Catalog: Archives: Regional Art (104)

This painting is done by Sosen Kano (1813-1897), a well-known painter in the late Edo period who was the Edo Shogunate’s designated painter.

Here is a peaceful scene of a child sitting backwards on the back of an ox strolling under a weeping willow tree. This painting shows the monotonous scene of the country and the trust between the two catching the expression of the ox beautifully. Painted on silk, it is in the excellent conditionwith with some repair on the silk mounting...

This is an old Yogi, a futon/blanket for the colder parts of Japan. It is a thick cotton dyed in the "Japanese blue", ai/indigo with a tsutsugaki (freehand painted rice paste resist) family crest on the back and stuffed with a cotton inside. The whitle little spots that you see are cutton balls from inside. The condition is excellent; some faint brown stains on the right side bottom and the lower left side bottom of the inside which is giving a charactor to this beautiful piece...

Through the Nanbansen trade, the Portuguese introduced two important things to the Japanese in the 17th century. They were the matchlock gun and tobacco. As the popularity of tobacco spread rapidly to all classes, there was the need for a tray or box to hold the utensils. Tobacco-bon came to be the "must have" entertainment piece in the Edo period (1614-1868)...

This is a newer Hakata doll. Hakata doll was originated by a roof tile maker in the early 17C during the construction of Fukuoka castle. Hakata is located on the Kyushu island (southern island in Japan), famous to other porcelain makers such as Satsuma, Imari, Nabeshima and Hirado.

She looks quite different from the 50’s Hakata export dolls, looking more like a dancer with an umbrella than a Geisha. She is 15 ¼” tall and her "Kanzashi" hair accessories and the umbrella are removal...

This old pair of candle holders is called Shokudai. The large tweezers hanging from a hook is used to pinch the wick. Then, the wick will be stored in the small brass pot. The base of these holders and plates are beautifully shaped like lotus flowers which has been always associated with Buddha and the temples. It weighs over 10 pounds packed and 26.8 inches tall. Circa, Meiji period (1868 to 1912). Original wood box...

Antique Japanese kesa, purple satin silk brocade. Kesa was originally made from scraps of material donated to the priests. People who gave to Buddhist institutions were often keen to give very expensive items, so some fabulous kesa were created from wonderful silk brocades. This also could mean that the wealthier temples end up collecting the better fabrics or able to send out for the expensive custom made kesa as this...

This is a beautiful old Japanese Shusu (lustrous Satin-weave) obi with the finest embroidery work. Condition of the silk is excellent. It feels so soft, totally different from the newer obis. Color is a shiny deep blue. There is one seam in the center of the front and two in the back. Converted from Nagoya style obi to a flat obi of 11 1/8" wide x 80" long, all the works are done profesionally by hand. The design areas are balanced on each end of the front side this way...

This is a very high quality Kyoto Nishijin silk brocade obi, one of the best quality obi that we are currently offering. You may find the same type of designs in newer or even in old obis, but the quality of silk and the fine embroidery would not be the same. I have been always searching for the same obi after purchasing this obi in Japan. The seach is still continued. The originally white color is now aged to a beautiful creamy tan color, excellent condition...

When you look at an obi like this, you know why the name "Nishijin" is so known. This is a very formal obi, the biggest obi that I have seen, 13" wide and 154" long. Just a perfect piece for the formal dining room. It is large enough to cover two formal dining room tables. The colors are pastel, very gentle. When this obi was woven, the gold thread was woven in together...

Beautiful man's short jacket, hand painted on Asa(hemp). It is in excellent conditon, very rare to find this quality in this condition. This type of kimono is becoming very scarce every year.

This is a current Nishijin textile, a very pricey item in Japan. This is an authentic one, it is woven thick like an obi sash. I have two hangings listed here. This is the larger one. The details, especially the gold thread, did not show up in the pictures. The theme is the aristocrat's graceful life in court during Heian Era (794-1192AD). You see a princess figure wearing 12 layered kimonos. The current empress had the same traditional attire from this period for the royal wedding not to...

This is an older (40 to 50 years) Japanese screen. The frame is black lacquered wood with a silk border. The dimensions are 36" high and 71" wide. There are some damages in the back which does not affect the front. There is a small hole by the stand in pic #6. You may not see it in the picture (it is small).

What is unusual about this Uchikake is that the fabric has a plastic coating. This is the only one that I have seen with this type of finish. This gown will survive nicely in the high traffic area or you can even hang it by the fireplace in your home. The color is orange. There are some areas that the plastic is missing (last picture). This is something that I did not see until I started to view these pictures (shown in last picture). Other than that, the condition is like new. The m...

The design is done with "Kaioke", the shell boxes. They were used in shell matching game, a popular game played in the Edo period (1603-1868). The design that you see here is not patchwork. The silk was dyed first leaving the areas protected, then the designs were painted on later. Some needlework was added later to enhence the design. The condition of this kimono is excellent and wearable. There is no color loss, very high quality item. The measurements are 50

The design of this kimono is done in Kyoto Yuzen dye (famous paste resist dyeing method) and Bokashi (gradual shading). It is a formal wear with 5 mon (family crest). Top half of the lining is done with a beautiful red silk and the bottom half is done with the same black silk from the front. The design from the front goes throughout the inside lining! It is hand sewn with a top quality silk, amazing workmanship! The bottom is lightly padded which makes this kimono into a great decoration pi...

"Chinese beauty is", according to my Chinese friend, "she should walk like a weeping willow, her eyebrows should be fashionably shaped like its leaves and her long fingers must not show any trace of hard work" – I kind of love this part... Here she is sitting in a chair waiting to be carried by her new husband.

This is a very famous Chinese scene, new bride going home to visit her mother for the first time. This ritual follows three days after the wedding. Quality item, described as...