Antique Japanese cast iron figure of Bishamonten, chief of the Four Heavenly Kings and guardian of the north. Dressed for war, he stands on the back of an evil spirit. He holds a club in his right hand in association with his role as guardian. In his left hand, he holds a small pagoda representing the divine treasure house alluding to his association with wealth and good fortune...

An antique Japanese Buddhist altar stand made of Keyaki (Zelkova) wood. All original Urushi lacquer and each part was hand carved. Featuring a center lotus flower with a 4 petal Dorje Vajra on each side. Beautiful craftsmanship throughout. Slight loss to back leg support.

Age: Meiji Era (1868-1912)

Dimensions: 24 1/2" Wide by 9" High by 11 3/4" Deep

Kane gong or bell of a very simple, cylindrical or dish shape, without any sort of decoration. Two loops for cords to hang the gong on a wooden rack. Yellow bronze (sentoku).
Inscription incised in the rim on the back/inside. It mentions the dedication of this gong at the Zenshoji temple in Meiji 40 (1907).

Diam. 12.5 in.; H ca. 3.5 inches.

There are several temples in Japan with that name...

Small painting of the 11-headed Kannon standing on a lotus dais, flanked by Bishamonten and Fudo Myoo.
In the front two red colored Nio are guarding the deities.
Inscription on the central base reads: Ichijoten (name of the temple hall), junsan koichi hongu.
The inscription on the bottom reads: Kazusa Shibayama Tenozan Kanon kyoji.
Rollers cut off and framed in mounting.

Black ink and colors on paper...

Hanging scroll. The founder of the Shingon sect of Buddhism in Japan, Kobo daishi (774-835), seated at a priest’s seat, holding a vajra and a rosary in his hands.
His shoes and a ewer stand underneath his chair.
Ink, mineral colors and gold on silk.
Japan, 19th century.

Painted area: ca. 34.7 x 15.95 inches (93.1 x 40.4 cm); total length 65.2 inches (165.5 cm)

Scratch through upper part, few horizontal dull creases, basically good condition...

Highly unusual Buddhist shrine with the image of a horse looking back. The horse has a ‘brocade’ cover over his back and is standing behind a mesh wire fence, the way they would be kept in temple compounds.

Polychromed wood with some gold details. The roof of the shrine is a separate piece and can be detached, which allows for taking apart the zushi.

Japan, Meiji period, 19th century.
Height of zushi ca...

Elegant gold gilt Meiji Period c.1900 Zen Buddhist Altar Inner Mirror meant to reflect the soul. Beautifully carved buddhist clouds and waves. Holds a bevelled round mirror. Back is thick black lacquer. Ecellant condition. 11" by 11". Ask for shipping quote from California warehouse.

Antique Japanese taiko Buddhist temple drum. Made of keyaki (zelkova elm) wood. Painted with mitsu domoe design, the three comma motif also used as a popular family crest. The design is painted in bold red, blue and green colors. Tightly stretched on both sides with bronze and iron hardware. Taiko (literally meaning "drum" in Japanese) first came about as a way to frighten away evil spirits and crop-threatening pests as well as to call the rain spirit to nourish the fields...

Antique Japanese small and detailed wood carving of standing Buddhist attendant figure. Gracefully positioned on a rocky out cropping, the male figure, possibly a Bosatsu himself exudes a sense of calm strength. Flowing drapery is carved with movement and intricately painted with mineral colors.

Age: Edo Period (1603-1868)

Dimensions: 9" high x 4 1/2" wide x 3" deep.

Antique Japanese carved wood figure of the esoteric Guardian of Buddhism, Fudō Myō-ō. The figure is simultaneously finely detailed and charmingly primitive adding to the authentic spirit of this Shingon temple guardian.

Also called Acala Vidyarāja (Sanskrit meaning unmovable king of esoteric knowledge), Fudō (sometimes simply called Fudō san in Japan) is usually the central figure in depictions of the five Wisdom Kings (Vidyarāja, Myōō)...

Antique Japanese large hanging Buddhist temple lantern made of gilt copper. Elaborately designed with a three dimensional hexagonal form and decorated all over with pierced scrolling filigree featuring chrysanthemum blossoms and swirling mist. Smaller friezes display ocean waves. Raised roundels with peonies decorate the feet. The interior is lined with rice paper.

Age: Late Meiji Period (circa 1900)

Dimensions: 29" high x 33" long x 31" wide

Buddhist shrine, or zushi. Inside stands Jizo bosatsu, holding a wish-granting jewel (hoju no tama) in his left hand and his staff in the right. Very elaborate wooden carving with thick layers of lacquer on top of which gilding. Unusual face with down cast eyes...

Very unusual figure of the Kigyo Kishimojin, standing with a baby in her arms, holding up a pomegranate in her right hand. In this form she represents the protector of children.
Almost abstracted wooden figure with dark patina. The mouth painted red, the eyes inlaid with glass or crystal painted with gold in reverse technique, the pomegranate made of a red kernel.

This is a very rare appearance, a kind of in-between form between the child robbing and devouring monster and the transfor...

Buddhist shrine containing a sculpture of Shichimen Daimyojin in sitting pose, one leg crossed over the other. She sits on the summit of mount Shichimen, one of her shoes by her side, holding a (golden) jewel in her left hand. In the right hand she hold another object, likely a key that is now missing.
Wood decorated with gold and mineral colors. Gilt metal mandorla behind her head, decorated with flaming jewels.
The baldachin above the figure is decorated with auspicious symbols in ...

Small Buddhist shrine, or zushi, containing the figure of the Bodhisattva Kannon Nyoirin in six-armed form, sitting on a lotus base positioned on rocks. Kannon sits in position of royal ease, his head resting on his main right arm. In his other right hands he holds the wish-granting jewel (nyoi hoju) and a rosary of stringed beads. His main left hand rests on the lotus, while the others hold a script and a, now missing, lotus flower. He wears a crown and jewelry on his chest made of gilt metal a...

Japanese antique pair of small Inari Shinto shrine foxes made of pottery with traces of Mica in the clay. Originally painted, these foxes still have traces of bright pigment. Also called Zenko, these good spirit Kitsune (foxes) are specifically associated with the Goddess, Inari.

Believed to be both messengers and guardians, Kitsune served Inari in her role as the Goddess of agriculture, specifically rice. Part of the folklore surrounding the fox is it's ability to shape shift into t...

Very small, black lacquered shrine (gilded on the inside) with inside the wooden figure of the Bodhisattva Marishi-ten in three-headed form (left head is a boar's head), sitting on a lotus base carried on the backs of seven boars. In his hands he holds a branch of the asoka tree, a sword, bow and arrows. The carving is slightly abstracted, but nevertheless full of detail. The halo and attributes are all gilded metal.
On the outside bottom there is a paper label with inscription in ink, s...

Buddhist shrine with sculpture of the bodhisattva Myoken, deity of the Polar Star and of the Big Dipper.
He is dressed in Chinese garment, standing on the back of a kida (a beast that is half turtle, half dragon-snake), holding an enormous sword. Behind his back a nimbus with seven discs, representing the seven stars of the Big Dipper. To the left of the rock base the head of a snake pops out. (Probably a snake was wound ”around” the giant turtle and broke off. When the sword was repla...