Catalog: Archives (152)

NEW BOOK: This is the most popular quarterly antique magazine published in Japan. It is from Gakken, Gakushu Kenkyu-sha. This is their the 25th edition, the latest edition, published in Feb 2002. I had a chance to purchase one of these series a year ago. Within a year I looked for others and purchased the next two books when they were available.

"Picture tells all" describes this book. You can enjoy this book without knowing the language. It shows the details in the pictures...

NEW BOOK: This is the most popular quarterly antique magazine published in Japan. It is from Gakken, Gakushu Kenkyu-sha. This is their 23rd edition, published on Sep 15, 2001. I had a chance to purchase one of these series a year ago. Within a year I looked for others and purchased the next two books when they were available.

"Picture tells all" describes this book. You can enjoy this book without knowing the language. It shows the details in the pictures...

This type of fan is used for traditional Japanese dancing. Great home decor item combined with the other Japanese items. It is made out of black lacquer wooden sticks and a thick paper with designs on both side. Handpainted and new. The measurements are 20" across and 11 1/2" high. Black plastic wall hanger included.

NEW BOOK: This is the most popular quarterly antique magazine published in Japan. It is from Gakken, Gakushu Kenkyu-sha. This is their the 24th edition, published on Nov 15, 2001. I had a chance to purchase one of these series a year ago. Within a year I looked for others and purchased the next two books when they were available.

"Picture tells all" describes this book. You can enjoy this book without knowing the language. It shows the details in the pictures...

"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...

Beautiful screen, the quality did not show here. The measurements are 66"L x 36"H. Hand painted on silk with silk matting and framed in the black lacquered wood. Condition is excellent except in the areas shown in the pictures. One dent did break the paper but not so visible (enlargement 5), small scratches on the right side corner in the matting area (enlargement 6)is minor. The damage in the back (done by a cat) is worse than the picture (enlargement #8).

These are worn with kimono and obi under Uchikake gown for the traditional Japanese wedding ceremony. There is a small area on the tissue holder and tanto bag with some power like stains. It is in new condition other than that. Great accent pieces for your home; two obi-jime (fat strings) can be used to tie the curtains, or use them with obis to create a wall décor. Be creative and have fun!

NEW MAGAZINE: This magazine was published in Japan. Listed here are: Imari wares from Sho-ki (early) to Saisei-ki (mid Edo, the glorious golden era of Imari), 1620s to 1720s. And it goes on to early 18 to 19th century Imari's. 96 pages.

Again this will be offered by the Yebis, Lioness Company of Japan. It will be shipped directly from Yumiko-san there, Please allow 2 weeks to the US. From another country - please inquire.

The measurements for this obi (maru obi) is quite large, 12 3/4"w x 153" wide. Condition is very new with some basting stitches still intact.

Beautiful view of an old house in Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan. The design is finer in detail than shown in the pictures. All the designs are woven with silk thread and real gold wrapping thread. There is no need for extra spot light for this obi to shine (as shown here).

The composition of this obi is a “fukuro obi

Japanese cute kimekomi ningyo, zuishin imperial guard hina dolls. The dolls are 4 inches in height.

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).

Hagi Yaki is a thick, grained pottery with a thin yellowish-white or bluish-pink glaze with large crackles. It is originated by a Korean potter as many other Japanese potteries are. Hagi ware is especially known for the beautiful changes that follow after each use...

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...

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...

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...

The color of this Japanese wedding gown (Uchikake kimono) is a deep cherry to scarlet red depending on the lighting. Please note the beautiful embroidery work on this gown, especially on the sleeves.

The kiku flowers crowd over the gold lattice with multiple colors of green leaves. Cranes, which symbolize family in Japan, fly over the plum and pine trees in the sky. In the designs of the lower half, there are flower carts and the seven wild flowers from autumn. In the background, there are...

Beautiful silk kimono. It's a pricy item in Japan. This silk is not a soft kind, coarse kind without a liner for the summer use. The color is lined with a very white soft silk. Nagoya style obi is included. If you have any question, please call me or e-mail me. The measurements are 48" wide and 60" long.

Guaranteed to brighten up your place. I have another wedding gown like this one. There is no sentimental reason, but it always ends up on my wall in every new location. Mine is a newer kind (40 to 50 years old) like this gown and pretty gaudy in color (it used to be much brighter) but it just shows off well. So, this might be your piece! The lining is a soft red silk. Actual gown looks older than these photos. The measurements are 51" wide and 72" long.

Included in this Japanese kanzashi set are jade kanzashi, jade and red kougai and genuine black lacquer kanzashi with jade at the ends. One of the jade has scratches as shown.

This is a Japanese lacquered hair comb and pin set. The dimensions of the comb are 2 1/4 inches by 4 1/12 inches long. The length of the hair pin is 6 1/2 inches long. It is probably from the Taisho to early Showa period.

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...

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

These 26 assortments of Japanese kasuri patchwork cloths came from old kimonos (some are new), thin to thick cotton. Some have tiny holes, fadings or repairs. One is lined with an ai dye blue fabric.

The largest one is 13 3/4" x 25 1/2"; the smallest 6" x 6 1/4". The total length together: 13 3/4" x approx. 23'(276 inches)

We learn how people lived in the Edo period (1603-1867) from the dolls (ningyo) that were left to us today. They are called Fuuzoku (customs and manners) ningyo or Ukiyo (floating world) ningyo. There are basically two types of dolls of young men among them.

Wakashu ningyo is one of them. Wakashu was used to refer to young men who had yet to experience the ceremonial rite of passage of becoming a man, commonly at the age of 12 in the old time. During the ceremony, the fron...

This type of tissue holder is called "Hakoseko". This is to be placed between Obi and Kimono with the chains dangling in the chest area. Hakoseko is still being used today for very special ceremonial occasions, but it is very difficult to find an old quality piece like this. Obviously, this has been stored for years without being used. The condition is new with some faint storage stains. It came with a paper bag filled with straws instead of tissue papers. From Taisho to early Showa,...

WEARABLE ART: When this coat was tailored out of an old Japanese kimono, it was made to stress the lightness of the coat without the lining. Light coconut shell buttons were chosen for the same reason. Freshly made using the fabric from early 1900 to 1940. Black color with a slight green tint and silver thread stripes, medium size.

I have never seen this type of Hina Goten (Palace) until I found this one. No longer a spring chicken myself, I asked several people in Japan if they knew anything about this style. No one knew. We may call this a rare find. The Hina ningyo (doll) set that I grew up with was displayed in the steps style, which is still a common way of displaying 15 dolls with furnitures as long as a space permits. The Emperor and Empress’s hands are made out of wood covered with Gofun(layers of oyster sh...

This summer obi is made out of soft "Ro" silk with a gold tint. The silk on the front side is in mint condition (never been used) with an antique looking silk liner. Soft and high quality obi. It comes with basting stitches all around. The design on the silk is a picture of Karuta cards with beautiful calligraphy of old “waka

The black dye changed its color to a dark gray which is nice in its own way. It is a formal wear with 5 mon (family crest). Top half of the lining is done with a white 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! The bottom is lightly padded which makes this kimono into a great decoration piece. Beautifully hand sewn, again it is the work of art itself. The design is done in Yuzen dye and in excell...

This is an old carp made with asa (hemp or bast fiber). It was probably used as a streamer called Koinobori for the Boy’s Day (renamed to Chilren's Day). The larger Koi can be bigger than 10

This fabric came from an old kimono, beautiful old thick cotton with light brown stripes in dark blue dye. Some color fading but no visible damages or stains. The measurements:

2 pieces of 13 1/3" x 8'5", with 4" cut in the middle.
2 pieces of 13 1/3" x 46"
Total length: 23'5" x 13 1/3"