Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art (247)

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...

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.

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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).

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...

Japanese Imari charger finely enameled with panels of two phoenixes on stylized floral scrolling grounds - all in green, red, blue and purple enamel with gilding. The reverse side is decorated in underglaze blue with karakusa scroll pattern and with fork shaped factory mark. The phoenix (Ho-o in Japanese) is a mythological bird known to appear in time of peace and prosperity. It symbolizes immortality, resurrection and life after death...

Antique uchishiki, Japanese alter cloth, embroidered on silk satin with Chinese theme, “The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove”. Probably from late 18th to mid 19th century. 26 3/8" x 25" (67cm x 63 1/2cm).

Condition: This is a beautiful antique textile even with some obvious damage and wear, still solid with a thick cotton backing. The wear is seen particularly on both ends of the design. This quality of needle work is seldom seen.

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...

Old Japanese doll resembling the Kuge (aristocrat) from the Heian period (794-1185), 16 inches tall. This doll was probably one of the zuishin (imperial guard) dolls for the Hina Festival (Girl’s Day in Japan). His long face mostly resembles the Kyoho-bina which is the imperial pair dolls from the mid Edo period (1603-1868). Considering the quality, size and time (late Edo), this doll must have been made for someone special...

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...

Takeda dolls are modeled after the popular characters from the theater play during the Edo period. They are known for their exaggerated posture and facial expressions of the puppet dolls and kabuki actors on stage. The dolls in this style, with the distinguished Kabuki actor’s makeup called ‘kumadori’ (first created by Danjyuro Ichikawa I, 1660-1704) were made in late Edo to early Meiji period...

Antique silk Kesa, an outer garment worn by Japanese Buddhist priests, cotton liner, padded with paper, late Edo to early Meiji period. Dimensions: 76 1/2" x 43 1/2"

Unique old Japanese yogi (kimono-shaped futon bed cover) from Kaga, a weeping willow tree with a butterfly family crest, 57" x 72", Meiji Period (1868-1912).

Kaga, located in today's Kanazawa prefecture area, was known as "Kaga One-million Koku", the wealthiest domain next to the Tokugawa Shogun family during the Edo period (1603-1868). Each domain was assessed its wealth measured by "koku." Most samurai received stipends in koku...

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...

A beautiful Chinese silk rug (6' x 9'); the yellow field bearing a central medallion of a front-facing dragon with four side-facing dragons in each corner, all on a stylized linked flower head ground, the border with stylized lotus, peony and other flowers of good fortune.

This is an old hand woven carpet in great quality. The whitish areas shown in some photos are reflections of light on the silk. The five claws dragons are woven on a brown metal background (gilt copper)...

A Japanese priest's silk ouhi (Buddhist priest's ritual arm - shoulder covering), the green/gray/black brocade silk with an overall design of cranes, pine, stylized shells, verlaid with white line divisions and asymetric gold thread kikyo (Chinese bell flower) designs, pale pink silk liner. Late Edo period. Dimensions - 11 1/8" x 54".

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. This Chinese man can be Lin Bu (967...

A Japanese Samurai doll (ningyo) with the look of a Daimyo: feudal lord in the Edo period (1603-1868). The Kamishimo with long hakama trousers were only worn for special occasions in the Edo castle. The samurai's blue top kimono is made out of a wash paper (a liner to his original kimono). There is a beautiful patina on his face which is covered with a gofun mixture from the time. In the old time, doll makers used to let oyster shells sit outside for years before they could ground th...

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...

This is a wonderful set of Japanese bridal kanzashi (hair ornaments) from the Meiji to Taisho period, late 1800s to early 1900s, made out of tortoise shells. We assume that this kanzashi was decorated with the auspicious emblem, a phoenix bird in paulownia tree, with some elements (leaves, flowers and birds) altered to the family of the bride. It has an aura of nobility and power. The family crest on the box is three ivy leaves. There is always a chance that the box may not be original but ...

There is no visible image of god in Japan's oldest religion, “Shinto”. People look for the image of gods in their daily surroundings and found the divine spirits to dwell in pine trees. For this reason, pine trees are considered sacred and many wonderful artworks of pine trees were created. Cranes are said to live one thousand years. They are considered auspicious as their distinctive high pitched voices can reach to the heaven. Pine trees and cranes symbolize longevity and a harmonious...

The fabric is thick, silver brocade that appears to be taken from a Japanese woman's old obi from late Edo period. The liner is cotton. During the Edo period (1602-1868), there was a custom that the family of a deceased woman would donate her favorite kimono to the temple; some beautiful temple cloths were created from those wonderful fabrics. The custom was likely to have continued after the period. The design on the fabric is the four benevolent animals of Chinese mythology; qulin, drag...

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"

Noh Mask (noh-men), Hanakobu Akujyo (Akujou), bumpy nosed fierce old man. Besides the distinctive nose, he has a deep V-shaped crease between his eyebrows and the veins on his temples to his forehead, piercing bulging eyes, teeth painted in gold, with a tan colored horsehair beard and mustache. Not an ordinary face of an old man, he appears to possess something supernatural. This men(mask) is very lightweight. Written on the reverse side is "Hana kobu Aku jyo" in gold. His mask is large for ...

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...

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 ...

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...

Old Japanese gift cover, fukusa with a black mask and a mask box, bells, hat and fan used in the Noh(No) play, Okina (the sacred old man). The Dance of Okina start with a comtemporary prayer for 'a peaceful reign over the land' Okina wearing a white mask. The black mask is worn by the Kyogen actor in the third dance, "Sanbaso". Embroidered on satin, lined with red crepe silk. Dimensions: 28" X 29"

This is an old Japanese towel rack, sometimes called a children’s kimono stand. The metal work is in traditional style and the mounts have been used on many different kinds of lacquer pieces throughout the Edo period. The chrysanthemum mons (family crests) on each end of the mount, were used by the Emperor, royal princes and others outside the Imperial family, in a variety of forms. Although the 16 petal mon was designated for use by the Imperial family, others were entitled to use it. Fo...

Old Chinese ivory figure of Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, in a refined and elegant pose. The body is made out of one piece elephant ivory and finish in a term "cold painted ivory" meaning that the color is applied without any firing to fix and harden it. This method of coloring ivory dates back to the Ming times and was particularly popular in the 18th century. This is probably 19th century piece. Her wonderfully tranquil face and the excellent painting make this a desirable piece.

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...

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...

A Chinese carved cinnabar lacquer vase (converted into a lamp) decorated with four shaped panels of scholars on a mountainous landscape, the background with scrolling floral borders and motifs. The quality of the carving is one of the best from its period (probably late 19th century) and is in excellent condition – some chips and minor hair lines. It was converted into a lamp sometime later. It works perfectly as a lamp, although there is one area taped (with black tape) on the cord. All ...