taisho period, early 1900s...

A set of old Japanese wooden combs with a cloth comb holder. These are hair styling combs used when most women had the hairdo of today’s geisha. Each comb had a different function which was basically to comb, style and clean the hair. The combs here are all hand cut and it appears that some were added later. All combs are cleaned.

The outside of the folder is covered with a fabric called sarasa...

The carps and nobori Japanese banners, warrior's Yoroi and Kabuto helmets, samurai dolls and swords are all a part of the display used for Boy's Day (renamed Children's Day) on May 5th in Japan. They reflect the parent's wish to inspire their boys in manliness, discipline, bravery and the honor codes which are associated with them.

Originally, Nobori was used in the battle field to identify the troops, some were to show the warriors where their taisho (general) was...

Exceptionally beautiful Japanese lacquer box with a small doll, mame (pea sized) Ichimatsu nigyo (doll) inside - she actually is 4 ½” tall. This must have been some girl's (or woman’s) treasure box years ago. It may have been a gift from her mother or grandmother. The lacquer box is decorated with auspicious designs; a long tailed turtle emerging from a stream, pine, bamboo and rocks on the bank with a crane flying above...

Antique Japanese Fukusa (gift cover), an old Chinese koto player by a waterfall. Embroidered on silk satin, lined with soft crepe silk, circa 1800s. 27 1/2" x 30 1/2"

A large cloud moves in and stirs the air in the forest. Water falls to the river as if it were falling from the sky and ripples it to shore. The resonance of the koto breaks the silence of the forest. The design on this fukusa is likely to have come from one of the old Chinese poems...

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...

Antique Japanese silver and gilt Kanzashi; a hairpin with a humorous design of an old lock placed on "kinchuku", a moneybag, with coral beads. With a clear message, it will be a great gift to someone special. Length 7". Meiji period (1868-1912).

This is a humorous Japanese sake cup. The drinker would find that he has drunk from the face of Okame while others would see the other side of the cup with oni's (ogre) face and would have a laugh. All typical Japanese humor from the Meiji Period (1868-1912). 2 3/4 inches in diameter and 1 inch tall (slightly less) at the horn and jaw.

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...

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...

Antique Japanese warrior doll, 20" Empress Jingyo ningyo(doll) set. Clad in armor is a beautiful young widow, Empress Jingo doll with her faithful minister, Takenouchi no Sukune, holding her baby Ojin. Over time, many of the baby dolls were lost or intentionally thrown away by later generations, probably because of the lack of historical understanding. An old Samurai holding a baby is simply inconceivable and uncharacteristic of a Samurai warrior...

Antique Chinese fan with two lovely women hand painted on feathers. The body of the fan appear to be made of bone. The colors of the peacock feathers are beautiful.The light reflected in gold (frame), took away the age. All and all, It has more antique look than shown in the photos. We just had the nails (that hold the glass to the wooded frame) checked, and hanging wire and brackets changed. 30 1/4" W x 18 1/4" H x 2 1/4"D

Please see Trocadero#38274 for details.

This is a Japanese Nishijin obi made in exceptionally high quality...

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...

Antique musician dolls for the Japanese Hina Matsuri Festival (Girl’s Day) which is held every March third. Displayed with the ladies-in-waiting, ministers and servants dolls, they are the entertainers of the Imperial Court.

The dolls are from early 1900s, the late Meiji period to early Showa period. The body is made out of straw, old glass eyes and their faces (wood or wood powder) are covered with layers of gofun (white surface coating made out of ground oyster shell and animal glue)...

There is no visible image of God in Japanese Shinto religion. For this reason, people find the spirit of God in their surroundings, especially in nature. In the noh play “Takasago”, an old couple is seen together on the beach of Takasago (today’s Hyogo prefecture) sweeping pine needles under the trees. The old man Jo and old woman Uba are the spirits of the pine trees that were grown in Takasago and Sumiyoshi. The two trees are located far away but they are together with their spirits. ...