This delightful little house and garden tableau contains an incredibly detailed miniature Japanese tea house surrounded by a twig fence adjoined at the corner by a bamboo garden gate. Early to mid-20th century. The house has movable sliding shoji screen doors and windows and a large removable overhanging hipped roof. Next to the house is a separate little outhouse, complete with miniature fixtures...

This large lacquered wooden shop sign (“kanban” or “kamban”) advertises a brand of Japanese sake and dates to ca. 1930. The large heavy trade sign was carved on a single wood plank and decorated with black and gold lacquer, which creates a dramatic contrast...

This strikingly handsome Edo (Tokyo) style “naga hibachi” (long firebox) is made from wonderfully grained burled keyaki (zelkova) wood. Meiji period, late 19th century. The mortise-and-tenon, dove-tail and mitre joinery is indicative of very fine craftsmanship, and the keyaki wood has a rich mellow patina resulting from years of exposure to heat and smoke...

Featuring expert craftsmanship and classic Japanese styling, this miniature wooden shrine is skillfully handcrafted of cedar or cypress and contains many of the detailed architectural elements found on larger Shinto shrines in Japan. It dates to the mid-20th century...

Carved from a large piece of heavily grained wood, this humble-looking maneki-neko cat sits on its haunches in the classic pose with its left paw up and wears a charming wide-eyed expression on its face. Late Edo/early Meiji period (ca. 1850). This sculpture was roughly executed in the “single-blade carving” technique known as “itto bori,” which produces a faceted surface, with each facet reflecting a single cut...

This sinuous Japanese shallow form basket or “moribon,” hand carved of curling hardwood burl, has a bold irregular loop handle jogging diagonally across the top. Meiji period, late 19th century. The basket’s swirling edge follows the natural tree shape, creating a wonderfully elegant movement. The inherent natural honey-colored hue of the wood enhances the rich grain in the burl, giving its graphic wavy design a luminous depth and sheen...

Handcrafted of cedar or cypress wood, this vintage Japanese kamidana miniature shrine has architectural features found on larger Shinto shrines and is dated “Showa 2 nen” (1927) on the back. The central double doors open to provide access to an interior sanctuary where “ofuda” shrine charms and other appropriate religious items may be placed behind the hanging silk curtain. There are fragile minutely latticed windows on either side of the doors...

This large vintage round red lacquer dish in chrysanthemum form with low relief hand carving was crafted in a technique known as kamakura-bori and dates to the mid-20th century. The finely carved edges of the dish represent real chrysanthemum blossoms which surround a stylized twelve petal chrysanthemum flowerhead -- a design which originated in the late 17th century and was based on the "kiku-mon," the imperial crest derived from the chrysanthemum...

This lovely round red and black lacquer tray with hand carved peony blossoms and leaves was crafted in a technique known as kamakura-bori and dates to the early 20th century. The alternating layers of color create a rich effect on the low relief carving, adding to its three dimensional quality. There is a wonderful depth and patina to the richly textured finish of this tray, which was very likely a tea ceremony presentation tray. The reverse is simply finished with red lacquer...

This wonderfully detailed boxwood tray has been realistically carved in the form of a curled lotus leaf holding a lotus flower seed pod. Meiji period (1868-1912). The close-grained hardwood has a rich brown color and a soft dark patina reflecting many years of careful use and care. The front depicts the top of an open lotus leaf with curled outer edges. A lotus seed pod, on a stem that curls around the left edge, sits on the lower left corner of the tray...

This absolutely extraordinary oversized hibachi or brazier in natural form was skillfully crafted from the wood burl of a keyaki (zelkova) tree trunk and dates to the late 19th/early 20th century. The heavy body was created from a beautifully grained keyaki wood tree trunk, and it branches out to a highly irregular base that had once been four natural root sections. One of the root ends has been cut back to keep the hibachi to a manageable size. There is a small horizontal burl wood inset which ...

This large red and black lacquer deep dish in chrysanthemum form with relief hand carving was crafted in a technique known as kamakura-bori and dates to the early 20th century. The carved edges of the bowl represent the sixteen petals of a chrysanthemum blossom. This design originated in the late 17th century and was based on the "kiku-mon," the imperial crest derived from the chrysanthemum. The central medallion is carved in relief with three overlapping chrysanthemum leaves. The reverse is com...

This unusual Japanese wooden tea tray, carved from the burled trunk of a keyaki (zelkova) tree, was made for use in the tea ceremony. Meiji period (1868-1912). Trays of this type were important accessories in senchado (“the way of sencha”) -- the tea ceremony developed in the Edo period using sencha tea. The short thick exterior wall of the tray is crafted from the densely grained wavy burl, which has a sheen that almost glows. The base on the interior is finished with reddish brown lacquer ...

This diminutive Japanese mask has been carved from finely grained hardwood, likely keyaki, and represents the face of the comic demon Buaku from a Kyogen play. We believe the mask itself dates to the early 20th century or even earlier; the lucite shadowbox frame in which it is mounted on coarse beige fabric is of a later date. The grim-faced visage has a closed mouth with upper teeth exposed and clenched over the lower lip. The mask is slightly broader across the base than across the top. Buaku�...

This unusual black and red covered square box is most likely an incense storage container called a kogo. Early 20th century. Carved in nuri guri style, the cover appears to depict a tortoise, the symbol of longevity. The interior is finished in plain black lacquer. Nuri guri is the technique of laying down and alternating dozens of layers of red and black lacquer and then carving through the layers in intricate geometric or curved patterns borrowed from the Chinese. The deep cuts are made at an ...