18th century consecrated Japanese dragon (Ryu) temple carving. Its serpentine body reveals his 3 appendages with classic three claw anatomy. The high relief carving engulfs the dragon in flames. The rendering of the dragon's face exudes power and compassion.
The dragon carving was part of the architectural decoration of a Buddhist temple. It has been sanctified with sutras, located in the dragon's eye during the "Eye Opening Ceremony" (Kaigen-Kuyo)...

Late 18th Century Musha Ningyo of Minamoto no Yoshitsune. This wonderful early example of high quality has a great presence, sumptuous brocades, gold lacquered armor, a spectacular helmet, and many other fine details. His face is gorgeously and masterfully carved with finely burnished Gofun. An extraordinary example. Figure height: 15.75 inches, 40 cm. Overall dimensions: 20 x 20 inches, 51 x 51 cm. Excellent Condition.

An Arita blue & white porcelain dish decorated with a pavilion and poetry, an equestrian and servant in the foreground. The dish is moulded with a shallow ‘rinka’ edge. The back is plain and has three spur marks within the foot-rim.

An identical dish is illustrated in the Shibata Collection Vol.4, #303 where it is dated to 1770~1800.

Approximately 18 cm diameter. The dish has some light wear from normal use, plate stacking for example, but is otherwise in fine condition...

The subject is taken directly from a famous Neo-Confucian text on filial piety known as the "Twenty four Exemplars" (Japanese nijûshikô ) by Guo Jujing. This is the first exemplar in the series entitled Xiào Găn Dòng Tiān His Filial Piety Moves Heaven and Earth ...

Very early rare Edo Period Japanese ishô-ningyô of an Archer. It is a prototype of the takeda-ningyô Kabuki actor doll. This exceptional ningyô is a fine artistic masterpiece. He has a classic face with painted features creating a charming expression and is wearing sumptuous brocades, possessing the presence of highly sought after early Edo ningyô. Height: 15 inches, 38 cm.

A rice bowl, chawan, and cover cum sauce dish, mamezara, decorated with a pattern of trailing grapes and a flying beetle in gilt outlined enamels and underglaze cobalt blue. The grapes, budo, typically orientated upside down with a flying beetle, kabutobushi. The lid measures 10.13 cm in diameter and stands 2.6cm high, and the bowl measures 5.6cm high and is 11.13cm in diameter...

18th Century Edo Period Saga Ningyo of a young boy holding a rooster in one hand and a scepter in the other. His head bobs while his tongue goes in and out. Carved entirely of wood, his robes are built up with pigments in a technique called 'moriage'. He has a gorgeous blue outer robe decorated with foliate scroll slightly raised in relief. His inner robes are brown with shaped roundels of geometric patterns and cloud shapes...

Startled to enlightenment, this is a large Edo period figure of a Rakan (Sanskrit: Arhat), a Buddhist saint kozutsucarved in the Yosegi-zaiku method of joined blocks of wood. Originally covered in polychrome colors, much has grayed and flaked away with time, a fitting aspect of the image. He has glass eyes which seem to burn violently with realization. The image is 43 x 36 x 51 cm (17 x 14 x 20 inches) and is in solid condition. The head is removable, slotted into the body at the collar...

Edo Period Kyogen Theater Karura (Garuda) Mask, donated in the 19th Century by the prominent collector, Dr. C.G. Weld to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Karura is a mythical fire-breathing bird-human creature from Buddhist-Hinduist mythology. A fine and rare example. Wood with lacquer. 8 x 6.25 inches, 20.5 x 16 cm.

An abalone shaped dish decorated in underglaze blue with trailing Clematis vine, Tessen. The dish is in “Ko Sometsuke” style based on porcelain specifically produced in China for the Japanese market in the first half of the seventeenth century and made to Japanese specifications. The abalone form was considered especially auspicious, as noshi, dried awabi strips, were formally presented with gifts...

This plate was made in Arita porcelain area at middle Edo period. Arabesque with flowers at the center, 3 chinese phenixes, 6 dragons are pictured around with fine brush strokes and octopus arabesque with blue glaze. The seal mark"大明成化年製" is commonly seen at the middle Edo age. Size: 34.2cm (D) 5.0cm (H)

A large deep bowl with bulls eye base decorated with a Kraak fuyo-de style pattern to the interior and exterior with the central mikomi decorated within a classic Chinese landscape with the figure of the Chinese poet Lin Bu contemplating a small gnarled tree, presumably a Mountain plum, upon a rocky outcrop...

A nagazara or long dish of bean-pod form, a very unusual shape, decorated with auspicious un-ryu, dragons and clouds, in its central reserve, surrounded by Matsu-fuji, entwined Pine branches and Wisteria vine, a traditional Japanese motif associated with longevity. The reverse decorated with further auspicious Dragons and precious objects, cash and scrolls with flaming pearls...

A covered bowl or tureen probably made for the European market, but of conventional Japanese form, decorated with a pattern of Peony branches to the exterior in iron red and underglaze blue with green and black enamels and gilding. The interior painted with an enamelled green and black peony petal mon covering a round area of unglazed biscuit porcelain, that suggests that further bowls may have been stacked within the bowl during the original firing...

A similar pair of dishes to EW 3037 but without the additional gilding and iron red decoration. Designs featuring Karako were popular both in China and Japan at this period they were both symbolic of joy and a wish for children, kodakara; the treasure that is children...

A nice quality Ko Imari bowl decorated with three ogee shaped niches containing a stylised Lotus motif against an iron red ground inset against a diaper brocade ground over painted in light gilt with a figure of a Daoist immortal carrying a pine bough over his or her shoulder...

Rare and Spectacular Edo Period Musha Ningyo of Toyotomi Hideyoshi (circa 1780). A musha ningyo (Warrior doll or Boy's Day doll) modeled after the seated Toyotomi Hideyoshi in armor with an eboshi winged hat and a sword, holding a gunbai-uchiwa (military fan). This is the first one found by the same maker as the Hideyoshi in the famed Ayervais collection (cf. "Ningyo, the Art of the Human Figurine " Japan Society 1995 page 34, and "Ningyo, the Art of the Japanese Doll" by Alan Pate publis...

Very Old Edo Period (circa 1720) Extremely Rare Set of Three Female Musicians for Hina Matsuri (Girls Day Festival) Almost all musician dolls were male, making this group highly unusual, especially from the 18th century. They have the most wonderful features painted on carved wood covered with burnished gofun (oyster shell lacquer). The textiles are chirimen silk. 8.75 inches (22.5 cm) tall. From a widely renowned and published collection that has been exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum and ...