I think we can call this doll, "Kokin-bina" from the late Edo Period. 16 inches tall with hair "kanmuri" and stand, 8 1/2 inches without. Beautiful shiny white face, head and hands are all hand carved and covered with gofun (crushed shell and paste). There is one old crack on her neck which is not visible through her hair. There are some soft gofun spots around her mouth (not the shiny area), Gyokugan glass eyes. All and all, the doll is amazingly in good condition consi ...click for details
Antique Tansu cover (yutan) with a family crest of crane. There are few Yutans left in original shape like this one. The fabric is a loosely hand woven cotton and is made to fit over the tansu (cabinet), the size of 40" by 18". This cover can be dissembled into a flat cloth of 27 inches by 118 inches. The condition of the fabric appears to be in new condition with two holes between the 72" to 74" location. The color is uneven in some area; small areas show blue than g ...click for details
This is a representation of Shotoku taishi (574 A.D.-622 A.D.), the young princely protector of Buddhism in Japan. At the age of twenty, he reorganized Japan by promoting Chinese Confucian and Buddhist principles. His well known "Constitution with 17 Articles" was the first written law of Japan. The articles begin by emphasizing the importance of harmony, which is still the foundation of the Japanese culture. The figure is from the Kutani kilns, 7 inches tallA solid and heavy piec ...click for details
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.
Japanese kanzashi hair accessory, Kogai hair pin. The quality of decoration is very good. It looks more antique than shown in photos. The material is, bone, hard and heavy as ceramics. 6 7/8 inches long.
Marked Hichozan and made by Maru(circle mark) hei. Hichozan was a large organization located in Kyushu, the southern island of Japan. The organization did not make any porcelain itself but had large workshops decorating blanks from other factories. Most of the blanks were made at Mikawachi where the Hirado kilns were located. They also ordered underglaze decorated wares that they could supply to their clients. These bowls fall into that category and were made for Hichozan, by the Hirado ki ...click for details
Antique Japanese kanzashi, comb and hairpin (kogai) set, hand carved with gold powder over lacquer work (fundame). This is an elegant set than shown in the photos. The details in the work did not show up under the bright light. The bite-like damage is concentrated in the lower center on the reverse side. Breathtakingly beautiful set! We had trouble deciding on the material because of the color being dark and the damage is so little. It showed up as a non-plastic material in the test (bru ...click for details
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 samurais 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 occasions. ...click for details
